Annick Goutal Songes: A Classic

This is Day 2 in my week-long tribute to Annick Goutal

Annick Goutal Songes is perhaps the sultriest, sweetest, straight-up diva of all the Annick Goutal fragrances. Songes is a heady white floral with prominent notes of frangipani, tiare, ylang-ylang and jasmine. Yet it also has woods and dryness in its base, tempering a potentially over-the-top floral. Essentially, Songes is a classy exotic island scent.

A fairly recent review of Songes on Grain de Musc put me back in touch with it and the realization that it’s one of my favorite fragrances. Denyse really nails it with the idea of Annick Goutal fragrances falling into three categories, the “mama," “papa," and “daughter” scents. I love the idea of Songes being the hip-swaying “yummy mummy.”

Songes is offered in an edt and edp and these concentrations are relatively different. The eau de toilette is all about lush white florals and it’s less sweet while the eau de parfum is a lush white floral dipped in vanilla that just about oozes sensuality. I love both concentrations but prefer the edp. I was surprised when I realized tuberose isn’t listed amongst the notes because I’ve always thought of Songes as a tuberose heavy fragrance. Songes is so creamy and thick (and I don’t mean thick as in cloying, I simply mean it’s dense, languid and almost murky, and these adjectives are meant positively). While Songes begins assertively she dries down to an easy-to-wear floral with hints of dry vanilla and some woods. If you have never sniffed Songes, my description might seem schizophrenic, by calling it dense, languid and murky yet at the same time easy-to-wear and a bit dry. This is the beauty of Annick Goutal and why I think AG is special as a perfume house - you truly have to wear Annick Goutal fragrances to understand them. I can’t think of any which can be judged from a few dabs from a sample vial. If you don’t give Songes a few big sprays and a full day’s wearing – you’d probably just think it’s a sweet white floral and miss the point entirely. Once the first 20 minutes pass, Songes is a muted floral, both exotic and demure.

Songes is an absolutely succulent potion with no rivals. I think of it as a classic up there with all the greats.

Full list of notes: frangipani, tiare, jasmine notes, incense, vanilla, copahu balm, pepper, ylang-ylang absolute, vetiver, sandalwood, amber and styrax

[I have been eyeing the above limited edition baccarat Moon bottle for years. Anyone have a spare $1,250 they wouldn’t miss?!]