One singular ‘scent’sation

Fracas, the quintessential posh perfume.

Back when I was an advertising copywriter, at my first professional writing job, I fell in love with Fracas.  This posh perfume was created in 1948 by fabulous French couturier Robert Piguet. Its status was legendary.  I read about it all the time in Glamour magazine, where, many of the beauty editors noted, they were forced to purchase it in France, because it was unavailable in the States.  It was a true “insider’s secret.”

I don’t remember exactly when I inhaled this sensuous scent, but it was love at first sniff. I was dating a lot of men back then in the 1980s, and I always made my boyfriends buy me a bottle.  When I was dateless, I remember going to a special beauty-supply store in Brookline, Massachusetts, and splurging on a bottle for myself.  Years later, after I became a beauty and travel writer, I traveled to France where I also indulged myself in this cult classic.

“Any tuberose fragrance today is based on Fracas,” says Bayly Ledes, president and CEO of Fragrances and Cosmetics, which is the parent company of Robert Piguet.  Indeed. The succulent scent is “an explosion of florals,” Ledes told me. “And it’s always been a hard fragrance to get a hold of.  It was the original niche fragrance.”

Lucky for all of us, this luscious perfume will soon also be available in a body wash and body lotion, so you can spritz new formulas to your heart’s content.  Rumor has it that Martha Stewart is the brand’s biggest fan.

Not only does it smell wonderful, but it looks wonderful, too. The bottle evokes elegant black patent-leather with beautiful pink accents. It makes a great adornment to your cosmetic counter. Now, all together, let us spray.

A 100ml bottle sells for $165.  Available at RobertPiguetparfums.com and also at Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue and on Amazon.  

For more about Debbi, follow her on Instagram at @DebbiKickham.

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