Parfums DelRae
AMOUREUSE
This perfume develops nicely from an intense white floral (I mostly smell lily) to a mellow combination of sandalwood, honey, and jasmine. Initially I did not like how the strong floral reminded me of discount perfumes like Giorgio Beverly Hills, but the drydown was a very redeeming surprise as I love honey and sandalwood, and this is a combination I do not stumble upon often. I would like to be able to smell some cardamom, but I do not. I also don't get anything fruity--no tangerine at all.
Great perfume for white floral lovers. Don't know why, but it reminds me of Roman women with flowing togas walking among the columns of an ancient temple. The air and dirt are very dry, and the sun is unforgiving. There is something whimsically ancient about this scent. I have Bois de Paradis, and I would not mind owning this DelRae as well. (May 2014)
This perfume develops nicely from an intense white floral (I mostly smell lily) to a mellow combination of sandalwood, honey, and jasmine. Initially I did not like how the strong floral reminded me of discount perfumes like Giorgio Beverly Hills, but the drydown was a very redeeming surprise as I love honey and sandalwood, and this is a combination I do not stumble upon often. I would like to be able to smell some cardamom, but I do not. I also don't get anything fruity--no tangerine at all.
Great perfume for white floral lovers. Don't know why, but it reminds me of Roman women with flowing togas walking among the columns of an ancient temple. The air and dirt are very dry, and the sun is unforgiving. There is something whimsically ancient about this scent. I have Bois de Paradis, and I would not mind owning this DelRae as well. (May 2014)
BOIS DE PARADIS
Apparently this perfume was created to remind DelRae of the woods in San Francisco. As a native San Franciscan, I am so happy to have found a perfume that truly captures the natural beauty of my home town. Tourists always tell me that they have these ideas that California is all sunshine, and it's not accurate at all. Bois de Paradise reminds me of walking in Golden Gate Park or the Presidio (which I hear was the inspiration for this creation) on a gray, misty day, with the scent of cypress trees suspended in the fog. I love how the perfume is enhanced with berries and honey. The sweetness reminds me of getting back to my car and discovering the sticky, amber-colored sap on my windshield that has fallen from the trees. This perfume is woody, warm, cozy, balmy, a bit sweet and a bit spicy, with a touch of smoke that has wafted over from the last beach bonfire. They really did a wonderful job with this! San Francisco represents so many different things to so many different people, and it's easy to get lost in the melting pot. People are always coming and going. But with Bois de Paradise, the natives are reminded of their home. (Sept. 2012)
Apparently this perfume was created to remind DelRae of the woods in San Francisco. As a native San Franciscan, I am so happy to have found a perfume that truly captures the natural beauty of my home town. Tourists always tell me that they have these ideas that California is all sunshine, and it's not accurate at all. Bois de Paradise reminds me of walking in Golden Gate Park or the Presidio (which I hear was the inspiration for this creation) on a gray, misty day, with the scent of cypress trees suspended in the fog. I love how the perfume is enhanced with berries and honey. The sweetness reminds me of getting back to my car and discovering the sticky, amber-colored sap on my windshield that has fallen from the trees. This perfume is woody, warm, cozy, balmy, a bit sweet and a bit spicy, with a touch of smoke that has wafted over from the last beach bonfire. They really did a wonderful job with this! San Francisco represents so many different things to so many different people, and it's easy to get lost in the melting pot. People are always coming and going. But with Bois de Paradise, the natives are reminded of their home. (Sept. 2012)
PANACHE
I have a giant bag of samples to test, and I like to choose one without looking at the notes ahead of time so that I get honest impressions. For the first 30 minutes, it smells like a very sweet, creamy and powdery vanilla-heliotrope-almond fragrance. Now that I have peeked at the notes, Panache is nothing like I guessed! In the floral-woody-musk category, yes, but it was not easy for me to find any white florals or any honey. Kind of like how Nuits de Noho has very different notes from Angel, yet it smells so much like Angel.
I smelled a good dose of amber in the heart. Panache has very powdery top notes, but I wouldn't say it smells musky necessarily, and the powder dissipated significantly once the perfume settled on my skin. Also I noticed that the bergamot never lets up and remains pretty obvious the entire time it's on my skin.
On the whole, I think Panache is really beautiful! While it it's apparently not one of those heliotrope-almond perfumes, I'd recommend it to those who love that type of scent. I find it very sweet and feminine, rich and creamy. (Apr. 2016)
I have a giant bag of samples to test, and I like to choose one without looking at the notes ahead of time so that I get honest impressions. For the first 30 minutes, it smells like a very sweet, creamy and powdery vanilla-heliotrope-almond fragrance. Now that I have peeked at the notes, Panache is nothing like I guessed! In the floral-woody-musk category, yes, but it was not easy for me to find any white florals or any honey. Kind of like how Nuits de Noho has very different notes from Angel, yet it smells so much like Angel.
I smelled a good dose of amber in the heart. Panache has very powdery top notes, but I wouldn't say it smells musky necessarily, and the powder dissipated significantly once the perfume settled on my skin. Also I noticed that the bergamot never lets up and remains pretty obvious the entire time it's on my skin.
On the whole, I think Panache is really beautiful! While it it's apparently not one of those heliotrope-almond perfumes, I'd recommend it to those who love that type of scent. I find it very sweet and feminine, rich and creamy. (Apr. 2016)
