I’m not particularly drawn to Rance when Affi first mentioned it to me because most of the scents from Rance are just too complex for my taste. In fact, we used to have different sample vials at the office and I’ve sampled several and never really found one that was suitable for me. That is until I went to Singapore with Hani for the Asia Fashion Exchange and she brought with her a bottle of Pauline. It was the pretty simple bottle with blue ribbon that intrigued me at first. It stands tall and with pride like a monarch in front of the mirror. Though we shared a room, both of us had a different and busy agenda and we barely saw each other during the trip. But there was this one day where Hani had left for a meeting first and I was tucked inside my blanket and the scent of the fragrance lingered even after I finished with my shower that morning. It was that powdery scent that is the epitome of femininity. And ever since that day, I was stricken by Pauline and couldn’t get it out of my head.
Pauline is a very rich floral fragrance and the wild violet lends the sweet powdery character throughout the fragrance. The top notes of ylang-ylang, cotton flower, and orange of Sicily frame the beginning of the perfume but the heart notes are what really set out to dominate with the combination of white rose of Grasse, wild violet, and Indian patchouli. The base that is a combination of Lebanese cedarwood, Siam bonzoin, and tonka bean give it a woody and creamy characteristics towards the end.
Because of its strong and festive characteristics, as well as its hefty price tag, I would’t label this as an everyday fragrance. I would save it for a special occasion and put it somewhere where I could see it every single day.
