Perfume Review: Psychotrope by Parfumerie Generale
February 27th, 2007
Amongst the numerous niche perfume lines that have appeared in the past year or so, Parfumerie Generale undoubtedly stands out as the most innovative and classy. Innovative not only for their choice of unusual perfume notes but also for extraordinary, well-balanced compositions. Classy for renouncing pretentiousness and flamboyance while sticking to their own polished style. While I do not have equal appreciation for all Parfumerie Generale scents, I respect Pierre Guillaume’s approach, commitment, and taste. The news of every new Parfumerie Generale scent always brings me immense excitement, and I’m rarely disappointed. Psychotrope, originally created for the Moscow store Aromateka, is my most recent perfume love.
“A jasmine and leather floral, a strange floral drug, a jasmine with leather petals elaborates a sombre, pervasive fragrance”. I could stop right here as the official description says it all. Impossible as it might sound, it smells just like a flower with leather petals. In my perception, the flower isn’t jasmine, however. I envision the tranquil, polished beauty of a water lily. Psychotrope is a cold leather scent. On my skin, the leather is most prominent in top notes, yielding to green floral notes in the heart. The entire composition is permeated with an almost chilly, aquatic accord that I find extremely appealing, despite my usual dislike of such themes. Psychotrope is simply mesmerizing - it draws you in just close enough to admire but never possess.
Psychotrope features the notes of cyclamen, violet, jasmine, lilac wood, black leather, musk. It’s now available via Parfumerie Generale online boutique under the reference of Private Creation No 617 for 50 ml and No 633 for 100 ml.
Image source: johnstevenson-gallery.com
Entry Filed under: New Perfumes, Perfume Reviews
24 Comments Add your own
1. Judith | February 28th, 2007 at 7:44 am
I really like this one, too, and I now that it is available, I am on the brink of caving. . . I am SUPPOSED to be on a no-buy, though!
2. Elle | February 28th, 2007 at 8:26 am
Great review. This one blew me away. I really think it may be one of my fav leathers of all time and that’s saying a great deal. It really does have an aquatic feel in the beginning and I normally hate aquatic notes in scents. I couldn’t even imagine how it would be combined w/ leather, but it absolutely works. A masterpiece of a scent.
3. Marina | February 28th, 2007 at 8:46 am
I can see the lily association, definitely. Love this one so very much!
4. newproducts | February 28th, 2007 at 9:18 am
This sounds amazing. It sounds like it doesn’t follow the gourmand track that so many PG scents do. I think I may like it.
5. Tamara | February 28th, 2007 at 11:09 am
Ina,
This scent might be a way for me to venture into the world of leather fragrances! So far, I’ve had no luck, but that combination sounds lovely. And your description, impeccable. Have a great day!
6. Ina | February 28th, 2007 at 11:46 am
Judith, a no-buy is so boring.
7. Ina | February 28th, 2007 at 11:47 am
Elle, it is indeed a masterpiece! I was going to mention it in my reivew that it’s one of the best PGs.
8. Ina | February 28th, 2007 at 11:47 am
Marina, thanks to you, I have a new love!
9. Ina | February 28th, 2007 at 11:48 am
Minsun, it doesn’t at all. It’s sort of wet and breezy and elegant.
10. Ina | February 28th, 2007 at 11:48 am
Tamara, Psychotrope is a perfect scent to venture into the world of leather scents! Definitely.
11. violetnoir | February 28th, 2007 at 11:57 am
Gosh, this sounds interesting and very original, Ina. I love the notes and your description. I hope luckyscent can get its hands on it, because I would really like to try this one.
Hugs!
12. Ina | February 28th, 2007 at 12:28 pm
Robin, I hope Luckyscent gets it, too! They did get the Limited Editions ones, so you never know.
13. Leopoldo | February 28th, 2007 at 2:48 pm
I’ll have to try this. I’ve just done a reckless swap for a bottle of Querelle (never sniffed it…) because I have faith in PG’s intelligent inventiveness.
14. Ina | February 28th, 2007 at 10:59 pm
Leo, oh, you’ll love Querelle! What a cool swap!
15. March | March 1st, 2007 at 7:21 am
Wow … okay, I’ve never even heard of this, and Elle likes it (she’s the closest thing to a fragrance twin I have.) Soooo I guess I’m going to have to get ahold of some!
BTW that “cyclamen” note is weird. I grow them as houseplants and they’re pretty but I swear they have no smell. But maybe it’s a different plant…
16. Ina | March 1st, 2007 at 9:53 am
March, I don’t think I’ve ever smelled cyclamen, hence, in my world, it’s a water lily.
17. Gaia | March 1st, 2007 at 5:54 pm
This has to be one of the most intriguing reviews I’ve read lately. As much as jasmine scares me, I’m now anxious to try.
18. Ina | March 1st, 2007 at 8:11 pm
Gaia, intriguing is good.
Psychotrope is indeed all that and better.
19. Monkeyposh | March 2nd, 2007 at 1:21 pm
“a jasmine with leather petals”–wow that sounds strange yet very interesting. I must get a sniff of this soon.
Great review!
20. Flora | March 3rd, 2007 at 6:50 pm
This sounds SO original! I love cyclamen in perfumes, but I have never seen it paired with leather. I can’t wait to try it.
21. Ina | March 3rd, 2007 at 10:55 pm
Jen, definitely get a sniff! I think you’ll like it.
22. Ina | March 3rd, 2007 at 10:56 pm
Flora, it is indeed a very unique pairing and so successful!
23. Sergey | March 7th, 2007 at 5:49 am
Ina, thank you for the Great review!
I wonder how you linked Numbers from Private collection with that named scent?
Just because there`re too much Numbered Scents - and so many of them could not be bought unsniffed… And so much desire to sniff them…
I have a sample of Psychotrope uncompleted - just from the table of Pierre it came to evaluate its potential, maybe?
Anyway, it differs with and similar to real commercial product - and bears no name yet.
24. Ina | March 7th, 2007 at 12:06 pm
Sergey, I didn’t do it myself, actually.
The info is from an e-mail from PG people. Now I wonder how your sample differs from this final version.
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