Corps et Ames 2012 – herbal and floral and beguiling

Photo: perfumeniche - Sens Unique in Paris

Have you ever made the perfect dish, a roast chicken, say, or lemon squares, and you think, “The next time I make this, I’ll tweak here, put a little bit less of that and a little bit more of this and cook it for longer…”. You’re not making something that’s bad better; you’re taking something that’s really good and making a variation on it.

Perfumers do this, too. Daniela Andrier revisited Prada Infusion d’Iris EDP and created an Absolute version. Pierre Guillaume revisited his 2006 creation Corps et Ames EDP and created Corps at Ames 2012.   

I read a review somewhere, I can't remember where, and the link doesn't work, of the original Corps et Ames EDP that said: “… the sharp dry geranium starts to sweeten with its spicy rose facets, and hints of sweet creamy jasmine from the Melati wood and the gorgeous immortelle flower drift in, adding that burnt hay/caramel, slightly curried note that is so unique. Soon it's joined by a soft, sexy leather note, with a dirty-sweaty edge from oakmoss, the rosy heart develops into a rich, inviting accord that has an exotic heat and so the forbidding female reveals her inner vixen.”

I love Corps et Ames EDP, but when I walked into Sens Unique in Paris to smell Corps et Ames 2012, I walked out with a bottle and a big smile (Thank you Renata!)

It opens with verbena, soothing, green and gently anisic, its citrus facet plays on the citrus aspect of geranium leaf which adds a lovely minty greenness to the top notes. I smell patchouli here too, dark and deep, but not earthy or musty. As it moves to the heart, the rose facets of the geranium bloom and it begin to smell like roses, even though ‘rose’ isn’t listed anywhere in the ingredients. I don’t know how or why this happens, and I don’t want to know cause I don’t want to ruin the spell. Jasmin is here too and gives it an animalic whiff along with a creamy lushness. The base has a soft woodiness from sandalwood and a gentle warmth from musk. The drydown is sophisticated with an aromatic herbal/floral elegance that is beguiling.

Corps et Ames 2012 is labeled Eau de Toilette Apaisante. “Apaisante” means ‘lulling’ or ‘soothing’, a reference to the soothing qualities of verbena, and it’s an EDT, so you know it’s going to be lighter than the original. But the ‘lightness’ isn’t just in the concentration. The 2012 version has had the immortelle and leather stripped from it allowing light into it so that it has depth but not heaviness, making it sunnier and lighter but not weaker. It hasn’t diminished the original; it just means there’s a variation on it and that's more excellent juice for us to wear.

Check out Corps et Ames 2012 in our Shop.