Feerie by Van Cleef & Arpels

What a beast of a perfume! I don’t understand why they discontinued it. The trail is incredible: long, deep, soft, and pleasant; surely many people asked what I was wearing. The bottle is a work of art. The only flaw is that they no longer sell it. It is unique!

Feerie (2008): a very elegant violet. It reminds me of Cacharel’s Promesse (2005), but I prefer Feerie for its powdery violet with iris and a candied touch; to me, it smells like raspberry, even if they don’t say so. I think it resembles Guerlain’s Insolence a lot, but it is fresher, lighter, and more youthful, ideal for girls under 20, whereas Insolence is deeper, more mysterious, and has more nuances.

Feerie, the jewel every woman wants. You want to hold it in your hands to contemplate the fairy up close, touch it, and appreciate every delicate detail. You stop, thoughtful, just like the fairy on her branch holding her little face. The faceted blue glass is the next thing you see, and perfection becomes tangible. Then you move to the scent, expecting a journey to that magical world of fairies in a forest of glowing flowers, but it doesn’t happen; instead, disappointment appears without understanding that exterior perfection. Feerie by Van Cleef & Arpels: glimpse its departure with talcum-dusted violets, barely sweet with some berries and red fruits surfacing in that imagined forest; then the talcum suddenly fades, softening it in minutes until it sits right on the skin. Thus, the fairy tale ends. A pity for Van Cleef, which bet on packaging while forgetting the olfactory charm. Do I recommend buying blind? Yes, only if you are a collector and you are interested in the design, not the fragrance. Does it resemble Guerlain’s Insolence? Not at all, it doesn’t even reach its heels. Does it smell like a magical perfume? Yes, but like Disney princesses that girls buy after a birthday party.

My mother used to say that in her youth, a woman who found ‘her perfume’ only used that fragrance, turning it into her signature. I was puzzled because I love having and using many perfumes; there is so much to explore… One day, in 2009, I was given my first Feerie and then I understood what my mother told me. The opening is intense, the violets stand out, and you perceive that sweet-and-sour taste of red berries. In the final evolution, the violets remain and the Bulgarian rose barely appears, a subtle and delicate combination. The longevity on my skin is 9 to 10 hours and the trail is wide at first and then moderate. I never go unnoticed. The bottle deserves special mention: it is beautiful, fine, deep blue, and ethereal, perfectly representing the fairy concept. I love this perfume; every time I see it I try to buy it so I don’t run out of stock because in my country it usually disappears and reappears several years later.

An ode to the violet. I was looking for a floral for spring, the bottle enchanted me, and I decided to try it. The beginning is intense: the violet and the berries are very noticeable, reminding me of childhood violet-flavoured candies; then it loses intensity and the flowers appear, maintaining the absolute protagonism of the violet and becoming a bit powdery. It is a beautiful perfume, it does not resemble any I have smelled. It is feminine and romantic, but not outdated; I imagine it with gauze, velvet, or fine lamé, in violet or lilac. I see it on Arwen’s or Evangeline Lily’s dressing table.

I bought it blind solely for the beautiful bottle, found it at the perfumerie in my town without a tester, what anxiety not being able to smell it. I had been curious for some time. I read it was similar to Insolence and had doubts, as I don’t like it nor talcum-powdered scents; the violet and iris gave me distrust. I thought if I didn’t like it, my mum surely would, who loves those flowers. But oh surprise! I have loved it, could it be the fairy on the bottle? I enjoy discovering aromas outside my style. It is mysterious, delicate, very natural, without artificiality, there is a forest with flowers and fruits combined in an excellent way. The vetiver helps in the base so the iris isn’t so powdery, it gives it a herbaceous touch and they do a good job. I do not recommend buying it without trying it; it is a perfume you either like or don’t. I was lucky and I am very happy to have it.

I must confess my expectations for Feerie were a little mixed. I’ve read reviews calling it gorgeous and others dismissing it as simple; I understand both viewpoints. I’m not sure if it’s been reformulated, but on my skin it’s pure floral: nothing powdery, just herbal and deep. It opens with a touch of red fruits, but then it’s just violet and rose, faintly reminiscent of Lolita Lempicka and more so of Guerlain’s Insolence. What I love most is its depth; it delivers on its enchanted forest concept, feeling potent and sweetened, very atmospheric. The problem is it feels somewhat hollow, like a forest with pretty lights but no real life, making it feel a bit incomplete. It’s not innovative nor does it evoke dreams, but it has excellent conceptual focus. The bottle is beautiful in person, though impractical and perhaps too flashy; I’d dare say more care was devoted to the bottle than the perfume itself. In short, it’s pleasant, moderate, and has an autumnal air.

