NEW FRAGRANCES REVIEW The Scent of Departure Collection: Around The World In 20 Fragrances (Part 3) + Reader’s Choice Draw

In Part 1 I mentioned the old madcap comedies of the 60’s which captured the European Grand Tours of 10 cities in 10 days so popular then. In the spirit of “If It’s Tuesday , This Must Be Belgium” I’m going to do my own European Grand tour of Gerald Ghislain’s new The Scent of Departure collection. Since it is Tuesday I am going to visit Budapest, London, Paris, and Munich.

The Hungarian city of Budapest inspires BUD. BUD really captures two of the things most know about Hungary; the Danube and goulash. The opening of BUD is a fusillade of paprika. This is not sweet paprika it is the half sharp version of paprika and a pinch of pepper accompanies it. Then a watery aquatic note takes over the heart before a woody accord closes this city up for the night.

Off to London with LHR. We start in Hyde Park as you smell the evergreens and the bergamot and lemon define that coniferous accord. Fressia lightens things up in the heart along with a lovely lotus. Woods and white musk bring this stroll through Hyde Park to an end.





Paris is the City of Lights and CDG is The Scent of Departure which has the most light within. The Scent of Departure has a Proust questionnaire which is supposed to help steer you towards the one city which reflects your personality. CDG was the one which the question pointed me towards. A bit of orange blossom and a green accord fill CDG with sunlight. Lime takes you to a lightly applied rose. This is a light chic fragrance and a perfect match for its city.

When I think of Munich; beer and Bayern Football Club are my first two impressions. If tea and lilacs are what you think of then MUC will be perfect. This is the hardest fragrance I had reconciling it to my sense of the city. I had to finally let that go. What I was left with was a sweet lemon, leafy tea and floral lilac. Together they mix quite well and I really enjoyed this but Munich? I don’t know.

There you go four cities in about 400 words. If It’s Tuesday…..

Disclosure: This review was based on samples provided by The Scent of Departure.

Thanks to The Scent of Departure we are offering a reader’s choice of a full bottle of any of the 20 cities in this first release. To be eligible leave a comment talking about your most recent departure to a town different than your own. Each comment from all five parts will be combined for the draw. You get one entry for each piece so you could conceivably have five chances if you leave a comment on all five parts. You also can give yourself one more chance by “liking” The Scent of Departure Facebook page at this link. We will draw one winner via random.org from all five parts on April 29, 2012.

If you missed part one click here for NYC, Singapore, Vienna and Abu Dhabi

For Part 2- reviews on Tokyo,  Hong Kong, Istanbul, Dubai click here

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilt perfume.

-Mark Behnke, Managing Editor

Editor’s Note: Those of you who live  in New York City have a unique chance to experience The Scent of Departure in a very special way. Tonight, Tuesday night April 24th, at Henri Bendel from 5-8PM, Gerald Ghislain will debut the collection underneath 240 airplanes hanging from the ceiling. There is also a Proust Questionnaire which is supposed to help you narrow down your choice. If you can’t make it on Tuesday night for the party M Ghislain will be there on Wednesday and Thursday from 6-8PM each night. -MB 

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49 comments

  • MariaA says:

    The lovely reviews continue… Thank you! My most recent trip was actually to Munich!! It actually did smell like lilacs!!!

  • noetic owl says:

    My my most recent departure was to Massachussetts but I drove. My last flight was in 1997 to Florida!

    MUC sounds lovely! I adore tea and springtime is perfect for a lilac scent!

    Thanks for the draw and great review!

  • Kathryn says:

    My last trip was to a beautiful country town. Lush green pastures, newborn lambs and orange, fallen leaves were everywhere. Very picturesque. Sometimes it’s the small, unknown places that are the most captivating.

  • cheesegan says:

    My most recent departure was to Oaxaca City Mexico.
    Bud sounds interesting, I live paprika.

  • sherapop says:

    My most recent departure from Boston was to San Diego to visit my ailing sister. Fortunately she is doing much better now.

    My most recent trip abroad was to Barbados. I loved it!

    Thank you for this generous draw.

  • Fernando says:

    My latest departure was to Boca Raton in Florida, a city that has very few scent associations of its own, but where there are Saks and Nieman stores. There are none near me in Maine, so Boca is a chance to shop for perfume. I especially like impressing the SAs who never expect a bearded professor to know so much about perfume…

  • Maureen says:

    My latest departure to another city was to Indianapolis from Philadelphia suburb. Lovely city and great restaurants and stadium. LHR or CDG would be my choices, as i like the notes and would LOVE to visit both! thanks for the draw.

  • Asali says:

    I like this Grand European tour, it makes me want to travel instantly, although preferably stay more than one day in each place:-)
    Last trip abroad was, surprise, Paris! From this lot I need to test the lilac frag MUC, although my scent of choice would still be Vienna.
    Thank you for draw and words.

  • missp says:

    My most recent departure was Chicago! The deep dish pizza was amazing. I would love to try BUD. Thanks for the draw. 🙂

  • Olga says:

    Oh, Munich is calling my name. I guess I can get the idea — my friend lives there and she always writes about how beautiful Spring is. And… I don’t think I would want to smell like beer anyway 🙂

    My most recent departure to a town different that my own is today, I am in a town about an hour away by car. My most recent flight away was into Atlanta (don’t hate Hartsfield International as much as I used to now… because I travel less often I guess!)

    Thanks for the generous draw!

