Winner of Paco Rabanne Metal Eau de Toilette Draw
The winner of the 1 ml sample from my own bottle is Mary Joplin! Please contact me through Facebook Messenger Mary. Congratulations!
Mood Scent 4 : Mainstream Perfumes : Yves Rocher Secrets d’Essences Tendre Jasmin, Accord Chic, Vanille Noir
Welcome to MoodScent 4!
We are four perfume bloggers based in France, Holland, England and Wales who post on a different joint subject every couple of months. This time we have chosen Mainstream perfumes. You will find links to the other blogs at the end of the post. We hope you have fun reading our different choices and adding your own selection in the comments!
The Yves Rocher Secrets d’Essences Collection
As some of you already know, I love the Yves Rocher Secrets d’Essences Collection so I chose a couple of fragrances from this product line for mini reviews: Accord Chic, Tendre Jasmin and Vanille Noir. I reviewed Rose Oud earlier this year (see link at the end) and I plan on writing about Neroli soon.
The Secrets d’Essences Collection focuses on raw materials in perfumery like vanilla (2010), jasmine (2008), neroli (2013), iris (2007) and rose (2006). The Collection launched in 2005 with Voile d’Ambre.
I have all fragrances from this line as they can be found regularly on Marktplaats (Dutch eBay) for a decent price. Small 5 ml bottles can be bought at Yves Rocher for sampling. Recently they had 3 bottles on sale for 5 euro. Personally I find most of the scents fairly linear but very well made for a decent price and excellent to layer with, except for the intriguing dark Rose Oud.
Tendre Jasmin
Perfumer: Jacques Cavallier(Issey Miyake L’Eau d’Issey and Jean Paul Gaultier Classique)
Notes: Jasmine Grandiflorum Abs., Jasmine Sambac Abs., Mimosa Abs., Orange Blossom Abs., Lemon, Mandarin. Orange
After starting with rather annoying synthetic aromachemicals, Tendre Jasmin continues as a clean floral bouquet with a bit of a green fresh touch. There is nothing edgy about this scent, no animals or índoles but a beautiful light jasmine fragrance.
Layer with: Accord Chic
Tendre Jasmin in a few words: happy, careless like a butterfly, light, virginal floral, pristine Jasmine
Accord Chic
Perfumers: Olivier Cresp (also known for creating Thierry Mugler Angel) and Marie Salamagne
Notes: pink pepper, elemi, iris, benzoin and frankincense
Starting with a spicy note of activating pink pepper and elemi with a sweet balsamic undertone probably from the benzoin, this fragrance changes quickly into a slightly dusty, sweeter and smoother scent. The frankincense adds a greener and slightly damp note to the whole fragrance. After a few hours what remains is a smooth scent which reminds me of liquorice. Longevity is excellent after 7 hours I can still smell a trace.
The image I get, when I smell Accord Chic, is from a well dressed elegant lady in a thin black wool sweater and long white wide wool pants. Looking closer you can see these are luxurious designer clothes. The name Chic in the perfume is very fitting but I find Accord horrendous as a perfume name. If this scent was sold by a niche perfume house this fragrance could easily become a bestseller. This fragrance is well worth a try.
Layer with: Tendre Jasmin to enhance the floral heart or with Vanille Noir to link the benzoin in Accord Chic with the vanilla in the Vanille Noir to create a warmer fragrance.
Accord Chic in a few words: casual elegance and chic, refined, introverted, calm, intriguing
Vanilla Noir
Perfumer: Jacques Cavallier
Notes: mandarin, mimosa, Vanilla Bourbon, Ugandan Vanilla, Tahitian Vanilla, leather, cedar wood, orange blossom
This slightly dry vanilla seems to go directly to the base with sweet powder, liquid caramel and comforting woody notes. After a few hours what remains on the skin is a warm woody anisic skin scent. I find Vanilla Noir to be quite linear and not very interesting in the beginning but it turns into a fabulous warm comforting fragrance after a few hours. It is an excellent fragrance to layer with Guerlain Shalimar or Byredo Gypsy Water Eau de Cologne to enhance the vanilla in both.
Vanille Noir in a few words: warm, smooth, feels like a protective thin black soft wool blanket, comforting skin scent, not a gourmand vanilla
Layer with: Voile d’Ambre and Accord Chic, it probably works well with Neroli to create a fresh top note as well.
Bottom line: Tendre Jasmin, Accord Chic and Vanille Noir are all well worth a try, I find Accord Chic the most intriguing and Vanilla Noir the one I grew to like most.
Read my review of Annick Menardo’s dark rose creation for Yves Rocher Secrets d’Essences and favorite from this collection here: Rose Oud
Tara’s choices from A Bottled Rose, Megan’s from Megan in Sainte Máxime and Samantha’s from I I Scent You A Day can be found by clicking on the names of the websites. I am curious about their choices, aren’t you?
Have you tried this Yves Rocher Secrets d’Essences Collection? Do you have a favourite fragrance? Which one do you like most or would you like to try?
