New Niche Perfume Review: Oriza L. Legrand Deja Le Printemps, Oeillet Louis XV, Reve d’Ossian & Relique d’Amour + Louis XV Sample Set Draw

Elisabeth-de-Feydeau

Elisabeth de Feydeau

It appears as if there is a burgeoning trend at reviving perfume houses of the past. As with anything the motivations of the person doing the resurrection will often presage the success of the enterprise. The latest house to rise again is Oriza L. Legrand which was one of the first perfume houses founded in 1720 under Louis XV. The perfumer and creative force behind this is Elisabeth de Feydeau. For those unfamiliar with Mme de Feydeau she has been involved in various aspects of the fragrant world for over 15 years. She has been one of the great ambassadors in France of olfactory art which culminated in her being named “Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres” by the French Minister of Culture, Frederic Mitterand. Mme de Feydeau is the perfect person to respect the past and also be able to extrapolate that past to make a perfume relevant for the present. For the Oriza L. Legrand return it begins with four fragrances: Deja Le Printemps, Oeillet Louis XV, Relique d’Amour, and Reve d’Ossian. These fragrances have a bit of an old-fashioned feel to them. This makes them feel like something very unique in the current marketplace.

deja le printemps ad

Original Deja Le Printemps ad from c.1920

Deja Le Printemps is a paean to springtime and all things green. This is the fragrant equivalent of sitting in a green swale just after the first mowing after winter. The trees are all rising and the leaves and buds are making their presence known. Deja Le Printemps opens with a soft orange blossom which turns into a very soft green fragrance. There is a freshly mown grass accord, fig leaves, lily of the valley, clover, and galbanum. You can look at that note list and expect this to perhaps be very aggressively green. Instead it is silky and subtly green, surprisingly so. The base uses oakmoss, vetiver, and cedar to add to the plush green quality begun with the heart notes. There is never a moment during the time I wore Deja Le Printemps where I didn’t feel surrounded by new life.

Madame de Pompadour Francois Boucher 1750

Madame de Pompadour by Francois Boucher (1750)

Oeillet Louis XV nods back in time to one of the earliest patrons of Oriza L. Legrand. In my fanciful imagination I envision this fragrance commissioned by the King and then bestowed upon his favorite mistress Madame de Pompadour. Oeillet Louis XV is a very powdery focused fragrance and it feels in keeping with the famous hairstyle which bears her name as the powder keeps rising and rising until it is neatly arranged around clove and musk. Oeillet Louis XV begins with a double dose of carnation and then adds iris and rose. If you still don’t have enough powdery facets a heaping dose of rice powder is added. I’m not the biggest fan of powdery fragrances and I have to admit the early exuberance always took me right to the edge of my personal tolerance. Just as I thought it was too much the clove cleaved through all of the powder along with a sheer white musk and the powdery façade was laid bare. Now these two notes carry the development and the final stage is coated in a light bit of honey and balsam. If you love powdery fragrances Oeillet Louis XV should be on the top of your list to sample.

Ossian's-Dream-Jean_Auguste_Dominique_Ingres_1813

Reve d'Ossian by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (1813)

Reve d’Ossian (Ossian’s Dream) is based on the hero Ossian from James Macpherson’s epic poetry cycle of 1760. It was based on his research into the stories of the Scottish Highlands and Ossian is a representation of the all of the heroes within those tales. The Ossian cycle bred a style named after it and was one of the influential works of the Romantic movement of the time. Reve d’Ossian has a bit of the style of the Highlands as it uses resins and woods to create the dream. A really austere frankincense and sharp pine start things off. Benzoin and opoponax take the resinous aspects to the forefront; tolu balm and labdanum keeps it simmering. A raw uncured leather accord along with amber and musk make up the base. Reve d’Ossian is the flip side to Oeillet Louis XV as this “dream” is all about the woods and resins.

Cistercian_Abbey_ruins,_Abbeylara_-_geograph.org.uk_-_437037

Cistercian Abbey ruins

Relique d’Amour is my favorite of these first four releases but I think this will probably not be the most popular. My reasoning is that Relique d’Amour is that rare fragrance which seeks to paint a picture with olfactory notes. There is less of a pyramid in place and more of a sense of a specific place. I love poking around in old stone churches. When I have the opportunity to do this the smell of the stones covered in moss and the aged wood of the supporting timbers is a singular smell to me. Relique d’Amour is that moment of standing in an old abbey surrounded by the layers of residue from the oil lamps and censers. As I said Relique d’Amour  really paints a singular picture and doesn’t really devlop so much as rise fully formed off of my skin. There is the raw pine of the timbers, a strong stony mineral aspect, a bit of lily, wisps of myrrh, elemi, and frankincense. All together they impart a weight of history and place upon Relique d’Amour and it is a place and time I want to visit often.

All four Oroiza L. Legrand fragrances have above average longevity and below average sillage except for Oeillet Louis XV which has sillage to burn.

The success of many endeavors comes down to the desire and passion of those behind it. For the revival of Oriza L. Legrand Elisabeth de Feydeau is clearly not lacking in either of those qualities. This is a perfume house returning to relevance thanks to her commitment to it.

Disclosure: This review was based on samples provided by Fragrance & Art.

Thanks to our friends at Fragrance & Art we have a sample set of all four fragrances to giveaway. To be eligible leave a comment naming which you think would be your favorite. The draw will end on January 29, 2013.

