I’m absolutely indispensable and totally irresistible.
I am Guerlain’s chic and terribly glamorous fragrance creation.
I’m La Petite Robe Noire.
I love the glamour inspired tagline of the intense eau de parfum, so chic, so Parisian. La Petite Robe Noire, also known as “The Little Black Dress” is the line of inspiration for the collection. A series of fragrances was created with different coloured flacons and different styles of little black dresses on them to differentiate one from the other. The range includes:
- La Petite Robe Noire Eau Fraîche from 2015
- La Petite Robe Noire Eau de Parfum Couture from 2014
- La Petite Robe Noire Eau de Parfum from 2012
- La Petite Robe Noire Eau de Toilette from 2012
- La Petite Robe Noire L’Extrait from 2012
All of these fragrances were designed and developed by Thierry Wasser, Guerlain’s in-house perfumer.
The latest edition, La Petite Robe Noire Eau de Parfum Intense, was launched in the fall / summer end of 2016. It was marketed to be a sweeter, more pronounced version of its predecessors mentioned above. Aligned with its olfactive quality, the flacon was tinted a deep midnight blue to showcase its intensity. This time, the Little Black Dress used to present the fragrance is none other than the sexy halter dress so famously worn by Marilyn Monroe. Imagine the fluidity of the dress in motion, when the wind blows. Very iconic indeed. My favourite part of the flacon is its stopper – having a unique inverse heart shape with a silvery blue ribbon delicately tied around it. The transparent appearance of the stopper looks like a crystal when shone under the sunlight. Simply beautiful.
La Petite Robe Noire Eau de Parfum Intense is a floral fruity gourmand fragrance. Top notes compose of a rather interesting mix. Delectable cotton candy, fruity notes from berries and a touch of bergamot. Heart notes comprise of romantic bulgarian rose, orange blossom and exotic jasmine. Base notes compose of patchouli, soft white musks, sandalwood and sweet vanilla.
I don’t know about you but looking at that list gourmand notes sure makes me hungry. They sound really delicious! It is therefore no surprise that the fragrance is generally very sweet from an olfactive perspective. Upon first whiff, notes cotton candy and berries are very prominent, with a hint of citrus which gives a bit of freshness. After settling for a few minutes, the floral notes start to come through, slowly but surely. Interestingly, the citrus notes start to make their way to the forefront and mingles harmoniously with the florals. As time went by, the fragrance turned more musky and vanilla notes became more prominent. I believe that patchouli gives the fragrance an “earthy” quality that is very subtle, which is as important as the other pronounced notes.
Longevity for the fragrance is excellent, as it lasts the whole day (8 hours) and I did not reapply. Hint of it still lingers after I have showered. Sillage is moderate to heavy, so be prepared to be noticed! The drydown is quite lovely – even though the base notes were at the forefront by then, the floral notes still stayed pronounced.
The fragrance definitely feels like a autumn / winter fragrance so I think it was launched during the right season. Personally, I’m not crazy for gourmand fragrances that are so heavy. However, I have to say that La Petite Robe Noire Eau de Parfum Intense is sexy and sophisticated. I do not recommend it for daytime usage but it would be great for gala dinners or night parties. Any such occasion coming your way? 🙂
Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Eau de Parfum Intense is sold in all leading departmental stores and available in three sizes: 30ml, 50ml and 100ml.
