As a young ballet student I used to bristle whenever people said, “oh, ballet, it’s so lovely and pretty,” after I had just danced in excruciating pain. Later, it dawned on me that a dancer has to make something difficult seem weightless and graceful. If you see a swan sweat and strain, then she didn’t succeed in her craft. Perhaps, that is the reason I look indulgently upon the prettiness of Repetto. It’s about a ballet fantasy of pink slippers, tutus and Sugar Plum fairies.
Repetto is a French company that successfully made the cross over from professional dance shoes to everyday ballet flats and much more. There is now a line of clothing, handbags, and of course, fragrance. Repetto perfume launched earlier this year retaining the same ethereal aesthetic of the brand. It even involved Dorothée Gilbert, a Paris Opera Ballet prima, to star in its campaign. You can see the lithe dancer spraying on Repetto as she gets ready to leave for her rehearsals. A few shots later she adds a generous spritz on her neck just as she’s stepping onto the scene.
Don’t look for Black Swan drama in Repetto. The perfume is as pink and frilly as they come, which makes perfect sense given Repetto’s whole package. It’s also designed to catch the 20 year olds, and this young focus dictates a certain character and price point. This means the perfume will be safe and commercial–young girls aren’t known for being rebellious in their choices.
Repetto and its perfumer Olivier Polge chose the floral gourmand theme, a soft rose with orange blossom marshmallow and vanilla notes. There is even a touch of our old friend fruity patchouli. But just because something is meant to be likable and pretty, it doesn’t meant that it’s vapid and trite. Repetto is as charming as their patent leather slippers (I have a pair in lipstick red!)
If Chanel Chance grew up a bit, she would be Repetto. The two perfumes don’t smell alike, but they have the same bubbly character. Repetto is softer, mellower, less aggressive on the sweet patchouli. It opens up with the tart pears and mandarin juice before falling onto a bed of pale pink rose petals and soft suede. There is a candy-like hint of orange blossom, but the main sweetness comes from creamy vanilla and gourmand patchouli lacing the drydown. It has good presence and the sweet finale goes on for hours.
While Repetto won’t blow your ballerina slippers off with its originality, it’s really well done. As a gift for a young girl or anyone who loves a bit of lighthearted fun in their perfume bottle, it’s a good option. I would have loved a less young, less sweet fragrance from Repetto, but I don’t begrudge the house for doing something logical for a brand that’s itself young and sweet.
At the same time, I wish the brand put more money into perfume, rather than the expensive TV ad destined to run for only a few months.
Repetto Le Parfum Eau de Toilette includes notes of pear, cherry blossom, orange blossom, rose, vanilla and amber wood. 30 (39 euros), 50 (59 euros) and 80 ml (79 euros).
84 Comments
george: I like the sound of this……….it makes me think i should get myself a really girly candy like perfume just to be perverse, and this sounds ideal; though to me it sounds like it has more the appearance of ballet than the reality; I find something like No.5 more representative of ballet because along with the sublime jasmine centric flowers, there’s the disciplinary whip of the aliphatic aldehydes telling them to stand tall and keep their posture straight; reminds me of the dvd extra to the film The Red Shoes, where Darcy Bussell comments on how the camera shows the prima ballerina’s sweat after a series of pirouettes the camera apes, and how she find the fact the sweat is depicted shocking- the extreme effort and discipline is cinematically registered; still an olfactory fantasy of the ballet sounds nice in this case. July 29, 2013 at 7:24am
Cornelia Blimber: This is striking! In The Black Swan, the young ballerina has stolen a bottle of No 5 from the Prima Ballerina. July 29, 2013 at 7:32am
Victoria: I was thinking of that scene the moment I read George’s comment! July 29, 2013 at 7:50am
Mel: Coincidentally, I watched Black Swan again last night on cable. So ravishing! Every moment! The next logical question for you, V, is what elements would you use to craft a Black Swan scent? July 29, 2013 at 12:14pm
Victoria: Parts of it were a bit too scary for me (yes, I’m a total wimp), but I loved Natalie Portman’s acting. Her transformation was incredible. As for a Black Swan scent, it would have to have intrigue and lots of contrasts. Perhaps, a soft, innocent opening of floral notes leading to a smoky, brooding drydown of incense, leather, animalic notes? Need to think about it some more. July 29, 2013 at 3:13pm
george: We certainly seem to have arrived at the nexus of all things cinematic/balletic/olfactory, …….esp when considered how indebted to The Red Shoes Black Swan is (the above mentioned camera aping of a pirouette is directly used in Black Swan for example), and also when considering that Powell and Pressburger probably directed the only film named after a perfume, and where the perfume can be argued to be a central protagonist in the film- one of the erotic presences unsettling the nuns in Black Narcissus (Narcissse Noir, of course!) Thank you both for pointing out that the bottle taken was No.5! Bad perfumisto that I am, I’m afraid I failed to notice! July 29, 2013 at 8:23am
Victoria: I can imagine why Bussell would be shocked. At the school, even if your dancing were impeccable, but you showed obvious signs of strain, you would be downgraded. At the very least, it indicated some form of weakness.
