Monday 9 November 2020

PÉTALES SOUS LE SOLEIL by 1000 Flowers

To say that 2020 has been a difficult year would be an understatement. Along with every other industry, the plans that perfume companies had in place all needed to be adapted or dropped, and a necessity for operating “in the moment” became imperative. One of the areas that was most impacted were the summer-inspired releases that always accompany the warmer months. With shops closed, a lack of testers available to try, and money becoming tight, many didn't seem to arrive. One company that did offer some respite to the dark clouds though was 1000 Flowers, and their Pétales Sous Le Soleil provides some much needed escape.

When we think about the glorious “scent of summer” we often don’t realise just how much we owe to the good old roaring twenties. That was when Jean Patou first launched Huile de Chaldée, a perfumed suntan oil that women fell in love with. When it became obvious that it was being worn as a fragrance, Henri Alméras reorchestrated it and a perfume version was released simply called Chaldée. It arguably started the trend for those lush, floral, oriental-inspired fragrances, and also set the blueprint for every sun product that came afterwards. However, the style of scent was also very much here to stay.

To say that these types of fragrances transport you is a massive understatement. We’ve been brought up surrounded by so many products that smell of ylang and vanilla that it really is a shared experience of scented sunshine. So it’s hardly surprising that companies continue to draw on those memories. Guerlain has reworked the idea many times including Jacques Guerlain's Sous le Vent, Mathilde Laurent’s Voile d’Été, and more recently Terracotta Le Parfum by Thierry Wasser, so it was always going to be fascinating to see exactly how Jessica Buchanan of 1000 Flowers would use the same inspiration.

Jessica’s collection has always taken key ingredients but presented them in a very original way. From her famous Réglisse Noire to the uplifting Racine de Vetiver, she always looks for the hidden element within each. However, when it became clear that travel was going to be off most people’s agenda this year, Jessica decided to offer a “passport in a bottle” in the form of Pétales Sous Le Soleil. It feels as if we’ve all actually become the “hidden elements” this year, and so being given some sand-in-your-toes respite is the perfect gift. So, close your eyes and get ready for some autumnal sunshine.

Pétales Sous Le Soleil
opens with a zesty green mandarin but, very quickly, the tropical pairing of ylang ylang and frangipani arrive to give a fruited floral hit that is delicious. You do have a playful touch of banana in here, which comes from the ylang, but the cedarwood adds a dryness that keeps this wonderfully controlled. The way that Jessica has worked the vanilla and tonka is perfect, meaning that it is comfortingly sweet rather than cloyingly syrupy, and a whisper of sandalwood and musk definitely hints at sun warmed skin. With galbanum-like brightness and mesmerising florals, I’m going to drain every last drop out of this magical bottle.

Pétales Sous Le Soleil is available from the 1000 Flowers website at 1000flowers.ca priced at £50 for 50ml and £4 for 5ml. You can also click on the image below to read my interview with Jessica Buchanan from April 2019. [All products were purchased]

2 comments:

  1. Absolutely gorgeous review, Stephan. Thank you so much ! Take good care during these challenging times, and I hope that this fragrance can help people dream a little and travel to sunny places without even having to leave home. Xoxo

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    1. Hello Jessica, thank you for your lovely comment. We all need a pick-me-up in these challenging times, and Pétales Sous Le Soleil is definitely mine. Best wishes, Stephan

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