Hello Fragrant Friends,

I have had this beautiful fragrance in my wardrobe for a while, it is often grabbed for but then I think, “Oh No there’s only 30ml” and go for something else. As it’s been an unusually warm winter down here in Sydney the warmers have largely stayed in the closet. As you are about to go into Autumn up there in the Northern Hemisphere though, and I decided to wear this beauty, it is time I gave you a heads up on how it wears for me….

Parfum Sacre by Caron 1991

Photo Stolen Shopping.com

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Cardamom, pepper, mimosa, cinnamon
Heart: Clove, orange, tincture of rose, jasmine
Base: Myrrh, vanilla, musk

Caron has chosen an interesting name for Parfum Sacre. Every person on earth has a different version of what’s sacred in their heads, combined of their upbringing, study, travel, personal thoughts and doctrine. Ernest Daltroff had his work cut out for him and I wonder what the brief was? It was 1991 so CdG wasn’t yet taking the incense by the horns and Lutens had only begun the idea of his Palais Royal. From my readings it appears that Bellodgia is an Italian town on Lake Como, somewhere near George Clooney’s Laglio house I’d hope. Could he be considered sacred? Plenty of people adore him….

Photo Stolen lonny

So how does Parfum Sacre smell? On my skin it is bright, spicy and waxy at first, sharp and herbal as it burns off giving me a lovely pepper, cardamom and clove burst that if it was a good deal sheerer could be a modern wash opening, but it’s dense and fragrant, lovely in its complexity though I think I miss quite a bit of the nuance because the jasmine, cinnamon and rose are not featured players to my nose. The myrrh is king down the end and Parfum Sacre lasts for hours and hours. Even my scent hungry skin keeps it there, WOO HOO!

If you want to feel like a retro glamour movie star making a grand entrance and smelling like a billion dollars then Parfum Sacre is for you. NSFW unless you work alone or in a very airy office, Parfum Sacre can and will skunk if over applied. I was overly generous the other night at work, someone came in to give me a hug and started coughing with eyes streaming. It was a decidedly unglamorous moment and I felt really bad for him. It was the closeness I think but certainly less than ideal. So be careful with Parfum Sacre, sparingly unless you know you have 4 good hours of uncloseness. After 4 hours it calms to a dull roar and is pretty acceptable but still unsuitable for close working conditions or dining. Needless to say Parfum Sacre is one of my all time favourite cool weather fragrances, ever!!

Photo Stolen GoogleArtProject

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and Another Perfume Blog
FragranceNet has $35/50ml unboxed before coupon.
Surrender To Chance has modern EdT & EdP from $3/ml, Older Version from $4/ml and Vintage Extrait from $15/.25ml

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Are you a Parfum Sacre fan?

See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

Note on new Bellodgia reformulation from Perfume Shrine: Nothing to do with Parfum Sacre: Piu Bellodgia means “more Bellodgia” in Italian (fitting language since the original Bellodgia was inspired by the Italian countryside) but doesn’t appear to add more oomph to the already rich bouquet of the classicCaron Bellodgia. Reworked by Richard Fraysse, this was a composition that needed to adhere to the new IFRA directives on the regulation of eugenol/isoeugenol (spicy components used in fragrance replicating carnations, such as this one). The newer version is rosier than I get from my old bottle (which is a fuller floral symphony), with less of the spicy kick.
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Photo Stolen Wikimedia