(images from Elie Saab)
Lebanese fashion designer Elie Saab is known for his creations of some of the most feminine and glamorous dresses in the world. His couture gowns are luxurious and flowy, with stunningly exquisite details. In 2011, the fashion house ventures into fine perfumery with its debut fragrance, Le Parfum.
Top note: orange blossom
Middle notes: jasmine grandiflorum, jasmine sambac, patchouli
Base notes: cedarwood, rose honey
A woody floral created by Francis Kurkdjian, Le Parfum is not a girlie scent. It is a womanly scent. As there are no effervescent fruity top notes, the scent leads us straight into a rich floral immersion, which is strong but not overpowering, with a light touch of powderiness.
The floralness of the scent has enough depth on its own and doesn’t have to rely on the woodiness to create dimension. The drydown is warm and cushiony and is still considerably floral. The soft powderiness also forms part of the drydown.
The fragrance bottle is created by Sylvie de France. I like the jewel-like faceted design with its simple and sharp lines. It interacts with the light nicely and has a classic as well as a modern look.
If Le Parfum were a woman, it would be one that is perfectly in touch with her femininity and sensuality and one that is also mature, confident and assertive. From a personal point of view, I would prefer a scent that is perhaps slightly less floral. However, looking at the overall fragrance composition and visual design, I feel that Le Parfum has successfully captured the essence and spirit of Elie Saab’s creative ethos.
Elie Saab Le Parfum is available in eau de parfum in 30ml, 50ml, and 90ml. The range also includes Shower Cream (200ml), Body Lotion (200ml), Body Cream (150ml), and Deodorant Spray (100ml).
In the UK, Le Parfum was launched last month in Harrods, Harvey Nichols (London), and Selfridges (London and Manchester Trafford Centre). It will be available nationwide from August 22nd.
(The product featured in this article is provided by Elie Saab.)
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
sounds sophisticated and nice, but i probably wouldn’t like it. not huge on florals
Hi Vonnie,
Even though I would personally prefer a slightly less floral scent, I do certainly agree that it is a sophisticated fragrance. :)
Thank you for stopping by again! :)
After seeing this post, I tried it out in store today and it is lovely! I think it’s rare to have such a lovely floral that is not fruity, too sweet or sickly, but still strong; I find most florals seem to be a little light without a stronger non-floral scent in the mix and the heavier ones are in danger of smelling old-ladylike.
There’s something fresh in the scent too, barely there, but it stops the scent from being too heavy I think and quite modern (sorry, I’m not good at all when it comes to describing scents).
Then again, I wouldn’t expect something lighter from an Arab designer, they generally like their scents strong in the Middle East.
You described the bottle exactly as I would have, took the words right out of my mouth! Classic yet modern. Elie Saab designs have always been beautiful so it’s nice to see well executed debut into the fragrance market.
This is a little off-topic here, but you have really turned me into a Lunasol fan! I bought the coloring cheeks blush and an eyeliner from adambeauty and I love them. I like the packaging more than I thought I would in real life and of course the products themselves are excellent. I might have to slowly build up my collection. The items from the Chanel Byzance collection were gorgeous too, the lipstick is the most unique red I’ve ever seen. I guess I wanted to thank you ^-^
Hi Leila,
It is nice to know that you like this fragrance. :)
Indeed, some purely floral scents can be a little one-dimensional, but the jasmine notes in Le Parfum seem to project a rich sense of warmth and substance. I do like the design of the bottle too. Like what you said, it certainly complements Elie Saab’s fashion creations.
I am really pleased that you like the Lunasol items! I really like Lunasol’s packaging. It is low-key but very chic and sophisticated. The general quality of Lunasol’s makeup items is among the best in Japan (as well as in the world, I would say) as well. Enjoy wearing them!
Very glad that you like your Byzance items. (Good to know that the lipstick is working well for you too.) No need to thank me! :)
Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts again! :)