État de Grace by Grès

A light amber, ideal for those taking their first steps with this fascinating note. I must clarify that there are significant differences in density, intensity, and body between État de Grace and Ambre Sultan; Lutens is on another level. Nevertheless, it is a warm and comforting scent. It begins fleetingly with bergamot, rose, subtle violets, rosemary, cinnamon, amber, and tonka, moving towards a tranquil base of slightly sweet spices, patchouli, cedar, labdanum, and vanilla. The result is creamy and balsamic, with finely interwoven ingredients where nothing offends but nothing dominates. There are interesting contrasts between the sour and the delicately sweet that fit perfectly. It is a perfume with winter notes and warmth, but its lightness makes it valid for fresh spring-summer evenings. And with a price that is a bargain if you shop around.

This is a fresh, wearable amber perfume. It is not too sweet or heavy and is totally unisex. At the start, the protagonists are rosemary and cinnamon, making it very aromatic. This opening distances it from Grand Soir by MFK, with which it is often compared; it resembles Grand Soir more in the dry down when its ambered base highlights. As for other differences, État de Grace is lighter, projects less, and has slightly less longevity. On my skin, it has moderate-to-soft projection and lasts about 10 hours, sitting close to the skin after the first 4-5 hours. Like the rest of Grès’ exclusive line, I have liked it quite a bit and believe it offers good value for money. Scent 7/10, Longevity 10/10, Sillage 5.5/10, Value 7/10, Packaging 7.5/10. Would I buy again? No, I did not.

I have always liked Grès very much; I notice that quality and distinction, with good raw materials and well-crafted creations. I acquired this fragrance trusting the brand, seeing the notes, and intuiting they might please me (I am very open to aromas), a dubious blind buy that turned out pleasant in the end. On my skin, it develops very similarly to the beautiful Shalimar; I desired a perfume like this: special, sophisticated yet wearable, elegant for any occasion. On me, it has been somewhat linear from start to finish; although the intensity diminishes over time, the dry down is discreet but with a signature, an oriental amber that could be a signature scent. I do not notice the freshness expected from rosemary and bergamot as such; however, the cinnamon, rose, and amber are beautifully worked, helping it to be a warm embrace without being overwhelming. The first one I had was ‘Fruit de la Créativité’, which was nice, but it did not quite intoxicate me. After buying the two, I acquired ‘État de Grace’, another wonderful one that surprised me and deserves a review. This line from Grès shows a desire to turn the brand around, which for years drifted towards floral with ‘Cabotine’, and of course, it cannot fail to be recognised by its potent ‘Cabochard’, the classic hallmark of this wonderful house. Its bottle and packaging are careful, without flashiness, minimalist, and with simple lines but marking elegance, neatness, and style; I am permitted to say that like Chanel in its bottles, elegance without shine. I am a great lover of Lalique (not just their perfumes), and their presence is noticeable in these bottles. If you can give the whole line a chance, do so; they are well worth it; their price is laughable for the quality, and believe me, they are very much up to a niche standard. Perhaps the longevity is not 24 hours like a true artisan, but it is about 8 hours on my skin, which is not bad at all. Marvelous!

In reviews and votes, most agree that it starts with the combo ‘amber, cinnamon, and labdanum’, which do not come out on me at all 🤷🤷. Instead, what comes out in torrents on me is the rosemary, and at 10 minutes the bergamot. It is that rosemary note that reminds me very much of V&R Spicebomb, which fascinates me 💖🥰🥰💖. It smells somewhat incensey on me, which melts me and has conquered me. Now I use it with this heat; I will not put it on to go out for dear life; I will wait for the cold to enjoy it to the full. EDIT 1: In the cold, it smells horrible, disgusting, I hate it… if anyone wants it, I would happily donate it (words said at random without emphasis and on the first try). EDIT 2.0: After using it for quite some time and giving it several opportunities in different climates, I can say that indeed it is a difficult, uncommon, and out-of-this-world scent. Definitely, one must arm themselves with patience to enjoy it after a few attempts.

In the first few minutes, I perceive something I would call a chypre aroma from those years, some vintage herbal and floral chords, opening up to a majestic rose with cinnamon, that herbal note being perceived as rosemary, and finally wrapped in a warm and sweet amber in its dry down. I feel the patchouli in its proper measure; it does not obscure anything. I cannot believe this came out to me for 23,000 Chilean pesos; if they did not tell me it was Grès, this perfume would pass for a niche. For cold days and fresh nights, moderate projection and very acceptable longevity for its price. A comparison with Grand Soir is pending; I will buy a decant because I urgently need to know if they are really similar. Update: I bought a decant of Grand Soir, a few months passed, and I decided to get the bottle. Yes, they are similar, but at least in the first few hours, this Grès has the cinnamon-rosemary-rose combo making the distinction, turning it a bit more piercing and also sweeter, syrupy, whereas the sweetness of Grand Soir comes totally from its ambered-vanilla phase. However, after 3 hours of application, they are 90% similar.

At first, it smells like a vintage chypre, herbal and unisex floral, then a majestic rose with cinnamon and the herbal note of rosemary, all wrapped in a sweet, warm amber. The patchouli is in just the right measure. I can’t believe I paid 23,000 Chilean pesos; if they hadn’t told me it was Gres, I would have passed it off as niche. For cold days and fresh nights, moderate projection and acceptable longevity. Update: I bought a decant of Grand Soir and a bottle. They are similar, but at the start, Gres with cinnamon, rosemary and rose is sharper and sweeter, while Grand Soir is more vanilla-based. After three hours, they are 90% alike.

I still don’t know if I like it, but the price-to-quality ratio is fantastic and it is high quality. The opening is refreshing and floral, mentholated, but brief. It immediately changes to a tobacco scent that lasts two or three hours. Finally, on my skin, it is sweet and cinnamon, my favourite moment, but you have to wait a long time to enjoy it, which doesn’t convince me. On my husband, it is fantastic, elegant and delicious, but he doesn’t like it because he prefers marine and fresh scents; he says he would only wear it for evening events. It is an excellent fragrance, but difficult for me. I will keep trying, as it is well worth it. Longevity: a minimum of eight hours.

A perfumazo is a unique aroma, top-tier quality. Here we have an opening of roasted cinnamon and tonka bean together with a slow fire, very exquisite, and this forms a medium spicy, gummy, somewhat light, sweet but darker and aromatic scent. It brought to my mind Thierry Mugler Pure Tonka in the dry down facet and Zara Tonka Wood, somewhere around there the matter could be, always on the edge of being unisex without losing its great fixation of EDP. Here the queen is that half-roasted Haba Tonka with cinnamon, unisex playing with patchouli and rose, which here clearly does not seem 100% red, rather soft with fruity tones, very unisex. And well, some ingredients that are in the description go and come, but the strong point would be cinnamon, Haba tonka, patchouli, rose notes, some touch that could be said of some wood having been over the fire, and it leaves that resinous, smoky, soft sweet aroma. I consider the fragrance more for somewhat fresh or colder days. From 1 to 10: Quality 9.5, Unisex YES, Fixation 9.5, Box 9.8 (very similar Chanel packaging, elegant), Bottle 7 (I think it lacked more glamour here), Sillage 9.5, Hours on skin according to PH: easily 12 hours and after the shower it is still there.