Guerlain does a Lolita Lempicka Flanker?

Well, my enchantment with the house of Guerlain fizzled out some time ago, and by the time INSOLENCE arrived on the scene, I had completely lost all faith. No more blind buys, I vowed, although I continue to test when presented with a vial, as I was recently by Sephora of LA PETITE ROBE NOIRE (2012).

The most obvious thing to say would be that this perfume is decidedly un-Guerlain, but perhaps it would be better by now to renounce the use of the word 'Guerlainesque' altogether. Guerlain is not Guerlain anymore. Nothing could be clearer to me. The bottle strikes me as a sort of cruel joke. So what is this perfume, if not what Guerlain used to be?

It seems to me that it would fit right in with the Lolita Lempicka range. I'd place LA PETITE ROBE NOIRE (2012) about midway between LE PREMIER PARFUM and FLEUR DEFENDUE with perhaps a bit of Jesus del Pozo IN BLACK thrown in for good measure. Licorice, cherry, patchouli, almonds, tonka bean, vanilla. Yes.

Upon initial application I was struggling to see the difference between the demeanor of this composition and that of a celebrity scent. However, I do own that the quality is higher than those sweet fruity patchouli perfumes. I am not convinced, however, that this is any better than the Lolita Lempicka launches on this very same theme. I do not put a lot of stake in originality in perfumes, so the question for me becomes: does this smell any better than its already available close olfactory neighbors?

The answer is: No.

Berry-chouli

Upon application, I'm hit with ripe berry juice that has been sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. To a certain extent, the berries remind me of the berry accord in Estee Lauder's Wood Mystique and in the original Hot Couture No 1 by Givenchy. The only difference is that Givenchy does this accord better - the Givenchy leaves a darker and more natural impression of berries, whereas the EL leaves a berry impression that's got the Lauder vibe. LPRN leaves a bright, sweetened impression of berries that these other two, although they are all on the same playground.

As La Petite Robe Noire dries, the berries subside and there's a muddled phase in which the rose seems to emerge but never really presents itself with any force. At this point, I really don't know what the scent is other than some potluck melange of drying berries, weak roses, and patchouli. When dry, the fragrance is a bouyant base of musked, vanillic patchouli - nice but neither spectacular nor unique.

I think La Petite Robe Noire could be fantastic if it was truly Noire, but it's not - it's a daytime scent for soccer moms that's on the edge of having baby's juicy juice from the sippy cup spilt down the front of your blouse. If you like this style but want something deeper & darker & more mature, give the original Hot Couture No 1 a try.

La Petite Robe Noire is good, respectable, and better than most scents on the market. However, it's not up to the usual Guerlain standard. A bit of a disappointment.