Caron Pour Une Femme Fragrance Review (Richard Fraysse) a.k.a Morticia’s rose, first published in Cafleurebon
Last February, for a spilled perfume question, Michelyn asked us, the editors of Cafleurebon: ”what is your favorite couple, imaginary or real?” – and I answered, in a blink of an eye and a click of a mouse, without even thinking about it. After sending the email, I started to poke fun at myself “Morticia and Gomez, Nicoleta?! Really? Still haven’t outgrown your teenage goth phase?” – but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. The dynamic of Morticia- Gomez couple still is a prime example of an out-of-the-norm blissful yet passionate domestic partnership that I still hold quite close to a cartoonish ideal (and a modern and ahead of its time depiction of a couple, if we think the cartoon series was first published in 1938).
“Morticia : So… you still desire me after all these years? The old ball and chain?
Gomez : Forever!
Morticia : I’ll get them!”
Ask me to answer, without thinking too much – what my favorite note combo in a perfume is –and in a heartbeat, I will say rose-incense. Judged by today’s standards, Caron pour une Femme is not particularly original, dramatic, or complex, but is my beloved ball and chain/rose- incense scent that I shall forever love (*insert here a dramatic Morticia gesture)
The first edition of Pour une Femme was launched in 1947, but today we will focus only on the still available re-edition, created byRichard Fraysse in 2001 – a warm ambery orange – floral scent, centered around a timeless rose-incence accord, with a classic chypre mossy dry down.
Setting: An austere, wood-paneled living room, 12 days* after Christmas. The kids are taking down the Christmas tree, packing up the decorations. The smell of the dry orange ornaments shuffled about fills the air – the joyous tart citrus smell they once had is replaced by a dusty, ambery nostalgic orange specter.
*There is a Christian tradition that marks the Twelfth Night as the end of Christmas and the Eve of the Epiphany (marking the Magi – the Three Kings or Wise Men – visiting baby Jesus in his manger in Bethlehem, with their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh), as the time to take down your Christmas tree and pack away the decorations.
The amber has honeyed edges, curved along the contours of the crimson bushes of roses that frame the entrance to the greenhouse. There’s a slight metallic aftertaste in the air – as if the many rainfalls that had seeped through the cracks of the skylight brought along microscopic rust particles into the soil, turning the thorns to iron, and making the buds creek when blooming.
If you worry that things were to get too gothic and moody-brooding, fear not! the Caron spirit takes over and keeps the whole construction elegant and timeless. The fragrance veers to the gardens, with a mossy vetiver overlay that calls to mind great cypre classics.
I can’t think of a better scent to start 2021 with – an homage to a timeless rose-incense combination; a bit dark, but with ambery sparkles of light and hope; introspective but not gloomy, comfortable yet put-together, and in perfect tune with the cold January weather.
Caron Pour Une Femme was created in 2001 and the nose was Richard Fraysse. Bottle Design by Serge Mansau. Notes: Mandarin, Orange blossom, Centifolia rose, Benzoin, Amber, Incense, Vetiver
If you like Caron pour une femme, also try: Caron Parfum Sacre
