Oeillet Louis XV

Pink “pepper” is an inspired choice for the first few seconds of this carnation-centered fragrance, as the tingle sherpas you right past carnation’s occasionally cloying first impression and right to the good stuff, where clove can pick up the slack and iris can discourage any inclination toward blowsiness or heavy sweetness. I’m personally a tremendous fan of the milky-chalky note rice powder brings to these parties, too, so the long-lasting drydown here couldn’t make me happier. A very formal scent, but ever so attractive.

Reminds me of the gardens in Yorkshire during our time in England. Most of the year the temperature hovered between 13-18 celsius, hence the air is usually crisp or damp and cold. Depending on what was in bloom or what section of the area we visited there was often this spicy and peppery waft in the air from the wet soil and the damp leaves and lots of stomping and trampling of the ground foliage. On the other side of the gardens there was a field of flowers, most surprisingly in variating stages of bloom throughout the year. Mixed in was the scent was hot afternoon tea in the air. Oeillet Louis XV at each stage from the opening notes to the final hold on woody notes reminds me of each visit to beloved memory of our time in England.

I seem to have hit a rich vein of interesting and beautiful fragrances with what I have tried from Oriza L. Legrand, and Oeillet Louis XV is no exception. On me, this fragrance isn't of tears or flowers in the slightest - oh no, it is a joyous, sparkling gourmand that reminds me distinctly of old-fashioned candy, meaning the kind of hard candy that is made with spices and natural extracts. The first note is almost like bubble gum (made by angels!) rich and sweet, with a waft of orange and very gentle spice. It fades to a peachy musk that lingers very close to the skin; you won't be leaving a sillage trail, but what you get is very inviting. The drydown is very faintly spicy, and certainly not clove as you might think of it. I usually loathe sweet fragrances, as I find that so many smell cheap and commonplace. I especially loathe cloves to the point that I leave them out of all recipes, and only decided to try this with some reluctance as the other Oriza fragrances have been so compelling and I'm trying to widen my tastes in fragrance. I am glad I did. Oeillet Louis XV made me see that there is a place for everything that is this well done. This is wonderful.