Perfume Review: Amoureuse by Parfums DelRae
August 8th, 2006
Amoureuse by Parfums DelRae is another one of those erroneously dismissed fragrances in my baby stage of olfactory development. I first discovered the line about 3 years ago and immediately gave preference to Bois des Paradis. The other two at the time, Amoureuse and Eau Illuminee, were promptly banished for their lack of immediate appeal (which was what I was mostly after back then), and various associations of indecent character. I was put to shame, once again, several months ago when a sample of Amoureuse came my way. I was so enraptured I felt like skipping through the streets exclaiming, “Amoureuse! Amoureuse! I’m enamored with the amorous Amoureuse!” But the reasonable part of my brain won, and instead I promised myself to wear it as often as possible and acquire a bottle, eventually.
Amoureuse is created by a San Francisco designer DelRae Roth in collaboration with the renowned French perfumer Michel Roudnitska. It features the notes of tangerine, cardamom, French tuberose, French jasmine, Tahitian ginger lily, cedar moss, sandalwood, honey. What’s shocking is that I don’t really smell any of these notes distinctly (I can detect some if I sniff it real close). Instead, what I smell is linden tree in blossom. I spent my childhood around linden trees pretty much everywhere I lived. The scent is engraved in my memory. That’s the overall impression. If I do examine its notes and their development, I detect a sumptuous mix of tangerine and cardamom, a hint of jasmine, and a zing of ginger that seems to give the scent some skank (March, you must love Amoureuse, right?) that’s not really that unpleasant. It’s almost the smell of rotting flowers (here I come with my rotting images again). However, as it develops, it’s nothing but a softly spicy, honeyed, nectareous floral that eventually turns into linden on my skin or linden/jasmine tea with honey. Utterly fascinating! It reminds me a little of Parfum de Therese (created by Edmond Roudnitska) minus the leather note. Amoureuse has been in my top 5 in the past couple weeks, and it didn’t even rival Bois de Paradis which I wore yesterday.
Amoureuse is available at Aedes and Beautyhabit. For more retailers, please check Parfums DelRae site.
Image source: www.aedes.com
Entry Filed under: Perfume Reviews
34 Comments Add your own
1. chaya ruchama | August 9th, 2006 at 5:34 am
Good morning, Ina !
What a lovely description of what must be a precious memory.
I adore lindens- South Boston streets are lined with them- and I associate my feeling close to the natural world when they bloom…
I was pregnant with my sons then, and felt a small part of a bigger plan…sigh…
So, wicked one, I should sample this one, huh?
My poor, fevered brow…
BTW, I ranted to Victoria yesterday, and wanted to let you know
as well- Sak’s in NYC now has Armani Prive’s CUIR AMETHYST
and will ship it for free!!!
I nearly drained the tester yesterday, and ordered it despite the cost.Nothing comes close-
and I thought you’d want to know…
Thanks for reviewing Amoureuse- enjoy the glorious weather!
2. Patty | August 9th, 2006 at 6:05 am
I keep thinking I have smelled this, and now I’m thinking maybe I haven’t if it’s Linden. Yum!
3. March | August 9th, 2006 at 6:22 am
Ina, I keep toying with Paradis and Amoreuse (although I think they’re all very well done.) Paradis is probably my favorite, but is ultimately All About the Sandalwood. It is, I believe, the one everyone’s always describing as “dirty” tho maybe I’m confused? Because Amoreuse is all unwashed nether parts at the opening… and I love it. I imagine it to be what that filthy one Legerdenez wrote about smells like — the Guerlain Voilette Pour Madame. I find individual skank tolerances/perceptions fascinating. For instance, the Patous — Sira des Indes is one of the filthiest things I’ve ever smelled, and everyone goes, eeeeeeee, it’s so suh-weeeet! But… linden?!?! I get no linen, although linden DOES have that funky smell. I will look for linden next sniff.
4. Elle | August 9th, 2006 at 7:06 am
I’m madly in love w/ this scent - I can never resist a good honeyed note and this one is brilliant. And it really does have that slight smell of rotting flowers to save it from being obnoxiously nice.
5. Judith | August 9th, 2006 at 7:44 am
The only time I tried this I found it overwhelmingly floral and sweet. Now, I can like overwhelming florals–24 Faubourg was an HG for a long while–but this didn’t work for me. Your review is lovely, though, and makes me want to try it again..
