Paradoxe by Pierre Cardin

But what gives? Is there not a single review for Paradoxe by Pierre Cardin? I can’t take it anymore, so here I go. I get the paradox in its name. Designed for women, yet so masculine. That’s pure paradox. If you lived through the eighties, it might not seem as strange to you as it does to me today. Back then, many women liked to smell like men (think Cacharel Pour L’Homme), and many men did well in a fragrance that was clearly feminine—something unthinkable in recent decades. Looking back, this perfume has been touched up, no doubt. But like anyone else here, how can you resist the temptation to buy a bottle at the price I found it and wander through experiences etched in memory, hoping to relive a special moment with a sniff? I would have loved to say epic things about this perfume, probably because those were the feelings I had back then, but I can’t. I don’t know if it’s the memory, fashion changes, or the (certain) reformulations; however paradoxical it may seem, it wasn’t special enough to escape them. I remember it much drier, leathery, and smokier than the soapy sensation I have today, which feels like a solid bar of barber soap. Maybe the note balance changed, favoring the floral notes like hyacinth and jasmine, which were more acidic back in the day, and leaving behind the leather, oakmoss, and incense that I recall as a dry, smoky punch that gave it mysterious audacity (juhuahua) and took away the soapy vibe. Anyway, Paradoxe was created for women, but never, then or now, has it smelled remotely feminine. So I feel bold recommending it to men, especially now that they’re wearing things that have nothing to do with them, like Chanel No. 5. It has to be admitted that it improves as it dries, or at least gains complexity. More smoke, less soap. But I have to say that at this point, I don’t find anything special in it anymore. That said, I have the huge satisfaction of having tried it and of having a bottle that hasn’t changed its appearance in so many years, which brings me memories of bygone times just by holding it. It’s like a piece of happy history. Recommended for people with weird tastes like… ‘I want to smell (on me or someone else) like Dr. Schmeckler’s Dr. Schmeckler shaving soap when Churchill was a corporal and there was nothing else.’ In that case, it’s ideal and essential. Go for it!