Blogdorf Goodman is a mishmash of beauty product reviews, musings on fashion and swooning over fragrances.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

40 Days and 40 Nights Of Fragrance Notes:Tuberose


The tuberose, with her silvery light,
That in the gardens of Malay
Is call'd the Mistress of the Night,
So like a bride, scented and bright;
She comes out when the sun's away.
- Thomas Moore,
Lalla Rookh--Light of the Harem

The best description of the tuberose note is from Luca Turin in Perfumes The Guide. It is located in his review for By Kilian's Beyond Love. Page 92 for the fragonerds.

"Not only is the smell of tuberose flowers wonderful, it isn't even, properly speaking, floral in the clean, vegetal sense of floral fragrances. Tuberoses smell of butter, rubber, leather, blood, and heaven knows what else".

Tuberose is strong, sweet, exotic, illicit, tenacious and heady. It is a slightly rubbery, loud, creamy white floral that has a Dr Pepper vibe. It is simply glorious.
The tuberose is a night blooming plant. Tuberose has a mistress of the night kind of reputation.
My favorite tuberose fragrance is Frederic Malle's Carnal Flower.
I have gushed about this fume on this blog before.

"This summer I fell very hard for Frederic Malle's Carnal Flower. This Malle has the highest amount of natural tuberose absolute in any fragrance. I am a girl that shys away from Fracas and any other tuberose based fragrances. They are too loud for me. Carnal Flower manages to be a loud whisper. No baseball bat impact for me! It has wonderful sillage and the dry down is gorgeous. Like a lush jungle. It was beyond perfect for this summer".

A legendary tuberose perfume is Fracas by Robert Piguet. This is a buttery tuberose with a soapy dry down. It was worn by Marilyn Monroe.
Michael by Michael Kors is the holy grail scent of my boss. It smells like power. The tuberose is strong in this juice. The sillage wafts through the office. It can breed fear.
By Kilian's Beyond Love is a greenish tuberose with a dollop of coconut. Slightly tropical with a camphorous (band aid) opening. Pilar & Lucy's Tiptoeing Through Chambers Of The Moon is a candied tuberose. Almost sugary. Serge Luten's Tuberose Criminelle starts out with an opening of gasoline and ends with just buttery heaven.
But those first few minutes are rough.
It will make you shudder and give up.
Be patient.
True heartbreakingly loveliness soldiers on through that opening!

Tuberose Fragrances

The Best: Frederic Malle's Carnal Flower
The Legends: Fracas, Creed's Tubereuse Indiana, Serge Lutens Tuberose Criminelle
Others:
L'Artisan Nuit de Tubereuse
Michael by Michael Kors
Diptyque Do San
By Kilian Beyond Love
Marc Jacobs
Pilar & Lucy Tiptoeing Through Chambers Of The Moon
Etat Libre Vierges et Toreros
Parfums Del Rae Amoureuse
Annick Goutal Tubereuse
Keiko Mecheri Tuberose
Toykomilk French Kiss
Miller Harris Noix de Tubereuse
Comme des Garcons Daphne

Dish in the comments on your favorite Tuberose fragrances.

Reviewer: Annie
Credit: Annie
Graphic Credit: Melanie Parker
Disclosure: All products mentioned have been purchases or sample vials scored at stores or through Makeupalley.
By Kilian's Beyond Love sample vial was provided by Bergdorf Goodman.
Luca Turin quote from Perfumes The Guide. This book is by Tania " Tbone" Sanchez and Mr T. I love this dynamic duo.

Labels: Fragrance, Frederic Malle, tuberose fragrances

posted by Annieytown @ 6:48 AM   14 Inspired Comments

14 Inspired Comments:

At 8:14 AM, Blogger Patti said...

That row of Kilians is killing me! I love so many of them!

I admit great fear of tuberose, but smelling Carnal Flower on our friend Leah is simply perfect. It is as if this fragrance had been created just for her.

I love that your Boss wears a big power fragrance! It certainly fits her persona! Great review, Annie!!

As for my own tuberose encounters, they have to be blended with other florals in order for me to wear them. Saks For Her is one of those, blended with gardenia.

 
At 8:57 AM, Blogger Annieytown said...

I forgot about Saks for Her!!!

The boss only wears Kors. I can smell her before she pops into our corner. It is a warning siren. LOL.

 
At 10:05 AM, Blogger tussah said...

I agree... Carnal flower is an epiphany on Leah. I can often have a tough time with tuberose on myself though.

However, a fragrance that has tuberose in it that I do love is Serge Lutens Datura noir.

 
At 10:44 AM, Blogger amola-tesouras said...

So many old friends in your list! Michael Kors was my first tuberose - long before I became a perfume addict and even knew what tuberose was. Do Son is my "virginal" tuberose which I wear in Spring/Summer and of course Fracas is the golden standard. I will never forget that I got my bottle of Fracas at London's Selfriges from a lovely, lovely SA who even had a (very rare!) book on Robert Piguet and told all about the story of this wonderful fragrance.

 
At 11:34 AM, Blogger Aleta B. said...

I like wearing a few drops of Fracas or Poison at night in late summer, when all the plants outside are dried out husks and it's just cool enough to sleep with the window open.

But for the rest of the year I'm with Patti, blends are best. Estee Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia is it my top three all-time favorites.

 
At 11:35 AM, Anonymous dleep said...

I have only had a decant of Carnal Flower but I love it. It took me a while to "get" Fracas and I now wear it often and receive many compliments.

 
At 7:15 PM, Blogger Beauty Alchemist said...

Tuberose is huge favorite of mine . My first "good" fragrance was the original Chloe. I adore Fracas and many others you mentioned( By Kilian , Michael Kors though the Sheer version is my favorite). Plenty more for me to try there too.

Carnal Flower isn't tuberose enough for me but I like it and Criminelle, well it was criminal. On me it never got beyond rubber.

Guerlain Mayotte( Mahora orignally and what I have) is a pretty tuberose blend. Also one of the La Prairie's is a tuberose blend Silver Life Threads I think. Oh and Bond 9 Fire Island is another. LOVE that one.

I could talk all day about this note , but I'll stop now :)

 
At 8:27 AM, Blogger Annieytown said...

Tussah: I love Datura Noir. I am on my third bottle!!!!!

 
At 8:28 AM, Blogger Annieytown said...

Patuxxa; I just fell in love with Fracas all over again! I need to re-visit Do Son!

 
At 8:31 AM, Blogger Annieytown said...

BeautyAlchemist: I am saving my gush for Fire Island for Beach scents day! LOL

Testing Lutens was a struggle. That opening would scare off anyone. Tbone made me do it...and I have no regrets. The drydown is magnificent.

 
At 8:35 AM, Blogger Annieytown said...

Aleta: I forgot about that Lauder! It is also worthy and lovely. I love the Private Collection series. Lauder fragrances are underappreciated.

I plan to revisit Poison and Dune this summer. Luca Turin's review for Dune "got" me.

 
At 8:35 AM, Blogger Annieytown said...

dleep: I drained my Carnal Flower last summer. Need to start a CF fund right now!

 
At 11:47 AM, Blogger samberg said...

Thank you for putting the work into this fantastic series of scent explorations.

 
At 9:44 AM, Blogger Annieytown said...

Samberg: Thank you for reading!

 

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