There are myriad Francophiles among us here at CaFleureBon , readers and writers alike- myself included.
A fragrance named for the burnished steel sword [replete with crystal imbedded in its golden hilt] brandished by Paladin Olivier in the Chanson de Roland?
La Chanson de Roland is quite possibly the oldest surviving pivotal work in French literature- the epic saga of Charlemagne’s campaign.
Mandy has chosen “high and bright” to describe her new fragrance, Haute Claire , a scent born of recent correspondence with fellow perfumer Liz Zorn, and part of a series entitled Letters To A Fellow Perfumer hosted on Nathan Branch's blog ( he suggested the name Haute Claire ).
I love words. I love that nothing is so forensically simple, that words simply burgeon with interpretative possibilities. Haute Claire is also known as Hauteclere (or Halteclere, or Hauteclaire
The French word haute has several meanings: high, tall, loud-pitched, early [usage in antiquity, the Middle Ages], far back in time, noble, high-ranking, upper.
Claire has many plausible definitions as well: light, fair, bright, neat, pure, clear, pale, plain, evident.
I have worn Haute Claire for several days now, and for me it is pure nobility, pure and simple.
If Haute Claire were a social gathering, it would be an eclectic, crackling mix of discrete individuals, each with his / her own distinct personality and gifts.
Mexican lime yearns for grassy galbanum; he compliments her greenness charmingly.
With citrus suavity he woos her tenderly, as wild sweet orange seeks to insinuate herself between them.
Welcoming ylang ylang [co2] enters the room clothed in bright raiment like the sun, kissing her guests on both cheeks.
The heart feels glowing warmth- the patisserie is all about the sweet, tempered by herbal clary sage, intoxicating.
Such a wine-like bouquet is added by his presence, flavored with a growing ambergris note reminiscent of tobacco and coriander!
Heavenly honeysuckle, ylang ylang extra duet with a beloved expansiveness.
Extravagant, the pair of them- dancing cheek to cheek, shamelessly young, luscious, smitten with one another.
They have eyes for no one else in the room.
The vetiver/ vanilla coupling reminds me of what makes such magnificent fragrances as Habanita of yore tick.
Each passionate enough in her / his own balsamic right, they embrace one another seamlessly, as only seasoned lovers who anticipate the other’s steps can.
Floral, honeyed, rosy, dulcet: ethyl phenyl acetate accompanies her parents on the lute.
The beauty of her playing makes one weep.
The singularity of this successful union of the bitingly verdant and the opulently warm is what draws me instinctively to Haute Claire.
My final impression is one of voluptuously honeyed greenery, a very private venue for reflection and delectation.
It is pure, it is noble, it is my secret refuge.
-Ida Meister, Natural Perfume and Senior Editor
To qualify for our draw please leave a comment on your favorite www.aftelier.com or one you would like to try. Draw ends July 22, 2011
Editor's note : As Ida noted Song of Roland or La Chanson de Roland, the earliest surviving masterpiece of French literature, is an epic poem written in Old French which reached its final form in or around the later 11th century. It centres on the death of Charlemagne's nephew Roland at the battle of Roncevaux.