Coquillete - Tan-Tan

Picture: Sahrawi tribal men performing fantasia at the
Tan-Tan (Moussem) festival, Morocco
Photo: Maxim Massalitin (c), Wikimedia commons
some rights reserved

Tan-Tan is the first masculine fragrance (also classified as unisex in some sources) by the nichehouse Coquillete. Tan-Tan is, just like the first edition of four fragrances Sulmona, Sumatera, Moramanga and Herat, inspired of warm, exotic places.

Tan-Tan starts green and balmy with a note reminding of a smooth rhubarb, not as tart and dominant as in for example Aedas by Aedas de Venustas. The tartness is present during the whole drydown and balances the milky, figgy notes as also the pine and artemisia. The figgy notes reminds me of Neela Vermeires green Ashoka even if the latter is warm and foody in texture where Tan-Tan is clean and balmy in comparasion. In the middlenotes Tan-Tan becomes more aromatic/herbal and reminds me of the classic green, moisty chypre Givenchy Gentleman. In the basenotes a oily note appears, creating a chalky-earthy-petroleum impression resembling of a lighter and smoother version of the base of Kerosene Copper Skies. This oily accord is perfectly conterbalancing the creamy figgy note.

Even if Tan-Tan, just as the other Coquillete fragrances, is subtle in its apperance, it's suprisingly distinctive and longlasting. Mr Parfumista who was performing the test thanks to a sample from Fragrance & Art, found Tan-Tan very pleasant and easy to wear while also intriguing waiting for the next step in the development of the perfume. Appropriate to wear daytime the year around, non-offensive but in the same time, interesting officescent.

Rating: 4 (November 2013)

Update February 2014: The more Mr Parfumista tests this, he is now on the 2nd sample, the better this coconutmilky fig-frag is.

Rating. 5 

Notes: Pinetree, bergamot, fruity notes, artemisia, fig, cedar, vetiver, jasmine, patchouli, carnation, coconut milk, fig tree, white musk, ambergris, sandalwood, leather.

Coquillete - Impressions of Herat & Moramanga

Picture: Coquillete minis
Photo: PR Coquillete (c)

My impressions of the fragrances of the Coquillete line is continuing today with short reviews of Herat and Moramanga:

Herat: Sort of well-behaved and fresh ELDO Jasmine & Cigarettes but without the off-putting old-cologne/dirty notes that I percieve from J&C. Herat is cigarettesmoke, jasmine, fresh tobacco-and balsamic notes, the incense and the other fumes are rather quiet to my nose. When Herat dries down it takes an unexpected twist, suddenly it smells like a less distinct and weaker Cuiron  the unfortunately discontinued contemporary Helmut Lang leather. I think Herat is a unisexfragrance but from the four Coquilletes Herat it is the most masculine offering.

Rating: 4

Notes: Tobacco, jasmine, ylang-ylang, amber, cannabis, myrrh, labdanum, incense, moss, vetiver, ambergris

Moramanga: Starts with a beautiful fleshy jasmineaccord which reminds med of the Serge Lutens jasmine classic A la Nuit. As Moramanga dries down other tropical flower appears and underscores the jasmine just as the vanilla/musk and warm resinnotes in the base. If I didn't already owned A la Nuit Moramanga would be a candiate for the lush jasmine in the perfumewardrobe.

Rating: 4

Notes: Jasmine, gardenia, iris, tolu balsam, opoponax, benzoin, tubereuse, ylang-ylang, vanilla, musk

The Coquillete fragrances are all pleasant and easy to wear with good longevity and moderate to medium projection. They are non-offensive and totaly officefriendly. The fragrances are good for summer, these are the type of fragrances that intensifies in warm weather and longevity is good about more or less a day tested in hot weather. The overall impression is that one fragrances is in the same pleasable and wearable track as the By Kilian In The Garden of Good and Evil - line (Sulmona), two gentler, not as edgy, ELD'O-styled releases (Herat, Sumatera) and one in the classic soliflore-genre (Moramanga). The line is well worth trying if searching for a comfortable, not so complicated but in the same time interesting, good smelling fragrance. A set of minibottles of 5 ml each is avaible and provides a good option for extensive testing.