New Perfume Review: Jolie Laide Cléo de 5 à 7 + French New Wave Cinema Draw

original poster for the 1962 left bank film Cléo de 5 à 7

Original poster for the 1962 left bank film Cléo de 5 à 7 starring Corrine Marchand as a pop singer who awaits test results to determine if she has cancer from 5-7 PM

Cléo de 5 à 7 is the latest creation from natural perfumer Heather Kaufman of JOLIE LAIDE PERFUME. Ms. Kaufman was first inspired to compose this fragrance, which is named for the 1962 film, while smelling  Kamala Attar from White Lotus Aromatics. Scented memories of her mother’s old purses from the 1960s also contributed to the creation as she wanted to capture the smell of leather, perfume, scented lipstick and cigarettes mingling together like the dim lit images of French Noir Cinema.

Cléo de 5 à 7 (1962)

Movie still: Cléo de 5 à 7

First impressions are everything.  From first whiff , Cléo de 5 à 7 is a true perfume… very melodramatic, sensual and taunting in its presentation.  While in design school, I learned very early on that presentation is nine tenths of everything. This is akin to what we know as a first impression. While it is very important in the fashion world, it also speaks with a resounding voice in the art of perfumery. Now let us talk about the most important the remaining one tenth, the life of a perfume and the experience one has with it. I am obsessed with turning a beautiful garment inside out to take a closer look at its real beauty, the interior. Is a French seam, was it hand picked, what love and care went into the making of this creation? For me this will determine the magnitude of its first impression, the outer surface.

Cléo de 5 à 7  corinne marchand

Movie Still from Cléo de 5 à 7

Cléo de 5 à 7 is a lady clothed in a five layer crepe de chine pant suit tailored by the hands of a couturier's artisan. She reveals her feminine odor sweetly through the humidity and perspiration of a summer’s evening. Cléo de 5 à 7 is bursting with citrus florals that remind me of the June blooming Magnolia Grandiflora.This fragrance is womanly, sexual, oozing with heavy citrus and floral notes on top, giving way to a sort of candied heart. Its strong feminine odor is ever present throughout the harmony of this scentual creation. As the candied center fades away, it begins to give way to hints of night blooming jasmine and  booziness. However, it's very subtle and works in harmony with sparkles of rose and pink lotus. I felt that this melodius combining of these notes kept the fragrance focused while weaving its way back and forth between the layers unfolding not unlike the young singer Florence Cléo Victoire's journey in the film.  There is a smoky transition into the woody base of this fragrance where sandalwood, oudh and balsam figure prominently. The smoke and wood nearly take over the femininity of its earlier stages giving way to a less powerful dip towards the base. It lingers awhile in smooth, powdery incense in contrast to the headiness at the top. 

Agnes Varda, Cléo de 5 à 7 (1962)_7_03_g

Movie Still Cléo de 5 à 7 (1962)

At this stage, I kept returning to it to find the perfume's feminine character. After a while on my skin, the florals return intermingled with oudh, ambrette and a citrus quality peeking through the bottom weaving back into the fold of this creation. Cléo de 5 à 7 is very persistent is her alluring qualities and I constantly revisited my wrist as her strong feminine qualities became present again.

Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962, Agnes Varda) jolie laide perfume

Movie Still Cléo de 5 à 7 (1962)

Heather Kaufman deftly applied the hand of a high cutter to this fragrant being. I find this perfume very alluring, womanly, and feminine but there is a masculine quality that is equally beguiling.  Longevity is excellent, staying with me for four hours without having to re-apply. Cleo is a very mysterious beauty that will hold you captivated in her embrace. Like a beautiful piece of cloth conceived, draped and sewn together in a most magnificent fashion.  I am fascinated by Heather and her path to perfumery, so if you missed it, I recommend that you read about  Heather Kaufman in CaFleureBon’s Profiles in American Perfumery

 Notes: pink lotus, jamine sambac, rose, agarwood, sandalwood

Disclosure: I received my sample from Jolie Laide

-Rodney Hughes, Guest Contributor and Natural Perfumer for Therapeutate Parfums

Art Direction: Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief

 Editor’s Note: Rodney Hughes was CaFleureBon’s Natural Perfume Editor in 2010 (one of our founding editors) and we hope he stays. Show him some encouragement as ÇaFleureBon has championed the art of natural perfumery since our inception.

15mLEDPCleo

Thanks to Heather Kauffman of Jolie Laide we have a 15 ml EDP bottle of Cleo de 5 a 7 for a US reader. To be eligible please leave a comment with why you would like to try this perfume and feel free to show support for Rodney's review. Draw closes 8/20/2014.

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

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27 comments

  • Glad to see you back Rodney! We look forward to more posts from you 🙂 Cleo de 5a7 sounds delightful. I would love to try this one just to experience the revisiting of the feminine characteristics of this fragrance. I so admire how a sniff of something can spark a creative thought that results in something so beautiful. I am in the US… Thanks for the generous draw Heather..

  • Jennifer Witt says:

    I would love to try this new perfume from jolie laide as the notes sound right up my allez. HA HA! I live in the US.

  • I must say, the drydown with the incense, oudh, and sandalwood sounds amazing 🙂 I also love jasmine and the pictures from the movie are beautiful and SO stylish. I am in the US, thank you!