Suzanne Farrell, one of Balanchine’s muses, used to wear Diorissimo, while for Maria Tallchief, one of his wives, he selected Guerlain L’Heure Bleue. I can imagine both as perfect ballerina perfumes in that they combine a strong core with romantic, delicate touches. July 29, 2013 at 7:53am
Victoria: P.S. I would love to smell something so obviously girly on a guy! It would be fun. 🙂 July 29, 2013 at 7:54am
Rachel: Diorissimo is delicate and graceful. I can also see it worn for a ballet role. Giselle? July 29, 2013 at 12:01pm
Victoria: I was thinking of Balanchine’s Diamonds, but maybe because I have a recording of it with Farrell. 🙂 July 29, 2013 at 3:09pm
Elizabeth: I studied ballet as a child, but since I eventually grew to be 5’10” and too heavy for most men to lift, I had no future in it. Now I have switched to ballroom. 🙂 I like the idea of a ballet-themed perfume. However, Repetto does not sound like something I would wear. July 29, 2013 at 8:42am
Victoria: Have you heard of Carla Fracci perfumes? I admit that I don’t remember any of them well, but some commenters here were fond of Giselle. Also, Penhaligon’s has just released Iris Prima, which sounds a bit more up my alley. July 29, 2013 at 9:53am
OperaFan: I have the first Carla Fracci – it’s a white flower with a prominent ylang note on a sandalwood-vanilla base and very, very pretty.
I also have a mini Giselle perfume – it is a lovely gourmande along the line of Organza Indecense.
Both are well-done and worth a try if you like the style. They can be had for cheap on eBay. July 29, 2013 at 11:40am
Victoria: I just checked my notes, and Giselle was created by great perfumer Pierre Bourdon. But his version, a woody oriental with lots of musk, was discontinued and in 2011, it was replaced by a lily of the valley laced floral bouquet. You’ve probably tried Bourdon’s creation? July 29, 2013 at 3:04pm
OperaFan: Ah, you mean the likes of Iris Poudre, the various incarnations of Ferre? I guess – a few, LoL. Great – All of them. I had no idea it was Bourdon who created Giselle! July 31, 2013 at 10:44pm
Victoria: Yes! 🙂 August 1, 2013 at 7:07am
leathermountain: What about on a child ballet student? I danced but refused to go on pointe. So my ballet education wrapped up by age 12 or 13. I see lots of young girls fascinated by ballet, for the pink slippers, tutus, and sugar plum fairies, absolutely — that’s how I got started. I associate ballet with smells of sweat, elastic fabric, a particular leather smell of ballet shoes (non-pointe), and as a spectator with the smells of ancient velour theater seats and the occasional whiff of very grown-up perfume. July 29, 2013 at 8:49am
Victoria: The dance studios I grew up in smelled of rosin and wet wooden floors. Yes, started I dancing in the prehistorical, pre-Marley days, although my old studio in Kiev still has these wooden floors which require watering. Like you, I love the smell the theater, of old, patina-covered wood, velvet and champagne. The last time I went to a ballet performance, I sat next to a lady wearing Guerlain Mitsouko (or at least, it smelled like Mitsouko to me), and it was such a pleasure to smell it. July 29, 2013 at 9:57am
rickyrebarco: I just asked a friend to pick this up for me in Paris. I expected it would be as you describe but there are times when you want something light and fun. I’m looking forward to trying it. Thanks for a great review as always! July 29, 2013 at 9:22am
Victoria: If you like perfumes like Chance or sweet, radiant floral blends, it would be a great discovery. It certainly doesn’t smell cheap (even though it’s not as expensive as some big brand perfumes) and it wears really well. The bottle display at the Repetto store was pretty enough that for a moment I wanted to have it just for the packaging. July 29, 2013 at 9:58am
Annikky: This doesn’t really sound like my bouquet of roses, but I’ll give it a sniff if I happen across it. I do own two pairs of Repetto shoes, though – the closest I’ll ever come to practicing ballet, as I’m about as flexible as a 500-year-old sequoia (and almost as tall). But I can watch and admire. July 29, 2013 at 9:28am
