Parfums DelRae- Coup de Foudre

The first thought I had the first time I tested Coup de Foudre by Parfums DelRae on my skin was "uh-oh". It's that kind of rose". By no fault of Parfums DelRae or creator Yann Vasnier, there's a certain kind of rose notes that especially when combined with citrus and musk turn dour and chemical on my skin. Honestly, it's not you, it's me.

The interesting thing is that I could (and still can every time I give Coup de Foudre a try) smell the clean musk first and more strongly than anything else. Then comes the rosewater lemonade and my mind tells me it's supposed to be pretty but my nose cries for mercy. Thankfully, the opening revolt only last minutes and this is a well-crafted Parfums DelRae and not your average Sephora dreck, so upon close inspection of my skin I can actually smell some really pleasant notes like peony and something even more delicate and floral. There's a powdery quality just above the skin and I really like it, but when I come up for air I realize I'm still walking in a sour rose cloud and leaving that sillage everywhere. And, that, my friends, is not fair either to me or to my nearest and dearest (the husband is even less of a rose fan as me).

The thing is, Coup de Foudre has all the right moves. It's a quiet and friendly rose, very girly but not ditzy. You can smell the quality of ingredients and the light and confident hand that made the composition. If my niece will grow up into a rose lover with the right skin chemistry, this DelRae may be among the first perfumes I would buy her when she becomes a teenager. For myself, I'm sticking with Bois de Paradis.

For a different perspective from a true rose lover read Jessica's review on NST.

Coup de Foudre by Parfums DelRae ($150, 50ml) is available from Aedes, Luckyscent, Barneys and Beautyhabit. My samples came from Aedes in NYC.

Photo: myvintagevogue.com