6. Marina | August 9th, 2006 at 7:46 am
I like this one too, but of course not nearly as much as the insanely beautiful Bois de Paradis. I have you to thank for first introducing me to B de P, and I am sure you don’t remember that at all, but it were you who sent me a decant over a year ago
7. greeneyes | August 9th, 2006 at 8:09 am
Oh, here’s one I have actually sampled! I loved this, I thought it was so pretty. But I think you do hear more about Bois de Paradis than Amoureuse…I haven’t tried that one, though. I’m going to have to get out my vial of Amoureuse and wear it again. Thanks for the lovely review.
8. Ina | August 9th, 2006 at 8:18 am
Chaya, yes, you should!
And soon! But Cuir Amethyst? Did you capitilize it there on purpose, and who’s the wicked one here, huh? Shucks. But that means my local Saks should have it here soon, and I must go there again soon. Wonder if the reformulation is any better? What did it smell like?
9. Ina | August 9th, 2006 at 8:18 am
Patty, it’s linden to my nose.
You might get something else.
10. Ina | August 9th, 2006 at 8:19 am
March, see, there is some skank! I wore Paradis yesterday, and for the first time it struck me as preatty heavy on sandalwood. Hadn’t noticed it as much before. Before I got mostly cinnamon and spices.
11. Ina | August 9th, 2006 at 8:20 am
Elle, I love me some rotting flowers any time.
12. Ina | August 9th, 2006 at 8:20 am
Judith, I’ll be straight with you: try it again.
13. Ina | August 9th, 2006 at 8:21 am
Marina, nope, don’t remember it at all.
I really do love them both now.
14. Ina | August 9th, 2006 at 8:21 am
Greeneyes, I’m so glad you love it, too!
15. Marina | August 9th, 2006 at 10:26 am
Ah, but I do. I swapped for a sample of it and you instead sent me a decantishe. As you are prone to do.( Insert heart here. )
16. Ina | August 9th, 2006 at 10:27 am
Marina, LOL! Well, you’ve sent me quite a few dekantishes yourself!
17. violetnoir | August 9th, 2006 at 11:04 am
Ina, I love this line, just love it. My faves alternate between Amoureuse (my first DelRae love, and I just LOVE the name!), BdP and Debut.
I actually smell more linden in Debut, and I hate linden. But in Debut it’s just the right touch. Amoureuse is more like March described it. I do get the tangerine/cardamon/tuberose notes, too!
Gosh, I wish she would introduce a new fragrance to her line, don’t you?
Hugs!
18. Ina | August 9th, 2006 at 11:11 am
Robin, Debut is another one I must revisit soon. It was dismissed for its bitter green notes. I fear I’ll fall in love with it if I smell it again. Yes, she should totally come out with a new scent!
19. Sara | August 9th, 2006 at 11:42 am
I love Amoureuse! It was my birthday splurge a couple of years ago. I don’t get any linden but the ginger-honey-tangerine trifecta is way too beautiful to pass up. I don’t wear it often but it thrills me no end whenever I do. Thanks for the lovely review!!
20. Ina | August 9th, 2006 at 12:19 pm
Sara, I’m beginning to think I’m the only oddball who gets linden here.
21. chaya ruchama | August 9th, 2006 at 2:13 pm
Ina,
Of course I capitalized it on purpose!
It reminds me of SL Bois de Violette, only with soft leather [suede?] , violet leaf,honeyed woods,Mysore [gasp!] sandalwood-
I’m sorry, my mouillette is one day old-I realize that I just described the Lutens, but believe me, It differs…
I’m not one to rave and plunk a fortune unless something is so singular and stellar that I won’t wait [in this case, one month].
It lasts quite awhile [and it SHOULD]-
the SA told me that Armani intends to bring out refills soon, so that we don’t go broke…
Must try!
That is, if sultry, soft, nibble-worthy necks and tender places are part of your trademark…
22. Ina | August 9th, 2006 at 2:36 pm
Chaya, you just practically smothered me with your description. WAH! I WANT IT!!! WAH! WAH! WAH!
23. Elle | August 9th, 2006 at 2:52 pm
Chaya,
OMG! That sounds divine. WANT!!! NOW!!! Not sure I can wait for those refills!!! Thanks for the description!
