Revisiting a first love.
Maybe "first" is inaccurate. The first straight-up tuberose perfume I loved was the extrait de parfum of Michael by Michael Kors that I bought around the year 2000. But for the longest time I actually thought that this gorgeous white flower was not for me. I identified it (or rather the common pairing of tuberose and gardenia) with my mother and thought I should stay away. Then I discovered Parfumerie Generale #17 Tubereuse Couture.
The thing that got me back then and keeps this Parfumerie Genreale fragrance among my top picks to this day, is the contrast between the green medicinal accord and the sugary-tropical-almost gourmand facet. When I first tried Tubereuse Couture I had yet to sample Serge Luetn's Tubereuse Criminelle, so the funky medicinal opening was completely new to me. It's not that the shocking camphorous opening in Uncle Serge's masterpiece is similar to the witchy potion Pierre Guillaume cooked up here, but both are eye opening for anyone who thought that tuberose=pretty=Fracas. The development of both perfumes is also very different. While Tubereuse Criminelle becomes more floral and takes its place among the most beautiful blends of tuberose, jasmine, and orange blossoms, Parfumerie Generale #17 goes tropic.
Back in 2007 I mentioned that I get a sweet coconut milk vibe from Tubereuse Couture. There's no real coconut here, but the perfume is definitely milky and the petals feel frosted with fine sugar. I'm guessing this doesn't thrill most white floral lovers, which is why Pierre Guillaume joked that I was the only one other than him who loves Tubereuse Couture. What can I say? I like my dessert and I adore this perfume.
Tubereuse Couture is still as fun and funky to me as it was seven years ago. I've learned to embrace tuberose perfumes and enjoy every aspect in them, from the sultry to the heady and buttery. In this case, the perfume is like an exotic creamy green pudding, garnished with flowers and leaves and
Notes: kalamanzi oil, green jasmine shoots, ylang-ylang, sugar cane, Indian tuberose, Sumatra benzoin, papyrus.
Parfumerie Generale- Tubereuse Couture ($125, 50ml eau de parfum) is available from Luckyscent and directly from parfumerie-generale.com. Osswald seems to be out of stock at the moment, but you can always give them a call ( 212-625-3111) and pre-order, especially if you're after the larger 3.4 oz size.
Image: Indian tuberose bangles at a wedding via memorableindianweddings.com
My eye caught the words "kalamanzi oil" when I read the perfume's notes. Could it be the from calamansi fruit we have here in the Philippines? We use it like limes in cooking and making fruit juice. It has a tangy, sour-citrusy flavor.
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