Boucheron de Boucheron pour Femme (1988) ~ First Fragrances

Jewelry brands have something inherently posh about them, while in the business of launching fragrances. They don’t need to toil much to instill a sense of quiet splendor, of assured self-confidence, of dripping luxury – it’s a given. From Cartier to Bvlgari, this is evident for all to see. Boucheron is another such brand, founded by Frédéric Boucheron in 1858, with quality fragrances all around. Their first one for women continues to be a masterpiece, even after reformulations in the intervening years.

Boucheron for women from the 1980s, you see, is a symbol of splendour, tradition and elegance – a classic floral oriental fragrance which brought the acclaimed jeweler into the foray of perfumes in one fell swoop. Boucheron’s designers created this elegant perfume in 1988, and it was inspired by the art of Parisian goldsmiths from the legendary Place Vendôme. The fragrance in extrait de parfum concentration is shaped like the brand’s rings, topped with a huge blue cabochon stone, while the eau de toilette and eau de parfum versions also share the symbolic shape of a ring.

The perfume was created by perfumers Francis Deleamont and Jean-Pierre Bethouart in 1988. The company owning parfums Boucheron nowadays, InterParfums, presents it “as the olfactory expression of Boucheron’s unique High Jewellery values, this eponymous fragrance pays homage to mystery, seduction and sensuality.” They go on describing their intended audience as “embodying beauty and generosity, this woman is sensual, refined and charismatic.” I couldn’t really argue; it does produce such feelings, intense beauty, total abandon.

photo by Two Petals on Fragrantica.ru

A collection of four perfumes by Boucheron, called Parfums de Joaillier (Jeweler’s Perfumes), was introduced in 2007. The design of the bottles was inspired by this house’s jewelry creations and they too seem like a metamorphosis of a jewel into fragrance bottles. There are initials of P and J (Parfums de Joaillier) on the bottles  written in gold and silver.

According to our database info, the basic notes for Boucheron for women eau de parfum are sweet floral-fruity ones, with a spicy note of basil and the bitterness of pelargonium, which slowly receives intensity with ylang-ylang, tuberose, daffodil, orange blossom from Morocco, and jasmine. The base, which is as opulent and elegant as the whole composition, encompasses civet, benzoin, woody notes, Tonka bean, Indian vanilla, oakmoss, ambergris, and musk.

Everything and the kitchen sink too, as they say, right? InterParfums is trying hard to harness this effluvium of scents into a more streamlined pyramid for contemporary consumers who are afraid of “heavy” scents. They claim:

Olfactory family: oriental floral

Top notes: bergamot, mandarin, neroli
Middle notes: jasmine, ylang-ylang, tuberose
Base notes: amber, vanilla, sandalwood

With a (formerly) Byzantine formula of intricate and lush notes in the given pyramid, comparable to such plush creations as 24 Faubourg and Creation by Ted Lapidus, Boucheron for women eau de parfum is a case in point where the magic of aromachemicals shines brightest and most impressively. It’s Titanic in scope, Olympian in awe-inspiring splendor, operatic like a Latin American singer.

Selena Quintanilla-Pérez via wikimedia commons
 

Allegedly it was the late Selena Quintanilla-Pérez’s favorite fragrance, and the image of the flamboyant singer, actress and businesswoman, with the untimely and unjust death, fits with the larger than life aura of the fragrance itself. She was embodied by Jennifer Lopez in her earlier days in the film Selena, if you recall.

When the public is not trained to recognize quality even when it slaps it in the face, Aphrodite of Milos remains a dry exhibit in a museum, enclosed and remote, instead of causing daily bliss, or what is called εὐδαιμονία in Greek. Literally, “benevolent spirit,” one which spreads like waves around. And yet, as Aphrodite from the foam of the waves of the imaginary sperms of Francis Deleamont and Jean-Pierre Bethouart, Boucheron Femme eau de parfum jumped into the sea of the market in 1988. 

Like an eternal woman, she smells, with the precision of an experienced calligrapher on thick moiré paper stained in precise ink; the sweetness of orange blossoms, the elegance of bergamot, the marble solidity of benzoin, sandalwood and amber, all conspiring to shine brightly like cognac diamonds masquerading as semi-precious stones to the untrained eye. Because above all, Boucheron is what the French love to call “un parfum bijou” – a piece of olfactory jewelry to wear as such.

The bottles were modernised around the millennium, with a more streamlined presentation that indicated a more contemporary and –alas!– less luxurious aesthetic. The metal “ring” replaces part of the huge cabochon-cut cap.

There was also a columnal metal gold case with ridges, which held a recharge in plain glass spray; this was also available in Jaipur.

The modern box by Boucheron also changed; older boxes are all over cobalt blue, while newer boxes boast a circle of straw-color with the logo of Boucheron inside in the familiar cobalt blue background. Two iterations are available: eau de toilette and eau de parfum. I’m partial to the latter. Whatever you choose, don’t be shy, it’s meant to be used with abandon and indulged in.

splash photo by lautar on Fragrantica.ru