I introduced the perfumes from famed candle maker Cire Trudon yesterday in Part 1. Today I am going to focus on three of the five done by the same perfumer. Longtime Executive Director for Cire Trudon, Julien Pruvost, must have spent some time deciding which perfumers would be best to translate the candle into perfume. The perfumer he chose to do three of them is Lyn Harris. I was surprised to see her as the signatory for these fragrances because up until now she has been the Harris part of the niche brand Miller Harris which was one of the original niche perfume brands. I own quite a few of these and her style is distinct to that brand. What I found interesting here is it seems like M. Pruvost found ways to shade that style into something more befitting a brand going from solid to liquid. The three perfumes they collaborated on form what I think of as the Earth trio of the Trudon Parfums Collection.

Julien Pruvost

II or Deux is Ms. Harris’ ode to pine. When I was reading the note list this was the one I expected to smell like a candle. What I found once I wore it was this was the least like that as Deux is a pine tree with the sap oozing from its bark. A sharp green leafy accord summons the pine made more so by black pepper. This makes it seem a bit like the earth floor is rising to the pine then juniper berry provides the foundation of the “sap” accord which incense slowly tunes into you can see the amber droplets against the wood. The woodiness and the sap rise at the same pace until they fade away. I really have enjoyed this through the first few cool mornings of fall.

II (Deux) has 10-12 hour longevity and average sillage.

Lyn Harris

There are sometimes sniffing something on paper gives me a false impression. That’s what happened with Olim. On paper this comes off a bit jumbled as if it was a pileup on the freeway. On skin this turns into a slowly developing study of spice and resins. It begins with a fougere accord of lavender and anise which is what lingers on the skin as slowly spices add to it as clove, and baie rose take their time evolving the lavender. This all becomes very earthy as equally languidly patchouli grounds all of this to the level that you feel like there are tiny grains of topsoil nestled in the sprig of lavender. The warm combination of myrrh and benzoin begin to move the patchouli out front as an earthy accord forms over the final hours.

Olim has 12-14 hour longevity and moderate sillage.

If you’re going to call a perfume Revolution and you’re talking about the French Revolution while you’re known for making candles; this is where you expect to find the smoke behind the fire. Except the fire here is that from muskets. Revolution is really all about the cordite and cobblestone accord in its base. Before we get there Ms. Harris sets the scene with some elemi and angelica seeds. It is the scrubbed clean smell of the cobblestone street prior to the first shot being fired. Ms. Harris then composes an accord that captures the street material and the smoke floating above it. Cade oil, incense, and opopanax form the smell of gunpowder after its been fired. It is one of those odd real-life smells I really like. Ms. Harris has found it here. Then patchouli, papyrus, and labdanum capture the uneven pavement misted with a veil of dew to display a version of earth which is made up of stones put together to form a road.

Revolution has 12-14 hour longevity and moderate sillage.

In conclusion the five perfumes making up the Trudon Parfums Collection are a quite strong debut. I am very much looking forward to what comes next from M. Pruvost and his perfume line.

Disclosure: This review was based on samples provided by Trudon Parfums.

–Mark Behnke