Posted by Robin
on
31 October 2005
Parfums Caron launched Narcisse Noir in 1911. It was created by Caron founder and perfumer Ernest Daltroff, and features notes of orange blossom, bergamot, petitgrain, lemon, rose, jasmine, jonquil, Persian black narcissus, musk, vetiver, civet, and sandalwood.
Narcisse Noir was not Ernest Daltroff’s first fragrance, but it is the earliest of his creations that is still in production today. According to perfumer Guy Robert, it was Daltroff’s first big fragrance breakthrough:
An immediate success in France, it was a sensation in the States. Its phenomenal success allowed Caron to compete on equal terms with Francois Coty, who had already conquered North America with L’Origan (1905). (Quoted in Perfume Legends by Michael Edwards, p. 50)
Narcisse Noir starts very heady (even in the Eau de Toilette), with sweet citrus and orange blossom…
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Posted by Robin
on
29 September 2005
Parfums Caron was established in 1904 by Ernest Daltroff. Alpona, one of Daltroff’s many fragrance creations, launched in 1939, and has notes of lemon, grapefruit, bergamot, rose, orange, jasmine, orchid, thyme, patchouli, myrrh, cedar, sandalwood, musk, and oakmoss.
Alpona starts with citrus fruits, but don’t look for fresh-squeezed juice here — Caron describes the citrus as “crystallized”, and that is exactly what it smells like: sugared preserved fruit. Marmalade, with its touch of bitter peel tempering the sugar, might actually be more apt, as Alpona is not at all overly sweet. Elements of the mossy chypre base are apparent from the start, and lend a rich backdrop to the citrus opening. The citrus notes last well into the dry down, and then are gradually replaced by the well-blended floral heart notes. The far dry down is soft woods, green mosses, musk, and a hint of patchouli…
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