Moment Suprême
Jean Patou (1929)

According to the box. My bottle of Moment Supreme perfume dates from 1969. Moment Supreme is a Lavender Oriental. Lavender, amber, spicy geranium, and powder. Classic Patou quality is apparent. This stuff is VERY strong and seems to last forever. Perfumes I don't really like all seem to do that. Someones who is really into lavender would really love this, but that someone is not me. No special reason, it's just not my style. However I will not vote it down because it is very high quality stuff. Hey, it's Patou man.

Moment Supreme is sublime! Seriously, there is something about it that does remind me of Patou's Sublime, which I love. Not that they are the same, but there is something in the Patou DNA common to both. It might be simply that they are both highly complex works of art, unusual in this clean/fruity/IFRA-policed age. It might be that they are both gorgeous and somewhat old-fashioned amber/spiced/florals. The reviews posted here describe MS better than I can - especially Mouchoir de Monsieur's review (Elmer's kindergarten glue! yes, indeed!) I have a vintage 1/5 oz ribbed bottle extrait, which I guess is 1970's or '80's? I'm not sure when MS was discontinued, or when that style bottle was used, except I have a Joy in that style bottle from the 80's. I especially enjoyed learning the history of Jean Patou - he was a lothario! Who knew? I believe 'moment supreme' is also a French euphemism for 'la petit morte', so that would be appropriate. Vive la France!

The Vintage Parfum:

The opening is a blast straight from heaven, with a lavender of the highest quality entering centre stage, a rich lavender that is not very bright in itsself, but it is giving a nudge into brighter moments by some aldehydic lemons and a dash of bargamot in the background. These two are given further depth by the additon of a darker and smoulderingly glowing neroli. Other citrus components, like ripe mandarins and oranges, develop a bit later and add their flavour.

Nonetheless, the lavender does not rule the orpening noted unchallengedly; a rich and ripe peach is a nigh equal partner at times, whilst the lavender never really cedes overall dominance if this phase of the development.

In the drydown the floral power progressed incessantly to gain more grounds: A rich and intensive dyad of carnation geranium is combined with a couple of deep and velvety rose impression, with the Bulgarian rose coming across as darker and sweeter than the May rose. A powdery iris vying with the deep sweet spiciness of daffodils for my attention; this spiciness expresses characteristics of sweet cloves for some moments.

Apart form some added clover, I can also detect a restrained ylang-ylang, which becomes stronger off and on and adds a a creamy texture to the mix.

The rich and nuanced sweetness extends into the base, where it assumes a honeyed character, enhanced by a tonka note that is masterfully incorporated into the whole, a distinct note that never overwhelms; this is a credit to the high quality of the notes as well as the perfumer's high skill in combining such a large potpourri of components that could easily make good soliflores by themselves.

The last phase of the development of this colourful olfactory trajectory consists of the further enhancement of the spicy side, mainly a a high-quality oakmoss and a touch of darker musks and an injection of civet, but again these notes, which can easily overwhelm in higher concentration, are excellent team players, enhancing the whole without any capricious allures of a primadonne. An ambery wood - sandal mainly on me, as well as a well-applied benzoin, round off this extraordinay base.

I get strong sillage superb projection, and ten hours of longevity on my skin.

This olfactory tour de force is a wonderful scent for special events on cooler spring days, composed of ingredients of the highest quality, unsurpassed in combining complexity and blended masterfully. A bit heady at times, it needs to be applied very judiciously as the performance is so superb and splendid as a reflection of this being a traditional strong, rich, proper parfum. Suprême-ly confident, voluptuous, opulent, luxuriating, life-affirming it is skillfulness, old-fashioned in the best way: traditional in its uncompromising quest for quality and performance, powdery but never musty , not shying away from complexity, but never forbidding or rejecting in its approach. Velvet, glowing, chandeliers and candle-lit dinners.

Moments suprêmes vraiment 4.75/5

Vintage Pre-Ma parfum review.
Its hesperidic lavender opening works well during the daytime while the cozy amber and dirty musk drydown warms me up later in the evening. Let's not forget its gorgeous clove and carnation heart. It is an amber lavender perfume with both calmness and opulence at the same time. It is such a beautiful perfume that moves me. Just like Billie Holiday's voice, rich, calm with a touch of naughtiness. Simply timeless..

Stardate 20170822:

I find it dated. A familiar smell used in many personal care products that my grandmother used.
I agree with le mouchoir de monsieur - "This scent is gone, and will never return. If it did, nobody would get it" and that it is a lavendar centric fragrance.

Old Spice copied Moment Supreme, shifting the focus away from florals towards spices. And old spice gave birth to million others. From that perspective Moment Supreme is a masterpiece.
I doubt it would sell well if it was reintroduced.

I can only echo what has already been said about Moment Supreme - that it smelled of soapy lavender. Both the original and Ma Collection versions smelled identical. With most fragrances, I find that Parfum suits my skin better than EDT/EDP, but Moment Supreme was the opposite: the Eau de Toilette was perfect, but the Parfum developed a very odd chemical note, which (mad as it sounds) always reminded me of Tippex/Liquid Paper/Snopake! (I don't know if it just reacted oddly on me, or whether anyone else noticed this chemical note).

I am very surprised that Moment Supreme hasn't been added to the new Collection Heritage as yet - I had imagined it would be one of the first, as it was apparently one of the best known, and widely available of the original Patou perfumes.

Le mouchoir de Monsieur writes the most evocative reviews; teaches one how to smell a perfume, is magnificent.
I was given, yesterday two very vintage bottles of this scent and will now treasure and enjoy it. How wonderful.

