SOTD: Lancome Climat (The La Collection version.)

Mals (of Muse in Wooden Shoes) recommended this, and reviewed this, and used the phrase "hit of civet" about this. I had to try it.

I intended to be well behaved and just get a sample. But the re-issue is new enough to be available from the discounters, and discontinued enough to be available for only so long. That's a combination that inclines me to buy it before it's too late.

Plus, it comes with friends! The La Collection set also includes Mille et Une Roses, Sikkim, and Magie. At least, the one that I was looking at does - it appears that sometimes the rose is replaced with Sagamore. Anyway: Green. Civet. Classic. Solid recommendation. Discontinued. Available. Pretty stopper bottles. Extra bonus fragrances. Foregone conclusion: I bought the set.

I wore the rose scent casually one evening, but I reserved Climat for a day off, to give it a proper evaluation.

It's gorgeous. I guess it would be wrong to just leave it at that and go away to sniff my wrist all evening?

Gorgeous. For the first minute or so I was both pleased and concerned that it closely resembled No. 19 parfum - it was a lacquer-smooth merciless green, and I could swear that I was smelling galbanum, though it's not listed in the notes.

But that phase passed. The glassy smoothness melted away, exposing an herbal smoky note that I interpret as incense - also not in the notes. Texture developed - not rough, but like silk velvet, soft as well as smooth. It's warmer and more herbal than No. 19, less goddess, more human. It's also, as I may have mentioned, gorgeous. That's the best that I can do in describing it; perhaps I can tease out more detail next time.

I agree that this is a distinctly ladylike fragrance, but it's the kind of ladylike that I approve of. It's not powerless, and it doesn't play dumb; it's a warm, intelligent woman. A woman who has the talent of being lovely and feminine, but wouldn't sneer at me for my lack of said talent. I imagine that she'd loan me a spare white glove after I inevitably spilled hot chocolate on mine.

In fact, it's another Myrna Loy fragrance. I think that this has become a category for me.

It's gorgeous. I said that, right? Thank you, Mals, for leading me to it.

Review Roundup: Muse in Wooden Shoes and Bois de Jasmin and Perfume Posse and Basenotes and Fragrantica.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons.