Patchouli Elixir revives Réminiscence's marvelous Patchouli. When the magnificent and iconic Patchouli is reborn, it does not go unnoticed—quite the opposite!
Released in 2007, Patchouli Elixir returns to the forefront 37 years after the enormous success of Patchouli. Here, of course, patchouli is elevated, given pride of place, and can be discovered through many facets. A star of the 1970s, patchouli greatly inspired the Réminiscence brand. A sign of freedom and of Flower Power, patchouli makes its grand comeback. Here, Réminiscence revisits its great classic by creating a new potion of love, a blazing love philter. Rare and powerful, the composition reveals many surprises. It is signed Isabelle Doyen.
Isabelle Doyen elevates patchouli for Réminiscence
A graduate of the prestigious perfumery school of Versailles, ISIPCA, Isabelle Doyen also teaches classes there, while creating fragrances, mainly for Annick Goutal. On the subject of her olfaction classes, Isabelle Doyen states that she enjoys these exchanges with the students; each time, she discovers new facets that she revisits, without ever tiring of smelling them again. She likes working with powerful scents as well as flowers. When asked what her favorite material is, Isabelle Doyen explains that it is difficult to name a single favorite material, that there are several, among them dizzying rose essence, mysterious sexy patchouli, hedione at the height of delicacy, and sweet, torrid vetiver. Isabelle Doyen is responsible for magnificent fragrances, such as Vent de Folie and Songes for Annick Goutal.
Patchouli, the star of Réminiscence's Patchouli Elixir
Originating in Southeast Asia, patchouli appeared at the beginning of the 19th century. At that time, it protected the cashmere shawls that ladies had delivered to Europe. Patchouli was then “seized upon” by Parisian courtesans who adored its potency. Nevertheless, it was only in the 1960s and 1970s that patchouli experienced its heyday. Associated with the hippie movement and sexual freedom, patchouli is the scent of the 1970s. Burning patchouli sticks at the time evoked a spirit of rebellion.
Today, patchouli has become an essential raw material of niche perfumery, for men as much as for women. Mainly grown in Indonesia and the Philippines, patchouli gives off powerful scents, at once earthy, close to those of the undergrowth, damp, camphoraceous, even dusty. When freshly picked, the patchouli flower has no scent. It is only once distilled that it releases all its aromas. Patchouli Elixir opens with patchouli notes that display the intensity of the composition. The heart evolves toward woody notes, namely those of cedar, sandalwood and vetiver. Finally, the base of Patchouli Elixir lacks no power, in keeping with the whole composition, and combines tonka bean, vanilla and Tolu balsam to leave an ultra sensual and gourmand sillage. The bottle echoes the main codes of its predecessor. Understated and refined, the bottle displays a magnificent transparency that reveals its delicious amber nectar.