An old French tale tells the story of charming Blondine, a beautiful fair-haired princess who lived in a castle with her loving father, King Benin. One day, at the hands of a cunning coachman named Gourmandinet, she finds herself lost in an enchanted forest. An adventure begins for Blondine who is suddenly surrounded by beautiful flowers, juicy fruits, and exquisite delicacies, while encountering animals and learning more about her love for life…
At first spray, a heady bouquet, brightened by verdant mandarin and pear leaves, transports me to a forest of fragrant flowers. Soon, the scent of spicy lilies is gently enveloped by a note of salted caramel butter, which to me evokes Princess Blondine’s fair locks and also reflects Gourmandinet’s predilection for bonbons and other sweet things. Bitter cocoa dust attenuates the edible sweetness conveyed by the caramel, and the soft musky note wraps the composition like sheer organza; a similar role might be played by suede, but I am unable to detect it. In addition to conveying an animalic sensuality, I see castoreum as representing Blondine’s encounter with the animals in the forest.
As I sniff Blondine and enjoy its evolution, I detect both floral and gourmand accents, which are beautifully blended into the composition; I like how they playfully take turns to show up on my skin. Therefore, I would easily see lovers of both fragrance types falling for it.
Blondine is an alluring, velvety, and decadent scent with good projection and excellent persistence. For a few seconds, its opening reminds me of the luminous, dazzling power of Givenchy’s Amarige, one of the signature scents of my teenage years.
Created by perfumer Yann Vasnier, Blondine was launched in 2017 by the woman-owned, independent perfume house Frassaï. Based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the house was founded by Natalia Outeda who takes inspiration from food, flowers, textures, and colors for her work with fragrances. Blondine seems to perfectly embody Natalia’s vision and concept.
The notes are listed as they appear on the Frassaï website:
Green mandarin, pear leaves, salted caramel butter, tiger lily, Ashok flower, cocoa, tonka beans, castoreum, blond musks.
I reviewed Blondine from a personal sample and full bottle purchased by me.
The fragrance is available in 50 ml Eau de Parfum bottles.
Photo by Sarah.
