Caron, Montaigne, 50 ml. or 1.76 oz. Flacon, Eau de Parfum, Tester, 1987, Paris, France ..

In 1904, thanks to the genius of Ernest Daltroff, Caron established itself in the world of High Perfumery, opening its doors at 10 rue de la Paix, Paris. Ernest’s love for his colleague Félicie, was a constant and significant influence in his creations.

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 fashion, therefore the pace of perfume production 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.

Montaigne by Caron is a Oriental Floral fragrance for women which was launched in 1987. The nose behind this fragrance is Richard Fraysse.

"Montaigne has a white floral accord that dominates, where the gorgeous flowers of jasmine, rose, and orange blossom are detected among Montaigne’s floral notes. Though the arrangement is moderately indolic, it is so generously seasoned with aldehydes that it smells clean and soapy, rather than decadent and animalic. The amber and vanilla in the base notes are offset by a very smooth, creamy wood accord. Without the woods Montaigne might be oppressively sweet, but their presence assures adequate balance. The drydown, with its remnants of soapy florals tempered by soft woods and amber, is my favorite part of this fragrance. In its parfum concentration Montaigne projects and lasts well."

"Montaigne is heady, indolic and creamy. It starts a little spicy and slightly bitter at first, then settles down in a sweet, warm and creamy base. I find the scent plush and sunny. Very French and old-fashioned. I tend to wear Montaigne a lot in winter because it cheeers me up, as if the sky was not so grey any more, the weather no longer gloomy and as though I was walking on a carpet of yellow flower petals! If I wear Montaigne on warm days, I feel like the sunshine started to be collected around me and the atmosphere started to shimmer! I think it's drop-dead beautiful!" Basenotes Review.

Montaigne refers to the prestigious Avenue Montaigne in Paris, specifically marking the opening of Caron's third boutique at number 34 in the early 1980s. The fragrance was designed as a bespoke creation to symbolize the elegance and refinement of this famous avenue, which is considered a crossroads of French haute couture

Top notes are Jasmine, Coriander, Bitter Orange, Mandarin, and Tangerine
Heart notes are Mimosa, Yellow Narcissus, Acacia, and Black Currant
Base notes are Sandalwood, Amber, Vanille, Benzoin, and Ambrette or Mallow

Offered here is a lovely 50 flacon of Montaigne in the Eau de Parfum spray format. Never used. Old tester. No box. Collectible.

I do sell samples of this perfume if you want to try it first ..