Marie Saint Pierre, the doyenne of the Canadian fashion scene, is based in Montreal. Her avant garde designs use a minimalist palette of mostly black with shots of orange, red and gold. The lines are clean, strong and angular.
In 2010 Marie launched two perfumes to complement her collection. They were created by Evelyn El Koubi of Luxe Alternative in Paris. The enigmatically-named B and C are said to be inspired by Montreal, personal travel and garden aromas.
They are both outstanding. I ordered the samples with a purchase from Luckyscent on a whim, because they were Canadian and I'd never heard of them. I wasn't expecting to love them, but I do. They are both beautiful, multi-faceted, sexy and yet comforting. Like her clothing, both are high quality and wearable. I've been wearing them alternately all week and I can't even decide which is my favourite, it seems to depend on which one I'm wearing at the time.
B could stand for 'baisser" (kiss) or "bois" (wood). It's rich and sensual. It starts with a thick caramel and burnt sugar note but it's not cloying or childish. Nutty spices warm it up and a thrum of sexy cedar and sandalwood keep it grounded and mature. The heart has a fruity rose/violet combination that together with the cedar reminds me a lot of Serge Lutens Bois de Violette. I see this perfume in colours of cinnamon and gold, melting over wine-dark purple and red. B is a sweet perfume for grown-ups. It's the more outgoing of the twins with more sillage.
C could stand for "caresse" (caress) or "cuir" (leather). C is a soft musk and leather scent with floral and spice facets. The first thing you smell is the green floral combination of petitgrain and orange blossom. Then iris and the softest suede take over. Orange blossom continues to weave in and out through most of the perfume. It dries down to a warm musk and saffron skin scent. I may have found a new musk perfume to replace the Annick Goutal Musc Nomade that I can no longer wear.
The black lacquered bottles echo Marie Saint Pierre designs. Continuing the Canadian fashion theme, each bottle is sealed with a ceramic bijou of fused glass and ribbon, created by Canadian artist Melanie Laplante, that can be worn multiple way as a necklace or bracelet.
Can I afford two more bottles of perfume? No. Do I have room for two more bottles? Hell no. But can I stop huffing my wrists? Nope. Maybe one now and one for the wish list, but how to decide?
Marie Saint Pierre B and C are available in Canada at several stores in Quebec, one retailer in Kleinburg Ontario, and online from Luckyscent.com. See the link below for more details.
House: Marie Saint Pierre
Nose: Evelyn El Koubi
Notes:
bergamot, Turkish rose, Atlas cedar, violet, caramel, beeswax, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, sandalwood, musk, maple sap, vanilla
C Notes
bergamot, petit grain, saffron, buckskin, iris, orange blossom, freesia, leather, cedar, musk
Oh, this is the first review I read of those fragrances! I heard about it on the radio earlier this year (I live in Montreal and heard an interview with her on the radio), but I admit I didn't know what to expect and wasn't even really curious to try them. I should know better. They sound really great! I think I could really really like B, in particular!
ReplyDeleteHi Alnysie, I think the names are a problem, they don't make people curious. But these should get some love. If you try them, let me know what you think.
ReplyDeleteI was compiling an order from Luckyscent when I read your review so I included both B and C. It's fun to try fragrances with a well-written review close by for comparison!
ReplyDeleteHi Cymbaline, thank you, and I hope you like them.
ReplyDelete"C" sounds gorgeous! I'm so happy you have found a potential replacement for your beloved Musc Nomade.
ReplyDeleteI like the new blog look, BTW!
First I want to say that your review sounds very convincing: I saw those bottles on the site but didn't even think about trying them. And now, of course, I'm curious.
ReplyDeleteSecond - I didn't even realize that I was reading your blog back in December! But I remember that story (I wasn't commenting on any blogs other than NTS back then but I was reading some).