I think I'm starting to become a big fan of Jean-Claude Ellena. His style is minimalist, sheer, and luminescent. He takes a limited palette of notes and finds just the right way to combine them to compliment each other.
When I received a sample of Angéliques sous la pluie, I was expecting a floral perfume, the name made me think of Apres l'Ondee. The story accompanying the perfume is that Ellena created it to pay tribute to the smell of a bouquet of angelica gathered after the rain.
I forgot that angelica is an herb, sometimes used to flavour drinks like absinthe and gin. It has a bitter, slightly spicy and green smell. Ellena has elevated the spicy character by adding coriander, and played with the gin connotations of angelica by adding juniper.
The result is wonderful. Angéliques sous la pluie sparkles like a cool green tonic and wakes me up when I'm feeling tired. I smell the juniper first, like Bombay Sapphire in a crystal tumbler, then the spicy, green angelica. The smell is effervescent yet creamy. The base notes of sheer musk and wood, are like adding a comfortable chair and a soft grey blanket to your garden. This perfume makes me happy and content.
Men, please wear this! I would love to smell this on more men. So much sexier than the usual masculines.
Nose: Jean-Claude Ellena
Notes: angelica, juniper, coriander, musk, cedar
I have long been a fan of Angeliques sous la Pluie, which conjures up forests and rolling fog for me and has a mournful quality - I have even worn it to a funeral. A good male friend of mine loves this scent above all others, but cannot afford to buy a bottle, so I have been swapping for small samples of it on MUA, tipping them into purse sprays and keeping him permanently topped up!
ReplyDeleteYou are making me want to spray some right away. It is springy-summery to me, so hopefully it will make me forget the snowy nastiness outside for a bit :)
ReplyDeleteAngeliques in another winner from Malle for me, such a great house! I love how you describe the base as adding a chair and a blanket to the garden, that fits perfectly.
ReplyDeleteI am a confessed Jean-Claude JUNKIE! His style is inspiring and beautiful. Restraint is powerful, don't you think? In life and in perfume, it wields great impact. Lovely review.
ReplyDeleteI really like this one too. The juniper freshness gets me.
ReplyDeleteThis scent reminds me of late spring/early summer here, when things are greening up but it is still wet but not as wet as fall/winter. There's a bit of rain on all the plants. It's beautiful.
Mmmmm sounds amazing! And I so much love the rain and the humid scent on herbs after the rain.
ReplyDeleteAngeliques sounds wonderfully refreshing and soothing, perfect for my "mood first aid kit".
ReplyDeleteI havent tried any Malle scents, so this will be my introduction scent.
Following this post of yours, and the plea for men to wear it, I did indeed order a sample and wear it. And I can say that it is a lovely perfume indeed and actually perfectly unisex. The name, as lovely as it is, always put me off trying it, as it sounds so feminine.
ReplyDeleteHi Micheal! You have just made my whole day, thank you. I KNEW it was the feminine name keeping this great perfume away from men. I'm glad you like it.
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