Marotte

[forspecial_plate]

Golden pear, amber, fig leaf, oakmoss, bronze musk, mahogany, patchouli, and a smattering of glittering pyrite.

This is pretty much a winner. I recognize some notes that I've smelled before, but not in this combination. I smell the same pear note from Quincey Morris, and that stands out above the other notes. Overall this is somewhat sweet and fruity, with just the right balance of the wood, amber, etc. Nothing else really stands out. The oakmoss doesn't turn soapy, which makes me happy. And I'm glad this has fig leaf instead of fig, otherwise this might be too sweet. I would call it just right the way it is, and if I use my imagination I can pick out that fig leaf, just a little.

What I think of when I wear this is Mr. Jacquel, although they don't really smell alike, they are somewhat like cousins. This is probably my favorite of the three Le Mat scents. Edited May 5, 2009 by Forspecial Plate

[mgrazulis]

In the vial--an amber colored oil with an amazing golden pear note. Wet on the skin, the pear is sweet with a delicate hint of fig leaf. The oak moss and wood mellow down the pear as it begins to dry. There is metallic sharpness in the wet phase that dissipates quickly. The patchouli and musk are just a whisper...This reminds me of Wood Phoenix with pear instead of fig. A quiet fruity woods blend with just a hint of shimmer.

This will age beautifully! Leans slightly to the masculine side...

[zankoku_zen]

Wet on skin, I get the pear and a tiny hint of fig leaf. But as it dries, it has burned off, and now all the heavier/woodier elements have come out - I smell amber, patchouli and mahogany.

 

Ah, if only the pear had stuck around...

[whisperingmachines]

At first its kind of powdery, which I don't like, but that mellows a bit. Very pretty, even though its probably my least favorite of the three

[voodoocatwoman]

What high hopes I had for Marotte...

 

It started off GORGEOUS. The amber and pear were perfectly matched and I remember thinking that this was going to be one of my all time favorites.

 

And then it dried.... and turned to dusting powder.

 

Le Sigh for Le Mat.

[veronicafranco]

from other reviews, i was expecting much more pear than i get from this. i'm getting mostly sweet amber/musk, a bit of patchouli, and when it's been dry a while, the metallic pyrite edge - which last time i wore it, actually combined with the other notes to do a benzoin sort of thing. i think this is my favorite of the le mat scents, but pretty much i'm planning to wear all 3 together.

[devilot]

In the Vial: Fig! I definitely smell the fig and the pear. I also smell something I'd describe as "bronzey" so I'm not sure if it's the bronze musk or the pyrite, most likely the pyrite since it is a metallic note I detect.

 

Wet: My nose is still primarily smelling the fig (wait, it is a bit sharp to be the fruit, yes, the lab notes say 'fig leaf'). Pear's pretty much gone. Bummer. And I am not a patchouli-lover and am so glad to say that it does not come out and slap you in the face at all in this blend-- if it is there, it's not actually discernible as its own note--- it probably grounds the blend a bit and adds some depth. Which is to say, I can't tell w/ my nose that patchouli is there, but if one were to remove the patchouli, the blend would probably smell different somehow.

 

Drydown: Ah, I do believe there's some amber now as it's warmed up a bit and gone a bit powdery. I'm not sure if the mahogany note listed is a wood, but if so, then my nose can detect it not as a woody note, but something that suggests woods. Still, the fig leaf is predominant in a sharp green figgy way with the pear making a shy reappearance once in awhile.

 

Verdict: It's nice, but not nice enough for a full bottle, a partial perhaps. But I prefer fig notes in their fruitier form (like say Miller v CA) rather than the green note of the fig leaf. Still, I quite like this blend especially for how well behaved and nearly non-existent the patchouli is.

[kohaisama]

In the imp: Green, woodsy pear

 

Wet: Pear and wood. It's rather nice. Actual, crisp, juicy pear with the oakmoss to keep it from being too fruity sweet.

 

Dry: Why am I getting rose?

 

By itself, nice. I can't wait to see what it's like with the other two.

