Vintage Maison Dorin Cosmetic Label

Maison Dorin is an esteemed cosmetics and perfume house that was made the official purveyor to the Royal Court of Versailles in 1780, largely thanks to the influence of Marie Antoinette . The House was known internationally for inventing the lipstick bullet and powder compact as well as fine fragrance, but for nearly a century has not been widely known  in the US. In 1998, Bashar and Imane Nasri purchased the company with an eye to resurrecting the legacy of the House. Using modern techniques, but with careful attention to the properties of the historical fragrances, they have created a line of perfumes that speak of traditional French perfumery and to their own Middle Eastern heritage.

This House’s flacons are heavy glass with a pleasing, sensual shape based on the iconic silhouette of the Eiffel Tower embellished in 14 k gold. The bottles exude opulence, representing the consistent quality present in the raw materials and careful blending. In sampling these scents over the last  few weeks, I have come to know this line and its stye and I get a sense of the nobility of La Belle Époque (1871-1914) when Dorin was the talk of Paris, Brussels, Moscow and Chicago at the Fragrance and Cosmetic Exhibitions where they won many awards.

"Ohh for the Touch of a Vanished Hand" by Charles Edward Perguini

Imagine a 19th century noblewoman, wife of a prominent Lord currently abroad, is readying her household to receive royal visitors from the distant Eastern deserts. Floral (from the Un Air de Paris collection, 2008) opens with rose, jasmine and ylang, this is all heart and rich comfort. Flowers arranged perfectly, everything gleaming with spices simmering and wood smoking in the background – this greets you with a warm floral embrace, welcoming you into its heart sincerely and sweetly. In what should have been a powder bomb dry-down, iris, heliotrope and musk mesh to add just the right amount of soft floral silkiness with delightful delicacy to skin. Very proper, yet genuinely amicable, this Lady is a treasure! Sillage: good. Longevity: above average.

Notes: Moroccan rose, Egyptian jasmine, ylang ylang, narcissus, sandalwood, cinnamon, clove, Florentine iris, heliotrope and musk.

"Two Girls at the Piano" by Pierre-Auguste Renoir

As the Lady attends to the manor, seeing fastidiously to every detail, her daughters Jasmin and Rose (from the Un Air de Damas collection from 2008, composed by Nejla Barbir) follow behind their mother and emulate her grace and bearing. Dressed simply, in bright sheer frocks woven of crisp bergamot, lush greens and elegant white musk, you can tell these two are sisters; yet they are so very different: the fairer having the charming smile and outgoing playfulness, while her more introverted ruddier sibling keeps to herself, and blushes a lot. Rose dreams of a handsome prince who carries her away, to an exotic faraway kingdom while Jasmin longs only to be joined by her heart’s desire. Both of these perfumes are soft-spoken yet eloquent florals, framed with citrus and woody base notes, having slightly above average sillage and good longevity.

Jasmin Notes: bergamot, citrus, jasmine Baladi, musk, dry woods.

Rose Notes: bergamot, lily-of-the-valley, Rose Damascena and musk.

"Bedouins" by John Singer Sargent

Maison Dorin released the Un Air d’Arabie collection in 2010, also created by Nejla Barbir, centering on more exotic oriental notes while maintaining a European finesse.  This collection could truly be a delegation of scents and sensations from the mysterious East. Oud, which I expected to be wild and feral, was instead used to drape smoky veils over a dainty and nubile rose. The women are clad and veiled heavily, showing only their dark and intense gazes, just as the scent of maiden roses hide and are protected by layers of woody and aromatic shadows. Musk captures that untamed desert spirit of a warrior in notes of rose, patchouli and chamomile typifying valor, courage and vigor. Just musky enough to entice, while being clad in garments scented with sacred wood smokes and warm resins, these are fierce protectors that have a gentle passion about them. The sisters are in awe as the procession enters the gates watching the amazing panoply of both the strange and exotic characters in the entourage.

Oud Notes: rose, rose and oud wood

Musk Notes: chamomile, rose, cedar, patchouli, labdanum, sandalwood, frankincense, guaiac wood, musk & vanilla.

Women of Algiers, Pierre-Auguste Renoir 1871

As the procession stops and the carriage opens, the lovely Taïf Rose, also from the Un Air D'Arabie collection, appears, like a dusky sultana, regally adorned and colorfully draped in silken scarves. Her complexion dark and her features sultry, she is at once engaging yet utterly foreign and mysterious. A delightful spiciness surrounds her, as she moves, and you can sense she is scented with fine oils and rare aromatics. Her protective soft leather armor is almost undetectable beneath her shuffling layers. After all is said and done, this Yemeni inspired rose scent finishes with hints of animalic musk, tamed with aromatic chive and boozy vanilla. Creamy and spicy this floral captures oriental woody and incense notes, weaving them into a shimmering material that flows gently on the breeze and releases teasing hints of sensuality in its wake. Sillage: very good. Longevity: average.

Notes: chamomile, freesia, Ta’if rose, saffron, leather, styrax, amber, patchouli, sandalwood, musk, vanilla, castoreum and chive.

Disclosure: Reviews based on samples sent to me by Twisted Lily. Maison Dorin perfumes are available at Twisted Lily in Brooklyn NY and Henri Bendel .

-John Reasinger, Senior Editor and Natural Fragrance Editor

Thanks to the kindness of Twisted Lily Fragrance Boutique & Apothecary we have a sampler set of all six reviewed perfumes to give away to one US resident. To be eligible leave a comment about which Maison Dorin fragrance(s) speaks to you the most, and that you reside in  the US. Draw closes February 27^th, 2014.

Art Direction: Tama Blough and Michelyn Camen

For our reviews of Maison Dorin Classique, Ambre, Pour Madame, Pour Monsieur, Spicy, and Fullah please click here

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