Vintage Guerlain Parure review

1975 US advertisement for Guerlain Parure by Antoine Bootz ( from the Guerlain Archive book)

Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without splashing a few drops on yourself. ~ St. Augustine of Hippo

Ida’s Guerlain Parure edt in flacon strié, rare collectible designed by Saint-Gobin Desjonquères

Reviewing vintage fragrance is a different process from writing about something newer, readily available, or popular. In more recent decades, transparency in perfume has been more prevalent: there is rarely any debate regarding which materials are involved; we frequently are aware who the perfumer is; and modern copy provides us with ample information, storylines, etc.

Jean Paul Guerlain via Wiki parfum

I find that there is less guesswork; that we may have a very good idea of what it is we’re smelling and how it came into being. Vintages are more cagey. Composed in an era where now-banned olfactive materials were de rigueur, it’s not uncommon for experts to disagree about a vintage perfume’s contents. Sometimes there is disagreement over who created (or co-created) the scent as well. Fortunately, this was not the case when I realized that we had not yet reviewed 1975’s enigmatic and controversial chypre by Jean-Paul Guerlain, Parure. From where I sit, Parure was a modern masterpiece – whether one admired it or not. And there are plenty from both camps who have not been the least bit reluctant to express themselves regarding this mysterious fragrance. Guerlain Parure was a polarizing perfume which experienced a relatively brief run (from 1975- early 2000s); you either loved it or loathed it. I loved it. When Parure was released in 1975, I had just turned 21 and purchased it without a second thought; by then, I had been an avowed Guerlain girl for nine years. I was enraptured by its singularly moody, mossy beauty.

Sapphire set of Queen Marie-Amalie and Queen Hortense – Wikipedia

What is a parure? The name arises from the French verb parer (to adorn): a parure is a matched set of jewelry which might be composed of a necklace and earrings, perhaps a brooch, diadem, and/or a tiara. This form of ornamentation has been popular among the titled and privileged, as well as actresses, royalty, socialites and the like. Guerlain is said to have composed Parure for his mother, Nelly Cécile Corbier – in honor of her gardens filled with fragrant daffodils and roses. His inspiration was the 1922 discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb, with its magnificent perfume vases of gold and precious stones.

“Those who have never witnessed the magic of a field of jasmine or roses in the nascent dawn, can they truly know what perfume is?” ~ Jean-Paul Guerlain.

Michael Edwards’ Perfume Legends II image

According to perfume expert Michael Edwards in his Perfume Legends II, Jean-Paul Guerlain created Guerlain Parure with the assistance of perfumer Anne-Marie Saget. Guerlain Parure, in premium condition – opens with a sparkling angularity which I attribute to its bouquet of citruses garnished with thyme, galbanum, and clary sage. Glorious roses and jasmine are paired with the deep damascones of plum and its woody nuances. The spice which I perceive may be coriander, and some cinnaminic tones from the balsams employed (Peru balsam, styrax); it feels arid, as does the overall impression of Parure’s eventual drydown. We sense the indolic nature of jonquil and narcissus, so lovely in concert with notes of muguet and lilac for counterbalance. Its classical chypre base is redolent with a true oakmoss overdose tempered with vetiver, quite likely labdanum (referred to as amber or leather) and patchouli. It’s a resin-heavy base which lingers for hours, even in the eau de toilette. The parfum is a wonder: rounder, more voluptuous – and not easily purchased for a reasonable price. I am fortunate to have a well-preserved micro-mini of the parfum and an ounce of the eau de toilette – each of which is pristine. It does indeed smell much as I remembered it from the 1970s. I feel like the young Vanessa Redgrave in it. Or Anne Bancroft. Super-soigné and impossibly refined – a fragrance suited to any gender, provided that you appreciate its bone-dry beauty and its take-no-prisoners posture. Surely, the stunning sculptural flacon which houses Parure parfum (created by Robert Granai) is an inducement for collectors as pure art, with its wave-in-motion stopper.

Ida’s Vintage Parure Flacon strié and Robert Granai’s parfum flacon

Why did Parure fall out of favor in such short order? In contrast to many earlier Guerlain fragrances, Parure was perceived as a chillier, more reserved rose-themed chypre than Mitsouko or its warmer scented predecessors; a bit distant, elegant, and perhaps more edgy than was the trend at that time. 1975 was an era of radiant florals (Revlon Jontue, Prince Matchabelli Aviance, Chloe), rich ambers (Germaine Monteil Bakir, Judith by Judith Müller): the verdancy of Halston, Captain Molyneux, Grey Flannel; and fluffy musks such as Love’s Musky variations (lemon, amber, woods, jasmine). Whether Guerlain Parure felt out of step, too severe, or possibly a tad autocratic in the public’s eye is indeed a possibility. There were certainly those who felt that it was too ‘mature’ to be widely popular – and given the IFRA’s regulations concerning key ingredients (oakmoss being of particular concern; the fragrance called for an abundance of it), and the scent’s fading favor, perfumer Thierry Wasser feared that there would be no way to reissue Parure without damaging its unique qualities. It was summarily retired. Those among us who revered it still mourn a little for the rose fanée seething with somber undercurrents.

Notes: Hesperidic notes, bergamot, thyme, galbanum, clary sage, lily of the valley, rose, orris, plum, lilac, jasmine, jonquil, narcissus, oakmoss, spices, amber, styrax, Peru balsam, leather, vetiver, patchouli.