[caitilarkin]

In the imp: Deliciously musky, woodsy, resiny, metallic pear--very well-blended

 

Wet on skin: I keep waiting for the pear or the pyrite notes to amp, but they're behaving perfectly.

 

Dry on skin: This is the perfect balance of fruit, musk, wood, resin and metal. Marotte is rich without being overpowering, sweet without being cloying, metallic without the sharpness, and the whole blend is grounded by the lovely mahogany and patchouli notes. (Actually, I can barely detect the patchouli at all.) And it lasts over eight hours on me.

 

Total win

[milo]

I don't normally go for scents with pear in it, but this is a subdued pear, balanced by incense and musk. It changes very little from wet to dry, but sometimes it seems a bit sweeter, which I don't like as much. This is 'OK' especially for a pear scent, but I won't be hunting any more down. I'll have to try layering the three Le Mats and see what they are all like together.

[hlinspjalda]

Marotte (BPTP, Le Mat): I ordered this decant. In the vial: Wow, that's fabulous; I love the pear note! It's the floral one, not the juicy one. This one has enormous scope, with something I like in every single register from top to bottom.

 

Wet: Nice! The pear and patchouli are combining in a really intriguing way: it's a little bet mentholated, very aromatic, not at all fruity. If it stays like this, I'm in lurve.

 

Half an hour: It's gone a bit sharp and tannic now, alas. Oakmoss were ever my downfall; between that and the mahogany it's not playing nearly as nicely as it was before.

 

Hour and a half: A lot of the sweetness, including that delicious pear, has burned off now, leaving behind the woody and tannic notes. There is something quite bright in there, but I don't know what it is.

 

Three hours: Nope, this one has gone over to tannin on me. Ah well.

 

Six hours: Tired tannin.

 

Since there doesn't appear to be a separate thread for the three-layer Le Mat scent, here's what I got when I did that:

 

I layered Coxcomb, Motley, and Marotte in that order on my left wrist and then rubbed both wrists together. I'm getting a lovely rich scent, lots of warm patchouli-sage but with the pear and a floral note plus something metallic.

 

One hour: This is splendid, warm, herbal, musky, with just a touch of floral and that delicious floral-like pear note. I am almost inclined not to trade away my Marotte as promised. But I was so enamoured of Coxcomb by itself that I went out and acquired a partial bottle of it. So I'll stick with my original plan. Besides, although beautiful, this tripartite Fool scent and the concept behind it do not call out to my heart and soul the way the Unity Roses do.

 

Two hours: This is interesting. The scent seems to have died way back on me. But when I breathe on it, moistening it a bit, it comes back almost to full strength until my skin dries again. And it has gone rather sharp on me, like currant scents sometimes do.

[lothien]

I have been rooting around for a summer scent.

It's been hella hot and most of what I have right now is overbearing in the heat.

Fortunately, recently someone frimped me a decant of this. Again, it's not one that I would have picked out.

 

I tried it on without looking at the notes, but intrigued by the color - dark oils are usually a promising sign.

 

omg, it's beautiful! I cannot pick out the notes, which is something I really like in a blend. I have to go look it up and I am not shocked to see why I didn't key on it when it was out: Golden pear, amber, fig leaf, oakmoss, bronze musk, mahogany, patchouli, and a smattering of glittering pyrite. Aside from the musk and amber, all of the other notes are the sort that I might like, depending... I hate the lack of certainty of "depending," so I pass them by. Pyrite? No idea. Totally a crap shoot.

But the list of notes doesn't help me, because I still can't pick out anything. ^^ I get pear - like pear skin, not fruit, which is nice without being too sweet as I was afraid it might be, but I can't tell where the pear ends and anything else begins. But I am all swoony with happiness.

As it dries, I start to be able to separate things.

This is gorgeous for summer. It's almost aquatic but not, floral but not, with musk that holds its ground. Maybe it's the musk keeping the moss in check. All of the unknowns are amazing together, and a little goes a long way. A water spray version kept in the fridge might be really awesome for summer heat!

