Cabaret
Grès (2003)

Like an antique wooden boudoir of a burlesque dancer and a tiny hint of gothic essence in it. A deep red colour, silk velvet clothing, delicate black lase lingerie, corset, elegance and 20s hair waves. A deep and sensual dirty rose chypre scent. Intensely feminine and flirty with an undercurrent of mysterious sexuality. It definitely has a vintage vibe.

The top is a intoxicating woody rose like a very expensive well established brothel with curvy workers who never would say "no" to any customers request. Then an powdery iris mixes in gently, and finally the incense, patchouli and amber prowl through like a panther. The rose is very mature, almost dying dark red rose, which generates sweetness from dying, it's not fresh. It's powdery dark dusty rose, like thick vintage deep dark red velvet corset.

So overall, this is an extremely edgy scent. This is sex in a bottle. So wearing, you'll smell like sex and men will fall to your feet, not kidding. Wear it only for targeted someone on a date when you want him to loose his mind. Very good sillage and longevity.

Beautiful opening with a blend of rose, lily of the valley, and peony. Becomes soapy. Not much LOTV stays - the rose and peony stay strong. Patchouli stands out, in the heart. A little violet appears. Smooth base of musk, incense, amber, and a touch of sandalwood. Pretty!

Deep, womanly rose/patchouli blend with a hefty heap of cedar. Reminds me (in spirit, if not in notes) of SJP's Lovely, with about the same amount of sillage and longevity (both very good).

Sounds rather innocuous, however, for me this scent is unwearable. It makes me sad. Not melancholy, not somber, just downright sad.

Scent is a curious sense, bringing about moods and memories that somehow circumvent our conscious, rational minds.

My experience seems to be unusual, if not unique, so I think this one is worth a try if you like deeper rose perfumes.

Genre: Floral/Woody

Only the briefest of sweet citrus and bergamot top notes introduce Cabaret's star player: a rich and relatively dry woody rose accord of superb balance and proportion. Imagine a less animalic Amouage Lyric for Women or a Parfum Sacré minus the peppercorns, and you'll be closing in on Cabaret's location on the olfactory map. Cabaret is drier, softer, and more subtle than either of those big rose scents, and also less complicated in its structure. Its clean, clear rose and wood accord persists quietly for several hours before fading into a soft cedar and musk drydown. If you've been turned off by the big, blousy rose scents of the 1980s, you may find Cabaret's gentle eloquence especially refreshing.

While by no means a bright scent, Cabaret is possessed of a peculiar translucency, a certain lightness on its feet, and an elegant poise not often encountered in rose-dominated fragrances. It's not groundbreaking, but it's very well put together, versatile, and gratifying to wear. It's also sufficiently soft-spoken to work as a scent for men who find the Montale oudhs, Lyric for Men, and Czech & Speake No. 88 too heavy in their interpretations of the woods and rose theme.

Lucia Turin commented favourably on this perfume. I concur. Now on to that 'inside of a piano' comment. I get it, I totally get it but having a different reference base I would call it the inside of a very old stationery warehouse where the ghosts write with quills on fine parchment. It is ethereal, exhibits longing, it remembers lust but isn't obsessed by it. Summary. True Rose scent, smoke and ashes momentarily. Ecclesiastical Refinement.

One of the notes I get from this is 'inside of a piano' which piano players will recognise. Impossible to describe but evocative of happy times in childhood. The Rose is very sweet but is mixed with incense and wood the only thing that makes this scent less than perfect is that a lot of sprays are needed to have an effect. Maybe just me but I like my scent to comfort and reassure me all day. Otherwise a beautiful journey that conjures up many pictures.