Once again, I feel like I am not reviewing the same fragrance as everybody else! The Moment suprême I have known and loved was most certainly not a soapy lavender-based fragrance . This extravagant amber floral always had a very strong effect on me. When I first smelled Moment suprême, it reminded me of Nilodor (a very potent disinfectant that was around in the 70's which was allegedly used in leper colonies, no kidding). That being said, I love Moment suprême! This fragrance is just excessive! The heady bouquet of mimosa, geranium, lavender, jasmine and rose is backed by a heavy amber/oakmoss base with a hint of bergamot on top and a very intense clove note to spice things up. Moment suprême is sweet, powdery and somewhat old ladylike but to me, it is mostly a warm and "gingerbready" comfort-fragrance. If I had a bottle, I should put a drop on my pillow every night!

Oh, I'm going to add a review. * giggle* YOU ARE NOT ALONE. I do appreciate Jean Patou prior to Proctor & Gamble. I cursed in frustration when they announced that 1000 would henceforth be available in a “limited range” because we all know what that means: end of production. Then I lavishly applied the rest of my last bottle in defiance, rage, rage against the dying of the light. Member: Over-reactors Anonymous.

I was happy to try Moment Supreme because lavender perfume hasn't occupied much space in my wardrobe over the years, and I'm always glad to find one that I like. Silly me, Yardley English Lavender remains my benchmark–that and a small, straw basket full of dried lavender buds that I loved to open, stick my face into, and inhale deeply. Lavender isn't a note that needs to be “fancied-up.” It doesn't request the full menu, only a few á la cart items. Clean and spare works better than over-burdened with contrasting notes. Moment Supreme accomplishes just that. It makes use of lavender that is herbal to the point of smelling evergreen. To accentuate the dry, woodiness, it adds a little black pepper, but subtly, I'm glad to say, because too much of that note tips the scales into the repulsive zone for me. At the bottom of this gin-like concoction is a nice amber that steps forth and pushes the final phase into a sweet soapiness. Moment Supreme's airy nature causes it to waft away sooner than I would like. Yet it left my skin smelling like it had been washed with fine hand soap.

it's amazing to me that mine will be the only review of this singular masterpiece of French perfumery by Henri Almeras. It's difficult to render Moment Supreme in words--it is truly unmatched in history, being a heady oriental that uses lavender of all things as a central theme--Jean Patou's suave answer to Jicky, but so entirely unlike Jicky in all ways--not even related. To find relations, one must in-breed, as aristocrats do: When Jean Kerleo unveiled Ma Liberte in 1987, the boxes designed by then art director Christian Lacroix's assistant Sylvie Skinazi got more attention than the actual fragrance--itself a stunning creation. Monsieur Kerleo told me once that "he got some flack" (or the equivalent in French) for making such copious use of lavender--which by that time was completely out of the question by modern standards, unless you were Penhaligon's, or Creed: The "Don't even counts" by Patou standards. Ma Liberte, and, to a certain extent Patou Pour Homme Prive, also by Monsieur Kerleo, are it's only family relations. Today, Jo Malone's Amber Lavender is the closest by any stretch of the imagination, but a pale, pale suggestion of Moment Supreme it is. To describe MS, one must be familiar with the richness that was the hallmark of all Patou fragrances previous to the house's sale to P&G Beaute Internationale. The original patou's--everyone--had a density that no other fragrance house could imagine replicating, save perhaps for caron, but with none of the emotional confusion and hints of tawdry vulgarity that mark the great Earnest Daltroff compositions Like all patou's, it was seamless--yet facetted to infinity--each layer melting suavely into the next. First spray: Glue. I was always shaken by the Elmer's Glue Kindergarden Paste quality of the flight--very very unusual--but lasting mere seconds, to morph into the softest dry lavender--more english than french--anyone can imagine, the note that is its' signature. One must envision the halcyon days of pre-war Paris--the 30's--to fully put it into context. This lavender, it grows from the unmistakeable "patte" of Patou: like the Guerlinade of Guerlain, Jean Kerleo and Jean de Mouy called their unifying olfactive image "La Patte" (the paw print--literally): Amber/Black pepper/whiskey. It was said that Jean Patou himself, who, from his own family legend, was a lothario like never there was, loved "booze." And women. Jean Patou was decidedly not gay. From Lavender in a pot of booze, it's flight and it's heart, emerge a cloud of rooty resins, which evokes a kind of "Whiskey-Coca" cocktail--Over the course of two months, I sampled and re-sampled at least 10 different vintages to come up with the following analysis: Here's Moment Supreme's menu of delights in order of appearance: Glue. English Lavender. Amber/Black Pepper/Whiskey "Patte," Coca Cola, Benzoin, Beeswax, Orris, Caramel, Rosewood. The bitter end, the very last vestiges of scent, evoke dust, smoke, and sleep. Sampled in Parfum strength, the sillage proper is the main event. Patou fragrances were never, not one of them, conceived to be whiffed too closely, and were very much pre-occupied with sillage: (This is the key to understanding "1000") This is soft, dry, peppery lavender, always, with more or less resin according to the stage of development. People interested in imagining Moment Supreme should wash their hands with Jo Malone's Amber Lavender shower gel: That's as good as it's going to get--This scent is gone, and will never return. If it did, nobody would get it--it's just that sophisticated. Remember, Giboulet's "Caline"? That was Patou's idea of fresh, innocent and young in 1963--by today's standards it borders on pornographic, playboy forest nymphe.. I have no idea how people could qualify Moment Supreme today: it's just that much of a reflection of a time, and a standard of elegance, that are gone--and so very far gone that nobody remembers them: Just like the name says--"Supreme moment in time" captured in sillage--but forgotten, and evaporated, forever.