It's even a patchouli I can get away with because it doesn't stand up and holler "HAI! PATCHOULI!!"

I love a little pat, but I can only wear if I can get it past the DH. It's the *only* scent he truly hates and will grumble about, if it smells like the hippie kids at the liberal art college across the street. This pat is a beautiful support for the other things. I think it adds a gorgeous depth to a lot of blends and this is one of those.

 

It's muskier as it dries, and I will have to look for more with bronze musk - I really like this - like red musk without the candied smell. What I think is the pyrite sticks around - beautiful with the pear.

I'm giddy to have a scent I want to put on in the morning! AND I just found a half-bottle of this. Should get me through summer.

 

Just not what I expected. I love that. ^^

 

ETA: my bottle arrived today. Normally I don't like the smell of BPALs in the bottle - often the topnote is too much, but this is awesome to open and just sniff. Gorgeous pear and amber, amber and pear.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how this changes - provided I don't use it up first. Maybe I will have to keep an eye out for some to put up for a while...

Edited June 10, 2009 by dragonsidhe

[Wwindy]

An unusual, intriguing blend! When first applied, the pear note is amazingly juicy and appealing. As the blend dries down, it gets muskier and woodier, but stays fresh and relatively light given all the heavy-hitting notes here -- there's a faint hint of something cold and rocky (the pyrite, I guess?) perking everything up, and a little bit of warm greenery blending beautifully with the musk, amber, and patchouli. That patchouli is very light, in case it worries anyone -- it's not a O HAI HIPPIEZ HERE kind of note at all.

 

As people have already said, this is lovely for summer! I just wish the pear stuck around longer.

[yeahbutnobut]

Marotte

 

In the bottle: juicy pear with an odd mineral note!

Wet on skin: pear is strongest, but I also smell the metal-mineral scent, and some moss and musk.

Dry on skin: this is a really interesting scent! The pyrite note is a strange one but it’s kind of what I expected it to smell like, in that the scent evokes the visual of glittery fool’s gold. It’s halfway between metallic (iron and gold) and mineral, but pleasant too. It reminds me of the metal in the Steampunks. The pear is dominant, and it smells fresh, juicy, and genuine-no fake pear scent at all. Far from the wrist I smell more amber (mmm) but close up, I smell pear. I also wonder if the metal note may be from ‘bronze musk’? I do smell a musk note that is slightly sweet, oily and shimmering, and brown-the best way I can describe it is that it reminds me of sun warmed-and tanning-skin (though this does not smell like coconut sun lotion at all, it does remind me of some kind of lotion). I also smell a dusting of moss and a hint of mahogany as well.

After a while: the scent then dries to a really pleasant and unique scent of copper (the only way I can describe this-it’s metallic but not iron, it’s brownish too) with a bit of pear, moss and a little bit of amber. It’s very nice-and incredibly unique. And very balanced too-all the notes play really well together in this scent.

Verdict: this quirky little scent is an unusual blend of notes that works extremely well! It looks odd on paper but on the skin, it all blends very nicely to make a gorgeous scent which is a bit fruity, a bit sweet, a bit musky, a bit woody, a bit amber-y and with a cheeky mineral hint to it. It’s very different to anything else I’ve smelt and yet the metallic brightness, the fruity sweetness, the warm musk and amber, almost seem familiar at times. I’d say this was closest to the Steamworks scents but even so it’s very different and unusual as a perfume…and yet it doesn’t smell too strange to make me think ‘what the?’, it smells fresh and light enough to wear any time. I really love it.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? yes!

If you like this, try: Phoenix Steamworks, Aelopile, Titania

[edenssixthday]

Marotte - This is a lovely, woody pear scent with a hint of patchouli and an even slighter hint of musk. This is a keeper!

[BuxomM]

I smell oakmoss, bronze musk and a hint of something and fresh crisp which must be pear. As it dries something metallic comes out. After about half an hour it's just amber. It smells masculine to me.

