![Alex1984]()
Alex1984
4
Candlelight glow
I thought I had written a review on Salome but I guess I was too busy wearing and enjoying it. Papillon as a whole, is one of the few brands that keep my faith in indie, niche, and artisanal perfumery. While bigger brands have been going mainstream for the last 5 years or so, Liz Moores goes slowly and steadily towards curating a line that is both fascinating and rewarding. Salome is my favorite.
The concept behind, and the inspiration, was an old photograph from the turn of the century. And the scent itself could easily belong there, as it follows the footsteps of Shocking and even Femme; sepia toned, glowing warmth. Gentle spices, a French floral heart and a chypre backbone, Salome bends olfactory families and draws the best from them; expertly blended, it’s hard to pinpoint the notes. There’s effervescence in the opening from sparkling bergamot, spicy florals in the heart with a beautiful rose and carnation like you don’t smell anymore, and a beautiful animalic drydown that mixes civet, castoreum and hyraceum with musk and smoky patchouli. Just like older fragrances, the animalic notes enhance and magnify the whole composition, and don’t scream just for the sake of it. While dirty and skanky at times, mostly from the touch of cumin, the animalic notes make the scent far bigger than the sum of its parts.
Here is where Femme comes into play; Salome feels like a worthy Roudnitska descendant in the best possible way. One relies on the erotic qualities of ripe fruit (plums, hence Prunol base) while Salome relies mostly on ripe florals past their prime. The spices are gentle and warm, merely glowing forever, and there’s a strong oakmoss bone that transcends standard orientals and chypres. Salome is art, expertly conceived, translating into pure pleasure to wear. Long lasting, noticeable for hours, and unabashedly sensual when worn, and sexual when smelt.
In this time and age, when IFRA is the big bad wolf that has forever destroyed many beloved masterpieces, fragrances like this show that while there are restrictions, quality perfumes can still be made, as long as there is a coherent vision, zero focus groups and marketing, and no need for ass kissing big aromachemical corporations. As long as there is talent and people who believe in perfumery, there are still many more Salomes to come. And while IFRA will only get more restrictive, perfumery isn’t yet dead. Not by a long shot.