First Impressions – Atelier des Ors

Atelier des Ors – Blanc Polychrome – The first thing you notice about Atelier des Ors is the stunning packaging, beautiful bottles complete with floating gold flakes. Real works of art. All this bling comes at a price, with Blanc Polychrome retailing for 345 Australian Dollars for 100ml. Unfortunately, all the world’s gold flakes aren’t enough to elevate Blanc Polychrome above your average citrus scent. We’ve seen this before. A lemon cologne with a touch of lavender, white florals, ambrox, mosses, and a hefty dose of white musk in the base to give it some rather tenacious staying power (over ten plus hours). Despite the remarkable staying power, it’s certainly not the sort of fare to have me opening up the purse strings. I don’t pick up any of the listed fig or rhubarb, and for the price, I could buy about 20 bottles of 4711 Cologne.

Atelier des Ors – Rouge Saray – Rouge Saray, on the other hand, is very much worth the price of admission. A deliciously decadent gourmand that isn’t shy about piling on the calories. Plum and cinnamon in the opening makes for a spicy, boozy beginning. The Middle Eastern inspiration behind Rouge Saray brought to fruition through the clever use of dates, which impart a sugary, syrup-like blanket over proceedings. There’s a nutty touch from heliotrope, and a smokiness from tobacco (not listed) or perhaps the listed guaiac wood. The vanilla in the base further adds to the sweetness.

If you enjoy scents like BDK Wood Jasmin, Liquides Imaginaires Desert Suave, Carolina Herrera Mystery Tobacco, or even something like Xerjoff Naxos, you will enjoy this. More gourmand than Desert Suave or Mystery Tobacco and not as woody as Wood Jasmin, it feels closest in spirit to the Liquides Imaginaires. Lavish and addictive, but never cloying. Excellent work by Marie Salamagne.

Have you tried these two new releases? What did you think?

Note : Bottle images courtesy of Fragrantica. I purchased these samples in Australia at Peony Melbourne.