Aphorismes by Dominique Ropion Innocent Tuberose : Perfume Review

Few perfumers combine creativity with technical mastery like Dominique Ropion. This legendary perfumer is known for such major creations as Dior Dune, Givenchy Amarige, Thierry Mugler Alien and Lancôme La Vie est Belle. Since I was fortunate to work with him at IFF and to learn from this generous and talented person, I may not be the most impartial judge of his fragrances. On the other hand, in my years of writing about fragrance, I believe that I’ve developed the necessary distance to consider a composition on its own terms. And how can I resist testing Ropion’s first collection of his own, Aphorismes by Dominique Ropion?

So during a recent visit to Paris, I made my way to 27 Rue Marbeuf and found myself inside a gilded space that was the Aphorismes boutique. I knew that Ropion had joined forces with Habib Al-Sowaidi, the founder of Le Royaume du Parfum International, a company that develops packaging and concepts for other brands. The hyper-luxe decor and the prevalence of oud and rich woody musks in the collection suggested a certain aesthetic that I assumed was driven by this collaboration.

The collection consists of 6 perfumes:  A Rose is a Rose, Crazy Garden, Encens Insensé, Innocent Tuberose, My Clémentine, and Oud à l’Amour. The marketing information about the line described how each composition was meant to suggest something novel about structure and form: 6 perfumes, 6 modern takes on classical fragrance families. I was intrigued.

As you would expect from Ropion, each fragrance is impeccable. The quality of the ingredients is stellar. The perfumes last for hours, forming the most gorgeous of trails. They’re luminous and vivid, without being heavy or overwhelming. Even the heavy-hitter of the line, Oud à l’Amour, has a striking clarity and effervescence. My Clémentine evokes champagne bubbles and bitter oranges and it retains this impression for hours. In other words, these perfumes perfectly illustrate technical mastery and an understanding of ingredients.

And yet, I didn’t feel a rush of emotion over anything. Everything was polished and beautiful, but I couldn’t remember the impression once I put my blotter down. At first, I attributed it to being a jaded critic, but on that same trip, I tried Prada Purple Rain and Serge Lutens Cracheuse de Flammes and fell in love with both. So I kept stubbornly returning to my samples of Aphorismes, hoping to decode the essential truth.

Innocent Tuberose is so far the only fragrance that charmed me. In a way, it’s the easiest and most predictable of the collection–a creamy floral that showcases why Ropion is the master of white floral notes. It has a delicious start of crisp citrus notes that immediately sets up a contrast with the voluptuous richness of petals and musks. A bracing green note suggested by cardamom and black currant is another palate cleanser that makes the rest of the composition seem less high calorie than it actually is.

When hours later you have a medley of petals on your skin, a woody note reminiscent of cold roots and moss-covered rocks tames down the sweetness. The fragrance is still a white floral extravaganza, but it’s modulated just enough to stay elegant while still sufficiently sweet and rich.

Lovers of Frédéric Malle’s Carnal Flower will find Innocent Tuberose easy to enjoy. I speak from experience. In fact, I selected Carnal Flower as my wedding perfume and I still wear it with much pleasure. Does Innocent Tuberose knock it off the pedestal? Not quite. As beautiful as it is, it’s somewhat too perfect. While I prefer the sharp edges of Carnal Flower that give the same charm as small imperfections that your beloved possesses, the polished glow of Innocent Tuberose is lovely. Its price is less so.

Aphorismes by Dominique Ropion Innocent Tuberose includes mandarin, grapefruit, bergamot, orange blossom absolute, ginger, cardamom, pink pepper, cassis, muguet, tuberose, ylang ylang, jasmine sambac, lactones, Cashmeran, cypriol, vetiver, ambergris, musk. Available directly from the boutique and Jovoy in Paris. Very expensive.