  • Fazal Cheema says:

    first of all, this movie has been inspired by a cult French movie and given the woody, smoky notes, it seems it also has some of the soul of vintage perfumes. i am always up for smoky and woody fragrances. thanks a lot for the generosity. I am in the US

  • Bessie Oakley says:

    Why am I interested? Hmmm… the complexity of the scent, the femininity, the booziness without the hangover, the allure of sniffing around in a leather handbag without having to mess up my lipstick, the desire for the glorious day and night to go on and on and on without interruption, but knowing there is changeability and surprise just around the corner… the idea of feeling cool again by the mere thought of being aligned with the French New Wave. Did I mention I love the name of the line and its meaning and… I JUST HAVE TO SMELL Cléo de 5 à 7! (And if I don’t win, I might just have to buy a bottle.)

  • What an exciting draw and a great review! It sounds like something I’ definitely want to try, and I love the detail in which the impressions of the scent were described. I’m in the US.

  • I just love everything about this… I would love to try it. Thank you so much for bringing it to my attention and for the chance 🙂 I am in the US.

  • If it captures the smell of leather, perfume, scented lipstick and cigarettes mingling together like the dim lit images of French Noir Cinema, I’m in. 🙂 I live in the USA

  • What a thoughtful review! I love the fashion and garment construction parallels. It sounds like this scent has been carefully designed to evolve thoughtfully and intelligently, which really makes me want to try it. I’m in the US; thank you for the lovely draw!

  • You already know that I’m totally in love with your concept, Heather! Having found the rest of your collection so exceptional, I’m excited to try this. It sounds truly lovely.

  • I love the the idea of both masuline and feminine scents in the same fragrance . The description of Heather’s newest perfume is intriguing.
    Congrats to both Heather on her lovely new perfume and Rodney on a great article. Please count me in the draw, I am in the US.

  • Rodney’s review makes clear the connection between the emotion and the art of Heather’s natural perfume creation. The fragrance’s feminine strength and finely wrought beauty seem like magic. Fascinating!

    I am often intrigued by the smell of a handbag. Makeup, a wooden comb, mints, cigarettes (so long ago), even coins, and certainly the leather of the purse itself can combine in beautiful ways. Sigh. So lovely.

    I would love to experience Cléo de 5 à 7. Thank you for the generous draw. I am in the US.

  • I had heard of Jolie Laude but have not yet had the chance to try the line. Rodney’s review of Cléo de 5 à 7 brings the multifaceted layers to life and I would love to experience the citrus, florals, and woods. I’m in the US. Thanks for the draw!

  • I’ve had the pleasure of sampling Heather’s beautiful line and what first appealed to me was how elegant yet spare her display was. Each bottle was set with a beautiful bouquet as if to harken back to perfumes’ natural origins. I also loved her labels!
    I have not tried her newest fragrance and Rodney’s review is so enticing, intertwining his in depth ruminations and descriptions with images from Cléo de 5 à 7. Not only do I want to try the perfume but see the film as well!
    US. Merci Beaucoup!

  • This immediately caught my attention:

    “…as she wanted to capture the smell of leather, perfume, scented lipstick and cigarettes mingling together like the dim lit images of French Noir Cinema.”

    Femininity, booziness, leather and smoke – everything I am currently bingeing on in perfume right now! This bottle needs to come live with me. 🙂 and I love French cinema. This perfume sounds amazing. Thanks so much for the giveaway!

  • Melodramatic, retro-style fragrance reminiscent of the inside of Mom’s purse? Sign me up, please! I live in the US. Thanks for the drawing.

  • Lotus! I love lotus as a note and have yet to smell it within an oud-based composition. I am sure the end result is “very melodramatic, sensual and taunting” as described in the review.

    I am in the US. Thanks for the draw.

  • I love everything about this fragrance. The notes are some of my favorites; pink lotus, jamine sambac, rose, agarwood, sandalwood so I know it has to be good. Pink lotus is magical in fragrance especially when it’s paired with lovely jasmine and sandalwood. What more could you ask for? Great review Rodney! You have put into words how this perfume will smell on my skin and that’s exactly why I want it! I’m in the US and thanks for the draw!

  • This sounds so gorgeous! Thanks, Rodney, for sharing your amazing review. I am already so impressed by Jules et Jim by Jolie Laide, and this review is making me need to try Cléo de 5 à 7! I’m in the U.S. Thanks for the draw.

  • What a unique & majestic list of aromatics! Delicious. I fell in love with this when I smelled it at Fragments & would jump for joy for a bottle. It works equally well on a guy body chemistry doing what it does. I’m glad Rodney’s back viva the natural perfume reviews!

    Thanks for the draw!

  • Rodney, I love your comparisons of the fragrance to a garmet. A crepe de chine pantsuit sounds so 60’s and elegant and makes me have an immediate image of this perfume. It sounds very lovely and I would love to try it. Im in the US. Thanks for a great review.

  • Cynthia Richardson says:

    Tobacco, lipstick, perfume and leather. The picture of ’60s elegance. I like Jolie Laide’s concept of luscious and odd. Thank you Rodney for the review. I imagine if I wore this, I wouldn’t smell like anyone else.

  • Welcome back, Rodney! What an evocative review! I was in college before I discovered French cinema, but oh, my, do I ever remember the scent of the inside of my mother’s purse. (Mine — none of mine — smell like hers did!) I live in the U.S. and would love to give this one a sniff — I’ve never smelled anything from Jolie Laide before.

  • Thank you Rodney…your description of this fragrance makes it impossible not to want to try!

  • Thanks everyone for visiting this review of Cleo de 5 a 7. It was really a pleasure to be with this fragrance. I hope many you get the chance to experience it as well!