So, in the absence of a review today, how about a little follow up to my recent post on Courdray’s Esperys? It turns out I am not the only one intrigued by the questions that were brought up in that review. I received a few emails on the subject and one of them in particular was wondering, just as I was, how close the new Esperys might be to the original by Piver. I am afraid I still do not have a good answer for this question, but the email did prompt me to try and come a little closer to the truth. Despite my efforts so far, I have been unable to source some of the original jus, but ... I did know where to find the original soap! Do I hear you laughing? Yeah, I am too. It’s better than nothing though, I’m sure you’ll agree. Well, as it turns out Esperys the soap bares no resemblance to Coudray’s modern version. But then again, I now find myself wondering just how many features -if any- the soap’s scent actually shares with the original fragrance itself. I simply cannot imagine what I smell here successfully translated into a perfume, you see. There is the issue of the overwhelming soapiness of course, but behind that there is a rather unpleasant scent of sweet sweat. Aside from this, I also recognize the same base Piver used for their Heliotrope fragrance and a subtle floral bouquet slightly reminiscent of Floramye’s drydown. The mild sweat note combined with the soft florals creates a confusing ambivalence, as though the scent cannot decide whether it is masculine of feminine. All I can say is that I hope the original does not smell like the soap. On a more positive note, I delight in having this gorgeous little box on my dresser. Image: Author’s own
