Parfums DelRae Eau Illuminée is inspired by San Francisco. Now if this perfume was all you had to go by, you’d think San Francisco was filled with dapper gents and was swarming with Cary Grants.
Eau Illuminée opens as a bitter, green, sharp herbaceous fragrance. I definitely pick up on huge amounts of glittery basil and lavender. I also get rosemary, lemon balm and all of the other stuff that grows in herb gardens. However, Eau Illuminée doesn’t smell like the outdoors or a garden. It’s polished and refined. It smells like expensive aftershave. I mean I did use the adjective “glittery” to describe basil. Eau Illuminée smells better than nature.The dry down is green and powdery. Now for me, Eau Illuminée reminds me of fancy aftershave and perfectly styled coiffes that use lots of product. It has a barbershop vibe to it.
Notes listed include bergamot, basil, French lavender, wild aromatic herbs, vanilla, tonka beans, and orris. Launch date 2002. PERFUMER – Michel Roudnitska
Give Eau Illuminée a try if you like retro herbaceous fragrances. Or if you like perfumes like Rancé Francois Charles, CREED Royal Water, Caron Pour une Homme, L’Artisan Parfumeur L’eau de L’artisan, Annick Goutal Eau du Sud, Chanel Pour Monsieur and/or original Ralph Lauren Polo. Eau Illuminée is unisex but I find it to be a smart daily fragrance for masculine types. Parfums DelRae wanted this fragrance to be like a LBD or a perfect white button up for your fragrance wardrobe and it is that.
Eau Illuminée has surprising longevity. I expected with all of those fresh notes that it would fade quickly, but it didn’t. It has average projection and average to above average longevity.
The 1.7 oz EDP retails for $135 at Beautyhabit. Samples are also available for purchase.
Victoria’s Final EauPINION – A retro blend of better-than-nature herbs over coumarin-rich tonka. This one isn’t for me but it’s a good choice if you want people to perceive you as a handsome Hollywood leading man circa 1955.
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I thought that it was a little too masculine for me. Not that I couldn’t wear it but I probably wouldn’t want to.
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That’s how I feel as well. It must remind me of something classic that was marketed to men. I have worn it, but it’s not “me”.
It doesn’t sound like it would be my thing, not because of the barbershop vibe, but because I have a complete lavender phobia. Still, the thought of loads of “glittery basil” did intrigue me. I can’t think of the last basil-infused fragrance I tried (I know there have been one or two), but I think I’d like to explore that note much more. But never with lavender! *winces*
Kafkaesque recently posted..Serge Lutens Profile – Part II: Perfumes, His Inspiration & The Search for Identity
I’m a huge lavender snob. I have no issue with the note but I’m a huge snob. SO much of what is is used in perfumery is garbage.
Basil is a note that we don’t see used that much. Sisley Eau de Campagne is my favorite perfume with a big dose of basil.
Thanks for the tip, Victoria!
Kafkaesque recently posted..Serge Lutens Profile – Part II: Perfumes, His Inspiration & The Search for Identity