Elie Saab-Le Parfum

My taste in perfumes seem to be changing or maybe I’m just in a mood. For years I have always gravitated towards gourmand fragrances with lots of vanilla like Poison Girl and Black Opium or sweet fragrances like Flowerbomb and Mon Paris, but the more I explore the perfume world I’m realizing I have a greater appreciation for fragrances that are floral and fresh. I’ve always loved fresh fragrances like Light Blue or Aqua Di Gioia, but my recent interest in chypre fragrances is something new. I have been completely taken aback with how much I love Elie Saab’s Le Parfum.

Le Parfum is a chypre floral fragrance that was definitely NOT love at first sniff.

I first smelled this as a blind buy after I had read and watch countless reviews on blogs and on YouTube. I ordered a small bottle and was expecting something silky smooth, sweet, feminine, and extremely like-able. When I spritzed my wrists a fizzy, woody, sharp, almost citrusy scent emerged. I was shocked! How could this fragrance be describe as a bridal scent? All the online reviewers had described this fragrance as gorgeous, dripping with class and femininity. What I smelled, on first application, was a very serious, almost fresh scent. I was so perplexed and I wasn’t that into it but I kept using it. I would put in my closet, content in the decision to sell it and then I would catch myself remembering the smell and I would go into my closet and test it out again, especially in the morning and when I was going to bed. I did this little dance back and forth for weeks until I finally gave the bottle to my Maw Maw, feeling that the heady jasmine fragrance would suit her better. I completely forgot about Elie Saab for awhile, until I would catch wisps of someone’s fragrance that had orange blossom or jasmine in it and I would start to crave Le Parfum.

Finally, a year later, I had grown tired of the overly sweet and fruity perfumes I was used to wearing and I bought a sample vial of Le Parfum online to see if, maybe, I had previously purchased a bad bottle. As soon as I sprayed the sample vial of Le Parfum, I was in love. I’m not sure if my previous bottle was bad or if my nose was just not ready for this perfume, but the second time around it was instant love. After I finished my vial, I purchased the biggest bottle of Le Parfum and have been wearing it to work everyday for weeks.

Elie Saab’s Le Parfum is not a complex fragrance, but is unique. It’s fizzy upon first application and it’s quite addicting. Overall, this fragrance has a fluffy, clean, slightly sweet scent to it. I think it could be in the same family as Mugler’s Alien, but definitely not as dark and definitely not as heavy. It’s cleaner and less intense and once it dries down it smells similar to Coco Mademoiselle’s drydown. The fragrance is simultaneously calming and uplifting. When I wear Le Parfum, I picture a warm sun rising over a dew covered lawn accompanied by a gentle cool breeze.

Le Parfum smells like the dawn, full of warmth, hope, and optimism for a new day.

• Top Notes: Orange Blossom
• Mid Notes: Jasmine
• Base Notes: Patchouli, Cedar, and a Rose Honey accord.

The main impression I get with Elie Saab’s Le Parfum is calm, clean, and classy. This fragrance instantly makes me feel comforted, which is probably why I like putting it on first thing in the morning and right before bed. On a recent flight to Orlando, I spritzed my sweater with Le Parfum and whenever I smelled it my nervousness was eased. Lately, it has become my work fragrances as I feel it settles my mind and puts me in the mood to get down to business. The more I wear it, the more I feel it will become a staple in my fragrance wardrobe.

While I think Le Parfum is exceptional, it is not a safe blind buy. This fragrance is womanly and serious, and definitely not in the same realm as the extremely popular fruitchoulis. This is for the woman that is quietly confident, doesn’t follow trends, who is refined and classy, but very approachable and friendly. Le Parfum takes time to appreciate, but man, is it worth the time and effort. Needless to say, this fragrance has made an impression on me.

Le Parfum is impossible for me to find in US stores. I believe it’s more popular in Europe, but I had no trouble finding it on Amazon.com.