  • Claudia says:

    My most recent departure was to Las vegas …….for some fun and play 🙂 Excellent draw.

  • Gypsy Parfumista says:

    My most recent departure was to drive four hours to Carlisle, PA and visit perfume friends and spend the weekend and do some HARD CORE PERFUMING! I did not fly though…

    The last time I flew was when I came back home from Alabama…

  • Ingeborg says:

    My most recent departure by plane was to Bergen in October, a coastal town with nice crabs at that time of the year. Of the perfumes described here CDG and LHR are two I would love to try at some point.

  • GinnyM says:

    My last trip was to Las Vegas (from Seattle, my home), a city that I hadn’t visited since I was a pre-teen. It simultaneously exceeded and failed to live up to expectations. However, I did win $370 on one quarter in a slot machine, which paid for half of our trip!

  • Jan says:

    A couple of weeks ago I travelled to London. I had to restrain myself on my visits to Harrods (the High Perfumery salon is AMAZING), Amouage, Liberty, Fortnum & Mason and Les Senteurs. I already knew that, if you are up to spending money, London is the place to do it.

  • JessieB says:

    I recently departed Wisconsin for Colorado, which is my home 🙂 It’s nice to be back.

  • Amy says:

    My most recent departure was from Silver Spring, Maryland (Washington Metro area) to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The great Outer Banks where my parents live. I can’t imagine life without the ocean nearby, whether in North Carolina or Maryland!

    Thanks again for the draw! 🙂

  • TimeaZsofia says:

    Unfortunatelly I have no “most recent departure”, since I was nowhere about 10 years, only in Budapest, where I live. If I have a chance to be a recent departure it would be definetly Paris.
    Thank you for the draw.

  • LegoBoy says:

    I’ve recently (this winter) taken a trip to Paris for New Year’s Eve and it was a great experience. The city is incredible, the architecture, the culture, the people, everything is amazing and vibrating. I had a great time.

    Therefore my fragrance of choice will be CDG / Paris 🙂

  • ineverwas says:

    My most recent departure to a different city was to Barcelona. I adored the city and it was one of my best vacations ever. Also loved the palm trees and the weather, so different from my own city and yet I felt right at home.

    Thank you again for this draw! I think MUC / Munich sounds fantastic, I love lilac.

  • Lauren says:

    My most recent departure was from my rural home state to New York City a few months ago. I mostly went shopping, unfortunately. Wanted to walk more but it was way too cold and windy. On the train back couldn’t get a seat on the crowded train so had to stand all the way to Denville.

  • Brooke says:

    Tea and lilac…I am intrigued by the pairing. I am currently traveling for worK. Today I awoke in Pittsburgh and ended up in Chicago. One more day to go!

  • Devon H says:

    I’m confused about that Munich scent too…hmm…odd scentualization for that city…oh well.

    The last city I departed for recently was Philadelphia, I drove there, and it was 1.5 hours away 🙂 If we’re talking flying…well, I haven’t flown since the year before 9/11. And, that was to Oakland, CA. By train: Wabash, IN.

  • Lisa says:

    The last city I departed to was visiting my parents in Atlanta, GA for spring break. Got upgraded to first class both ways 😛 it was like a sky bar the first flight, the guy working kept bringing me and the priest next to me wine.

  • Ellen Covey says:

    My most recent trip was to San Diego, CA in February.

    I agree that the notes listed for Munich are odd. One of my memories of Munich is the smell of linden trees in bloom, so that would have been a appropriate floral theme.

  • winstonsmith4 says:

    I was most recently in New York — unfortunately didn’t get to do anything perfume-related. Going back in the fall though for the big scent exhibit!

  • rosiegreen says:

    My most recent trip was to a small town in Washington where my family lives.I helped my sister repaint her living room.In this section of reviews I am torn between CDG and MUC. They both sound light and lovely.

  • LauraSays says:

    My most recent trip was to Madrid. Always a happy destination for me. I am absolutely fascinated about BUD: paprika? pepper?…mmm, sounds like the one I´d definitely give a go!

  • mim says:

    My most recent departure was to NY for my sister’s wedding! But we drove. I think my last flight was to Pittsburgh, which was surprisingly beautiful, to visit a friend.

  • ringthing says:

    My most recent trip was to Louisiana to visit family and friends. My husband and I love to eat our way along the gulf coast from New Orleans to Houston, TX – seafood, boudain, bbq & tex-mex.

  • Holly F. says:

    Recently, I left my current town to stay in my hometown with my parents, and attend a wedding. Being around family and old friends did make me think about moving a bit closer!

  • Connor M says:

    haha. funny that you asked what my first departure was, and i said florida because i just got back from visiting my grandma and mom down in Naples. 🙂

    It had the nicest time hanging out with my parents on the beach :). i’m in college now and realized that from now on I’ll, most likely, only see them during vacations and visits. Sad realization but such is life I guess.

    ps. florida still smells the same. i relished it for the whole week

  • Tourbillion says:

    My last trip was to Oakland, but I stayed at the home of a friend in a lovely residential neighborhood.

  • MN Nick says:

    I recently traveled to New York. There’s such a distinct smell to the city, you’re surrounded by concrete, urban dwellings, and people. It’s hard to describe, but it’s strange to leave New York and then smell “fresh air” again. There’s a human quality, and a sense of progress and nature forgotten, to the smell of the city. I especially think New York takes on its own aura and scent in the sweltering summer – I despise and crave it all at once.