Victoria: Not at all for you, but maybe for the baby perfumista! 🙂
I love my red flats, but I can’t wear them too often, since there is very little support for the arches. On the other hand, their Mary Janes and other designs with a heel are very comfortable. July 29, 2013 at 10:01am
sara: my friend lives in hamburg and she says that you can repetto shoes at an outlet there for half price! July 29, 2013 at 10:26am
Victoria: Worth a trip to Hamburg. 🙂 July 29, 2013 at 3:00pm
kaori: Oh, I wish I could visit there. I fall in love with their Mary Janes this summer 🙂 July 29, 2013 at 9:35pm
Victoria: Me too! They had a gorgeous pair in deep blue, made out of patent leather. July 30, 2013 at 8:07am
Ellen: I tried it recently and I agree, young and sweet. But I loved the tv commercial and wish this perfume were as sophisticated as Dorothee Gilbert. July 29, 2013 at 11:08am
Victoria: I love Gilbert, and I also think that she was beautiful in the commercials and ads. July 29, 2013 at 3:01pm
Rachel: This doesn’t sound like my thing at all, but I like the idea of a sophisticated perfume for teens. Beats the celebrity offerings, IMHO. July 29, 2013 at 11:57am
Victoria: Definitely much more interesting than many “young” offerings. Plus, the price is reasonable. July 29, 2013 at 3:05pm
maja: The notes sound nice and young. Or is it the combination? The softest pink is wonderful. 🙂 We need more pinkish pastel softness in these ugly times. July 29, 2013 at 11:58am
Victoria: I think that it might be the combination, since everything is soft and polished, but the sweetness remains obvious. In the drydown, it makes me think of marshmallows perfumed with orange blossom water and a hint of caramel.
I have nothing at all against pink and pretty, especially if it’s done well and doesn’t pretend to be anything else. July 29, 2013 at 3:07pm
Aisha: It sounds like it could be a lovely scent for a body lotion.
I’ve been looking for nice, pretty and “dreamy” scents for after bath/bedtime. I’ve been using a tea rose oil that my mom gave to me. She got it as a gift from a friend, I believe, who traveled to either India or Pakistan. My mom is allergic to fragrances. Her loss, my gain. 🙂 July 29, 2013 at 12:45pm
Victoria: Is it just pure rose oil? Sounds so wonderful. I also love rose scents in the evening. They feel so relaxing and soothing. I also sprinkle my sheets with rose water just before I get into bed, and it’s such a great way to doze off.
There is an article on this subject in our archives, with lots of interesting ideas in the comments section:
https://boisdejasmin.com/2012/09/perfumed-nightgown-what-do-you-wear.html July 29, 2013 at 3:16pm
Aisha: Oo! Thank you! I’ll have to read that story/comments more closely (perhaps near bedtime?) I did find your articles on rose water and purchased some bottles of Cortas since they were readily available. I LOVE the scent! I’ve been adding a splash to my Darjeeling tea, and it’s been such a treat.
Yes, the tea rose I have is (as far as I can tell because I’m such a newbie) a single note tea rose. It also has a slightly oily sheen and comes out slowly (it’s a roller ball top), which is why I believe it is an oil and not a standard perfume (does that make sense?) Anyway, it’s heavenly. I’ll have to find a lotion or something similar to it because I have no idea how to get more. July 29, 2013 at 7:58pm
Victoria: I love Cortas floral waters for their full, rich flavor. I also decanted some into a spray bottle, and I sometimes splash it on after a shower. It doesn’t last that long, but it’s such a pleasant burst of scent.
If you like rose scented lotions, try L’Occitane’s Reine 4 Roses. I got a gift set from my husband, and I love both the cream and body lotion. I don’t often use scented shower gels, but I enjoyed using a sample they included. July 30, 2013 at 8:04am
Aisha: Thank you for the suggestion for the body lotion. I don’t know why I didn’t think of L’Occitane earlier. I’ve ordered the body lotion and am looking forward to using it.
