Parfums DelRae Panache: the stylish side of vetyver

"One thing is left, that, void of stain or smutch, I bear away despite you … My panache" E. Rostand - Cyrano de Bergerac

There are perfumes that just sprayed immediately denote a chic aura reminescent of the great french tradition, to that particular period between the two world wars where feminine fragrances become more audacious reflecting the new social role of the post-war women and starting the trend for all the renowned "Bois pour femme".
Panache, Yann Vasnier and Parfums DelRae artistic director DelRae Roth's last creation is the contemporary echo of the golden age of parisian perfumery, echo of  the age where the gentlest flowers joined to the independent and strong spirit of woods and bitter notes in an incomparably alluring mix.
The fragrance takes its name from "mon panache" (my panache), the last words pronounced by Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac, character to which formally it is inspired. Actually this juice shows to have fully caught sensations and olfactory impressions that DelRae, an amazing californian lady passionate about perfumes, remembers from her parisian forays in the Jardin du Luxembourg area close to Place de Rostand. In particular haitian vetyver, real main theme of this fragrance and also one of DelRae's favourit notes, remembers in softness and mineral saltyness the great school of french vetivers from the past but set in a classical beauty and modern spirit context.

DelRae Roth

Panache offers a wide olfactory spectrum with very shaded notes in the same style Vasnier adopted also for Mythique, another Parfums DelRae, with an unusual complexity for a contemporary concoction. Moreover the union of contrasting elements puts the fragrance in the territory where masculine and feminine elements melt giving a comfortably wearable and unisex result appealing also to people that usually don't go crazy over vetyver.

The opening is fresh and smooth at the same time with bergamot and ambrette seeds closely followed by rhum extract and pink berries CO2 extract. This is the main component on my skin, vibrant and softly spiced, lively thanks to CO2 extraction technique, almost like freshly crumbled berries surrounded by a slightly alcoolic facet.
The teasing pink berries slowly fade to let the floral theme of the perfume emerge, a smooth mix of soft and slightly creamy white flowers together with a saucy magnolia, one of my favourite flowers for its dry and lightly green spikes, takes the flight. The green aspect then is empowered by honeysucke, cardamom and geranium adding a pleasant powdery touch.
The floral heart of the perfume softens and the sillage calms down letting space to haitian vetyver appear with its mineral salty bite that makes the magnolia savoury and voluptuous.
The base is enriched by cedarwood and oakwood increasing the woody sensation but what's surprising here is orris butter coupled with a warm, slightly animal and decidedtly powdery musky base given above all by cosmone, a macrocyclic substitute for nitromusks, that literally ruffles up like a feathering the dry woods giving them a very elegant suppleness. We can understand here how Monsieur Vasnier dresses up his palette for this fragrance with the best technologies a natural and synthetic raw materials producer like Givaudan offers. The final touch is given by a honeyed and ambery facet lasting like a ghost even after hours.

Even if Panache seemed not so diffusive except for the opening at a first test, wearing it I had to change my mind. In fact I wondered myself in smelling light whiffs of perfume floating around like an aura even after many hours. So I understood it's a scent made to stay close to the skin and to be fully enjoyed closely, to surprise people we love in an intimate embrace to hear them say "Mmm... smells so good!".