Robert Piguet Parfums, the maker of infamous Fracas, introduces Nouvelle Collection of five new perfumes: Casbah, Bois Noir, Notes, Mademoiselle Piguet and Oud. All five fragrances were created by perfumer Aurelien Guichard.
“From the corners of the souks of Marrakech with Casbah, to the heart of a balsam forest with Bois Noir, each of the five Nouvelle Collection conjures vivid images and visceral reactions in their wearers. Like the moving sounds of a symphonic masterpiece, Notes romances and inspires. The seductive Mademoiselle Piguet is a glamorous jaunt on the most coveted red carpet. Oud, the scent that completes the new family, is a jewel from the sands of the middle East.”
Casbah: angelica root, black pepper, nutmeg, incense, orris, tobacco leaves, vetiver and cedarwood.
Bois Noir: guaiac wood, cedarwood, sandalwood, patchouli, balsam and cistus absolute.
Notes: bergamot, clary sage, geranium, orange flower, costus, oak, vetiver, tonka bean.
Mademoiselle Piguet: bergamot, orange flower, tonka bean.
Oud: saffron, fir balsam, styrax, myrrh, guaiac wood, oud, patchouli
The official launch will take place this spring in Milan. Via press release
18 Comments
Ari: Oud sounds amazing, but if I never see the word “oud” in another perfume name, it will be too soon! February 17, 2012 at 12:17pm
Victoria: If not oud, then it is going to be something else equally trendy. The other day I was walking past a pub called "Oud Holland." Of course, oud in Dutch means old, but guess what initial association flashed through my mind? 🙂 February 17, 2012 at 12:22pm
Susan: I assuming these are not inspired by vintage Piguet perfumes as many of the others in this line have been? February 17, 2012 at 12:43pm
Victoria: It seems that they are completely new, not the reorchestrations of old Piguet perfumes. February 17, 2012 at 12:45pm
Karen G: Oh dear, if these smell half as good as they read on paper… I might need all five. Casbah and Bois Noir sound especially good to me. February 17, 2012 at 5:56pm
Victoria: They certainly sound very good. I am especially drawn to Bois Noir. February 17, 2012 at 7:47pm
Musette: I’ve been working my way through some of the recent reissues of Piguet, with mixed results. These sounds intriguing in that they don’t sound like anything they’ve done before!
And I’m with Ari. While I love a lot of oudhs – a LOT – I am sick of looking at the word. I’m just waiting for Oud Orange Dishwashing soap!
xo >-) February 18, 2012 at 9:33am
Deborah: many of the perfume makers you review, or provide press releases of, don’t sound familiar to my pedestrian perfume perusing in dept. stores. Where might I find some of these brands? Thanks! February 18, 2012 at 9:43am
Victoria: I usually mention where they can be bought, but of course, even chain department stores carry different merchandise in different cities. Robert Piguet is sold at Saks, Neiman Marcus, for instance. Their website might provide more specific locations based on where you live. February 18, 2012 at 9:57am
Victoria: Yes, in that sense, it is something new. I'm laughing over your oud comment. I feel the same way, but then again, I'm always curious to smell a new oud. They tend to be surprisingly diverse. February 18, 2012 at 9:59am
Mark: oh goodness! I haven’t been excited about new launches in a while. (I thought Chanel’s Jersey was a disgrace.) But Piguet’s reorchestrated fragrances have been of unusually high quality: I’ve got a full bottle of Bandit and Futur. So it will be interesting to see what happens with this new collection… February 19, 2012 at 2:26am
allison: They sound kind of like Iunx fragrances… not what I would have expected at all. interested to see how they are packaged/branded, as I think they sound very modern for such a retro house. looking forward to trying them. February 19, 2012 at 3:03pm
karin: I wish they’d offer a sample pack of these and their other fragrances! If anyone at Piguet is listening… 🙂 February 19, 2012 at 4:25pm
Amer: What do you think “balsam” stands for in bois noir? February 20, 2012 at 2:26am
Lynn Morgan: After the on-line beat down I took the last time, I will never again publically express my opinion of Fracas. But, Bois Noir and Casbah sound luscious. Still, I am all too often disappointed by scents that try too hard to fly their “exotic” or “dark” freak flags with provocative names and then the juice doesn’t live up to the name. Kind of like buying a paperback book with a lurid cover, and then finding a tepid, PG-13 story within.
I once read that Maya Pliesyetskaya, one of the last of the great Russian ballerinas of the 20th century (she may still be alive and close to 100!)always wore Bandit, even though it was difficult to obtain under the old Soviet system, but she preservered in having it smuggled to her from Paris if the Bolshoi didn’t tour. I admire her dedication to smelling fabulous, perestroika or no perestroika. Some things are simply too important for politics. February 20, 2012 at 2:31pm
Marzi: I sniffed all five new scents and really liked Mademoiselle and Notes – they are very sophisticated and lovely. I wound up buying Oud because it is the Oud experience without the huge price tag and it is truly special. On the skin it “sizzles” with sensuality. May 7, 2012 at 8:44am
Limony: I tried them all and my initial response is ‘horrid’, especially the screechy modern Madmoiselle. The more male fragrances are better in my view, Bas Noir has that petrol smell you either love or hate in fragrances, but are too powerful.
I’ll have to give them a few more goes though. I don’t recommend buying blind. May 28, 2012 at 8:22pm
Victoria: Thank you, Limony! Good to have feedback from those who’ve tried them. May 29, 2012 at 8:10am