Meanwhile, I wonder if you could help me … I have been in love with Ralph Lauren’s Lauren and Safari perfumes for decades now. Are there any fragrances out there now that come really close to duplicating those classics? Lauren, Safari and YSL’s Paris have been my favorites for a long, long time. Thank goodness Paris is still being made.
Thank you. July 30, 2013 at 7:01pm
Victoria: Aisha, I would love to help. I had several recommendations to those looking to replace Lauren in this article:
https://boisdejasmin.com/2012/06/ralph-lauren-lauren-vintage-perfume-review.html
Scroll towards the bottom, and you will find some ideas. Hope that it helps, and if you want more, please let me know. August 2, 2013 at 2:48pm
Aisha: Thank you so much! I do have a decant of Cristalle, and find that it has the spirit of Lauren. The dry down reminds me of another fragrance that I used to wear back in college. It was a Circle of Beauty fragrance that they sold at Sears called White Moonflowers, I believe. It was a lovely, quiet scent. And for an inexpensive one (something a college student could afford), it was darn good.
I’m going to seek out some of the other scents mentioned as well. I still have some Lauren left (as well as Safari), but I don’t want to wear them. I instead uncap the bottles and sniff. Makes me smile every time. 🙂 August 2, 2013 at 4:09pm
Victoria: Another idea is Estee Lauder Jasmine White Moss. It’s really a riff on Cristalle, but in a more modern manner. I have a little bottle, and I wear it whenever I’m craving something fizzy but with substance.
Please let me know how it goes!
P.S. I’m thrilled that someone loves Safari as much as I do. 🙂 August 3, 2013 at 3:35am
Aisha: It’s funny you mentioned Estee Lauder’s Jasmine White Moss. I actually have a sample vial of it but never really tried it — until this morning. It’s a beautiful fragrance and it does remind me of Cristalle. My husband likes it much better than the Tuberose Gardenia, which he thinks is too strong. I, of course, love that one because it reminds me of Hawaii (as does EL’s Beyond Paradise).
Hard to decide between a full bottle of Cristalle or Jasmine White Moss. Both are excellent. Thank you.
Now to find something reminiscent of Safari. I thought Donna Karan Woman came pretty close (I have a sample of that one), but that bottle looks too hard to hold on to when trying to spray on the scent. 😉 August 3, 2013 at 11:04am
Victoria: I don’t like that bottle either. Well, it looks striking, but it’s difficult to use. The perfume is gorgeous though.
Cristalle vs Jasmine White Moss is a tough call. Cristalle is a classic, but I love the richer jasmine and neroli notes in Estee Lauder’s version. But I’m the wrong person to ask–I have both of them. 🙂 August 4, 2013 at 3:29pm
Hannah: It makes sense that the ballerina is one of the supreme archetypes of femininity. Nobody seems to realize how ironic femininity is.
For a young girl who doesn’t like pink, Lolita Lempicka (my first perfume) is my favorite. July 29, 2013 at 12:53pm
Natalia: “It makes sense that the ballerina is one of the supreme archetypes of femininity. Nobody seems to realize how ironic femininity is.”
A superb observation! July 29, 2013 at 1:41pm
Victoria: Ironic in what sense? It’s probably not at all what you meant, but I was just remembering an interview with one of the Paris Opera Ballet dancers, in which she says that she dreamed of being a nun. And then she found dance and thought that it was a similar experience.
I completely agree on Lolita Lempicka. Both the original and L de Lolita Lempicka would be great for a young girl, whether or not she likes pink. July 29, 2013 at 3:17pm
maja: Exactly. My 15 year old niece, a girly girl, has just discovered my Lolita bottle and it seems I will have to buy one for her, too. 🙂 July 29, 2013 at 4:18pm
Victoria: And that Lolita bottle is just irresistible. Vera Wang Princess is often billed as the ultimate for young girls and adult women who want to feel like princesses, but I find too sugary sweet. July 29, 2013 at 4:41pm
Natalia: My relationships with Chance are somewhat tormented. I didn’t like it at all when it first came out (2006, wasn’t it?) and couldn’t even finish the sample I got with a purchase. Now, an unexpected twist… A couple of years ago I got another sample. I spritzed it on my wrist and boom! it hit me. I thought this perfume smelled like spring (and it was exactly the middle of April). So I went to the store that very evening and got a 35 ml. bottle of eau de parfum. I used it up in a couple of months, so when, that autumn, my husband went on a trip to Paris, I asked him to bring me Liu Guerlain (which it much cheaper in Paris than around here) and… another bottle of Chance! /bewildered smile/. I didn’t specify the volume, so he brought the whole 100 ml. /laughter/. Out of this one, I used up about a third, and then, boom again! I suddenly realized that I couldn’t bear even a whiff of this fragrance any longer. So I gave it to my friend’s 13 year old daughter.
