Coup de Foudre by Parfums DelRae

If you ever visit NYC and you love perfumes, Barney’s basement at 660 Madison Avenue is “a must”. It’s not just a showcase of exclusive fragrances, it’s alchemical laboratory with many exhibited raw ingredients such as six year old aged iris roots or jars with moss, as well as insightful and forthcoming staff.

On May 29, 2010 it was the perfect place for DelRae Roth to introduce her new perfume ”Coup de Foudre” - meaning literally "bolt of lightning", a phrase French use it to describe the "love at first sight". It took year and half and an intense creative effort with Yann Vasnier to create their second masterpiece. The first one, Mythique stirred attention with extraordinary quality and a unique approach to orris root butter.

“I put the first label on the bottle of Coup de Foudre this morning,“ told us DelRae, still weary from post-productive hubbubs. “The press material for Coup de Foudre is still not on my web site, but I hope to explain this fragrance soon in more detail. It is inspired by rose and dedicated namely to Rose de Mai (Rosa centifolia), originating from one of the two remaining fields in Grasse, where roses are specifically cultivated for perfumes. The other ingredients were selected just as stringently, and most of them are rare, exclusive and very expensive.”

Coup de Foudre aims to "capture the ultimate beauty of the rose, as you find it in nature - deep, luscious, fresh, and completely intoxicating. So stunning, that when you first smell it, regardless of your previous rose experience, it is 'love at first sight'... coup de foudre." The processing of the rose was made with a new technique which is said to produce an "immediate vibrancy."

The top notes are Baie Rose, Italian Lemon 'sfumatrice' and Pink Grapefruit. The middle notes are Rose de Mai France Orpur Absolute, Purple Peony, Egyptian Jasmine Absolute, and Magnolia Orpur, while the base notes are interplay of Tonka Venezuela, Vetyver, White Moss and Velvet Musks
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As we first sprayed it simultaneously on paper and on skin, we had two different experiences: On paper the citrusy notes greeted us playfully in a high pitch, while on skin the warmth of the rose was instantaneous and it purified our emotions. As we chatted with Delrae for about half an hour, any time we went back to smell Coup de Foudre again it always gave us different excitement. The rose was shifting between dimensions, while the base was waving between gentle solidity of Velvet Musks and soft bitterness.

DelRae Roth makes it obvious that the creation of perfumes is a high form of art. She insisted that Coup de Foudre was solely inspired by rose, but we found here the continuation of the story of French renaissance woman Diane de Pointiers, who inspired Mythique. Delrae spoke about her influence extensively in her most recent fragrantica interview. (Diane was 20 years older mistress to French king Henri II, she was educated, independent, compassionate and beautiful.)

Images: photo of Barney's here, Parfums DelRae, photo from presentation by Olga Ikebanova, centifolia by galateadia