Parfums d’Orsay is a line that stays pretty much under the radar for some reason. (One of the reasons that it is not well known in the US might be that Luckyscent does not carry the line, but First in Fragrance does as well as Les Senteurs). The perfume house was revived in 1998, but according to the house’s history, the first fragrance was created in 1830 for the Count d’Orsay.
I was introduced to the perfumes by Ines who sent me a decant of L’Intrigante, which I love and use often, as well as Etiquette Bleue, a lovely summer cologne.
The lovely people at Parfums d’Orsay sent me a sample of La Dandy pour Femme (previously called Femme de Dandy), the feminine counterpart of Le Dandy, and now we are up to date. 😉
The perfume was (re-)created in 2001 and includes notes of bergamot, peach, clove, freesia, cinnamon, ylang-ylang, jasmine, cardamom, carnation, sandalwood, tobacco, tolu balsam, benzoin, honey and tonka.
La Dandy is intended for the “elegant lady, epicurean, glamorous and bold”.
I’m not bold, and I’m not glamorous either, I like to think I can be elegant at times and epicurean – well, I most probably am. The German word (as is so often the case) is very judgmental (“genusssüchtig” means addicted to pleasure), but when you take the judgment out, I’m fine with that characterization. I love good things, good food, good smells, beautiful things, and I spent many useless years apologizing for that, since that was nothing that was appreciated in my family. Since I write my blog, this facet of me is finally getting its say and is enjoying the ride very much.
So how does a perfume for the Epicurean in me smell?
La Dandy starts out pretty bold, it is assertive and almost loud, which distracted me in the beginning, but after a half hour it has calmed enough for me to really start liking it.
The top is fruity-spicy, like stewed peach compote with lots of cloves and cinnamon, very gourmand, very delicious, but not very subtle. The heart stays spicy, but the peach exits gracefully and lets the florals onto the stage. An almost, but not quite heady mix of jasmine and carnation, always accompanied by cardamom, clove and cinnamon, swirls around me for some time before calming further and slowly receding in favor of a sumptuous base of tobacco and sandalwood, sweetened by tonka and a drop of honey, resinous, woody and deep.
Can you say feast for the senses?
That is a perfume for Epicureans indeed, and for connoisseurs, bon vivants and gourmands alike.
And the best thing – La Dandy gives me permission to shamelessly indulge.
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Sounds really good! 🙂
I’ll have to give it a try.
I think you might like it!
Just enjoy in everything good. My family is also against that “You must save!” Mostly money. No matter what the costs are ;-). My folks have been saving and are still saving (with no real success), never letting themselves enjoy in sth. good. It is sin to treat yourself and enjoy some life. I don’t say spend your money as it is your last day but from time to time we have to indulge ourselves. I reward myself with perfume, some with shoes or clothes or sth.else.
Absolutely. As long as it doesn’t take over everything, enjoying beautiful things and indulging from time to time is the way to go… 🙂
I say shamelessly indulge every time.
This sounds interesting and a must try, the honey, tobacco and tonka piqued my interest with my new found love of back to black.
I look on Les Sentuers (and buy) quite a lot but this line has managed to pass me by, I must remedy this straight away. 🙂
As I said, somehow the line stays under the radar, but they really have some nice perfumes.
So funny because I’ve been eyeing the sample set on Escentual.com for £15, recently! I do like the sound of La Dandy Pour Femme. I’m all for a little indulgence.
You know one the main reasons I love perfume so much is exactly because it is about pure pleasure. So much of our lives consist of the daily grind I strongly believe we need to inject as much pleasure into it as we possibly can, even if it’s “just” a morning spritz of scent. I’m very glad your Epicurean self is getting more of a free rein these days and you’re not apologising anymore. Life’s too short!
So true! And – money aside – perfume has no negative sides, unlike food or other indulgences, just pleasure (well, unless it is a scrubber! 😉 ).
This one sounds much nicer than ‘Le Dandy’ which was absolutely awful on me.
Oh and I would argue that you are glamorous!
I tried and hated Le Dandy! 🙂
And you are the cutest Candy Perfume Boy ever!!!!!! xoxoxo
Why thank you.
I had Le Dandy pushed on my by an incredibly determined SA in Selfridge’s once, I tried to be polite but she kept telling me it was ‘the one for me’. I had to walk away in the end.
on me once*
Pushy salespeople are sooooo tiresome. They really put me off their store for a long time. I don’t like to be pushed into anything!!!
Otherwise: Just a line hoping all is well with all your Austrian connections, given the avalanche news. Very unnerving.
Stay safe!
Thank you, Anna! That is lovely of you. All family and friends are in the east, no snow here. But you are right of course, unnerving! 😦
The jasmine note frightens me a little, but the rest sounds gorgeous! I’ve heard of the line, but it’s always stayed on the periphery of my interest— near Floris and a few others. Maybe just because they aren’t talked about much here in the states?
It sounds beautiful, and I do look for every opportunity to indulge my inner hedonist! 😉
Birgit, by your description it almost sounds like Arabie, without the cumin and with a tobacco note instead. (Which sounds rather delicious!) Any resemblance to Arabie?
I’m really not sure, I have no sample of Arabie anymore, so I can’t test them side by side now. But as far as I remember there is some resemblance, as you sans cumin, but the feeling is decidedly different. La Dandy is less opulent, less exotic, more french and more classic than the Lutens.
Sounds like something right up my alley, and even found it for about 1/2 price. It is always nice to be indulgent especially when you can save money doing it.
Oh, yes! That is the best kind of indulgence, without the bad conscience. 🙂
This also sounded a wee bit like Arabie to me or one of those big spicy fruity scents that are not my thing normally. I do wholeheartedly approve of Epicurean pleasures in general though – eat, drink, *sniff* and be merry for tomorrow we die…
And I’d say you are glamorous, in an elegant, understated way. : – )
Somehow I think, with your recent encroaching mellowness, you’d enjoy La Dandy…
And thank you! 😀
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