E. Coudray

Jacinthe et Rose by E. Coudray 1983

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Post by Poodle

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Hello to all my friends down in Oz!

As I’m writing this, the leaves are turning and it feels like fall out there but those of you down under are shaking off the winter chill and spring is in the air. One of my favorite scents of springtime is hyacinth in bloom. I have a few in my yard and I sometimes pick them and bring in a cluster to perfume the house a bit. This past spring I tried to find a perfume with hyacinth as a major note. I stumbled across Jacinthe et Rose online and even though it had peach in it I blind bought a bottle. I know, I know, shame on me. Blind buys are bad.

I had a coupon.

I am weak.

And no, I’ll never learn.

Jacinthe et Rose by E. Coudray 1983

Jacinthe Et Rose E. Coudray FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Top: Vodka, peach, hyacinth, bitter orange
Heart: Peony, orange blossom, jasmine, ylang-ylang, rose
Base: Sandalwood, musk, vanilla, vetiver, cedar

At first spritz it reminded me of something, but what? Each time I tested it I couldn’t place it. Then it dawned on me. Once upon a time Victoria’s Secret was a lovely store that played classical music and their merchandise was not marketed towards teens. Those were the pre-Pink days. In addition to a wonderful perfume called Victoria, they also carried a line of bath and body products which I think were called Secret Garden. Even their fruity scents were good. One of those was Peach Hyacinth.

Jacinthe Et Rose E. Coudray Blue_Hyacinth_field DeviantArtPhoto Stolen DeviantArt

Jacinthe et Rose reminds me of Peach Hyacinth. I’d completely forgotten about it until now. It’s not a dead ringer for it but there are some similarities. At first spritz it’s a quick blast of peach and hyacinth. It’s not as peachy as I remember Peach Hyacinth being but it’s close enough to trigger my memories of it. You already know my fear of peach and this was one of the few that smelled like peach and not pee on me. The hyacinth was pretty strong in Peach Hyacinth too. I can smell some hyacinth here but I wish it was a bit more pronounced than it is. Soon, Jacinthe et Rose veers away from my remembrance of Peach Hyacinth and becomes a slightly powdery but well balanced bouquet. This is the point where the rose really shines. The juice is pink and honestly that’s the perfect color for it. Soft and delicate are words that come to mind. This is a ladylike scent. There’s nothing dirty here at all. It’s pretty and clean. If you’re a fan of powdery florals this might be for you but if you like dark and dirty Jacinthe et Rose won’t fit the bill.

Jacinthe Et Rose E. Coudray T.Kiya FlickrPhoto Stolen T.Kiya  Flickr

I wish I could say I smell all the notes in this but other than the main characters I really can’t. It’s very well blended to my nose and linear. I’m sure plenty of people with better noses than mine could pick this one apart but its not that important to me to smell everything in it.

First In Fragrance has 100ml/€73 and Samples
Jovoy Paris has 100ml/ €56 (sadly they do not send to Australia)
GraysOutlet (in Australia) has $103/100ml

While I do like Jacinthe et Rose I’m not in love with it. It doesn’t have much lasting power on me but few things do, and it just gradually fades away.. I like the fact that the rose doesn’t get sour on me and stays fresh. It is a very pretty perfume that’s worth a sniff. On those days when I’m feeling demure and feminine it will be the perfect potion I’m sure.

Poodle x

Givrine by Evelyne Boulanger for E.Coudray (1950, 2004)

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Gabriella

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I am hoping for a long, hot summer down here in Sydney. Judging from the wet, cold and dire spring weather we’ve had over the past few weeks, I’m afraid my hopes might be in vain, but that doesn’t mean my olfactory choices can’t reflect a sense of optimism.

I’ve therefore been compiling scents for sweltering and humid conditions as summer temperatures can sometimes reach the high 30 or low 40-degree celsius mark come January. When you have had a long day, all you want to do is peel off damp work clothes, have a cool shower, turn up the air conditioning and slip on a soft cotton t-shirt and shorts. On days and nights like these, I want my perfume to be light and fresh, but still devastatingly feminine and pretty.

Givrine by E.Coudray (1950, 2004)

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Kumquat, bergamot and watermelon
Heart: Peony, gardenia, violet and lily-of-the-valley
Base: Sandalwood, patchouli, musk and white woods.

Enter Givrine by E. Coudray, a soft floral citrus perfume that sounds like the perfect thing for such needs. Les Senteurs even describes it as “the perfect summer holiday perfume – fresh and carefree and exhilarating”. The scent was originally launched in 1950 and then reissued in 2004 by perfumer Evelyne Boulanger. There’s very little information about Givrine, and discrepancies in notes lists. I was expecting a scent that was soft and clean. I was, however, thoroughly unprepared for Givrine’s supreme elegance and classical beauty.
It opens with a vibrant accord of mandarin and bergamot, so rich and lush, it speaks of old-school sophistication and grand chypres of yesteryear. The rose then comes to life – a rich red rose – with the citrus notes making it velvety and bright. The citrus fades rather quickly and the rose note is then underscored by powdery violets and peony. The florals here are all boudoir: a ballgown on a chaise longue, silk stockings, softly lit dressing table, crystal perfume bottles and jewellery boxes filled with strands of pearls.
Photo Stolen visit-the-farm
The effect also recalls the times when perfume rituals were taken seriously and women bathed in bath oil and sprinkled talcum before dabbing on the matching parfum. The result is a fragrant mille-feuille of dozens of soft petals gently caressing warm skin. The petals aren’t the colours of a vibrant rainbow, but the most delicate lilacs and pinks of a Monet painting. The rose-violet accord is accentuated by a hint of gardenia, the dry down a mellow skin scent of soft woods.
Givrine brings back memories of when I was a teenager. I was obsessed with fashion and would spend my pocket money on huge tomes of sea-freighted US Vogue, wide-eyed over the Chanel ads and pictures of Linda, Christy and Naomi. My parents, for various Christmases and birthdays, also bought me all the books in the Vogue “decades” series: “The 1930s in Vogue” and so on. Givrine to me is the “The 1950s in Vogue”. It’s not a femme fatale of the era like Jane Russell or Marilyn Monroe, but rather the smooth, feline curves of a Hitchcock blonde.
Photo stolen sensibility
Givrine is also the demure little sister to the pin-up diva of Frederic Malle Lipstick Rose. Both feature a central rose-violet accord, but the grapefruit and vetiver in Lipstick Rose gives it more lushness and vibrancy. Givrine’s powdery woodiness is somewhat more sedate and refined.
It’s not my first choice for a “t-shirt-after-a-shower” fragrance but would help me keep my poise during a blisteringly hot work day.
For more reviews, please see Fragrantica and Now Smell This, which reviews the original version.
Givrine is available at Les Senteurs and at Madame B in Melbourne as well as many other places worldwide, according to the E. Coudray website.
Samples from Les Senteurs are £5, while the 100ml EDT is £63.
Have you tried Givrine? What’s your favourite rose or violet fragrance? What’s your perfume of choice when the heat just gets that little too much?
With much love till next time!
M x