Ah, serendipity! In the perfume world, serendipity means coming across an “unknown,” hard-to-find, or simply badly distributed fragrance — in a care package from another perfume fanatic, on a friend’s dresser, as a free sample in a perfume order. I’d never have sought out Parfums Grès Cabaret on my own — an always-generous Now Smell This friend recently sent me a spray decant of the scent.
Germaine Emilie Krebs was 30 years old before embarking on a career in couture; Madame Krebs became known as “Alix Grès” — Madame Grès (‘Grès’ was an anagram of her husband’s first name: Serge). Grès’ dressmaking skills became legendary, and she’s always been known as a “designer’s designer.” Grès had one great perfume attached to her fashion house; a trip she made to India to research textiles supposedly inspired 1959’s Cabochard by perfumer Bernard Chant. (I’d love to smell vintage Cabochard; perhaps serendipity will provide me a sniff one day….) Madame Grès sold both her lucrative perfume business and her couture house in the early Eighties, and she had no involvement in the many perfumes bearing her name after 1982.
Cabaret (2003) was created by perfumer Michel Almairac and contains notes of rose, lily of the valley, peony, pink bay, violet, blue orris, patchouli, incense, sandalwood, amber and musk. Reading that list made me imagine Cabaret as a womanly, overpowering perfume — an “old”-style French fragrance. Pas du tout! Cabaret is fresh (without being fresh-ozonic) and can easily be worn by a man.
Cabaret’s opening is cheerful: there’s a burst of cool, lemony tea rose (the fragrance reminds me of my favorite rose-scented soap, Crabtree & Evelyn’s Rosewater glycerine bar). As Cabaret’s rose note “softens,” I smell light lily of the valley, clean (not musty) violet, and a pinch of orris root powder. The rose note hangs in there through the dry-down when it’s joined by faint incense, “white” musk, and faded patchouli. If you’ve always looked for a rose water fragrance that lasts — and is more interesting than pure rose essence — do try Cabaret. At times, Cabaret reminds me of a “watercolor version” of Eau d’Italie Paestum Rose.
If there was ever a designer who had no “cabaret” aesthetic it was Madame Grès. I can imagine her looking at the ugly-as-sin Cabaret bottles (they remind me of cheap maracas Barbie and Ken might shake at one of their “beach parties”), disassembling her famous turban and wrapping the cloth around her face in shame. However, if Madame had any pleasant memories of citrus, roses and incense, she would have left her nostrils uncovered and enjoyed the scent, if not the look, of Cabaret.
Grès Cabaret is an Eau de Parfum and is available in 50 and 100 ml sprays; there is also a 24 ml Parfum Baccarat Edition (with music box — Oh, how I’d love to know the tunes it plays!) I have not smelled Cabaret Homme (2004); please comment if you’ve tried it.
Note: upper right image is Yvette Guilbert by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec via Wikimedia Commons.
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Sounds beautiful, and I’m laughing at my desk about the “cheap maracas” assessment and the shamed Madame hiding in her own turban…I agree, that’s a tacky bottle!
Chasa: almost the “worst!”
Hey Kevin! I actually find that bottle fun in an ultra-kitsch way.
I’ve never tried this but I’m a bit curious, though Paestum Rose isn’t my favorite rose. Someone on Basenotes calls it a less rich, less animalic Lyric Woman. Thanks for the back-story on Madame Gres.
Coincidentally, I just a couple weeks ago bought a 30ml bottle of Cabotine for less than the price of a nice lunch. I may have liked my sample vial better… I’m not sure yet. Have you tried that one? I noticed on the box that it’s produced in Strasbourg, which is certainly not the most elegant corner of France.
I see Cabotine and its many flankers, as well as a number of others of this line every time I set foot in TJ Maxx or Marshall’s. Never saw fit to waste…er, spend $15 on testing it though, and I never see an open package.
The last time I was at Marshall’s there were a couple bottles of the flankers that some hoodlums had opened. Since I’m a hoodlum myself, I took advantage and sniffed them. No one is missing anything. I did like the original Cabotine, although it’s been a long time since I’ve sniffed it.
Yep, I’m another Marshall’s TJXX hoodlum
Boojum: the Gres line is EASILY found at a discount.
Yes, I definitely think of Cabaret as a poor man’s Lyric Woman. It substitutes nicely for daytime and at a fraction of the price of the Amouage. Worth a try if you like soft, dusky rose scents.
