“He did not hear Molly saying in as soft a voice as if she were talking to herself, ‘I wore mine just as they were sent,’” –Elizabeth Gaskell, Wives and Daughters

In this scene, Molly is speaking of a bouquet sent to her by her friend and unrequited love, a man who has fallen in love with her stepsister, Cynthia. In contrast to Molly, Cynthia dismantled her bouquet from said gentleman to add some of the flowers to Molly’s hair. Wistful and romantically sweet in its portrayal of loyalty set against love, the scene is typical of Wives and Daughters.  

“Wistful and romantically sweet” is also how the latest perfume from Puredistance, Opardu (created by Annie Buzantian), strikes me. Based on carnation, Opardu’s other listed notes are tuberose absolute, purple lilac, jasmine absolute, and gardenia. I feel the carnation is just a dusting of spiciness, vaguely clove-ish, while the notes that really shine are the lilac and gardenia. The lilac is delicate, slightly green, and youthful. The gardenia is smooth, elegant, and a little melancholy. I love white florals when they have this lived-in quality. Whether it strikes me as wistful (in this case) or vulnerable, it’s always compelling. And the contrast between the lived-in quality and the youthful lilac works really well.

Opardu is linear on my skin. The overall combination of notes (I’ll buy a list that includes tuberose, jasmine, and heliotrope) feels deep, well blended, and expensive. I wore it today, and it didn’t transport me to Paris in the 1920s. I was still very much in the the 21st Century, navigating a cold and icy city street in heels. But I smelled great.

For more reviews of Puredistance Opardu, read Meg at Parfumieren, Elena at Perfume Shrine, Birgit at Olfactoria’s Travels, and Suzanne at Eiderdown Press.

Sample of OPARDU provided by Puredistance. As always, reviews are not compensated, and my opinions are honest and my own. Information on my review policies is on the Media & Disclosure page.