Isabelle Gellé Parfums Time Is Essence Eau D’Oeillet via brand
Natural perfumer Isabelle Gellé-Marchant initially came to my attention a few years ago, when her compositions for Parfumeurs Du Monde sparked both my curiosity and admiration: first, 2016’s evocative Kashi, then 2021’s bracing Androgyne 16020 (which figured amongst my best fragrances of that year). I became fascinated by this vibrant impassioned woman who felt larger than life (and her devotion to flamenco). In recent months, Isabelle’s classical botanical collection of soliflores appeared on Instagram: they were inspired by 19th century English and French gardens. I reached out to her to request a few samples, which she kindly sent me – and was delighted by their variety, complexity, and overall beauty. In fact, I spent several days sampling and re-sampling them, confounded as to which I should review.
Eventually, I decided upon Time is Essence Eau D’Oeillet (carnation) – an extraordinary modern fougère composed with a deferential nod to high perfumery of the past, all the while smelling fresh, brisk, and invigoratingly genderless. It exercised an irresistible tug and continued to haunt me – excellent reasons for going forth. I hope that you will find it enticing, too.
fern leaves via pixabay
What, pray tell – is a fougère? Fougère translates from the French as the plant fern. It is a fantasy fragrance, because we know that ferns do not exude a particularly distinguishable scent (much in the manner of ‘tulip’ fragrances, for example). We may thank master perfumer Paul Parquet, the founder of Houbigant Parfums, for the nomenclature: in 1882, he created Fougère Royale (touted to be the first modern fragrance for men), which began an entirely new olfactive family, and one which would continue to be extremely popular, and subject to myriad ‘variations on a theme’ over the years.
Fougères have traditionally been associated with masculine scents (think: Brut by Fabergé, Penhaligon’s English Fern, Guy Laroche Drakkar Noir, Aimé Guerlain’s 1889 Jicky), although they possess a wide appeal. One associates sweet, haylike notes, a measure of spice, citrus, florals, and a woody-mossy drydown. Frequently, they commence with a bright burst of bergamot followed by rose geranium, lavender (for an herbal floralcy), and include oakmoss, patchouli, and tonka/coumarin in the base notes. Fougères often employ a spicy carnation note which weaves in and out through their aromatic tapestry; sometimes a leathery aspect is introduced, or animalic tones. There are herbal fougères, leathery ones, resinously ambery ones: if you suspect that classification is becoming free and loose, you might not be mistaken. There’s a capacious umbrella here.
Isabelle Gellé-Marchant of Isabelle Gellé Parfums
Isabelle Gellé Parfums Time Is Essence Eau D’Oeillet is a spicy fougère. It is remarkable on multiple fronts, because Mme. Gellé-Marchant has composed it so cleverly – without resorting to the more anticipated fashion which can be easier to achieve. How so? Well, for one – carnation accords may be created by combining clove or eugenol with a geranium and a variety of rose notes (both botanical and not) – or one might splurge on a true and costly absolute (from Egypt, Spain, France), which is very rarely the case. For a fully-fleshed, ripe accord, Isabelle employs bay leaf for that particular piquant spice; a juicy tangerine instead of customary bergamot. Marrying rose to jasmine and tuberose produces a highly nuanced, narcotic effect, a brilliant trompe-nez (fool the nose!). There may be no oakmoss (another olfactory material associated with this fragrance category) in her base, but we don’t feel its lack: a lovely patchouli and sandalwood provide that forest floor accord, and traditional tonka/coumarin are smooth as silk – redolent of dry, grassy hay. Not a single carnation or moss in sight, but our nose perceives it otherwise. Genius.
“Carnations speak of passion untamed, their ruffled charm a testament to love’s wild devotion.” ~ Isabelle Gellé-Marchant, artisanal natural perfumer
Isabelle Gellé-Marchant and husband Johnny Hamilton, at their wedding
Isabelle Gellé Parfums Eau D’Oeillet possesses a timeless appeal. It may recall the barbershops of old with which a fougère initially came to be associated, but there the similarity ends. The perfumer has given us a peppery perfume with a life of its own: playful, amorous, even sportive. I couldn’t help but write about it, because it kept calling me back with an indefinable stealthy allure. To be truthful, I haven’t smelt a single fragrance of Mme. Gellé-Marchant’s that didn’t exert its charm – and to date that numbers seven. I’d call that a definitive win.
Notes: bay, tangerine, rosa centifolia, jasmine, tuberose, sandalwood, patchouli, tonka bean (coumarin)
Samples kindly provided by the perfumer – many thanks! My nose is my own…
~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor
Isabelle Gellé Parfums Time Is Essence Eau D’Oeillet
Thanks to the generosity of perfumer Isabelle Gellé-Marchant, we have one 30 ml flacon of Eau D’Oeillet for one registered reader in the USA, EU or UK. To be eligible, please leave a comment regarding what sparked your interest in Ida’s review, and where you live. Draw closes 1/28/205
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