La Belle Helene

This must be how it smells if a fairy is trying to smother you with her body. It's inescapable, it's horrible, it's like being dumped into a well full of definition of feminine aromas, sans any body odours obviously, because that wouldn't be pure fantasy. I could never wear this perfume. I would even throw the sample away. The only remotely similar experience I had was Hummingbird by Zoologist, so if you're into that overwhelming femininity and like this one give the bird a go as well.

Oh, La Belle Helene, how I long to love you. So close to being fantastic, what happened? The initial fragrance as it meets your warm beating pulse point is luxuriously sensual and sweet. It’s unbelievably good. It grabs you by the collar and drags you down into an embrace that wraps around your very heart. It’s so damn good. But then, it began to linger a bit, turning from a bright bursting pear shimmering with aldehydes and a hint of citrus into an attempted bouquet of flowers… You ask yourself, what is that smell? It’s not bad, certainly, the rose and the ylang-ylang are lovely notes, but it’s cosmetic smelling. I get lipstick, I get shampoo. What happened? It continues to dry down with some woods, patchouli, and amber holding it together. It’s so damn near close to perfect but it loses itself somewhere and never recovers. 7.5/10 what a great first 30 minutes I’ll certainly be on the lookout for further MDCI samples, there is such a lovely story waiting to be read here.

I've never smelled such a great and obvious combination of pear and iris before. Pear has never been so juicy, realistic and feminine before. Plus the powdery notes gives it a more nostalgic and feminine power. I also smell vanilla or something sweet which I can't name, but it's defnitely there to make it even more feminine. Patchouli appears somehow late and it's not that strong to make it literally a chypre fume. This perfume not modern, but not classic nor outdated.I can easily imagine La belle Helene smelling like this and can feel empathy for all of men who fell for her. I didn't know neither about the story behind this fragrance, nor about it's price tag. I just received a sample from a dear friend and tested it. It's a little too sweet for my taste, but I definitely appreciate it.

Overbearingly chypre on me for the first 5 minutes then it does down and reveals a luscious fruity pear with plum and the hint of osmanthus. It is now a full bodied fruity scent but not sweet just rounded and robust. Still not something I'd wear often nor do I really think it really suits me, it comes across as a bit old for me but still a quality scent. The dry down is a warn sandal-vetiver-oak moss. Nice but out comes that chypre feel again that I'm not a fan of.

Oh, what a gorgeous take on pear! I love this! It's so soft and feminine, but full of little surprises. The pear in this smells warm and almost spicy, not as watery and candy-like as the pear in many designer fragrances nowadays. I enjoy the latter too, but something positively different is always good. I also love how licorice is done in this, it's clearly detactable, but at the same time very subtle. Usually I think it's often a loud, dominant note, but not in La Belle Helene. The floral notes are chosen just right, ylang ylang and osmanthus support the fruitiness of the scent, hawthorne makes everything a little sweeter and and iris adds some powder to tame the creaminess of the other flowers. I appreciate how they didn't just add in vanilla and white florals like in many other perfumes, not that I dislike those, but this is more exciting without them. The base is warm, but light, and I mostly get sandalwood underneath all the flowers and the pear. This is just so pretty. One of the rare sophisticated fruity florals, but also a little whimsical and cute. In my opinion La Belle Helene fits in best in spring or late summer, but it could be worn year round, everywhere, and would make a exceptionally good signature. I need to save up for a bottle.