Marions-Nous (new)
Oriza L. Legrand (2014)

Gorgeous multi-flower top. Aldehydes shine at the start, too. Hyacinth and carnation shine here. An earthy, floral scent. Jasmine seems indolic. Any "sweetness" that was present, has subsided in the middle. It's like clouds mover over the sunlight's rays, creating a shade and greyness in an otherwise happy garden. Civet and musky animal notes take over, near the base. A dab of Tonka bean.

The clouds begin to part, exposing sunshine and sweetness again. I finally notice some iris and ylang ylang. This perfume, is so "French". So refined. An immediate favorite.

A falling between stools kind of perfume for the first hour or so, where the attempt to marry an aldehydic floral with an animalic base doesn't come off. At its opening Marions Nous throws a huge floral bouquet (with a clove-tinged carnation and a fatty jasmine as the main players), all a swirl with a powdery aldehyde wrapping itself around it like sheets of cellophane.
I imagine the base notes were intended to earth this flight of fancy as civet and a Tonkin musk construct are mentioned, but unfortunately they go a bit odd – the musk turns vegetal and the civet doesn't really integrate. What is odder still is that somewhere in its evolution – perhaps it's the hyacinth (difficult to get right) – a combination of notes conspires to give a strong toothpaste aspect to the aura.
In many ways Marions Nous reads as solidly old school (the mixed floral tinged with clove, aldehydes, the nether regions base) – but there's old school and there's old school, and this one lurks at the back of the class for me for its first hour or so.
But then the base starts to win out and assert a personality that is more worthy of attention. Now the creamy yet sharp sandalwood comes into evidence modulating the animalics, and the clove seems perfectly integrated. The florals recede to a ‘just right' level in the mix (their buttery tones still evident – I get an impression of narcissus – but no longer thrust right under one's nose). The aldehyde dies back. If one takes the ‘let's get married' conceit of the perfume at face value – we are now relaxing in the bed sheets in a contented post-coital glow after the stress of the wedding day. The perfume has redeemed itself and reads like something that could belong in the vintage Caron stable – for some this will be high praise indeed.
Lasts the whole waking day, so one can admire the drydown for a long time.