24. Ina | August 9th, 2006 at 2:56 pm
Chaya, I’m gonna have to set up special authorization for your comments here. You can’t just tease us like that. YOU CAN’T. It’s more than I can handle. Wah!
25. BBliss | August 9th, 2006 at 9:12 pm
I love the DelRae’s - esp. this one and BdP. Here’s the thing. They are so, so beautiful, but when I wear them I feel a little melancholy and wistful - almost like something isn’t complete or finished. Weird, huh. Never had that happen with a perfume so disctinctly, or even a whole line for that matter. It hasn’t stopped me completely from wearing them, but I did stop in mid-purchase - twice. Theories on this?
Maybe my personal chemistry is just at odds with Michel R - ha, ha!
26. Twibbet | August 9th, 2006 at 9:17 pm
I apparently am a DelRae sucker. I bought Amoureuse off the shelf after smelling it once - love the linden, love the honey, love how it just takes over for hours and hours. If only I didn’t have to go to work, I could wear it all the time
But then I got samples of Debut and Bois de Paradis from Aedes, and fell in love with the one marked Debut. Note my phrasing? My sweet husband bought me a bottle of Debut, at which time we realised Aedes had switched the labels on the samples. I had been in love with Bois de Paradis (the cinnamon should have tipped me off). However, I started using Debut in a dogged I-will-like-this sort of way, and I LOVE the drydown of it! It just does this wonderful sweet creamy musky thing on my skin. Mmmm. So I guess now I need a bottle of BdP as well. Darn it.
27. Ina | August 9th, 2006 at 9:30 pm
Twibbet, how unfortunate and fortunate at the same time!
I’m so going to try Debut soon. Bois de Paradis is another major winner.
28. Ina | August 9th, 2006 at 9:46 pm
BBliss, hmm, I haven’t observed this type of reaction. The only perfume that’s truly melancholy on me is Guerlain L’Heure Bleu. It must be your chemistry. But I also wonder if maybe the weather affects it? If not, then hormones. Blame everything on the hormones.
29. BBliss | August 10th, 2006 at 8:49 am
Ina, Great idea - hormones, heat and humidity are the cause!
30. Ina | August 10th, 2006 at 8:58 am
Yep!
31. Aromascope » Noir E&hellip | August 24th, 2006 at 11:05 pm
[…] Noir Epices (Black Spices) is created by Michel Roudnitska, the perfumer behind my favorite Amoureuse. Noir Epices is all about spices, with a chypre effect. It features the notes of nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, orange, geranium, sandalwood, patchouli. What I love about it in particular is that it’s defiant. It’s one of those scents others will be likely to get really put off by while you’ll feel honored and proud to be its wearer. Or rather it will wear you. Do not attempt to subdue it for it will not oblige. If fragrances came with warning labels as far as wearability, it would undoubtedly come with a “Wear at your own risk” label. Noir Epices opens up with a nosehair-burning blast of pepper and geranium and quickly gets intensified by yet more spices, as if saying, “Pepper alone won’t do it to be defiant enough, folks”. So you get hit by nutmeg and cloves and just a touch of cinnamon. It’s a debauchery of drunk spices. The sandalwood and patchouli come in at some point as if trying to keep the whole thing under control which they manage to do only to a degree. The drydown is very much a spicy, cinnamony geranium, just as bold and just as audacious. The debauchery lasts for hours, and you wake up the next day with an olfactory hangover. But I love it nonetheless, and that is the kind of scent I’d love to stink up the said office with for I know it will last and last and last. […]
32. Aromascope » Perfum&hellip | August 21st, 2007 at 11:29 pm
[…] entranced by a perfume. Sure, I’ve had several olfactory love affairs recently - Orris Noir, Amoureuse, Paestum Rose, to name a few. We’re still seeing each other and are very much committed. […]
33. Aromascope » Perfum&hellip | August 21st, 2007 at 11:36 pm
[…] Roudnitska), has more than proven his mastery in such creations as Noir Epices by Frederic Malle, Amoureuse, Bois de Paradis, Debut, Eau Illuminee by Parfums DelRae. It comes as no surprise Ellie D is so […]
34. angela brown | February 8th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Does anyone know where I can get a sample of Bois de Paradis to try before I buy?
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