I have Cabotine. I used to love wearing it, it’s a ginger lily floral and I adore the smell of it on my clothes.Bbut it received the worst review in The Guide. Now I feel guilty wearing it in public, thinking that I am assaulting the noses of those more sensitive than me.
Luca Turin liked Cabaret though, and I have been hoping to find it somewhere so I could try it.
I used to wear Cabotine, too, and liked it. I had the same reaction as you did when I read Turin’s trashing of it in “The Guide” – made me think, “Gee, is my taste that bad?” I haven’t smelled it in a long time, so I don’t know if it’s been reformulated.
Psssshhhh. You know how I feel: If you like it, wear it. Who cares what they say in The Guide. I mean… really…
I agree with Joe – there are a few scents that I absolutely adore that Luca & Turin gave one star and totally trashed and a few that I loathe they gave 4 – 5 stars. The only thing that a review will do is make me want to sniff something that I might not have sniffed otherwise and point out notes that I may have missed. After that, I go totally with my own taste – although I may keep samples of the 4 & 5 star scents to see if my nose will develop to the point that I like them.
I own and wear a couple of one star scents – their reviews are really fun, some on the money, and some pretty darn esoteric.
Maybe I’ll wear a one-star today to be contrary!
There are a LOT of things in the Guide that were panned that I love. It’s just one person’s opinion. (At least, this is what I tell myself every time I feel bold enough to spritz on the Rumeur…and the Voile de Jasmin…and Emeraude…and the David Yurman…and…)
LOL! And to that end…I’ve never so much as glanced at The Guide. I’m perfectly happy right here, where I “know” the reviewers and can usually tell from their reviews if I’ll like something or not. Which, in my world, is entirely the point.
In their defense, I DO agree that LT/TS reviews are really fun to read and I love The Guide. I just don’t use it as a “guide” for what to wear… and I’m pretty sure they’d agree that one should wear whatever one likes. My biggest laugh comes from LT’s five stars for Secretions Magnifiques, which literally makes me retch. I wish I’d kept my sample so I could keep coming back to it every once in awhile.
Some of their reviews are hilarious – especially the one stars. That being said, they absolutely panned my beloved Pucci Vivara (yes, the new iteration), calling it chilly and alien. Which is exactly what I love about it!
They did help me discover Stetson though – which I never would have tried otherwise because you can buy it for under $20 at Walgreens.
Kjanicki: never rely on others’ opinions when it comes to perfume! Perfume 101: if YOU like it, wear it!
Joe: nope…never liked Cabotine.
I don’t like the original Cabotine, but its flanker Cabotine Rose is nice. In the beginning It’s a little too girly, but it has a wonderful sexy dry down.
I also think the original Cabotine smelled better in 90s. I almost sure it’s been reformulated.
Thanks for the review, Kevin – Cabaret is lovely! Um, that is, once it’s out of the garish bottle… which reminds me of the costumes the local baton-twirling students wear in the Christmas parade. I kid you not: girls from age 3 up to 15 or so, all wearing sequined bodysuits and dance tights. Link to a newpaper story with a pic, if you’re crazy enough to want to see it: http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/187608
In any case, Cabaret is exactly what I wanted Shaal Nur and Voleur de Roses to be (I found both of those to contain too much patchouli for my comfort – and even what Kevin calls the “faded patchouli” in Cabaret is right at the edge of my patch tolerance). I would *love* to smell it on a man. Cabaret’s another one of those Deep Mysterious Rose Thangs that I cannot seem to resist, all earthy-smoky, and smells waaaay more fabulous than its price suggests.
(Reminder to self: get the mini bottle out for fall use, and start looking for a deal on a FB. It’s pretty cheap anyway, but having spent lavishly on my Big Ebay Vintage Spree, I’m watching the perfume bucks.)
Mals86: HA! I think I would decant my Cabaret into a plain glass bottle too….
I’ll definitely have my eye open for this one. It sounds pretty great. My jury is still out on the orris, but I have not discounted it completely. I do like various rose scents.
Ugh! I cannot put a sentence together – I’ve had a headache for too long.
I love Paestum Rose, and the idea of a watercolor version is intriguing, so I’ll have to try this one. Thanks for the great review!
Janice: you’re welcome….
Many thanks for the fun review! How does the opening lemony rose compare to Un Zeste de Rose?
Bergere: you know, I haven’t smelled that in so long I’m afraid to say….I believe Cabaret is a bit less zesty…. Maybe someone else will comment….
