When a Man Loves a Woman: Rancé 1795 Joséphine Eau de Parfum

Nothing reveals more about a woman than her choice of scent.

However, what does a perfume say about a woman if it is given to her by the man she loves?

Does that mean she has to discard the perfume because it wasn’t her choice? Or does she wear it with pride, because the perfume is an olfactory token of a special connection?

The latter!

In fact, Napoleon Bonaparte was so intoxicated with his love and lust for Joséphine, that he commissioned the most popular nose in France, the perfumer by the name of Rancé to create 2 perfumes that would embody this love of his.

One perfume would be worn by the General himself, and the other by his wife on the day of his coronation. According to some records, it was Napoleon’s wish that the two perfumes would complement each other when the two of them were together, creating a unique mist of love.

And so Rancé 1795 Joséphine Eau de Parfum was born…

The perfume opens with pleasing, yet bold notes of cloves and ylang-ylang.

Those who were close to Josephine say that she was weary of people she didn’t know, so maybe this is why the perfume acts so cautiously at the beginning. As the perfume dries and it comes to know your skin, it becomes one of the most lavish scents you have ever smelled. In fact, it’s almost magical because there are different notes with every spritz. This perfume is exquisitely sophisticated, feminine and utterly gentle.

And regal, very regal.

Image courtesy of Gioia De Antoniis Flickr

Napoleon was filled with jealousy, so this perfume was only meant to be worn by Josephine and no other woman on this planet. However, this 200 year agreement took its demise, and Josephine was re-launched in 2005.

As for Josephine, she was one lucky girl.