Histoires de Parfums - Edition Rare: Veni, Vidi, Vici

Bah.

*******

Veni

Patchouli, vanillin, cardamom, cinnamon, resins, a dark, dry woody base, an odd note which I can not identify (something halfway aniseed and saffron?), flowers, green-herbal notes (sage?). A bold note of aldehydes, which gives the scent that peculiar modern, metallic airy-dusty vibe to the scent. Finally I also detect a slight leather-like note on the base, dry and shady but quite subtle and discreet (it may just be the drier side of resins). There is something sweet and floral that reminds me of L'instant pour homme by Guerlain, not the entire scent, just this note, something like violet and some sweet-silky resin notes (galbanum or caramel). To be honest this all appears a bit "mute" to me, a bit boring and monotone, heavily synthetic in a non-creative way. Some of the initial notes are pleasant, e.g. patchouli and the uncommon aroma of saffron, but they vanish quite soon, leaving the stage for hours to a sort of bold, monolithic "dry resins galore" with just some ultra light (therefore, pointless?) dissonant breezy floral-spicy notes. Frankly I don't "get" it globally, maybe it's me, but more than "bad" I guess I may say this scent smells confused and uninspired.

5/10

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Vidi

Vidi opens with an explosion of Iso E Super, ambroxan and most probably another couple of prominent aromachemicals (cashmeran, something airy-minty, something rubber on the base, and a slight iodine-salty note). Pretty much it, a bunch of ingredients used "naked and raw" as they are. Some salty, minty, woody and ambery nuance float around, all completely artificial, as pleasant as any supermarket scent can be (mostly because of being made with the same ingredients, and the same zero degree of elaboration). It tastes of cheap designer. Not stinky but to me, completely useless.

4,5-5/10

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Vici

The opening of Vici is pleasant and juicy, I smell a lot of aromatic, vibrant herbs (like sage, bay leaf, that kind of Ambre Sultan herbal accords), flowers, something tasty and fruity (blackcurrants, peach?). Then also quite a massive dose or aromachemicals (Iso E for sure) to give the scent that classy, sought-after ordinary plainness and predictability so many niche houses look so fond of lately. It quite reminds me of Daim Blond, less suede and more herbs (and less quality, less complexity, less elegance). It then evolves more or less on the same main accords, a dry herbal-hay base still with a touch of fruits and a slight mossy-earthy accord. Pleasant but plain and uselessly already-seen.

5,5/10

1804 EDP by Histoires de Parfums

Year: 2001
Nose: Gérard Ghislain

Bergamot, vanilla, green notes, a fruity heart and white musks... and something else, which smells weird and terribly synthetic-generic from the very beginning. My first thought was: cheap summer scent. The base is a bit odd as well, it has a strange, rubbery, dry note with reminds me of the infamous safraleine that often "replaces" or amplifies leather notes... which however there are not, so this may be a trick of my nose, I believe that is the patchouli. Honestly I did not even feel the fruity notes at the beginning but they eventually come clearer after a while, and not to sound repetitive, they smell terribly plastic as well. I trust it's pineapple but it may as well be anything else. I won't say this is bad, in fact it is pleasant and even slightly evocative of (postcard) summer vibes... but it strongly reminds me a buckload of other cheaper and "mainstream" sporty colognes.

5/10

1876 EDP by Histoires de Parfums

Year: 2001
Nose: Gérard Ghislain

Carnation, rose, spices, resins, vanilla, white musks, ginger (I know it is not listed but I somehow smell something similar), sandalwood, light citrus notes, and some other floral notes I am unable to get precisely. Soft and slightly powdery. I read iris is here: glad to know. A rather classic structure with a transparent spring feel, pleasant and balanced, with a refreshing balsamic breeze coming and going. The sweet accord (which smells a bit like gingerbread to me) is a little overhelming and cloying, I wish it managed to stay lighter. Beautiful dusty base of dry woody-tobacco-like notes with a nice herbaceous/mossy feel. Globally nice but also "neither flesh nor flow", basically an "eau de cologne" (European meaning) with a chypre heart, a feminine twist, and a masculine drydown. Pleasant and refined but a bit dull.