Given my history, it’s hard to predict my reaction to Repetto. I might love it but, on the other hand, I might not. 🙂
P.S. This is a wonderful review, very beautifully written! July 29, 2013 at 1:57pm
Victoria: Thank you, Natalia!
Oh, I would love to hear what you think when you try Repetto. It’s not that it smells like Chance, but their characters are similar. I never managed to appreciate Chance, but when Coco Mademoiselle came out, it was a love at first sniff. It was just so different from anything else I’ve smelled. I’ve tried Coco Mad oil not long ago, and I liked it very much. It’s a softer, more understated (if that’s possible) version of Coco Mademoiselle. If you have a chance, try Coco Mad body products at Chanel counter, because they might fill the void left by Chance. 🙂 July 29, 2013 at 3:24pm
Austenfan: You make this sound quite appealing! I don’t think I will ever own a bottle but should I come across one I will give it a sniff.
I am trying to imagine how these ballerina shoes would look on my very long feet. They are probably not available in my size anyway.
As a child I always thought how great it would be to become either a singer or a dancer, as I cannot sing or dance that never happened, but I still think it must be wonderful to excel at either of those things. July 29, 2013 at 1:59pm
Victoria: If you have high arches or high insteps, you might have difficulties with them. I love the way they are cut and how flattering they look, but the soles are a bit flimsy. I just ended up getting the sturdier soles put on as an extra layer of protection.
Have you ever seen Natalia Osipova dance? She’s to me the ultimate dancer, combining extraordinary technical skill and artistic flair. Here is her most famous part, Kitri in Don Quixote. It’s a short 3 minute clip, and even so, you can see how spellbinding she is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELswwqPte3A July 29, 2013 at 3:31pm
Austenfan: I haven’t seen any ballet in ages. That clip is astonishing! Googling her I noticed that she has recently moved to London. So you can go and see her perform more easily.
On another note, I’m always amazed at how much motor control ballet dancers have. I sometimes wonder if their brains are different. July 29, 2013 at 4:10pm
Victoria: I read about that, and I liked their spring/summer program. Unfortunately, I haven’t had no opportunity to return to London just yet. On the other hand, she will be dancing at Opera Garnier in Paris, so that’s an easier, faster trip from Brussels (plus, work is my other excuse to visit). But Royal Ballet in London has another draw for me–Alina Cojocaru, a remarkable dancer.
What’s interesting about movement is how much of it is in the muscle memory. For instance, I can still dance variations I’ve learned as a child. I would have difficulty describing them to you in words, but if I start moving, it comes back. Some of it is just practice. But some people are definitely gifted, like Natalia. She has an incredible jump, and when you see her on stage, it really seems like she soars. July 29, 2013 at 4:39pm
Austenfan: I wonder which part of our brain deals with muscle memory. It must be that some of our brain deals with it, but not the same part, or in the same way that our “conscious” brain does. July 29, 2013 at 4:58pm
Victoria: Probably not, since it’s definitely not the conscious decision. For instance, adults find it much harder to learn many forms of dance, while children pick it up effortlessly. My teacher always said that it’s because adults “overthink” it. July 30, 2013 at 8:00am
Austenfan: These days a lot of brain research is done using functional MRI. I keep having these images in my mind of someone trying to put a dancing ballerina in a scan.
Children also tend to be much better than adults at observing and learning through that. I am very good at overthinking movement. I am particularly good at imagining which limbs I might break doing something. July 30, 2013 at 9:29am
Victoria: When I was teaching ballet to kids, I was amazed how quickly they picked up steps just by imitating me. The adults need to have everything broken down to them piece by piece. It’s a very different style of learning, and each has its own advantages. Adults, for instance, remember long combinations of movements much better. July 30, 2013 at 2:57pm
Daisy: That sounds an awful lot like learning learning languages too. Children intuitively pick up on accents, sounds, and rhythms, but adults can manipulate sentences to create much more complex meaning. I always tell my college students that they shouldn’t despair if another student had a French parent or went to a fancy French-language day school. Learning as an adult has its advantages too!
