Blocki Saharet

Saharet by Blocki was once described on me as “oil paint on canvas”. The remark was more than appropriate considering where I was at the time, but it added much more meaning to my appreciation of the fragrance.

Having chased Vincent (Van Gogh) and his art across several cities and two countries throughout 2019, my favorite exhibition was probably His Life in Art at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas. As I walked through the paintings and stopped to admire Irises, my lovely friend mentioned that I smelled a bit like oil paint on canvas. She perceived a faint chemical, nutty, slightly unctuous aroma I hadn’t been able to detect personally over the few months I’d owned and tried Saharet.

My experience with the fragrance has been a little different, but my friend’s comment confirmed my initial impression of Saharet’s fascinatingly eclectic and elusive nature.

The opening notes are slightly reminiscent of those of a green chypre, but in a few minutes they sweeten and spice up, turning into “spun sugar and spices”, as described on the brand’s website. The most surprising aspect is the fragrance’s ability to transform on my skin depending on whether I am inside and outside.

Indoors, I detect the spicy sweetness I mentioned earlier, probably conveyed by the combination of pink pepper, cardamom, and amber. As I step outdoors, on a damp evening, the initial chypre-like greenness sneaks up on me again and I can smell the lemony geranium and the woody vetiver, which together remind me of an elegant old-fashioned soap.

Once back in the house, the spicy sweetness returns, becoming even sweeter, warmer, and later more resinous and intense. I am quite taken by the chameleon-like quality of this creation.

The packaging is sophisticated, and the metal cap is delicately engraved and perfectly suited to the simple yet elegant bottle.

Inspired by the Belle Époque and in particular by the beautiful and rebellious Saharet, who left her husband to continue to pursue her passion for dancing, the perfume was initially created in 1908. The house of Blocki pioneered perfumes starting in 1865 and closed its doors in 1950. Several fragrances were revived in 2015 and Saharet’s new formulation was launched in 2019.

The olfactory notes are reported below as described on the Blocki website:

Top: pink pepper, mandarin, cardamom

Heart: Egyptian geranium, amber, cashmere

Base: green vetiver, patchouli, labdanum

Saharet is sold as Eau de Parfum in 10 ml and 50 ml bottles

The fragrance was reviewed from a bottle I won in a draw from the artistic perfumery magazine Cafleurebon, so I am grateful to them and to Blocki for this opportunity.

Photos: Van Gogh’s Irises by Damiana; Saharet bottle by Sarah (Sarah McGuire).