Poivre Piquant (L'Artisan Parfumeur)

by Mark

I was at the opening of an exhibition at a local art gallery when I caught a deep, familiar whiff of something... something classic, something old. Tabac Blond, I thought. I identified the woman from whom the scent was emanating; neither young, nor yet old, her clothing and makeup suggested a familiarity with and fondness for an appearance more European than American, and more last century than this one. I asked her, in my best (which is to say awful) French accent, if she was wearing Tabac Blond. "What?" I tried again. "You are asking about my perfume?" "Yes." "It is Mitsouko, my favorite." Dang, I thought; wrong classic. I tried to excuse myself by saying I owned only the Eau de Parfum, and she was clearly wearing extrait. She inquired as to my interest in perfume, and after my somewhat brief explanation, she asked if I wore them, or just collected them. I reflected on how thin and shadowy Poivre Piquant is in the presence of a grand dame such as Mitsouko; there was no way she could pick it up without burying her face in my chest, which did not seem like a proper suggestion, so I merely said that I wore them, too.

But I come not to condemn Poivre Piquant, but to describe it, so on to the description.

First impression is of warm wildflower honey; that is, mostly honey with floral undertones. Almost immediately I pick up a licorice accord; it is more like licorice the candy than anise the plant, due no doubt to the enveloping sweetness of the honey. Next to develop is a slight spiciness through it all; it is not so much a pepper scent as just a general sense of spiciness.

I am generally not fond of honey in fragrance; I find it cloying and overwhelming. Even though Poivre Piquant is a fairly light and subtle scent, the honey is still at the limit of what I can take. The licorice, my favorite part of this composition, is unfortunately very short-lived.

As it dries down, some wood develops and joins the wildflower honey. It's pleasant enough. I am just not the best audience for a fragrance with so much honey.

Perfumer: Bertrand Duchaufour
Year: 2002
Notes: Pink peppercorn, White pepper, Milk, Honey

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