But back to the perfume! So glad to hear that Repetto is well-done even if it doesn’t sound like it is for me. I love their shoes so much I would have been so sad if the juice was bad!
(I also take them to a cobbler to get sturdier soles put on. New York especially is so hard on shoes!) August 5, 2013 at 12:16am
Victoria: When my mom was visiting NYC, she was shocked how quickly the heels of her shoes showed signs of wear. Of course, we walked all over Manhattan, preferring to avoid subways and taxis whenever it was feasible. You get to enjoy so much more of the city this way.
Another ballet flats I love are made by Bloch. They also have an advantage of being less expensive than Repetto, but the color selection is more limited. August 5, 2013 at 10:19am
Eva S.: Thank you so much Victoria for that clip!
She is amazing! July 30, 2013 at 7:52am
Victoria: Isn’t she! If you enjoyed it, then I can’t resist sharing another one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePnOyaE7-3I
Here you have a bonus of seeing David Hallberg perform, and the clips starts out with his incredible jumps, which of course, made the audience wild. At 1:35 starts my favorite part of Giselle’s second act, and at 3:18, Natalia just levitates. Incredible! July 30, 2013 at 8:19am
Austenfan: I will check this out once I am home. I loved the other clip. She just radiates so much energy and grace. July 30, 2013 at 9:30am
Victoria: She really does! The combination of her technical wizardry and emotion is extraordinary. By the way, Ivan Vasiliev, who danced with her in the Don Q clip, is now her husband. July 30, 2013 at 2:58pm
Annikky: Amazing. July 30, 2013 at 9:54am
annemariec: Thanks for the review. The video ad on NST caught my eye and I thought that it will probably sell quite a few bottles even to older women who still secretly cherish their little girl’s dream of being a ballerina.
It’s not my sort style, however, and should a woman of my age be buying perfume bottles with little dangly doo-dahs hanging off the them? In my case, no! 🙂 And if I want girly and pink, I’ll go for Prada Candy – gutsy and knowing. July 29, 2013 at 7:05pm
Eva S.: My husband gave me Prada Candy for Christmas.
Sadly, it does not seem to last more than 10 minutes on me. July 30, 2013 at 7:50am
Victoria: I heard others complain that it doesn’t last. Does anyone else smell it on you or does it just vanish from your skin? July 30, 2013 at 8:09am
Eva S.: Victoria; nobody smells it on me!
It is so strange! I have never had this problem with any other parfume, body lotion etc. July 30, 2013 at 2:52pm
Victoria: Skin chemistry also makes a difference. I know some people don’t believe in such a thing, but I’ve observed how different perfumes smell differently on various people. Which is why perfumers always test their scent sketches on skin and try to test on as many people as they can. July 30, 2013 at 3:16pm
annemariec: Ah yes. (Prada Candy fan steps up to the plate.) I give myself about 4-5 very hearty spritzes from a sample vial, getting some on clothes as well as skin. Then it lasts well into the afternoon, but the sillage is pretty quiet. I bought a clutch of carded samples on eBay and am going through them so fast I really will have to upsize soon. A 30 ml bottle could be justified in this case.
Candy is a strange creature, I admit. The packaging and the advertising, and the perfume itself (for the first few minutes) are quite assertive. But it shrinks to the skin very quickly and I’m not surprised people are so puzzled by it. I take this to be a deliberate choice by Prada, who must have decided that while they are prepared to mess with their normally cool, limpid style, a sillage monstah is just for them. July 30, 2013 at 5:05pm
Victoria: Why not? 🙂 Plus, the dangly thing on this bottle looks charming, rather than tacky. July 30, 2013 at 8:01am
Emma M: Not sure this perfume sounds like my sort of thing; the lipstick red Repetto flats sound divine though!
