Photo of Keko Mecheri at Esxence 2014 by Tama Blough

Keiko Mecheri launched her eponymous perfume brand in 1997, and she has been creating well-received perfumes ever since. The line is not very available to me as far as just going to sniff them, but meeting her this past March at Esxence helped to expand my horizons. I finally smelled all the fragrances in the Loukhoum series, and was also able to procure a sample of her latest fragrance, Bois Satin, which I immediately liked. Keiko used her iconic perfume Loukhoum as a starting point and made it more sensuous and adult.

"Elegant Lady with Music Score" by Fernand Toussaint

As soon as I applied Bois Satin to my skin, I immediately thought, “This is an amazingly intimate perfume.” It is not quiet – the saffron and vanilla are front-and-center, with dashes of mandarin – but it felt very personal, like only I could smell like this. This a rosy riff on her Loukhoum fragrances, but expanded to be deeper and less candied. I felt elegant all day, and extra-feminine. As the fragrance develops, it becomes more infused with amber, and softer. I could smell it all day, and really enjoyed it.

Vintage photo of women in suits, 1950's

I had to think about my initial reaction to this fragrance, of finding it to be intimate. Somehow it brought my mind to a place of thinking that this is how a woman should smell in intimate moments. I wouldn’t say this is a sexy perfume in the traditional sense. There isn’t a big animal presence, or narcotic flowers to cause a swoon. Rather, it’s a more real kind of sexy. Sometimes you will see a well-groomed, well-coiffed lady of a certain age, and as she passes by you notice that she is wearing beautiful perfume that makes you realize that as put-together as she looks, there is still a sexual being there. It’s that kind of sexy. Intimate in the way that it’s not a perfume of seduction, but of a well-oiled, long-term romance.

I’m very glad to have met Keiko, and also glad that I was able to get a taste of this elegant fragrance. I want to delve deeper into Keiko’s world, and smell more of her offerings.

Notes: Sicilian mandarin, Saffron, Vanilla pods, Jasmine, Rose, Suede, Patchouli, Amber

My sample was provided by Keiko Mecheri. Bois Satin is available at Lucky Scent, for $115 for 75 ml.

Tama Blough, Managing Editor

Thanks to our friends at luckyscent we have a sample for one US reader. To be eligible, please leave a comment with what appeals to you about Bois Satin and your favorite Keiko Mecheri perfume. If you want your comment to count twice, tweet @keikomecheri @luckyscent or Like Luckyscent's Facebook Page. Draw ends June 8, 2014

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