Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.
I have previously shared my excitement at discovering a lovely collection from Crazylibellule and The Poppies that not only offered an interesting and humorous range of fragrances, but also made it available at a fantastic price of $16 for a lipstick shaped tube of solid perfume. While Shanghaijava took us on a journey through Asia with its aromas of coconut, musk, incense and orchids, the newest collection Les Divines Alcoves is all about love. On the whole, this collection does not disappoint. Out of seven fragrances, I loved four (Tout Oublier for its beautiful iris accord , Aux Anges for evoking the radiance of Diorissimo, Amoureuse for charming me with its lush rose and Dans Tes Bras for its rich warmth), found one pretty (musky Presque Nue) and only two were completely lacking in distinction (Le Baiser and Toi Mon Prince.) The compositions are even more sophisticated and elegant than those from The Shanghaijava Collection, with just enough whimsical elements to lend the collection a lighthearted spirit. …
Imagine my surprise and delight at discovering a facet of Christian Dior Diorissimo in Aux Anges. The opening of Aux Anges (On Cloud Nine) includes bergamot, tangerine, ylang ylang, jasmine, jasmine, and white flowers. The crystalline transparency of lily of the valley is underpinned with the green tartness of citrus and fruity jasmine, just like the ornamentation in Diorissimo. Aux Anges is light and soaring, a very spring-like fragrance that I foresee enjoying very much as the weather gets warmer.
Amoureuse unfolds in a classical rose bouquet foiled in a smoky woody accord. Never becoming cloying or, by contrast, overly sheer, Amoureuse is simply delightful. For a rose lover, it is one of the best, bargain-priced discoveries. Like my other favorite rose, Yves Rocher Rose Absolu, Amoureuse rests on an ornate oriental base of patchouli, resins and woods, which serves to accent its seductive quality. Amoureuse (In Love) includes pink and black pepper, rose, tea, jasmine, musk, patchouli, sandalwood and vanilla.
If Aux Anges pays tribute to lily of the valley and jasmine and Amoureuse to rose, Tout Oublier is an iris melody. The iris is layered with the sweetness of violet and then wrapped into the velvety cloak of amber and woods. Given my intense fascination with iris, Tout Oublier is my personal favorite from the collection. Reminiscent of Hermès Hiris, it possesses a slightly aloof, intriguing presence, and yet the warmth of its woody-ambery accord lends an interesting twist. Tout Oublier (Letting Go) contains bergamot, tangerine, rose, ylang ylang, iris, violet, cedar, amber and musks.
The warm, almost autumnal aura of Dans Tes Bras is one of the most irresistible fragrances from the collection. It is rich and voluptuous, veiling the skin in a luxurious layer of scent. As the composition develops, the musky base dominates with its round and milky scent. Appropriately named, Dan Tes Bras (In Your Arms) is the scent of a tender embrace. The perfume has notes of juniper berry, pink pepper, peach, cedar, patchouli, amber, musks.
Presque Nue is a sheer veil of musks. Overlaid with soft floral notes, the composition develops into a rich musky accord. It has a classical character, conjuring a vision of a cream colored silk clinging to the skin. Although uncomplicated, it is quite lovely and easy to enjoy. Presque Nue (In The Nude Almost) blends bergamot, ylang ylang, neroli, jasmine, rose, lily, violet, sandalwood, amber and musks.
Le Baiser is one of the least interesting fragrances from Les Divines Alcoves, being somewhat hazy and indistinct. The floral heart blurs into the sharp accord of woods and vanilla. Le Baiser (The Kiss) features bergamot, jasmine, rose, iris, violet, sandalwood and vanilla.
Now, Toi Mon Prince was disappointingly close to Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb. It has the same candy floss sweetness, the same fruity transparence and the same mild patchouli. I suppose that as a lower priced alternative to Flowerbomb, it might have some merits. Toi Mon Prince (You My Lorn) includes bergamot, berry, tangerine, mango, almond, jasmine, apricot, rose, sandalwood, musk, white peach and patchouli.
Poule de Luxe is another new collection from Crazylibellule and The Poppies. However, it left me indifferent, mostly because the fragrances explore the gourmand, vanillic themes that seem somewhat more simplistic than either the Shanghaijava or Les Divines Alcoves collections. The names describe exactly what one might find in these perfumes: Vanilla Moka (dark chocolate, cocoa bean, sandalwood, mocha, coffee liqueur and musk), Vanilla Pralines (caramel, hazelnut, pecan pie, musks), Vanilla Sucre Glace (bergamot, tangerine, jasmine, orange flower, musk, vanilla, caramel), Vanilla Pom d’Amour (tangerine, rum, hawthorn, peach, red fruits, licorice, musk, vanilla), Vanilla Fruit Sorbet (raspberry, rose, raspberry, iris, raspberry, vanilla, musk), Vanilla Lemon Pie (orange, neroli, almond, caramel, heliotrope, vanilla), Vanilla Macarons (almond, amaretto, cedarwood, sandalwood, vanilla, musk, amber).
Being solid, the fragrances stay close to skin, but they last remarkably well. For a more detailed overview of the previous collection, please see my Crazylibellule and The Poppies: Shanghaijava Collection review. Crazylibellule and The Poppies fragrances are available from b-glowing in the US; Printemps, Bon Marché, Galleries Lafayette and Beauty Monoprix in France.
