After a very sticky perfume called Silver Rain with its overdose of red fruits, caramel and sugar worn like a thick anti-age face mask, La Prairie has released a very curious set of 3 perfumes named after other cosmetic ingredients. Silver, Gold and Platinum are here not for their alchemical properties but because of their … supposed cosmetic action. Like caviar and pearls, they are used in expensive creams like those sold by la Prairie. Their scent is a perfect image of the hypothetical clients of the Swiss brands. They are not modern perfumes and not 100% original - all are a reflection of the past and of the perfumes that were popular 2 decades ago. The rich white flower - tuberose from the Giorgio / Jardins de Bagatelle era, the rose patchouli chypre amber from Diva's golden age and the more obscure (now) Cabochard an other soft leather floral chypre 3 decades ago. Is La Prairie playing Dr.Freud with their rich clients?Silver offers an interpretation of the classic tuberose theme from Fracas in a very green spicy context. The tuberose becomes a classic gardenia with a strong green styralil acetate effect on top. It is less lactonic than Fracas and more peppery with a spiciness that reminds me Gardenia Absolute from Goutal on a very soft musk-sandalwood-vanilla-lactonic base. Between the 2 floral ideas there is a strong green lily of the valley-white rose-lily (salicylates). The white floral bouquet is reminiscent of a style very popular in the 80's and another more recent example with a lot of character is 3 Fleurs (Parfums d'Empire). Is Silver the result of a cross pollination between Ma Griffe and Fracas?.
Gold is another modern retro interpretation of an oriental type quite popular in the 80's and now found in one perfume from Amouage. The rose-sandalwood-cinnamon accord in a very sweet oriental context is classic like the floral bouquet rich in ylang and very rounded fruity notes (peach, plum). It reminds me a facet from La Nuit (Paco Rabanne) or Gem (Van Cleef & Arpels) with its chypre rose prune note, but Gold is more oriental with a good dose of synthetic sandalwood (80's overdose), powdery notes and incense. It is reminiscent of a period when fragrances were very baroque and perfumers tried to find the perfect balance between the chypre fruity and the amber family for an excess of sensual notes. Now, the rose-oud perfumes (Montale, Amouage) are doing the same. Another interpretation of the note but with a greater accent on the rose is Lumière noire pour femme.
Platinum rewrites the floral chypre leather note from Cabochard - Diorling with modern ingredients in a very retro interpretation. It is hard to evaluate if this is a new creation or an old formula adapted to modern needs. It is very mossy dry with patchouli-vetiver-cedar, quinoleine leather notes, a very soft delicate ambery drydown. The heart is dominated by the light jasmine and metallic green rose with the very refined methyl ionone surrounded by a delicate plum base. The dry note of the woods (almost smoke) is very well contrasted with the modern jasmine interpretation for an ash tray effect (It is not Jasmin et cigarette but has an effect). If you like it, try Diorling even the modern reformulation.
The perfumes are very well composed with great attention to details and notes but are not very original. For those who had never smelled the classics or some niche re-creations more recently they could be a surprise. For me … it is a very well known song.
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Fragrance is the 8th Art - Octavian Coifan - Le Parfum est le 8ème Art
