Eau de Claudie – fresh and spicy and woody

Years ago, while in Paris, I discovered Claudie Pierlot. This French stylist was known for creating clothing for the real women of Paris, and the brand became known for its feminine yet urban vibe.

Soon, I was shopping at her store on rue Montmartre, just behind St. Eustache whenever I visited Paris.

Ahh, those were the days! Those clothes gave this Toronto girl an air of Parisienne chic. Time and gravity have pushed me out of the designer’s demographic, but I was drawn back to rue Montmartre in 2007, when I’d heard that Claudie Pierlot had launched three colognes: Eau de Claudie, Eau de Cloclo and Eau de Pierlot.

Well, it wouldn’t hurt to give them a whiff, would it? I love her aesthetic and her clothes, but would I like her fragrances? I crack myself up sometimes.

Of the three, Eau de Claudie was a standout for me. Smelling it on my skin brought back my younger self, and soon, I was walking out the door with a bottle.

Back at home, a little research revealed that Nathalie Gracia-Cetto was the nose who signed Eau de Claudie. Ms. Gracia-Cetto is with Givaudan and has created fragrances for the likes of Comme des Garcons, Dior, Tom Ford, Six Scents and many others, and one of my very favourite fragrances, Sweet Morphine for Ex Nihilo.

Colognes follow a very simple formula: alcohol that contains a mixture of citrus oils, herbs and flowers, with a light base of woods or musk. It’s how a perfumer plays with the ingredients in the formula that makes their colognes distinctive.

Eau de Claudie opens with a whoosh of fresh juicy citrus framed with green herbaceous notes. As it blooms, it gets spicy. I smell cinnamon and cardamom. As they soften, black pepper boosts them by adding warmth to the composition. On me, I smell incense, soft and vaporous, it’s like a hidden gem in the mix, which rests on a dry, soft, base of sandalwood. It’s the spicy warmth that makes this cologne so unique.

Eau de Claudie is a graceful, haunting scent that dries down to a soft, warm skin scent that’s light as a summer veil. And so smooth, there just aren’t enough ‘o’s in the word to describe Eau de Claudie.

My gamine days are long over, thank god, and while most of the clothes at Claudie Pierlot don’t suit me anymore, Eau de Claudie does. This beautiful interpretation of the classic cologne has long been discontinued. But I’m not worried - I have plenty of Eau de Claudie on hand.

Check out Eau de Claudie in our Shop.