I tried it and it is subtly beautiful, delicate and reserved, with that soft floral-fruity touch. It is very discreet. I prefer more marked scents; on my skin it was very soft and didn’t last long, but it remains elegant. I am sure it could look excellent on someone else.

Curious about this perfume, I found it today in a lucky shop. I couldn’t spray it on my arm, but to my misfortune, I smelled it and now I want it. It felt like stepping out of the ordinary, away from the army of gourmands, vanillas with amber and woods; I think I know what I mean. A different scent, an underused flower, the violet, followed by gooseberries and berries. The bottle is another story: it’s refreshing when a house values a good container, reviving old design traditions, not just clear rectangles. The blue bottle is lovely, but the cap (the fairy) is exquisite; you can tell the quality and fine finish. It looks like it should be excellent. I hope it doesn’t disappoint in longevity and sillage.

My last purchase and I am very happy with it. It starts clearly fruity: sweet, juicy berries like currants and blackberries, alongside a tangerine and the acidity of the berries, which add freshness and prevent it from being cloying. Then appear velvety roses and violets that, with the iris, become softly talc-like, very feminine and seductive. The base is a soft, earthy vetiver, slightly woody with oak moss that balances everything and completes this enchanted forest. Fruits, flowers, and woods. It is very similar to others, but with notable differences: it is more delicate and youthful than Guerlain’s Insolence (which I find potent and tiring), and not as childish or cold-weather as Britney Spears’ Midnight Fantasy (which is denser due to vanilla and amber). Still, it has that gummy candy imprint. It is closer to Lancôme’s Tresor Midnight Rose, with that little acidic touch and elegance, but without the sadness that perfume evokes in me. It has the best of all without the nuances I hate. With soft and delicate sillage, it has good longevity, up to six hours on me. It is neither childish nor mature, it is intimate, elegant, and versatile for any occasion, except extreme heat. It is not dark despite the colour, but youthful and radiant. Mention separately the packaging: cobalt blue box, another dark box you pull out by rings, and inside an urn with the bottle. A user manual is missing. The bottle is a beauty, midnight blue faceted crystal that prevents seeing the liquid, perfect for display. The cap is a flower with a silver fairy. It would be better if the figurine could be removed to use as a brooch, although some suggest using the branches as a ring holder or throwing weapon. Let everyone use it as they wish. I plan to enjoy both the perfume and the bottle with all my might. Hehehe, and if I find a deal, I’ll already be thinking about Feerie Rubis.

Its presentation awakens fantasy, charm, femininity, and innocence in that beautiful faceted blue bottle that looks like a precious stone with a flower and a branch with a silver fairy. It is a jewel, more memorable and adorable than its delicate fragrance, which is good and more enchanting the more you wear it. It is a woody floral with a citrus opening that blends between berries, then flowers, and a woody base. It reveals soft violets with refreshing green notes, like pleasant herbs, accompanied by flowers and a fruity accord of tangerines and blackcurrant that give a sweet freshness. In the heart, a velvety rose stands out with a touch of jasmine, accompanied by violets and iris; sometimes intense, sometimes subtle, giving that talc-like, elegant, and sophisticated accord. Everything rests on a woody base of vetiver, where the sillage is more intense, creamy, and beautiful. It is a fresh and slightly sweet perfume that does not invade or tire; its longevity and sillage are moderate, so it suits any occasion and all year round, especially in temperate climates. In summary: recommended (and eager to know its other fairy versions).

I bought it because the bottle is wonderful. I have liked it a lot, but without being enchanted. I will have to give it another chance. It is a fine, delicate, and mysterious aroma… but I don’t like the base notes and I think after two hours the scent that remains is not my style.

When I sprayed it, I thought surprised it smelled like some kind of caramel. After drying, I concluded it reminds me of violet candies with a small touch of makeup in the base. It is very hard to explain, but it is definitely a special and charming aroma.

I bought it blind because it was half price (normally it’s expensive). The packaging is gorgeous with that fairy concept; the bottle could have been more striking for that price, but the cap with the perfect, sensual, and ethereal fairy wins all the applause. I don’t understand why people compare it to Insolence; apart from the violet, I see no similarities. Insolence is dense, with strong longevity and a wild sillage, whereas Feerie smells more of rose with an acid-sweet fruit, like those hard sweets sold in Mexico. To my nose, with the rose standing out and medium-low sillage and longevity, it reminds me more of Berdoues’ Clair de Rose; it smells soapy, not powdery. I like it, but I wouldn’t buy it again if it weren’t half price.

The bottle is far superior to the perfume.