N’Aimez Que Moi
In 1917, Ernest Daltroff creates a fragrance that captured the promises made by the couples separated by the WWI to remain loyal and to await the return of the loved ones from the front. N’Aimez Que Moi was the name given to this new perfume by Caron. “Love Only Me!” Alas, it is not a promise I can make. While undoubtedly beautiful, N’Aimez Que Moi is too heavy and powdery even for this fan of makeup-like notes in perfume. The top notes are of creamy rose and violet intertwined with soft lilac. The lush floral bouquet is wrapped in sandalwood and cedar, with an accent of earthy vetiver and iris. Unfortunately, that’s when the fragrance becomes unbearably powdery and opaque, and N’Aimez Que Moi and I part ways.
Notes: lilac, rose, violet, iris, vetiver, cedar, sandalwood, vanilla, amber, musk, oakmoss.
On Reformulation (March 2011):
The dark roses and incense of the original are rendered as furniture polish and ashes. Where the original had a beautiful natural rose note, I now smell mostly rose synthetics. N’Aimez Que Moi was never my favorite Caron, but in its current version, it is downright unwearable for me.
Aimez Moi
Talented perfumer Dominique Ropion created Aimez Moi in 1996, taking N’Aimez Que Moi as a point of creative reference. The only thing I prefer about the original is the name: Aimez Moi (“Love Me”) sounds needy and desperate. The perfume itself is a little gem, however. Anise with its spicy and sweet quality unfolds in the top notes before bergamot lends a slightly bitter green note to the composition. The warmth in this fragrance mainly comes from cloves and amber which are folded in the almond scented drydown. The classical Caron darkness envelops the sweet, buttery warmth of the dry down, rendering the finished result polished and radiant. The fragrance has an exceptional tenacity and a few drops go a long way.
Notes : anise, mint, cardamom; violet, magnolia, jasmine, rose; orris, heliotrope, tolu, vanilla.
On Reformulation (March 2011):
This spicy violet, underpinned by luscious vanilla and creamy woods, is one of my current Caron favorites, both for being truthful to the original formula and for its cheerful, vivacious character. It has a distinctive, memorable presence.
7 Comments
Robin: I love Aimez Moi!! I am fairly sure I must have tried N’Aimez Que Moi…it is one of the urn fragrances in the NY boutique, right? It must not have made an impression on me because I don’t remember it at all. June 5, 2005 at 4:44pm
mreenymo: Aimez Moi is the only Caron that I have come close to buying…so far (more on that below). I love violet, I love anise, heliotrope, orris…all of those notes. But there is something in the accord that makes me uncomfortable. Never figured out what is was, maybe the mousse de saxe?
Anyway, a darling friend gave me a small decant of Caron Tubereuse, and I think I love it!! Because I do like it so much, I now want to test more tubereuse fragrances like MPG and L’Artisan. Whenever you have the time and the inclination, I would love to see a section of your blog devoted to tubereuse and tubereuse fragrances, V. :):)
Hugs! June 5, 2005 at 4:49pm
KS: Victoria: thank you for the Acaciosa tip…I take it I can sample this scent in NYC? I am SO out of the loop in Seattle!…but hope to be in NYC for an opera or two this fall. When you mentioned the resinous dry-down of Acaciosa…I was intrigued. I am a lover of all incense notes. (I’ll report to you when I open the Rose d’homme vial.) Looking forward to lotus week!!! I hope somewhere out there there is a TRUE lotus aroma for the buying; but like gardenia and magnolia, I have yet to find a true lotus. Kevin June 5, 2005 at 5:55pm
Diane: Hello dear V and Robin x 2!
Caron Aimez Moi was all the rage this past fall/winter on the boards and I for one was particularly influenced by Robin of NST to retest it. Boy, am I glad I did, as it is now one of my favorite violets (along with Violette Precieuse, another one thanks to you!). So unique, it’s best for me during the cold season, as is the case with many scents I find a bit too sweet and anise-y.
I agree with you, dear V, re: N’Aimez Que Moi. It has a lovely rich floral top, but the development is far from pleasant on my skin. Essentially, it becomes a powdery mishmash. June 5, 2005 at 6:02pm
Diane: Ah, that makes perfect sense, N, re: N’Aimez Que Moi and their face powder. I heard from dear Farran that it’s a lovely powder and cannot wait to try a bit. I’ll bet it’s beautiful stuff. June 6, 2005 at 7:26pm
N aka parislondres: N’Aimez Que Moi is the perfume they use in the Caron face powder which I use – so I get a bit of that most mornings. It is interesting but not as much fun as French Cancan….
xoxo June 6, 2005 at 4:26pm
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