I took dance lessons as a child and always wanted to be good at ballet but it was never to be. There’s even hilarious photo evidence of me aged six in my ballet costume, displaying all the poise and grace of a sack of potatoes. (I did win awards for tap dancing though – basically anything where I could leap around and do jazz hands. I guess I will have wait until they bring out a perfume for that…) July 30, 2013 at 5:35pm
Victoria: What a great story! It sounds like you had fun. I loved teaching kids, because they were so receptive to movement and music and comfortable with their bodies. They especially loved jumps and leaps of all sorts. And frankly, those are my own favorites too. If I see a puddle in the street, I can’t resist a grand jete across it. 🙂 July 30, 2013 at 5:47pm
JulienFromDijon: I smelled it last week, and it’s good!
It’s a good example of mainstream perfume done well. It never smell cheap. And thanks god, the perfume is not as overprice as their shoes!
The leather in the main accord is done well. It reminds me the accord of “scent” of Theo Fennell -the one praised by Lucas Turin- with less skank.
And I always had a soft spot for the fruity childlike type of Cacharel perfumes, and Repetto has that.
A nice cross between hype and teenage perfume. July 31, 2013 at 4:06am
Victoria: I agree, very nicely crafted. I like how it develops and lingers. Plus, yes, the price is very attractive. July 31, 2013 at 2:32pm
theperfumeddandy: Dear Bois
Though the ballet fascinates me, and indeed I practised modern dance for years as a younger man (for fun not for a living), I can’t say anything of the description of this scent sings of the experience to me.
Dance, up close, even as a spectator is a visceral, physical, even sensual experience.
We may not always see the sweat glistening on the ballerina’s brow, but in a quieter moment we may hear her sharp intake of breath after a particularly strenuous move, or the ominous thud of a foot against the floor following a heavy landing.
It is exhilarating and scary all at once.
And of course so many costumes and productions are decades old, so the smell, one imagines is far from bright and fresh… it is I guess a fantasy.
For me something heavier and more assured, Caron’s Narcisse Noir or the stage make up of an older iris like vintage Shalimar, perhaps even the savoury effort of Malle’s Iri Poudre would be more the coup de theatre called for.
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy July 31, 2013 at 4:32am
Victoria: One can definitely come up with other (and perhaps more fitting) ideas on how to represent dance. But in the end, I just don’t see anything wrong with pretty and likable, and hey, frilly even. As long as it’s well-crafted and coheres with the brand. I don’t wear too many sweet perfumes, but if I had to pick between Repetto and another mass-marketed blend selling for $200-300 a pop just because the creative director claims that it’s “niche” and “luxury,” I would go for Repetto. July 31, 2013 at 2:39pm
theperfumeddandy: Indeed.
Nothing at all wrong with ‘pretty and frilly’.
I guess it’s a question of what image of dance one has in mind… for every dreamy scene of a corps de ballet floating on air there’s another of a worn out ballerina nursing her feet.
Absolutely though, at that price it’s difficult to argue with anything well made and on form.
When you talk about $200+ sweet scents that aren’t up to the puff I wonder whether you have anything in particular in mind…?
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy August 1, 2013 at 6:38am
Victoria: There are so many overpriced niche lines that I don’t even know where to start. For instance, Acqua e Zucchero by Profumum Profumum. The only reason to spend $240 on that as opposed on a much less expensive (and identical smelling) Aqualina Pink Sugar is if you have money to burn. There are lines that are very expensive like Tom Ford, Frederic Malle or by Kilian, but I can sort of understand why they’re priced the way they are. August 1, 2013 at 7:03am
theperfumeddandy: Too true.
I am only too happy to spend £20 rather than £200!!
Though I’m not a Pink Sugar kind of person (sweetness amplifies on my skin) I agree wholeheartedly that there are certain scents like lavender and even lily of the valley that smell as superb in ‘drugstore’ compositions as they do in niche.
Indeed the whole niche always = quality paradigm is one in desperately in need of questioning.
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy August 1, 2013 at 8:41am
Daisy: Bloch flats are very good too! I also am a big fan of French Sole. August 5, 2013 at 12:06pm
Victoria: I haven’t heard of these, but I’m off to google them! August 5, 2013 at 12:37pm
Marianne: Just tried it and wondered whether to buy it – is it as good as Jour d’Hermes? And, reading the review, I wondered… I’m not twenty anymore, would it suit me? Yet, it is well made and quite lovely without being overbearing in any way. Would be perfect as an every day scent… who knows, I think might go back to the shop and get some. October 6, 2013 at 10:20am
Victoria: They are too different in character, but I’m happy enough to wear my sample of Repetto time to time. It’s just so pretty. October 7, 2013 at 8:07am