WHAT I SMELL: Papilio opens with a soft and serene warmed magnolia that immediately hugs the skin. It’s enchanting, rather demure and very inviting. The soft florals blend with just a hint of the vegetal which brings the earth towards the ethereal bouquet. Blended so incredibly, the perfume at this point is less the sum of notes and is more of an expression of peacefulness with an added layer of fresh dewiness. Papilio slowly builds in a radiant warmth that seems to born in a soft breeze emanating from the skin as it moves and lifts to the nose. The perfume then begins to settle in to a light leathered wood that is covered with a hazy powder that sits above the warmed base. Overall it’s pretty, delicate and light as a feather. Papilio goes straight to the heart with its endearing beauty.
From the Puredistance website:
PAPILIO is multifaceted, lively and vibrant. Created by Nathalie Feisthauer in Paris. ‘Embrace your true nature’ is the concept of PAPILIO (Latin for ‘Butterfly’). Butterflies come in all shapes and colours and accept themselves as they are – in each phase of their life..
Top notes: Bergamot Oil.
Middle notes: Magnolia Oil, Neroli oil, Carrot oil, Orris, Lily of the valley, Hedione HC, Heliotrope.
Base notes: Cedarwood, Vetyver oil, Amyris oil, Intense woods Ambroxan, Opoponax resinoid, Benzoin resinoid, Vanilla, Touch of Peach, Leather Ambrette, Cashmere, Muscenone.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Butterflies in flight.
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE PAPILIO: soft, uplifting, comforting
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT PAPILIO: CaFleureBon
BOTTOM LINE: I think I should be tired of saying that Puredistance has once again graced the perfume world with another magnificent creation. But here we are again and it’s a wonderful addition to the Puredistance collection. Sometimes a beautiful perfume is hard to put into words, but instead describing its persona is the best way to give it life in words. Papilio is incredibly soft and somewhat demure and unassuming, but at the same time it embodies strength and beauty. And most of all, it’s absolutely gorgeous!
- Bone Rating: 4.5 out of possible 5 bones
- Scent: Floral Woody Musk
- Nose: Nathalie Feisthauer
- Classification: Unisex, but leans feminine
- Expense: Starting at 175 Euros for 17ml parfum extrait (25% perfume oil).
WHAT I SMELL: Atacama opens with warmed saline infused earth that feels unmeasured in its vastness. It’s serene right from the beginning with just the perfect mix of dew and salt. Slowly, a mix of florals enters to add an additional measure of softness along with just a hint of caramel buttered creaminess. The perfume retains its salt of the earth feel as it begins to grow with an woodiness that can only be described as remnants left by a hard rain on the ocean mixed with the driftwood that has been swept up on the shore surrounded by flowers glistening in the sun. In the end, Atacama is soft and beautiful lightly salty and sweetened uniquely personal perfume.
WHAT I SMELL: Fanfare opens with an inviting bergamot and a very Lemon Pledge-like lemon that shines bright then retreats quickly to make way for some soft and demure florals. Fanfare is welcoming right from first spritz and I like the fact that it’s so approachable. After short time, hints of herbs seem to come up from below the citrus and florals. But in short order again, the herbal makes way for a buttery and creamy swath of juniper which is quite unexpected as juniper is typically in the sharper and dryer vein. But the cream ends quite quickly and a dry and smoky vetiver joins the juniper and becomes front and center which turns the perfume to the more masculine. Here the perfume melds juniper, vetiver and a vanilla’d musk to create a very handsome and sexy perfume that is very easy to like.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The quintessential English pub…from day to night.
The Scented Hound 