Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Caron Tabac Blond Review


"Ernest Daltroff created Tabac Blond to complement French women who, after World War I, picked up American women’s acceptance of smoking in public."

" It is a fragrance for women who smoke cigarettes, since a cigarette was, at that time, the perfect symbol of freedom and chic of a Parisian woman."



I think this says so much about this perfume.  It's a challenge.  Not a challenge in an agressive way. Not 'Look how different I can be!'....but more...'I did something a little dangerous, I did it very well, and frankly I don't care if you're looking.'

It is described as having notes of leather, carnation, lime blossom, iris, vetiver, ylang-ylang, cedar, patchouli, vanilla, ambergris, and musk but I gather that I had a slightly different experience wearing it.

The initial notes for me included the obvious leather and tabacco.  I may be the only one who gets a distinct almond or dark cherry out of the mix.  However, this quickly dissapates, leaving behind the leather and tabacco, and the beauty of the scent is revealed.  Daltroff seems to have created something akin to church incense using a musk/ambergris/and yes, perhaps the cedar.  The stage of the perfume is it's defining moment and it really is "beautiful" is every sense of the word.  The hint of carnation adds a bit of pepperiness to balance those intense smokey notes.  The only bothersome note was the gournand combo I got from the almond/cherry and vanilla notes...something akin to dark chocolate which was easily forgettable.

It's a lingering smell.  The drydown leaves behind a pretty distinct mix of powdery vanillic musk that reminds of quite a bit of a sweetened black tea.  And how fitting an end!

I was in the middle of a 3 hour drawing class and for obvious reasons,wearing a new perfume seems to heighten all my senses to the point of mild synesthesia.  I noticed a girl sitting opposite from me on the other side of the room.  She must have been Malaysian, Fillipino or Vietnamese with features like an Avatar character--big exotically shaped eyes, dark olive skin, long straight black hair, a thin face and a sad inquisitive expression that seemed very natural.   What took me by surprise was the vividness of her emerald green chiffon blouse.  It was the most surprising, difficult color but it suited her in every way (she was also wearing gold..which I think is also a great descriptor for this perfume).  I don't think this girl knew the kind of impressions she made. Which is why she really isn't a Tabac Blond kind of person.  The Tabac Blond woman is fully aware of who she is.  She is not feminine, nor girly, but womanly.

XO

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