Edited June 13, 2009 by BuxomM

[rayvn1]

ye gods this smells good wet. Golden pear with rich amber and a dusty, musty background. Then it dries and just kind of frittters away off my skin I might need to try this in a scent locket. It's so good wet!

[Gin]

Marotte

 

This makes me think of my grandfather at first. The oakmoss makes it very masculine-soapy until the amber jumps up to keep it in check. The pear is really golden and syrupy for a minute and then fades into the sweet background.

[dawndie]

In bottle: sharp old-school perfume, like Gloria Vanderbilt

 

On skin: watery pear, and there's a bite of sharp woodiness too

 

Half-hour later: mellows into a smooth cologne, sweet moss and dusty wood

 

In conclusion: this seems to be a companion scent to Quincy Morris, because both have that distinctive, delicious pear. Probably too masculine on me by itself, I'll have to try it with the other Le Mat scents later. However, this would make an awesome room spray, as if visiting Miss Kitty in her Victorian boudoir above the saloon.

[Iceblink]

*sneeze* The wood in this is SO sharp and strong. I get mostly woods with a metallic edge, and sweetness from the pear. The overall effect is quite cologney and honestly, it's giving me a bit of a headache. Not for me although I do like the pear note--I can get that from Titania and Perilous Parlor if I need a fix, luckily!

[sharybaby]

In the imp vial, this is the most mouth-watering autumnal pear scent. I get a hint of amber in the background.

 

Dry on my skin, however, is a different story. It smells exactly like Shower to Shower talcum powder.

[Coldfire]

 

 

 

 

 

Decant: pears and leaves. Like a golden autumn day

Wet on Me: more pears and leaves. Earthy and golden fruity. I an almost smell the sunbeams coming down thru autumn colored trees.

Drying down: Now it’s pear and autumn leaves with patchouli lying underneath. I’m walking thru an autumn forest kicking leaves and rich dirt.

Dry: This is patchouli in the fall. It’s golden and crisp and completely an autumn scent.

 

[Ajila]

In the bottle - Pear and a kind of masculine aftershavy sort of scent

 

Wet on me - Musky, slightly metallic, pear

 

Dry on me - The pear gets higher and sharper before settling into a dry slightly vanillic musk

 

Overall - It's very interesting, but very short lived on my skin

[Aldercy]

Apple? No, that must be the pear-- it's a little softer than apple, but on the same order. Pear and amber for sure... with some dry leaves? and warm, brassy metal?

 

Marotte is a very thick scent, but it has almost no throw. I don't think anyone would notice it unless they were hugging you, but then it would be very striking. It's definitely an autumnal blend to me-- golden-brown, earthy, tired. It makes me think of trees hunkering down for winter. The metallic note (not very strong, but definitely there) is one of the most "true" metallic scents I've yet encountered in BPAL-- it's a little rusty, but mostly reminds me of old coins warmed to life in the palm of your hand. And whatever this "bronze musk" is, I like it. It's slightly masculine, but nice.

 

This is the only blend I've tried that had patchouli in it anywhere and yet worked. Woo! There may be hope yet for some of the hundreds of blends I've been avoiding on account of patchouli....

[Muppetk]

In the imp: mostly fresh (actually, almost unripe, the brown variety - the one with the rougher skin, not smooth, I think Bosc) pear, and that smooth amber-patch-musk that seems to be a bpal signature.

 

Wet: slightly less pear, slightly more musky-incense. Yummm.

 

Drying: pear continues to dwindle, fading into the rest of the lovely amber-patch-musk yumminess. I think I could live without the pear in this, so won't be horribly sad if it disappears. Oakmoss is starting to come out now. OH -- I think that distinct Bosc Pear scent is actually ordinary pear + oakmoss.

 

Dry: The scent is stabilized but surprisingly light. I'm thinking this might be a good one for my SO to try on as he's truly a first degree slatherer and it might overcome the faintness. Funny that this scent is supposed to be of a jester. It strikes me very much as a Green Man scent -- a great powerful scent of a deity, if only the Green Man were from the Pear tree rather than Oak.