I don’t get much citrus from Cabaret, maybe just a few minutes’ worth, while Zeste is far more lemony IMO. On my skin, Cabaret heads straight for a rose-patch pas de deux and stays there, while little wafts of incense float around like the music the rose and patchouli are dancing to.
I’ve kind of danced around this one a few times as an unsniffed bargain (?) but passed. But everyone’s comments, esp. yours Mals, are making me want to go for it!
And related to everyone’s above comments about LT/TS Guide… they generally *hate* rose fragrances so much that when either of them says they actually like a rose fragrance, then I think, well, it must really stink then! But I will take everyone’s comments to heart and add this to my expansive rose collection…. Thanks for the review Kevin!!
Excellent, Ann! It’s true that Cabaret doesn’t stick around forever, but it’s dirt cheap at the discounters… I do think I need a bottle.
Fun read as usual Kevin…thank you. Turin at the Guide loved this, which prompted me to seek it out. I liked it. Longevity is eh, but sure smells nice enough while it does.
C: and thank YOU for sending it to me!
Are you kidding? Anytime pal!
I tried Cabaret only recently for the first time with a friend who owns a bottle. To me it was a rose version of Passage d’Enfer. It’s hard for me to think anything else when I smell it.
AHSU: Passage has a different vibe to me…an intrusion of saffron if I”m remembering correctly. Passage has never set well on me.
I like the perfume its a nice musky lipstick rose but what I LOVE about it is the price one of these days I will be getting it on ebay
Thanks for this review! I’m very fond of Cabaret, and confess to a fondness for the incredibly kitschy bottle as well. This was my first ever unsniffed purchase several years ago. I like how it’s dark rose and woody/incense-y while still retaining a sheerness that makes it very wearable. Not much sillage but lasts a long time. If anyone’s interested, samples of Cabaret and a ton of other hard to find modern scents are sold on scentedmonkey.com (not affiliated except as a satisfied customer.
rosarita: Cabaret’s musk lasted thru a shower on me…quite tenacious!
I LOVE Cabaret, and would never call it a poor man’s anything! Like a few others here, I even think the bottle is kind of cute in a retro-funky way. Gres Cabaret is, for me, in that small group that I call “Goldilocks” fragrances. You know…not too big and not too small, but JUST RIGHT. On me it’s like a rose-enhanced skin scent. It’s salty on me, with a lovely transparent sweetness (I like your idea that it’s like a watercolor). And it lasts all day without changing its pleasant disposition. In other words, it’s just like ME (grin). Thanks for the review Kevin, and for the reminder that I really should wear Cabaret tomorrow!
Haunani: that’s a great way to describe the scent…not too much, not too little!
Ooh yes, great description “Goldilocks Scents”. I can’t say I love the bottle, but like Haunani, I love this salty, woody rose. It’s ‘just right’ for me, too, as I’m not a massive rose fan. It’s well worth a punt if you spot it for cheap cheap.
A great review of an underrated gem, Kevin. Thanks for reminding me of this little beauty.
Kevin, you’ve just inspired me to haul out my decant of Cabaret and wear it in the dry, dusty desert heat of Los Angeles.
Katie: I’m glad to hear you’re still breathing…the air there now!
For one thing, Un Zeste de Rose lasts about a nano-second (on me, anyway) and thus is not worth the bucks. It’s also not very complex. Cabaret sounds sophisticated and clings better, though I’ll have to try to know…
This review inspired me to wear it tonight! I bought a bottle back around spring, but now that autumn is happening it’s even better! It’s just plain nice…as I’m seemingly obsessed with incense right now (bought the CdG incense series!) this is right up my alley. Smells good and it’s cheap! Perfect.
Love the idea of a gin-rose—-a salt-watery, worn-in type rose splash. And the classier, upscale Baccarat (or should we say, “Bacharach”, as in, “Burt…”) bottle should be playing “Cabaret” from “Cabaret”; nothing says glorious burlesque like a gawdy-looking vat resembling something you’d find on “Harley Quinn’s” boudoir. Ole!
I’ve only just discovered this a few weeks ago. It was a lovely surprise since I bought it unsniffed and now I’m glad to see it reviewed positively here. It definitely needs more love.
Thanks for another great review, Kevin. I love my roses with some incense and patch, and have been wanting to try Cabaret for quite a while now. I’m off to go procure a sample.
