Juliet Stewart

I met Juliet Stewart at the recent Elements Showcase where she was presenting her fragrance. I told her how much I had enjoyed the Eau de Parfum (EDP) she released in 2010 and asked if she was planning on releasing anything new. She indicated a black box with silver lettering that I was about to say “The EDP, yes I’ve tried that.” But before the words left my mouth she silenced my response by showing me the Extrait version of Juliet. Now as long time readers know I really like comparing the Extrait version and the original version of a perfume. The similarity, but mostly the contrasts, are what intrigue me. When a more concentrated version is created well it usually becomes closer and the notes behind it more subdued and complex. The perfumer Ms. Stewart works with on her fragrances Lorenzo Dante Ferro also enjoyed taking what was a modern floriental EDP which was more floral than oriental and switching it up for the Extrait making it more oriental than floral.

The EDP was released in 2010 but I didn’t discover it until last summer when it showed up in my mailbox. It eventually got its chance to be known and I really enjoyed the obvious Mediterranean vibe this carried. It starts with an almost cologne like opening of citrus, lavender, and herbs. It was so cologne-like in the early going I looked at the sample thinking I had missed a smaller font “for Him” or something like that. The floral part of the floriental then cascades in on a rush of jasmine and vanilla. This is the cleaner version of jasmine and the sweet baker’s vanilla. It is very sweet and one’s tolerances for sweet will very likely make or break your opinion of Juliet EDP. After a very long time the oriental aspects of amber and sandalwood finish out the development. I really liked the EDP and hoped for the opportunity to write about it,with the release of the Extrait that finally happened.

Lorenzo Dante Ferro

Sig. Ferro for the Extrait version uses all of the same notes but at each phase different things are accentuated and the length of development is shortened and lengthened a bit throughout the entire time I wore the Extrait. The first big change happens in the top as the lavender and sage move much more forward and the citrus is almost a grace note in intensity. It again feels cologne-like but less so than in the EDP. This time the jasmine has a little more oomph to her as there is a hint of indole and she doesn’t come on as strong so the lavender and sage linger a little longer. The vanilla is also much more attenuated, it is still sweet but it also acts more like a gentle flirt than an aggressive suitor. The vanilla stays around as the amber becomes the dominant note and the sandalwood also intensifies. This is where Juliet Extrait lingers longest on my skin; as a vanilla, amber, sandalwood mixture. I prefer the Extrait because the jasmine isn’t so pushy and because the warmer oriental base is given more time in the foreground.

Juliet EDP and Extrait have outstanding all-day longevity but their sillage is very different. The EDP has above average sillage and the Extrait wears much closer with below average sillage.

In my ongoing examination of Extrait vs. Original version Juliet adds another data point which confirms that the best don’t just add more of their ingredients but instead understand the underlying character of the original and seek to create a complement and not a clone. Ms. Stewart and Sig. Ferro have succeeded quite marvelously.

Disclosure: This review was based on a sample of EDP and Extrait supplied by Juliet Stewart Perfume.

Thanks to Juliet Stewart I have two 2mL deluxe sample of the EDP to give away to two winners. To be eligible leave a comment on a fragrance you would like to see an Extrait version of. The draw will end on Fabruary 6, 2013.

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

-Mark Behnke, Managing Editor