Tenue de Soirée the latest fragrance from Annick Goutal has thrown me a bit of a curve ball. Let me explain. In a game of word association, if you said Annick Goutal to me the word that I associated with this brand is citrus. Neroli, Un Matin d’Orange, Eau d’Hadrien, are all light bright citrussy goodies that I know and love the brand for. Shows how much I know as the brand has more than forty fragrances from the light colognes through soliflores, ouds and intense floral fragrances.
Tenue de Soirée which means evening dress is a fragrance that I was immediately drawn to for some obvious and not so obvious reasons. Lets talk packaging. This is a bottle for the dressing table. The glass bottle looks different from the majority in the range. Gone is the ribbed oval shape. The lines are clean and modern. The glass bottle has a purple gradient (swoon) and is adorned with a beautiful purple pom-pom. It is definitely a bottle to be displayed (although I keep mine in it’s box to maximise longevity)
Annick Goutal is a brand that has always intrigued me because it is a fragrance house with a female nose. However for Tenue de Soirée the brand has collaborated with Mathieu Nardin. Nardin is is the nose behind Vetiver Insolent and Rose Silence . Tenue de Soirée does not smell like either of those fragrances but there is familiarity for me when I smell it. This iris and patchouli creation is both simple and complex.
The brand want Tenue de Soirée to take you to that moment when you are preparing for a night out in Paris. They consider it to be an audacious and impertinent fragrance. The dominant notes are iris and For me, this soft sweet powdery creation has touch of berry fruit. Yet it is creamy on the skin but with a touch of ‘green’ so it is not too sweet or creamy is neither audacious or impertinent. There is no clear change or dry down in this fragrance. The powdery element stays on the skin for hours while the green an This is definitely not an evening fragrance for me… but may be that is my age. When I think evening dress, I think Shirley Bassey. This is not a sequins and fishtail skirt number. This feels like your favourite accessory, be it a beautiful watch, a great pair of shoes or your perfect earrings. Stylish and comfortable.
Tenue de Soirée is a beautiful fragrance. If you are familiar with the Annick Goutal range it is worth a spritz as it will surprise you. If you are not familiar with the brand it is a great first step. Tenue de Soirée launches on January 31st authorised stockists.