© Norman Parkinson Ltd  courtesy Norman Parkinson Archive

There is a ritual I seem to go through every year here in New England when winter season arrives.  The ritual never changes, because the winters in New England never change.  The ritual of believing that winters gentle mild beginning won’t turn on me in a snarl of shearing winds and the hidden disdain of frozen ice underfoot. So I turn to my scented fantasy world, and allow the new release from the iconic House of Jacques Fath Paris to airlift me out of the cold to a warm, drowsy Shangri-La, complete with blue umbrella drinks and shimmering, chlorinated pools and far away beaches.

Jerry Hall for British Vogue 1975 © Norman Parkinson Ltd  courtesy Norman Parkinson Archive

I’m talking about the new Jaques Fath's Essentials  Curacao Bay, a frangipani-based scent that is being marketed as a masculine fragrance, but never mind that.  Curacao Bay is what I would wear this winter at some tropical-themed luxury hotel while gracefully swan diving into the pool. Curacao Bay is part of a series from Jacques Fath entitled Fath’s Essentials that includes a re-issue of their original men’s fougere fragrance Green Water, and three original fragrances including Bel Ambre (bergamot, iris, amber and leather) and Vers le Sud (fig leaf, floral notes and oakmoss).

Pilar Crespi on Trincomalee beach, Sri Lanka, 1980 © Norman Parkinson Ltd  courtesy Norman Parkinson Archive

It starts out with a brief slingshot of citrusy notes, most notably tangerine and lemon, but these don’t hang out for long because Curacao Bay wants you outdoors, slathering on spicy cocoa butters and getting your tan on.  The dusty, sweet frangipani in the heart comes up quickly, and is soon backed by a “marine notes” accord that smells a bit like chlorinated water (which is one of my favorite summer scents, actually.)  There’s also some black currant here, but it’s just a grace note to keep the flatness of the frangipani and the sharpness of the marine accord in check.  The drydown also seems to assert itself fairly quickly in Curacao Bay, with an ambergris note and white musks vying to replace the marine accord as dry woods anchor the base of the composition. 

Jerry Hall Vogue 1975 photographed by Norman Parkinson © Norman Parkinson Ltd  courtesy Norman Parkinson Archive

But perfumer  Cécile Zarokian whose considerable body of work  for niche and luxury perfumeries such as Amouage Epic, MDCI, Jovoy Paris, Masque Milano,  Labortorio Olfattivo and Juls et Mad to name just a few,  in my opinion has made the frangipani note the star of Curacao Bay – it’s definitely what is driving this release, and frangipani fans won’t be disappointed.  There’s a lazy, drowsy, friendly feel to this fragrance that is perfectly suited for walking on warm beach sand or just zoning out in a chaise-longue.

Cécile Zarokian (photo courtesy of Cécile Zarokian)

 According to Mme Zarokian, “Jacques Fath is iconic and a mythical brand for French perfumery so it was a real challenges to create these new fragrances. For Curacao Bay it has to be an escapade in the deep blue, I used a natural grey amber infusion to give depth and even more longevity to the marine/iodine notes, to have a fresh and sensual sea breeze from top notes to base notes."

Iman, 1976 photographed by Norman Parkinson © Norman Parkinson Ltd  courtesy Norman Parkinson Archive

The sensual aspects Cecile mentions work well in this fragrance.  Curacao Bay’s underlying seaside qualities gently encourage you to feel relaxed in your body and want to wander out and meet people.  And it has just enough exotic spice to back whatever fanciful story you make up about yourself when doing so on vacations to warm climates.

Kashmir, India, November  Floating with Flowers  © Norman Parkinson Ltd  courtesy Norman Parkinson Archive

The sillage is discreet, and the power is average to above-average – this is a quiet sexy kind of scent, not an “all night long and wild in the streets” Oriental.  On a man, it will come off as approachable and clean, but the frangipani provides enough contrast to keep Curacao Bay from lolling around in the shallow end of the aquatic fragrance Jacuzzi. 

Jerry Hall Vogue 1975 photographed by Norman Parkinson © Norman Parkinson Ltd  courtesy Norman Parkinson Archive

All in all, Curacao Bay is fun and playful enough for people new to perfume to wear with confidence, while still retaining enough sophistication for die hard perfumistas to enjoy wearing it as well.  And that’s all I really need right now in the depths of winter – a spicy scent fantasy about warm sun and waves to escape from  the task of trudging along frozen streets.

Notes: Green notes, Orange, Petitgrain, Tangerine, Lemon, Frangipani, Marine notes, Blackcurrant, Ambergris, Woods, White musk

Disclosure: I received my samples from Panouage

Pam Barr, Senior Contributor

Editor’s Note:  Jaques Fath Essentials will debut March 31, 2016 in Milano at Esxence 2015: There are four fragrances in the line all composed by Mme Zarokian including Green Water, Curacao Bay, Bel Ambre and Vers Le Sud. The color of each bottle was carefully thought through to convey the essence of each perfume. The Collection will retail 50ml/$92 200ml/ $195. When I wore Curacao Bay and read Pam's review, I immediately was drawn to the iconic mid 70s fashion photography of Norman Parkinson. Michelyn Camen
 

Thanks to Panouge, and Jacques Fath Paris, we have a worldwide draw for two registered readers for two avant premiere sample sets of all four Fath Essentials scents: Curacao Bay Green Water, Curacao Bay, Bel Ambre and Vers Le Sud.  To be eligible, please leave a comment below with what you enjoyed about Pam’s review of Curacao Bay, your own fantasy island and where you live. Draw closes 2/5/2016 

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