Caron, With Pleasure, 18.72 ml. or 0.633 oz. Flacon, Parfum Extrait, 1949, 1955, Paris, France ..

Established by Ernest Daltroff in 1904, Parfums Caron was originally located on Rue de la Paix in Paris. Daltroff purchased the perfumery from Anne-Marie Caron and kept the original name. At the same time, he met Félicie Wanpouille, who became his partner and an important contributor to the rise of the house. While Daltroff created fragrances, Wanpouille designed bottles and served as an artistic director.

Caron is the second-oldest Parisian perfume house still active today, and one of the last great houses devoted entirely to fragrances. Caron’s fragrances respond to, and capture the spirit of their times—from WWI to modern women, their scents reflect both personal emotions and historical moments. The company has been able to adapt to changes in society while staying true to its own tradition. Even Caron’s modern perfumes continue to be both unique and timeless.

From the beginning, Parfums Caron was the house dedicated solely to fragrance, unlike houses like Chanel or Christian Dior that were first and foremost fashion houses. While the perfume houses produced more fragrances than fashion houses, by the 1920s women started to look at perfume the same way they regarded new fashion styles. However, as the couture fragrances became more and more popular, they provided a stable point in the ever changing world of fashion, therefore the pace of perfume production by non fashion designers began to decline. Subsequently, however, Caron has burst back into the front runners of a very elite and niche market perfume business. Bois de Jasmin.

"Caron's With Pleasure was issued in 1949, composed by perfumer Michel Morsetti, two years after the self-taught founder, Ernest Daltroff, had passed away. The bottle was customarily designed by Félicie Bergaud .. née Félicie Vanpouille .. the collaborator of Daltroff, with whom they shared an open, and controversial at the time, relationship out of wedlock. Contemporary to both Or et Noir (Gold and Black) and Rose it remained in their long shadow, a secret to be unveiled by those in the know. The same year also saw the introduction of the original version of Caron's Pour Une Femme, later discontinued and then re-issued in 2001 in an altered formula. It seems that the end of the war and the decade drawing to a close saw an orgiastic productivity at Caron! Yet although the former fragrances continue their unhindered path, With Pleasure has been discontinued and become rare, a true collectible."

Michel Morsetti has been responsible for all these fragrances. The venerable French house started from meagre beginnings in 1901-1902 when Russian-Jewish brothers Ernest and Raoul Daltroff bought the small parfumeria "Emilia", located on rue Rossini in Paris, evident in their first fragrance baptized Royal Emilia in 1904. Aided by an obscure acquaintance named Kahann with deep pockets, Ernest Daltroff moved the address to 10 rue de la Paix and renamed it "Caron", with which name it became synonymous with French style and "fit for a duchess" chic, according to an infamous quote."

If there is a signature Caron-ade running through the fabric of the older vintage Carons, it is evident in With Pleasure, without doubt: a dark rose with musty, slightly earthy tonalities is peeking its face underneath a green-herbal façade. The rosiness is an upside-down image of the darker and rosier Or et Noir, with an almost anisic touch. The greeness of With pleasure is not chypré, nevertheless, but rather tilted into an aldehydic direction with a non tangy citrusy accent, folded into the rosiness along with snuffed-out candles notes. The more strident, angular chypres of the 50s were competing with more traditionally feminine aldehydics and their proper lady image; so very fitting, after the return of women to the home, the kitchen and the boudoir following the loaded responsibilities they had shouldered during the hard WWII days which helped emancipate them further." Perfume Shrine

"With Pleasure is classified as a rich green floral chypre fragrance for women with a soft rose note.

Top notes are Dried Fruit Note, Citrus, and Aldehydes
Heart notes are Rose, Jasmine, and Hyacinth
Base notes are Suede, Vanilla, Oak Moss, Amber, Sandalwood, Patchouli, and Galbanum

The perfume is a drier, fruitier, subtle floral bouquet with a dominant deep, dark musty rose note, a favorite accord used in Caron's fine perfumes. Other notes are herbal, and green with a light hesperdic note." Cleopatra's Boudoir

"With Pleasure .. A delicate blend of hyacinth, lily of the valley, and rose, sparked with musk." Caron Parfums.

The perfume was housed inside a Baccarat crystal keg shaped flacon with a bar shaped stopper, which I call the tap. The shape of the bottle is probably an allusion to a wooden wine barrel, with its tap shaped spigot. Some perfumes are in a sense, like wine, they must be aged before set up for sale, and some perfumes do seem to get better with age. The bottle was designed by Felicie Bergaud and was produced by Baccarat as design #807.

Offered here is a very super rare chance to buy over a half ounce of With Pleasure in the original wine barrel bottle. It comes with its original presentation box. The hang tag is in the box, but is stained with perfume, so hard to read. This is so incredibly rare .. price is commensurate .. the perfume is divine .. roses, roses .. divine warm powdery roses .. with a soft suede not. One of my personal all time Caron favourites!! Sumptuous!!