Apercu Houbigant for women

2/04/2012- I purchased both Houbigant Quelques Fleurs & Apercu. Not much difference between them- They are both very (very) quiet, soft florals, linear, w/ moderate staying power (8 hours max) & low sillage/projection. During the 1st hour or two, sillage is literally only several inches surrounding application area. After that, it is there, for a good 8 hours, but only w/ my nose touching my wrist to inhale. The difference between the 2, to my nose, seems to be that Apercu is spiced w/ clove/cinnamon in the heart. In my opinion the frag's are soft, lovely, absolutely enchanting florals, but not for me- I prefer a stronger presence of scent. Perfect for someone who prefers a come-hither whisper of scent :)

Apercu opens sharply, mostly cinnamon and powdery green. It's warm, spicy, and dry. I get a musty aspect initially, but it's faint and dissipates quickly. I catch a whiff of citrus as well, bringing to mind a dried orange studded with cloves. In the heart, blossoms develop and Apercu changes from a sophisticated, spicy chypre to one that is simply wonderful. The warm spices and bitter greens balance like a waltzing couple. Florals harmonize sweetly in the background. (They stepped forward when I drank a cup of jasmine tea while wearing it.)

At first glance, Apercu is so pointedly cinnamon and spice that "Overview" doesn't seem like a good name. However, once the dominant notes settle into a melody, it is a wrist sniffer, not to decipher and appreciate note by note, but to savor as a whole. The overview is where the pleasure of Apercu lies. It is a masterful composition. It's also definately a wintry scent; when I sampled it in the summer it was suffocating. Thank you Fragranticans; I've never seen this in a store and bought it blind based on descriptions here. It is wonderful.

Apercu has prominent green notes, but it's a red-brown fragrance. I'm reminded of 'Killing the Blues':
Leaves are falling
Just like embers
In colors red and gold
They set us on fire...

Sillage and longevity are both good. A couple of spritzes will last all day. As the day progresses the scent gets better, sweeter, more intimate, less formal.

I have to say that I just don't get along with this scent and I've tried wearing it several times.

The colors rust and brown come to mind instead of green. The top is pure acetone turning to a cinammon and oakmoss combination which feels very heavy. The first 5-10 minutes, I sniff it skin close it actually smells good with a distinct touch of clove. But after an hour of wear I find myself wrinkling my nose and asking "what the heck is that dank smell?" The sillage is pervading and everlasting, a dark and too spicy cloud that seems to follow me around and bring down my whole day.

I wish I could appreciate it but the smell reminds me more of a musty home that's been closed up for many years with no air, dusty baked goods sitting on the counter and a slow water leak, than a beautiful fragrance.

In short, it just smells horrible on my skin and I won't be wearing it.

Stunning, elegant and refined. The vintage feel makes it beautiful and it takes you back to when fragrances were more than just fruity. Definately worth testing.

tested it, getting it, it was beautiful and well made. You can just tell from the first spray. It lasted nicely too. Classic for sure, gotta have it in my collection.

Quelle surprise! I got a sample of this almost as an afterthought as I did not know much about it. Tried it today, and fell in love. Chypre is my favorite group, and this one would make an excellent addition to the collection. If I had to choose one word, I would describe this fragrance as balanced. In the vial, there is a bitter scent that dissipates immediately on the skin. Lightly floral without sweetness, a light citrus-green tone, with a warm spiciness. A little of everything and rather than being a mish-mash, it is a luscious, sensuous yet somehow light fragrance that stays fairly close to the skin, and has very reasonable longevity. Glad I tried it!!

Amazing fragrance!!!
It is dry, spicy with moderate sweethness. I feel clove from the start and even suspected peper here. This composition is so pleasant to my nose, that, I think, I could die happily sniffing Apercu:)

Love love LOVE this, it is loaded with oakmoss and not sweet, yet there is a deep spiciness to it as well. I have to think that it is pretty good reinterpretation of the original. This is probably the last decent Houbigant scent before the house fell into the hands of yet another company that does not care about the greatness it once had. This house is only a name now, very sad. Get this and Demi-Jour in their original older versions if you love oakmoss. Apercu is a wear everywhere, always proper type of scent, yet it's not like the mass marekt scents of today. A classic!

Apercu is a very classic, very green (oakmoss) chypre. It wears a little 'warmer' than some other green chypres I've tried, probably due to a nice cinnamon note and maybe the sandalwood.
Although it was released relatively recently, it definitely has a vintage feel and, as a result, may not appeal to those who like more modern floral or fruity chypres.
For fans of scents like EL Knowing, the original Jean Louis Scherrer or K de Krizia, Apercu is a must-try.

I'm not sure my sample was the relaunch or the 1925 original. What I smell is a soft, vintage fragrance that is very much a chypre scent. Definitely old-style without seeming dated or old-fashioned.

Aperçu is a perfume you can wear anywhere. Not too strong, yet with good lasting power. Not too sweet, but elegant and unmistakably feminine. Easy to live with, but not so popular that everyone else is wearing it.

The fragrance is dry and spicy over a fresh citrus top note, but has a floral bouquet at the heart. If it were a piece of clothing, it might be a tailored jacket with a sprig of forget-me-not pined to the collar. Its quiet ease is a nice contrast to the overpowering or cloyingly sweet fruity-florals and woody-vanillas that have predominated perfume counters lately.