Just around the corner from 34 Boulevard Saint-Germain, where Diptyque's flagship store is now located, there stood the bar and nightclub L'orphéon - where performers, artists, and philosophers chatted, mingled, and danced the night away to live jazz. It was a place where new creative partnerships were forged, including that of Diptyque's 3 founders: Desmond Knox-Leet, Yves Coueslant and Christiane Gautrot.
While the bar is no more, in 2021, Diptyque celebrates its 60th anniversary by paying olfactory homage to the location where it originated, with the Orphéon Eau de Parfum.
Orphéon opens with a fresh burst of aromatic, woody juniper berries and bright, fizzy citruses. Like the bubbles in a freshly poured gin and tonic, the effervescent qualities of the top notes feel optimistic, reinvigorating, and bring to mind the lively atmosphere at the bar, with the air carrying hints of the herbal tinctures on the liquor shelves and freshly sliced lemon cocktail garnish. This is my favourite part of the composition and I wish it lasted longer!
The aromatic, sparkling top notes quickly give way to lush florals - Diptyque lists this as jasmine - but the unexpectedly deep, honeyed, balsamic tones immediately suggests the presence of rose as well. The fresher jasmine note is more noticeable initially, with its greener, brighter facets hinting at tea, but the dark red rose eventually wins the tug-of-war, bringing the composition into a spicier, sensual territory.
As the composition dries down further, the swirls of warm, earthy, balsamic patchouli and tobacco leaves that emerge conjure the feeling of the hazy, smoke-laced air in L'orphéon, while hints of violet, tonka beans, and animalic notes bring to mind the make-up and warm skin of its patrons and performers. In the far drydown, I also pick up on some floral waxiness and cedarwood, which reminds me of well-worn lacquered furniture.
Overall, I felt that Orphéon was a fitting retrospective homage to the brand's roots and heritage, with its composition capturing the essence of the atmosphere and bustle of L'orphéon without giving an old-fashioned impression. At the same time, Orphéon also bears the unmistakable Diptyque DNA that ties most of its catalogue together. However, I noticed that Orphéon bore some similarities to Diptyque's 2019 launch Eau Capitale with their juxtapositions of syrupy rose and balmy patchouli.
While I had hoped for something a little more original, Orphéon remains a solid release that is much unlike most mass-marketed fragrances right now, and wearing it was a very enjoyable experience.
Orphéon maintains light projection for the first couple of hours, before becoming closer to the skin for the rest of its lifetime.
Diptyque - Orphéon
Perfumer: Olivier Pescheux
Notes: Juniper berry, Cedar, Tonka bean, Jasmine
Orphéon can be purchased at £125 for 75 ml on Diptyque's website.
You can learn more about the concept behind Orphéon here.
The bottom line:
Orphéon is a delightful floral-chypre that embodies Diptyque's olfactory DNA and slightly quirky, offbeat charm. It represents a solid, if slightly conservative, step forward for the brand, and you'd probably enjoy it if you liked Eau Capitale (2019). (8/10)
Disclaimer: The sample was generously provided by Diptyque. However, the opinions expressed in the post are mine and were not influenced in any way.
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