23 Comments
Jupiterbelt: Absolutely lovely review! You have certainly piqued my interest. I’m especially delighted by your description of Aux Anges: the link between this fragrance and Diorissimo is fascinating… March 20, 2007 at 1:41am
Chris Fisher: Which of these leans most toward the “masculine” or is at least unisex ? March 20, 2007 at 2:23am
Madelyn E: Dear Victoria,
Your masterful review of this delightful collection really gave me a lift. While the notion “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery ” this may not not apply to the realm of perfume.
Les Divines Alcoves represents what “niche” is all about. Novelty and creativity with a dose of whimsical.
So many facets appealed to me . the scents of course, Tout Oublier, Aux Anges, Dans Tese Bras – for their notes, the “solid” perfume,( for its portability) the pretty packaging and the price.
What’s not to like ? March 20, 2007 at 2:24am
Elle: Thanks for reviewing these! I *love* the fact that you can have such lovely scents at such a shockingly low price point. This is probably one of the only line w/ multiple releases where I’m not dismayed at thinking I will need several of them. March 20, 2007 at 8:26am
aryse: Love and alcoves…Ohhh, that is shocking 😉
Every day, your posts are a fairy Victoria.I didn’t know this perfumes but that seems very interesting.Thanks for the adress where they are available in France.I am going to test them very soon.
Most of them by the name and the composition are (in my first impression) more feminine but Dans tes bras is for me the most unisex.If I wear one perfume of the collection, I think it will be this one.
If Les divines alcoves are beautiful, I am absolutly not interested by Poule de luxe.It’s always too expansive for me 😉 March 20, 2007 at 9:43am
BoisdeJasmin: J, it is a great line. I also love Encens Mystic from Shanghaijava collection. Very beautiful warm incense. March 20, 2007 at 8:19am
BoisdeJasmin: Chris, the two new collections are more feminine, so I would actually recommend the earlier one for a man, Shanghaijava. Encens Mystic, Musc et Patchouli and Ginger and Coconuts are the ones you might consider. I reviewed it earlier. March 20, 2007 at 8:21am
BoisdeJasmin: Madelyn, I agree, there is a difference between imitation and inspiration. I am glad that you liked the piece. The line is indeed excellent. I am wearing Tout Oublier today, and it is warming up on the skin beautifully. March 20, 2007 at 8:22am
Marina: *places order for Aux Anges* You said the magic word, Diorissimo. Enabler! 🙂 March 20, 2007 at 8:24am
Tigs: Oooo, I saw this line in France and kind of ignored it, because I had only heard of the Shanghaijava line and the names on these ones seemed kind of silly to me. I bought Ginger Coconut and am quite happy with it, but clearly I should have bought Dans Tes Bras, as well! (I just skipped over the all Vanilla line because I could smell how cavity-inducing they all were from several feet away.) The extra cost through b-glowing is only about 1.40 USD or so, so perhaps I will order one. March 20, 2007 at 10:45am
Jennifer: I’m so glad you reviewed these, I wasn’t very excited about this collection by the notes, but your descriptions really brought out what was unique about the scents, and now I really want to try them. March 20, 2007 at 10:46am
Ina: I found a lot of them very similar to popular scents. Now I’ll have to look for the Diorissimo and Flowerbomb likeness. 🙂 I think it’s an excellent line, for the price and quality, and the packaging is so fun. March 20, 2007 at 10:56am
Leoness: I have to have these! I’m not totally opposed to the Poule de Luxe collection either; afterall, I love vanilla. I could not be more thrilled with the price, as well as the free shipping on the website, but I have to say, these sound too good to be true. Wouldn’t a gift set of all seven be fantastic? Does such a thing exist? March 20, 2007 at 8:24pm
nicole: my dear “friend’s” step mum is the creator of this solid perfume ..i remember smelling it before they released it and saw the beautiful packaging…currently my favorite is Blue Orchidee….. bisous March 26, 2007 at 8:33pm
BoisdeJasmin: Marina, glad to enable! 🙂 March 27, 2007 at 11:25am
BoisdeJasmin: Elle, I agree–the price is superb and the fragrances are lovely! March 27, 2007 at 11:33am
BoisdeJasmin: Aryse, by comparison, the other collection was a bit too gourmand and less complex for my tastes. Still, Vanille Macarons was pretty. March 27, 2007 at 11:43am
BoisdeJasmin: Tigs, Dans tes Bras is one of my favourites. A warm, spicy peach, very lovely. March 27, 2007 at 11:44am
BoisdeJasmin: Jennifer, the scents are lovely, and for such a bargain price, I could not wish for anything better. March 27, 2007 at 11:46am
BoisdeJasmin: Ina, I agree with you. Dans tes Bras also reminded me a bit of Les Eaux Boisees. March 27, 2007 at 11:50am
BoisdeJasmin: L, I believe that you can purchase them in one set. It looks very pretty based on the photos I have seen. March 27, 2007 at 11:53am
BoisdeJasmin: Nicole, the line is lovely. Please give my compliments to your friend’s stepmother. March 27, 2007 at 11:55am
kuri: It is a testament to the power of your writing that after reading your review I went straight after work to go locate it. I had to pester three sales assistants into locating the product for me; at Isetan’s Restyle Sports where they had 5 of the Les Divines Alcoves collection. Sadly, Amoureuse was among the missing. I may have to pester them into procuring that one from France for me, haha. I might go back and get Dans Tes Bras but picked up Tout Oublier for now. It’s huge for a solid perfume; I don’t know how I’ll ever finish it! April 1, 2007 at 3:26am