Fragrance Notes
Le Beau Narcisse
Smelling clean and expensive rather than interesting is a perfectly respectable ambition, and Jean Paul Gaultier Le Beau Narcisse Eau de Parfum 125ml is built for exactly that.
Three materials make it up, and it makes no attempt to hide the fact. Bergamot gives the opening its lift, the bitter end of citrus rather than the juicy end, with the slightly soapy brightness that reads as grooming rather than fruit. Powdery musk is the body of the thing and carries most of the wear: soft, skin like, a shade sweet, the quality that makes laundry smell like laundry. Tonka bean rounds it off from below with a nutty warmth and the faint bitterness of almond paste, which keeps the musk from going flat.
What that adds up to is a comfort scent with good manners. It is not challenging, it is not loud, and it will not be the most memorable fragrance anyone owns, but it is the sort of bottle that gets used up while more ambitious ones sit on the shelf.
The concentration tells in the wear, with real longevity at a moderate volume. Expect it to stay with you through a working day while keeping within arm's reach after the first hour, which is exactly what you want for offices, meetings and travel. It is not seasonal in any strict sense, though the powder reads better in cool air than in heat. At 125ml this is the full size bottle, bought by people who have already decided. Quentin Bisch composed it.
The house was founded on fashion, with its first women's collection shown in 1976 and a Paris boutique following in 1984, and it has been a serious perfume business since Classique arrived in 1993. The Spanish group Puig became majority owner in 2011.
Please note: images are a guide only. Packaging and bottle design may occasionally differ from those shown due to manufacturer updates or promotions.
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