It’s very rare for a perfume to “naturally” tell you a story. So many perfumes are without a soul try to replicate the success of last year’s blockbuster. Other perfumes only tell a story because of savvy marketers that accidently got it right this time by planting that story in our minds. The best perfumes in my mind are the ones that tell you a personalized story, one that maybe you’ll be the only one to hear. As soon as  Tableu de Parfums Miriam touched my skin, it told me a story that braced three generations of perfumed women.

Miriam opens with soda pop and violet cream. It’s a violet pop. It’s effervescent, sweet, fun. It giggles. Suddenly I feel like Patty Duke circa 1965! And then the yé-yé exuberance fades and I’m left with something more mature but still young and lovely. Rewind about 20 years, Miriam becomes a vintage 1940’s-style white floral with rose, creamy ylang-ylang and a subtle aldehydic greenness. It’s romantic, feminine. It’s like the perfume that the mother of that pop-soda shop-singing,-swinging-1960’s teen wore when she met that pop-soda shop-singing-swinging-1960’s teen’s father-to-be.  She’s wearing violet scented lipstick, brushed out pin curls, and this green floral perfume. He’s back from war and enchanted by her beauty and optimism. They fall in love. The base of Miriam is Andy Tauer goes vintage. Rewind 25 years, imagine the grandmother of that pop-soda shop-singing-swinging-1960’s teen. She wears a tortoise shell hair comb and lightly powders her skin with a musky face powder. Her perfume smells of rich ambergris, Shalimar-ish vanilla and powdery orris, very Edwardian. She meets a man, going off to war. Wearing his uniform, he’s freshly shaven and smells of barbershop violet and lavender. It’s love…

The perfume tells a story, starting with the newest generation and moving back through time. Even though the top has faded, I still think of that energetic, optimistic young women. I wonder if she’ll meet her true love while wearing this perfume, a perfume that perhaps created her. And she will. He’s off to war. Will he come back?

Notes listed include fresh citrus accord, geranium, violet blossom, rose, jasmine, ylang ylang, violet leaf, lavender, vanilla, orris root, and sandalwood. PERFUMER – Andy Tauer

Give Miriam a try if you like Tauer’s other perfumes, if you like vintage style florals or if you like powdery violet perfumes. Try it if you like Oscar Esprit d’Oscar,  A Lab on Fire What We Do in Paris is Secret, Ulrich Lang Lightscape, vintage Chanel No. 5, L’Artisan Parfumeur Drôle de Rose, Guerlain Shalimar and/or Chanel No. 5 Eau Première. Miriam is more feminine; however, a guy that wears vintage classics can easily wear this. Miriam is such an intelligent, gorgeous fragrance; it’s difficult for me to discourage anyone from wearing it.

Miriam has above average projection and longevity.

*This perfume is inspired by and made for Brian Pera’s Woman’s Picture.

The 1.7 oz bottle retails for $160 at LuckyScent.

Victoria’s Final EauPINION – 3 generations of vintage inspired perfume: flirty violet, aldehydic green floral, animalic iris. Very “Tauer” and I like it. I like it so much that I’m sure I need a full-size bottle.

Want more reviews? Try…

Perfume Shrine

Muse in Wooden Shoes

Now Smell This

The Non-Blonde

Ça Fleure Bon

Perfume-Smellin’ Things

Smelly Thoughts

*Sample purchased by me. Product pic from Luckyscent. Ann-Margret in Bye Bye Birdie from www.doctormacro.com