Smell Aversion and JPG Classique Parfum
So I’ve been unemployed for a couple of weeks now. You’d think I’d have all the time in the world to be writing perfume reviews to keep this blog up, etc. Right. Not only have I slacked in review writing, but also have developed some sort of a smell aversion. By that I mean I have not felt like wearing perfume, and I’ve barely worn any. Not exactly sure why. Must be the hormones - I always blame everything on the hormones. Everything I’ve put on has been either way too sweet (even the universally skanky Muscs Koublai Khan!) or just too much of whatever. This is beyond devastating! But life is not fair, so instead of sulking and turning into a drama queen, I decided to challenge myself with one of the richest perfumes I’ve encountered - Classique by Jean Paul Gaultier in parfum concentration.
I’d like to emphasize this short review will refer solely to the parfum version (the strongest concentration available). The eau de parfum version of JPG Classique as well as the numerous other limited editions and whatnots have been familiar to my nose for a while, and, unfortunately, have not earned its favor. I was alerted, however, by a couple fellow perfume fanatics to try the parfum which I did promptly. This stuff could be easily called Eau de Posh - I don’t think I’ve ever smelled anything this opulent. I immediately visualize a Russian woman casually getting out of a black limousine - she’s wearing a long real fur coat (and a skimpy mini dress underneath), black glossy high-heeled, pointy-toed boots, her hair pulled all the way back into a fancy bun, her extra-thick eyelashes heavily mascaraed, and a scarlet-red lipstick burning on her lips. OK, maybe I’ve gone a bit too far but I swear that’s what Classique parfum conjures up in my fragrant brain. It’s all things posh, luxurious, deluxe. It smells of money - in the sense when it’s being squandered on endless and excessive self-pampering. Even though I truly enjoy Classique, I’m not sure I have what it takes to pull it off. Perhaps I just need to be liberated from the above images. But I honestly think if there was ever a strictly occasion-specific perfume, this would be it. I can only see myself wearing it when going out and only in cold weather. It will otherwise smother everybody around me including myself.
Classique features the notes of orange flower, mandarin, star anise, orchid, iris, ylang-ylang, ginger, vanilla, amber. All of these notes are on major steroids producing a lush, full-bodied floral oriental on a heavy vanilla base. The parfum can be purchased at Imagination Perfumery as well as Ebay.
P.S. The drydown of Classique parfum is where it utterly and unconditionally wins me over.
Image source: www.imaginationperfumery.com
21 comments September 7th, 2006