Mystere D'Orsay
D'Orsay (1915)

Mystere – D’Orsay (1915)

At first the impression is that of dry reeds, wafting in the breeze, so I immediately thought of artemisia, though this is not listed as one of the notes.

Then the unmistakable sweet syrupy note of immortelle envelops the artemisia – again not listed in the notes.

The amber which is the core of the scent now emerges with the above two curling round it. Unlike the other reviewer on this page, my impression of the final development is that of blond tobacco, fresh from the drying shed, although I can understand the leather effect he perceives.

So fans of artemisia, immortelle, amber and/or tobacco will be pleased by D’Orsay’s Mystere. Findable on the internet, though rather pricey. I was able to secure a quarter ounce of the parfum for a fraction of the cost of the large one and two ounce bottles available.

Worth seeking out.

The opening is quite gentle, a fleeting hint of a flowery note, and then a very nice amber - the later is the core backbone and defining component of this scent. It is a fairly bright, light and slightly sweet amber, that is beautifully made of top-quality ingredients.

The second half sees an occasional moment where the amber turns into a slightly more leathery experience, like a fresh, soft Italian leather wallet that new on the shop shelves, but the Amber takes over again quickly to reassert its role as the dominant note in this composition.

The sillage is moderate, the projection adequate and I get five hours of longevity on my skin. This is lovely on autumn days, and unusual even for an illustrious house like D'Orsay, but on the other hand D'Orsay itself is unusual as a perfume house. With the allusion to a Count d'Orsay possibly being mere marketing puff, Mr Poses's company was more in the marketing that in the production of perfumes. And what great perfumes he gave to the world! 3.25/5