Amazing, i have discovered Cabaret through a sample throwed in by a swapper. I did’t even bother to try it, as I supposed that the fragrance of a cabaret was heavy and overpowering. But this is a seriuosly fresh citrus, I wouldn’t put it with the rose. And I expected the bottle to be bright green, like Cabotine. Anyway, a great scent.
I had to smile when I read your review, Kevin. I just received a sample of this in an order I placed from an online discounter. Wow! It’s beautiful. I immediately bought a bottle because this gorgeous fragrance is CHEAP (practically free!). I would never have given any thought to this fragrance if this sample had never landed at my doorstep. I’m so glad it did. Thanks for the review Kevin & thanks to the the person who stashed the sample in my package. Thrilled to have found this one!!
Some combination of having seen this review and finding the bottle online cheap caused me to buy it. (I loved the description of the notes here, I guess.)
And I was right that I would like those notes… because I already love them. Cabaret, which I am wearing and sniffing right now, reads to me as a dead ringer for philosophy’s Inner Grace. Inner Grace lacks the rose, but everything else, right down to the drydown of lovely white musk, is right here. It’s SO much exactly the same that even I could place what it was reminding me of, and I’m usually crap at that.
Cabaret has more of a “Guerlinade” flavor to it – there’s a rich compound of blended florals that makes it clearly a higher quality fragrance. And the opening is totally different, with that spicy burst of green rose that I’m not sure yet if I like. Inner Grace is a philosophy scent, designed to be linear and popular (though it is absolutely everything else in their Grace line – all the other Graces are versions of Amazing Grace with the “cleanness”. Inner Grace does not have the cleanness.) Cabaret is a lovely find. But I’m not feeling compelled to stock up on this disappearing fragrance because… I have it already!
I just bought a bottle of this at Marshall’s for, like $16. The red is gone from the bottle, but the shape is still I Dream of Jeannie. Thanks for the review. What you said and, actually, Turin’s review made me interested in trying it. I’m not so nuts about the top notes, but it is drying down rather nicely. I’m a ZIno fan, so (because of Michel Almairac), I think I was expecting something similar (rose and patchouli).
I also got a great deal on this (seriously, $0.17 per ml?!? sign me up!), and it grabbed me as soon as it hit my skin. It reminds me of my great-grandmothers (in a playing-in-the-garden kind of way), and I wonder now what scents they used. The rose is fresh and bright, and it smells like the beach roses that grow wild on Cape Cod.
I got a unexpected sample of this too just today and all I could think of when I was huffin’ my hand was “This bebe sparkles!’ It is everything I love about bright insense and rose with just a lil’ bit of patch’. I will be getting some this week and be happy about it.
A wonderful swapper sent along a little “trial” decant of Cabaret recently and I am enchanted with this bright yet complex little gem of a perfume. It falls nicely into the lighter end of the rose/patch category I do so love, and I’ve worn it four days in one week, which is really unusual. I had to run out to Ebay and buy a bottle, and was able to find a 3.4 ounce for $20 shipped. Definitely one of my favorite cheap thrill finds in a long, long time and I do hope it hasn’t been discontinued. It doesn’t have a lot in the way of sillage, but clings close to my skin and on my clothes all day and like Kevin, I could still smell it after my shower this evening. This one will be a frequent go-to in my summer rotation for sure.
I realize this is an old (and wonderful!) review and a now quiet thread, but I couldn’t resist chiming in. While cleaning a closet I just found my small bottle of Cabaret and spritzed. I don’t remember where/why/when I purchased this, but I’m glad I did. During a cleaning break I logged on to seek info about Cabaret and found Kevin’s review and the interesting replies. Like ahsu, for me this is very reminiscent of Passage d’Enfer with rose–shortly after the initial citrusy burst, on my skin it’s all pepper, incense, and dusty rose, with very little patch and just a whisper of musk. Sheer but spicy and somehow right for the Arizona summer heat. A nice reward for closet cleaning!
This blog was an amayzing discovery for me! Almost as amayzing as Cabaret. It’s not only my favourite but the only parfume I wear. I fell madlly in love with him (i do not see it as an object, because it has life, it gives life), by accident, smeling a small tester. After that I spent 2 years searching for that smell. When a friend gave me my first Cabaret as a gift I actually smiled for a week. Now I can’t imagine my days starting without the beloved smell. Tonight I read for this time in your article the story of Cabaret and, most of all, the list of ingredients. It’s rather bizzare how they are all flowers I particullary love. Me and Cabaret are definitely meant to be! thank you for the hidden details of our love