Our take
What does Féerie smell like?
Antoine Maisondieu composed Féerie for Van Cleef & Arpels in 2008. The opening plays on tartness. Mandarin, orange and blackcurrant come with a green sap that stings slightly. Launch materials spoke of red berries instead, and on a blotter you do get a slightly sour red fruit. Violet then steps forward. It is sweet like an old-fashioned candy, backed by light jasmine and a quiet rose. The base switches register. Iris brings a cold powder close to make-up, which vetiver dries out and musk softens. Nothing here is loud. It invites comparison with Guerlain's Insolence for the violet and berry pairing, but Féerie is greener and far less brash. The original eau de parfum is getting hard to find, and whether it is still produced is unclear.
When to wear it
A spring perfume for the office or a lunch. Three sprays are fine because it sits close to the skin.
It belongs to the Floral, Woody, Musky family. Féerie is one of 23 creations by Van Cleef & Arpels in our encyclopedia.