Parfums d'Ambience - CIRE TRUDON: Odalisque

Maison de Cire Trudon is heralded as the oldest wax-producing company in the world. With its roots firmly planted in the mid 1600's (1643, to be precise), Cire Trudon produced high-quality candles which lit Royal Courts, churches and cathedrals all over France. An infrangible family bloodline spanning several centuries preserved, protected and improved upon original recipes and tools; a great deal of which are still in use today. Cire Trudon products are every bit as desirable and exceptional int the present day, as they were in the 17th century.

What one finds oneself immediately drawn to when first introduced to the brand, are the exquisite hand-blown glass receptacles in deep, forest green. Cire Trudon travelled to Vinci, Italy to have accomplished craftsmen produce individual pieces which are unique unto themselves. A generous selection of candles and room-sprays are available in a variety of sizes and scents... there really is something that will appeal to everyone amongst their delightful perfumed products.

Odalisque is one of several scents that enchanted my nose... not because of its olfactory pyramid, but rather because of the journey it took me on. It regressed me to a time in my life when I was on a globe-trotting pilgrimage to rediscover my Southern European heritage. As I sniff from the candle, I suddenly recall the brilliant Mediterranean light of high summer the first time I stepped off a ferryboat in the Greek Isles... the azure blue of the Aegean straddling a pebbled beach; cicada songs ringing in my ears, and the scent of orange blossoms cartwheeling down to the harbour from the green mountains above. The perfume is etched into my memory forever.
Odalisque is a vivid snapshot of orange blossom and neroli, just like the mental photograph I carry around with me of that day in my mind. But it is so much more. A wisp of husky incense lies at the heart of the perfume... a beautiful tendril of cade unfurls and brings with it, thoughts and sensations of Asia Minor... a bonfire lit on the edge of an Anatolian desert... charred wood, folk music, whirling dervishes, and the twinkle of gold. A poetic narrative of the Near East is playing out under a night sky stippled with silver.

Whilst Odalisque - for me - conjures visions of exotic far-flung landscapes, I must admit that there is something resolutely French about the olfactory composition... a certain tenderness and sense of longing permeates the perfume. I attribute this aspect to a buttery yet somewhat chaste measure of vanilla used to embellish the formula. It has milky alabaster curves like that of a romantic marble sculpture.

The Odalisque scented candle offers up to 80 hours of burning time, and uses 100% parafin-free vegetal wax. The generous 375ml Room Spray with bulb atomiser lasts many, many months. Used either independently or in tandem, these exquisite Cire Trudon products scent my home for the best part of an entire day. I cannot think of a more enchanting nor indulgent way to perfume one's domicile.

Cire Turdon perfumed products can be purchased here in Western Australia at Mariposa Perfumery in Mount Lawley, and globally via the Store Locator on the Cire Trudon website www.ciretrudon.com