Chantecaille Pétales Perfume

Did I tell you how much I love Chantecaille's Pétales Perfume? If you missed my first mention, when only the testers were available, here's some information to tempt you white flower fragrance lovers. I picked up my bottle when it arrived at Neiman Marcus Mazza Gallerie, where I had been on the waiting list.

Deliciously fresh, pretty, classic, and romantic, Pétales is a party at the botanical gardens on a warm summer's evening. It's an all-night dance on a yacht off the Riviera. Its essence is the white-floral elegance of a thousand gardenias.

The story behind Pétales can be told in one way by mentioning Sylvie Chantecaille's deep love of gardenias. A central ingredient in this complex white flower fragrance, the tropical, classic gardenia has been a favorite of Sylvie's since she was a little girl.

"Gardenias' unmistakable perfume always reminds me of growing up in France and long, relaxed summer evenings," Chantecaille said. In order to create a truly unique and modern interpretation of this timeless scent, Chantecaille blended gardenia with a fragrant bouquet of other signature white flowers, including jasmine and tuberose, yielding a beautifully fresh and wearable scent that evokes pure glamour. The spirit of Pétales calls to mind warm and breezy summer parties, enchanted gardens, and the pleasures of couture dressing. "It's both completely heady and yet deliciously fresh," Chantecaille says.

The top note is all gardenia. Balsam, jasmine, and tuberose form the heart and character of Pétales. Beautifully warm, soft, and sensual cedar, sandalwood, and a whisper of musk deepen this velvety soft, fresh fragrance, giving it a refined essence that is ultimately classic and unforgettable. Pétales reminds me a bit of perfumes that were popular in my first decades of life - and first memories of fragrance. It's bold - not a shrinking violet, like some of its floral sisters.

On first spray, it's all flowers - exotic white flowers that command my attention. As it dries down, the flowers give way to a depth that's soft and pleasant. Think about a sun-filled tropical garden on the edge of a rain forest. As you walk through the garden, you become intoxicated with its rich scents. As you enter the forest, you can still detect those beautiful flowers, perhaps carried int he breeze or a lingering memory, but the woods start to beckon. Then, as you walk deeper into the forest, the experience changes to one of soft woods, tempered only by the greenery that can survive in deep shade - a world apart from the lush sunny garden that is now a pleasant memory as the fragrance dries down. To me, Pétales is a romantic story, an image, and a dream.

Even the bottle is gorgeous - so typically Chantecaille! It's a fragrance you will want to show off on your vanity. Also new from Chantecaille are Frangipane, Kalimantan, and Vetyver, some of which are re-introductions, but all in the same gorgeous bottle.

Pétales is available exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Harrods, Holt Renfrew, Seibu, and Lane Crawford. It does not appear that you can order it at Chantecaille's Web site - yet.

If there's anything you would like to order from Chantecaille, you should visit now. With any $100 purchase, you will receive a full-sized Brilliant Gloss in Charisma.

Photo courtesy of Chantecaille