L'âme Perdue, from Le Galion was released in 2017. The perfumer behind this creation is Rodrigo Flores-Roux. It has the top notes of Coriander, Datura, Lemon, Mandarin Orange, and Pepper, middle notes of Cinnamon, Cloves, Jasmine, Lily, Mirabelle, Plum, Rose, and Ylang-Ylang, and base notes of Amber, Benzoin, Honey, Oakmoss, Palisander Rosewood, Patchouli, Peru Balsam, and Vanilla.
L’Âme Perdue (Âme) translates a rather melancholic name (Lost Soul) into a memory of a scent. There are references, with Rochas Femme and Dior Dune being the main ones, but it evokes the pensive sadness L’Heure Bleue can provoke upon first wearings. Âme, to me, evokes a secluded beach, dunes, a grey cast sky and lilies being sprayed with sea salt water in the breeze. It’s one of the few recent fragrances that can transmit such feelings and emotions, although it’s said to have been inspired by a long lost and forgotten Le Galion formula, and a perfume created for Lanvin. The main notes that I sense are Cala lilies, plum, creamy ylang ylang that reminds me of the smell of older sunscreens, in particular tanning oils that were popular not so long ago, and cloves, even though the scent does not read tropical or beachy at all. It’s simply a particular smell of rubber, heated skin, cold cream and coconut that scented my childhood when even children were doused with low spf suntan oil. It smells of my youth. This creaminess caries hints of honey, moss, a sharp citrousness (mirabelle?) that comes and goes, and cinnamon, momentarily reminding me of Mitsouko as well. What starts out as creamy and languid, becomes plummier and spicier as the fragrance develops, with the vanilla and the woods giving a certain airy dustiness. In image, it captures perfectly the imagery of Dior’s Dune first ad. In scent, is Femme de Rochas, worn by a solitary soul gazing at the horizon while the ocean hits the rocks. I’ve been wearing it on a regular basis since I got my sample and every time I wear it I discover something new. And while at first I dismissed it as something that I’ve smelt before, it keeps pulling me in. L’Âme Perdue is a very evocative fragrance; at once creamy, sweet, honeyed, spicy, there’s a certain fragility that becomes steel strong as it progresses on skin. As if to remind us that there will always be a new dawn. It feels vintage but modern; creating something avant garde that will last in time. Very long lasting with above average sillage throughout!