Le Temps de Reines by Isabel Derroisne

lillybee

I have a miniature of the Eau de Parfum.
Just after applying one drop on each of my wrists from the miniature bottle I'm hit with a strong, almost overpowering boozy-woody aroma that reminds of me of mature, vintage wine where the aromas have had ample time to crystallise.

I get a whiff of geranium oil, this rich, powerful, astringent and especially woody aroma with a hint of green and rose-type floral note. I couldn't distinguish any of the prices though I must say when compared to my geranium essential oil, Le Temps de Reines was slightly softer so they did change the harsh feel for the better.

Half an hour on, the fragrance still had a pronounced wine-like and woody accord accompanied by a softer, earthy aroma. Some of the harshness of the geranium still prevailed but it was now nicely blended in heart note and with the skin too softening it up.

The drydown consisted of a soft, barely there skin scent, a warm, dry and slightly bittersweet benzoin aroma I love.

I use geranium oil to fend off insects and to deodorise my shoes and it does a pretty good job at those and I don't think it did any favours to this woody oriental theme, even if the emphasis was on woody rather than oriental.

Due to the non-sweet and woody nature of the fragrance, it would possibly work better as a men's cologne, though I'm finding it hard to imagine it on my boyfriend. Geranium oil is often employed in men's fragrances to add a woody touch to them, however, blending is crucial as this is a potent essence that can easily overpower.

As a ladies' item, you do have to appreciate certain notes and it's especially true for woody scents as People react differently to heavier, earthy and woody oils and resins as they're often associated with masculine fragrances.

I like woody fragrances with a semi-sweet touch and due to my own associations I have towards geranium oil, I wouldn't wear this fragrance myself. If this wasn't enough, I felt it didn't have enough notes to play with and wasn't creative either. It was linear, boring, empty and one-sided. I expect more form the house that created Ilaya.