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

-Mark Behnke, Managing Editor

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

8 × = 64

63 comments

  • Fazal Cheema says:

    i love musk and leather so Reve d’Ossian but Relique D’Amour will be close second due to Frankincense and pine

  • Reve d’Ossian sounds like my kind of fragrance, though they all sound absolutely fascinating. Thanks for the great draw!

  • Did somebody say Carnation??? I think the logical choice for me would be Oeillet Louis XV . Thank you for the draw.

  • My God, history and perfume — COMBINED! Two of my favorite things. I love, love, LOVE the whole idea of bringing back a perfume house from the time of Louis XV. I’m in an absolute tizzy over how fantastic this all is! As for the perfumes in question, I was initially tempted by the Printemps one but now I’m leaning more towards Reve d’Ossian. Hmmm, so hard to choose.

  • Deja Le Printemps sounds like spring, and that’s a good thing. All four scents are appealing.

  • I love powdery scents they smell so vintage so I will go with l’oiellet Louis XV
    I have never heard of theis House and its fascinating they began in the 1700s
    That makes Guerlain look like a new corner
    I never get around to saying thank you for reviewing and posting new niche houses
    I was so excited when you were the first to post the new caligna and Micallef royal vintage
    And that was just this year
    Great reviews and info as always

  • Wirh Reve s’ Ossian i think of Osain the Yoruba deity of herbal medicine and plants so that would be the one I would like to try thanks for the draw!

  • These fragrance descriptions sound divine, and I love the concept behind them. I would love to try Reve d’Ossian.

    Thanks for the draw!

  • Reve d’Ossian sounds the most intriguing to me. I love all the resinous notes and the leather and amber finish. It will be interesting to try some historically based scents.

  • Reves D’Ossian’s description sounds quite mysterious, and like the fragrance that would be my favorite of the proposed ones. I love the narratives, the mystery…

  • I’m sure even unsniffed of these that Oeillet Louis XV would be my favourite. I love iris and carnation and powder, as well as clove. Very intriguing.

  • They all sound very nice in their own way and I would love to try them all. Especially Relique d’Amour sounds very nice. Frankincense is always very appealing to me.

  • would love to sample all four- I think my favorite will be “Oillet Louis XV”
    thanks for the draw

  • Deja le Printemps is the kind of fragrance I like to have in March, when spring starts to come and everything seems happier.

  • I loved Elisabeth de Feydeau’s book, A Scented Palace, and am fascinated by her new project. Although Oeillet Louis XV sounds the most historically striking, Relique d’Amour is the most intriguing, conjuring up such evocative images. I’d love to experience that sense of place in a fragrance.

  • I´d love to try Oeillet Louis XV, powder notes wear really well on my skin. Thanks for the draw!

  • just breathe says:

    definitely deja le printemps….I need some green to get me through this rough winter 🙂 !!

  • I also love old churches and based on your review Relique D’Amour intrigues me…excellent post,Mark!

  • bonjour
    les 4 échantillons me plaisent je n’ai pas de préférence!merçi pour ce tirage au sort.j’adore votre blog et je suis abonnée à votre page facebook!merçi

  • Relique d’Amour is my favorite of these first four releases as well as I have a tendency to the weird and unusual as well. I do hope to have a snif at all of them too!! Thank you for the draw!

  • farawayspices says:

    Relique d’amour sounds quite interesting, an olfactory experience! Thanks for the draw!

  • Dejà le printemps does appeal to me a lot! I would love to try it! Thanks for the wonderful review and for the draw too!

  • This sounds an interesting revival. I am now looking towards Spring so the perfume I would like to try is Deja le Printemps.

  • I think they all sound so grand. But if I had to choose one it will be Relique d’Amour. Thanks for the draw!

  • I love carnations and anything powdery so for me Oeillet Louis XV would be my choice. Thanks again

  • I love churches and abbeys from the Middle Age and the smell there are inside them, so, I would try Relique d’amour. (It ‘s also such a lovely name….)

  • I think Deja le Printemps would be the one I’d like…I am so ready for Spring and warmer temps. I need a soft green fragrance for Spring. these all sound lovely and I would love a sample of each. Thanks.

  • Relique d’Amour would probably be my favorite, I love the idea of being transported to another place and am interested in the mineral aspect of it. Thanks for the reviews and draw!

  • I would love to win a sample set of these perfumes and I believe that my favorite would be Relique d’ Amour. This is because I am attracted to incense type fragrances and to the field of antiquities. The photo of the Cistercian Abbey ruins is lovely and it captures my imagination. Thanks for the draw.

  • Reve d’Ossian sounds really good, tolu is always interesting, but the mineral part of Relique d’Amour, well, I can’t say “no” to something like this!
    Thank you for the draw.

  • It’s great that she is reviving a venerable old House! If I win, I would love to try Deja Le Printemps (well, in reality I would love to try them all!)

    xoxoA

  • Fragrances with a bit of an old-fashioned feel to them sound right up my alley. I think I’d like Deja le Printemps best.

  • These all sound fantastic; I love that a venerable old house will be revived!

    Oeillet Louis XV narrowly beats out the others as the one I’d most like to try, with Rêve d’Ossian placing a close second.

    Thank you!

  • No such thing as “too much carnation” !I would love to try Oeillet Louis XV.