Inspired by the silhouette of a mysterious woman wearing high heels on Lexington Avenue as she begins her career in the beauty industry, Stilettos on Lex is the first episode in the house’s “Histoire d’Amour” collection, which symbolizes moments in the love story between Julien Blanchard (Jul) and Madalina Stoica (Mad, the woman in high heels), creators of the perfume line Jul et Mad.
Stilettos opens with a crunchy pear and juicy plum brightened by tart citrus. Shortly after, I smell a luxurious bouquet of powdery irises, almond-like heliotrope, soft roses, delicate lily of the valley, and lightly spiced carnations, all surrounded by dewy violet leaves. Coated with a thin, candy-like layer that lasts throughout the perfume’s lifetime, the flowers closely blend with one another. At times, I feel like the rose and violet leaf are a little more prominent, transforming into one another so neither is a true protagonist. Musk and woods uphold the composition, while patchouli adds a sandiness that vaguely reminds me of the smell of terracotta, unfinished ceramic, clay.
Other people’s interpretations of Stilettos on me maintain the sweet floral, candy-like quality but with different nuances and clear image references. My good friend mentioned red candy apples even though apple isn’t listed in the olfactory pyramid. As we talked and explored why the fragrance evoked this scent and idea in her mind, she mentioned the visual association to red stiletto shoes and red race cars. Because candy apples are bright red and shiny like stilettos and cars, the two images for her naturally translated to the sweet smell of candy apples.
In this intriguing fragrance, created by perfumer Dorothy Piot of Maison Robertet in Grasse for Jul et Mad, the floral/fruity chypre family is interpreted in modern key. Stilettos on Lex is both whimsical and sophisticated with very good persistence and moderate sillage. The unique name and elegant packaging immediately piqued my interest, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed after I tried the fragrance.
The notes below are listed as they appear in the house website:
Top: Lemon, Pear, Davana, Plum Liquor
Heart: Lily of the Valley, Violette Leaves, Rose Absolute, Heliotrope, Iris, Carnation
Base: Musk, Madagascar Vanilla, Indonesian Patchouli, Atlas Cedarwood
I reviewed Stilettos on Lex from my personal bottle.
The fragrance is available as Extrait de Parfum in 7, 20, and 50 ml bottles, or in a high-luxury coffret that includes both 50 ml and 7 ml bottles. See more here.
Photo: Sarah McGuire.
