Floramye
L.T. Piver (1905)

I was shopping in an obscure French brocante, one I had previously found a beautiful sealed Chypre from the 1930's in before. It is a business that empties old houses. In the back of a glass cabinet I found it. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was a sealed bottle of the original Floramye by Piver. They had it marked at 45, but when I talked to the lady she said: yes, it might be old but it's evaporated so I'll take 10 off for you. The bottle was sealed with the original cork, tied with flax, the paper closing it had been eaten by time. But I could see the oils in the perfume were perfectly preserved. The label made it clear it was the version from around1905. Needless to say I accepted the discount, trying not to seem overexcited. And lucky for me, somehow the scent seemed perfectly preserved.

The perfume is one of the most beautiful things I've ever smelled. I am a hobby perfumer, when I started at a young age I recreated all the classics first. This is one of those great classics. Hardly any of the ingredients would be available to the home perfumer or even the professional perfumer nowadays. I will try my best to give a review.

The perfume starts with a deep floral note, but you will be thrown off because of the synthetic molecule used. It has a waxy, almost rubbery smell. Also a very distinct marine note from ambergris that had time to develop for another 120 years in the bottle. It smells like a jasmine flower water on a warm human skin, in the sun, on the beach. Salty and sweet. There is hardly any citrus detectable, but somewhere in the deep is the smokey hint of petitgrain.
There is also a distinct spice note. This seems to come from the Tonka. It is something perfectly in between vanilla and cinnamon. It does have a slight sharpness like cinnamon would. This works amazingly with the butteriness of the Iris. The Iris appears from the beginning and lingers very long.
This perfume moves around on your skin. It goes many ways depending on how warm your skin is. The rose and slight woodyness appears when heated. The aldehydic, amber and spice notes appear when your skin is colder. This is not something any modern perfume, with all it's incredible but synthetic molecules to build the accords, could recreate. It's a 99% natural perfume, so it behaves a lot more like nature. The base notes remain for at least 15 hours on the skin.
The opportunity to wear and smell the original is something I could have only dreamed of. But I will wear it with joy, after all, that is what it was made for.

I was farming in a field in the middle of nowhere, no other vegetation than weeds and grass and I had no perfume on me when all of a sudden I started smelling a strong powdery Iris/Orris root smell all around and it would follow me whatever I went around the field, I recognized immediately the smell: Floramye L.T. Piver. Back home I rushed and searched for the bottle and indeed it was Floramye L.T. Piver, magic!! Who was around me? the spirit of a lady who was trying to communicate with me through the smell of a perfume I own and recognize? Life is a mystery . Floramye L.T. Piver is a dedicated powdery dry Iris fragrance, green and peppery with honey bee nectars, no more I can say and nothing else I can smell from my vintage bottle. I will keep the bottle forever and I love telling my little story.

My review is for vintage juice, but I am not sure how old. I don't have any of the new stuff to compare to. I have read in the blog-sphere that the perfumer is Pierre Armigeant (1874-1955) who also created Azurea. I haven't tracked down Azurea yet, but I do have a few other vintage and new Piver's to get around to. My experience is different from the other reviewer who evidently had new stock to review. The first initial blast is of aldehyde that reminds me of Aquanet. In other words, not pleasant unless you are the nostalgic sort. However another close sniff reveals something that is probably pettitgrain. I get a light hint of what might be civet, or might just be a bit of rancid oil, it is hard to tell. Actually the note reminds me a little bit of my vintage sample of Djedi, which is supposedly "green" and "civet" but neither perfume are at all green to my nose, not even herbal, although I don't have any problems detecting these notes in other perfumes. The floral middle notes are mostly gone in this sample that I have, so I can only comment on the drydown which is similar to merry.water's review. It is indeed floral and a bit waxy and powdery. I detect a bit of citrus in the drydown too, but that may be from the aldehydes. I can't say that I recommend the vintage perfume to wear, but it is interesting to sample. I am giving this scent a thumbs up rating, but it is a rather weak one based on my vintage sample.

An ancient scent. Two words on its history. Prof. Darzens, successful with the synthesis of odorous substances before came up with a new class, the aldehydes, first C-12 MNA. L.T. Piver, as before with other of Darzens achievements was chosen to build a fragrance around it. This was Floramye, composed 1905. Way before Guerlains famous C-14 aldehyde Mitsouko and Chanels C10/C11/C12-mix No5.What does it smell like? I think Your granny would have known it from her mother! It is definitely aldehydic: pungent flowerish (alas, I can't figure out the bouquet) , a bit spicey green, but not herbal, faint waxy, tad more oily than that. Powdery as expected from the iris/orris. The development is quite linear besides the first 20 minutes when it is more sharp. It finishes after about 4 to 6 hours in a soft, dry and very clean scented expression. In every stage it avoids to be sweet or heavy. Even overdosed a lot it doesn't kill the nose. It remains gentle and - fun. I'm pretty sure that some precious ingredients of the original are substituted by modern aromachemicals - think of orris butter. Otherwise the price of 12Euro/15$ per 3.5oz would be a steal. That said the contemporary versions appeal is not complexity, refinement in modern terms or a scandalous assault to the least olfactory taboo. To the opposite it fascinates just by the lack of fishy sensations! I'm really glad to have this Archaeopteryx of perfumery in my wardrobe.