6,5/10

1826 EDP by Histoires de Parfums

Year: 2001
Nose: Gérard Ghislain

The opening is quite much different depending on whether you test it on paper or on skin. I usually don't use paper strips, this time I did it just for curiosity and once I tried this I was like "I love this!"... well lucky for me I also tested it on skin before both writing a review and deciding if it was purchase worthy (spoiler: it wasn't). Basically it opens with a peculiar and bold accord of violet-lilac, mellow white musks and a patchouli note which is so velvety, dusty and sweet that together with ginger and cinnamon it basically creates a sort of "choco-like" accord with a resinous/spicy feel. And that is precisely what I do not like here much – it is kind of "too much" unbalanced a bit overhelming, shouting over the rest of the notes, notably the floral notes. On paper this smelled just perfect and far more balanced – it was heavenly. It is silky, soft, almost milky and quite elegant, with a slight earthy-herbal-balsamic accord... but also much sweet all over. Besides, the drydown eventually evolves towards a rather generic, vaguely ambery/woody aromatic, kind of ambrox smell, not that natural either. So it's kind "too much" at the beginning and "too little" at the end. Perhaps I was unlucky with my skin, but I find this a bit wrong at a couple of stages. Nonetheless, if you like that type of accords I named and/or this works differently on your skin, than it may turn into a great scent as it initially was on paper for me – I'll just say: not for a blind-buy, better try it and wear it before.

6/10

1889 Moulin Rouge EDP by Histoires de Parfums

Year: 2010
Nose: Gérard Ghislain

Powerful, powdery iris, at least another pair of fresh, crunchy floral notes I do not get clearly (gardenia, geranium...?), a rose heart, green aromatic notes, ginger and pepper, and patchouli. Lively and sensual with just a hint of decadence: quite a good depiction of a Moulin Rouge dancer, somehow innocent and somehow naughty, young and pale but "experienced". The powerful and bold opening tones down quite early, it gets graceful and pleasant although not that unique – basically a spicy floral with a balsamic breeze and a nice interplay between silky flowers and earthy patchouli, with just a bit of spices and musks. Overall refined and cozy, pleasant and elegant, but not much memorable and also, sadly, a bit short-lasting.

6,5/10

Olympia Music Hall EDP by Histoires de Parfums

Year: 2012
Nose:  Gérald Ghislain

The opening is beautiful and bright: luminous, floral, elegant, fresh and romantic, with a hint of a classic "aldehydated" feel and talcum on the base. The evolution is equally great, the lilac note, the fruity accord, the suede-incense shady accord and the subtle but bold patchouli-woods base slowly emerge and take shape, each in its own subtle and balanced way, all in a musky-cocoa beans soft and discreet roundness. All remains however graceful and transparent, it's like "seeing" these notes floating beyond a frosted glass. It eventually becomes a bit more spicy, losing just a bit of light and brightness. I particularly like the subtle earthy note: if all this may make you think of a shy, pale and refined young countess, this shady earthy note is her little, nocturnal naughty secret. The drydown is great as well, the suede note turns eventually into a slight rubbery/dry feel, which however works great in keeping alive this tiny "gloomy secret side" of the scent. Also an unexpected green/balsamic/calonic light breeze comes and goes. My personal rating for this scent is favorable, but I agree with what diamondframe wrote on Basenotes – this kind of spacious and breezy "aeriality" would maybe work better for a room than on skin, hence my "not-that-enthusiastic" final rating.

7,5-8/10

1740 Marquis de Sade EDP by Histoires de Parfums

Year: 2000
Nose: Gérard Ghislain

A bold, rich, dense accord of dusty leathers and vibrant, carnal immortelle, with a silky vanilla and aromatic woods base and an earthy patchouli heart, initially with also a boozy "hit". Really compact and quite complex, perhaps "rounded" and packed so tightly with some artificial escamotage that make it sound a bit "too rich" and at the same a bit plastic (like fake buildings in movie sets – and by the way, a signature trait of Histoires de Parfums to me). As minutes pass it kind of comes close to a simpler, more straightforward and more shouty version of Fumerie Turque, with an interesting kind of rancid fruits/flowers twist. Overall a nice gloomy and smoky leather scent with a pungent decadent boozy-floral personality. Monster persistence and bold projection, which can be a pro or a con depending on how much you like this – it is nice at first, but has not much of an evolution, so get ready to smell that same concoction for hours ("cloying alert").

A nice interview with Gérard also speaking about 1740 can be found here.

7/10