Divine Folie
Jean Patou (1933)

Divine Folie seems to be the "premier œillet" from Jean Patou, a prickly and stimulating carnation that rivals that of Caron's Bellodgia, but leaning more toward the ylang ylang side of the accord, just a bit more sultry and humid. This is further punctuated by the sunny disposition of orange blossom. Be that as it may, what becomes evident over time is a delightfully powdered veneer from orris and what feels like some heliotropin somewhat recalls L'Heure Bleue or Vol de Nuit.

What can I say? I love this. The color that comes to mind is that of a deep garnet red gem. It tells of a time when elegance was a sacrament, even in the most foreboding of times.

[From 1984 Ma Collection mini]

The more I smell the work of Henri Alméras, the more I'm convinced of his genius.
This a fairly conventional white bouquet, sweetened - but not too much, and given a large dose of spices - that's rather like Four Spice, but the killer note, which dates the piece to the 1920's - while at the same time lending it an air of otherworldly glamour like Woody Allen desperately tried to evoke in Midnight in Paris - is rubbery gabardine. That was nothing unusual at the time, Coty used it, and it adds to a L'heure Bleue like feel that hovers around Divine Folie, making it stand out from the crowd of modern feminines that largely rely on sweetness and florals to give them a Bambi like cuteness at the expense of character, which is what Alméras gave to all his best works, this among them.

Ma Edition mini edt: Warm amber vanilla base edt with a fascinating medley of floral. The spicy carnation opening reminds me of Caron Poivre and Caron Bellodgia Extrait. It gets quite powdery towards the middle thanks to the orris. Some reviewed it to be similar to Vol de Nuit but I think it is much warmer and less assertive than VdN. Quite a few of internet reviews considered this a sad perfume which I respectively disagree.

Divine Folie was one of my favourite perfumes of all time. As with many of the original Patou perfumes (most of which were highly complex) I find it very difficult to identify individual notes. Divine Folie was a beautiful blend of florals (again, very difficult to identify individual notes, though rose and carnation were definitely in the mixture) and vanilla notes (nothing like the overly sweet gourmand vanilla of modern perfumes) on a subtle, warm spice and woody base. I really can't be any more specific as to what the notes were. I would think that it must have been considered extremely modern when it was released in the 1930s, as it smells from a different age altogether than most of its contemporaries. If I had to equate Divine Folie with another perfume, the best I can think of is that it was like a more woody, and far more subtle version of Caron's Nuit De Noel - and that really isn't very similar.

I was so disappointed when Ma Collection was discontinued, and I am hoping that Divine Folie will eventually be added to the new Collection Heritage - though in an unaltered state: I say this as Adieu Sagesse has been changed beyond recognition, though Vacances (the only other Collection Heritage perfume I have tried yet) is the same as it always was.

This is what they mean by "perfume as art". Divine Folie was a statement on the cheap decadence of the party that was the Jazz Age leading up to the Great Crash. Opens with a sharp blast of ylang ylang over some muddled florals with a dash of eugenol and some kind of waxy oiliness reminiscent of waking up in your makeup. It's surprisingly lovely with a madeleine-like vanilla / iris combo, which I presume is where the rose, jasmine and neroli ended up. It lasts for a while, but it's a very close wear.

This smells predominantly of cloves/carnation with a comfortable warmth on me. As such it does very little for me showing no real facets. It also reminds me of Colony in feel. This review is for the EdT!