Launched in 2012 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Parfumerie Generale, now part of Pierre Guillaume Paris, Pierre Guillaume revisited his 2006 fragrance Corps et Ames EDP and created Corps et Ames 2012.

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 begins to smell like roses, even though ‘rose’ isn’t listed anywhere in the ingredients – I don’t know why, 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.

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 a sunnier and lighter but not weaker. It hasn’t diminished the original; it just means there’s more excellent juice to wear.

Notes: geranium leaves, verbena, patchouli, jasmine sambac, sandalwood, musk.