Spraying Audace, a Rochas perfume created by Marcel Rochas in 1936. discontinued at the end of the 1930’s; totally reinvented/reborn in 1972 but, gone by 1979 – this is a familiar theme with the house of Rochas (they must still own the intellectual property as there is a brand new Audace out now in 2025, a bottle so ugly I refuse to put it up) – the only audacious thing I could find about this coniferous aldehydic chypre, ‘young, dazzling and extremely elegant’ as the ad states below, was its shameless audacity in ripping off Hermes Caleche.
And yet, might this perfume, a glorious find for me, actually
be even better ?
I am not sure I had even heard of it. But it is really quite beautiful. Graceful and fresh, familiar in structure and bearing, with its bergamottian galbanesques of rose/jasmine/iris rinsed in aldehydes, it is the juniper and pine at the core of this cold marble statue, with carnation in the heart and a perfectly chypric oakmoss patchouli base that steers it away, ultimately, from the comparable Caleche which on me, always ends up with the loveliest sandalwood (rather than the classical, darker chypre base). Audace goes through a psychologically broodful period for a couple of hours where the prominent rose note does a doleful, even angry, pas de deux with the woodier elements — until it eventually decides to snap itself out of its mood and come out sublime and citric and hale, like the exquisite white soap dish gentlemanly perfection that was the original Signoricci.
I love it. I shall treasure it. Wear it only when the weather is right (cold; sunny).
But how did you encounter this marvel, I hear you ask.
At a junk shop.
The other day I got a remarkable haul of vintage perfumes for next to nothing – after an inkling I would find something interesting and steering myself in certain directions – for a fifth or sixth of the price of a currently overblown niche.
I had been vehemently craving some more vintage Mitsouko for my Year Of The Pauper. I require some form of elevation on a daily basis and hark ! the heralds led me to two beautiful bottles of eau de cologne as well as a wonderfully tarry and spiky eau de toilette. There were two unopened bottles of Cabochard extrait, 30ml and 15ml – in olfactory perfect states – darkly leathery and replete with patchouli (there are times, rare though they may be, when only that perfume will do); the best bottle of Aramis I have ever smelled; a miniature of Audace and the incredible spray parfum de toilette version I have been describing ; as well as a museum- worthy 30ml extrait de parfum of Guy Laroche’s J’Ai Ose that is now being proudly displayed in our seventies Opium den kitchen – and, dare I say it, all for just over forty quid.
TREASURE, I tell you.
Wow! What a haul.
I’m always amazed at the junk shops in Japan. Most of Asia has such a taboo about buying things second hand.
Ok, I had to Google the new Audace, that headless senorita thing is hideous.
headless senorita !
no better way of putting it !
Just let Jean Paul Gaultier do that kind of thing : this designer was clearly creating this with their eyelids sewn shut
‘Soap dish gentlemanly perfection .’
That is the true tongue in cheek hommage due to great perfumes.
My first ever perfume was Femme from Rochas , given to me by my father. Always remembered as one of his (good) deeds.
Just now I am wearing Madame Rochas, a very thin, ghostly, Eau de Toilette.
I feel I am at the right point in time for this aloof, dignified dowager. I always have to add something because for me it lacks, exactly, Audace. Well, here it is in the digital flesh!!
Merci monsieur Ginzaintherain.
I think Femme is great but personally adore Madame : it can be a thin and ghostly eau de toilette but I have a lot of full bodied parfums de toilette that are almost sweatily lascivious in the Indian sandalwood base
Signoricci and Audace are both lovely
I ache from haul envy
Oh!!! Nice haul, especially the various Mitsouko’s, Cabochard 💚…
D wrinkled his nose at the Cabochard and it IS kind of pickly and dowdy at times but as you know, when right, the sillage of the vintage extrait can just be so superlative
I envy you so much!!
It doesn’t happen too often, don’t worry – and I really needed a boost that day and the perfume angels knew it
Audace sounds like it would be right up my alley. And I have to admit that I googled the new version just to see the bottle. My word, it is awful! What are they trying to project with the pouffy dress statue!!??
Idiocy
But if you like Caleche and the Rive Gauche type of crisp elegant you will love Audace – I have slightly fallen in love with it
The new headless horsewoman scares me… It reminds me of something out of a Tim Burton film.
Whose aesthetic is often very much not to my taste to begin with – Edward Scissorhands being the notable exception.
I am not just being a bitch for the sake of it but there is something off in its spindly uncenteredness.
Who knows ? It might smell nice. But this decapitated quinceanera looks a bit late to the party to me
Neil, since Audace mentions pine… do you find any resemblance to Alliage?
WHICH I HAVE NEVER PROPERLY GOT TO KNOW !
But Lauder always smells so smoothed over and American – where this is super French. Caleche and Signoricci
But that’s exactly what I love about Lauder; the rich smother ess of you can never have enough 😂. Alliage is a very piney Rabanne pour Homme seen through a color glass of some flowers, lots of herbs and a shitload of moss and galbanum! Utterly exhilarating!
And gorgeously layered within itself. Whoever made it really knew what they were doing. This bottle must be 50 years old – and the bottle is literally disintegrating – but what is inside smells immaculately fresh : amazing
Wow! A couple of months ago, I found a full bottle of vintage Audace (exactly the one in the third picture, with the plastic case) at a flea market in the Italian neighborhood in São Paulo. I agree with you that it’s broodful. I think I still prefer Femme, however. Perfume shopping in SP has its moments, but nothing like the haul you got.
Well I got myself some vintage parfum extrait. Right up my street. Spicy green that softens, to be worn exactly now, in very early spring. Thank you!
Ooh I was hoping you were reading this – I was thinking of you specifically. Envious of the extrait – did you have to pay a fortune ?
I agree – absolutely perfect for now
I just took my time replying…as I knew I had to have it. No, it wasn’t expensive at all; not completely sure what I have but it’s in an opaque beige bottle—refillable parfum atomizer.
Oh, dear N. You describe Audace so perfectly I can smell it. Have always loved it.
Excellent posts lately. Just catching up. Congratulations on a spectacular haul!
But. Cabochard. Dowdy? Mais non! (God, I’d kill for those two bottles of yours.) On this dowdy old bird, it is femme fatale.
Would love to experience that directly – I can imagine it being rather swashbuckling
I’d like to think so.