Sirene by Vicky Tiel

Last year I picked up this 100ml bottle online because I was obsessed with the bottle and the notes, along with a miniature of Venus de l’Amour by Vicky Tiel. When it arrived, I noticed the Venus came without a box, just in blister packaging. Upon smelling it, I thought it was identical to Sirene but a bit more ‘aged,’ until I realized the blister label was wrong and confirmed upon checking the bottle that it was actually an older version of Sirene. The large bottle is clear glass with pink liquid, while the miniature is frosted glass, gorgeous and detailed, with amber liquid. They smell similar yet different: the newer one is more penetrating, sweet but not sugary, super floral and fresh; the older one felt a bit boozy, sweet but less intense at first. Both smell heavily of roses with great sillage and longevity. Sometimes I wear one before heading out and the other in my bag, though I rarely need to reapply after work. It’s become my daily favorite, perfect for my pink outfits, and I love both versions. It’s a super feminine, fresh, and clean fragrance; when I wear it, I feel 1000% more beautiful and ethereal. I really want to get the frosted large bottle ♡

The first time I saw it online, the bottle design caught my eye: bold, sensual, and transgressive. Reviews described it as an intense floral with 80s vibes. I never imagined I’d find it in my country; in fact, I don’t know how it ended up on the shelf of a perfume store I frequent, only a few days ago. Maybe it was destiny; the truth is, it was waiting for me. It wasn’t the vintage version (I wouldn’t have been so pretentious), but an early 2000s release with peach-colored liquid. Since it’s a low-cost fragrance, you have to be careful with blind buys; it can work out, or it can fail. There was no tester, so if you don’t take the risk, you don’t win, and since I was dead set on getting it, I just went for it. I largely disagree with comparisons to JPG Classique, Cacharel Lou Lou, or Gucci Accenti. The quality of this Vicky Tiel is optimal, but it’s not comparable to the others mentioned, and its olfactory pyramid differs in key parts. Sirene is quite a dusty floral, with main notes of rose, lavender, and a juicy violet (the latter slightly more prominent). There are small touches of geranium and peony; I don’t clearly perceive ylang-ylang or jasmine, probably because the other flowers steal the show. The opening is quite potent on the floral side, sweet on the fruits, and with an intense musk. It’s a strong opening, almost cloying, resulting in a challenging and ostentatious vibe like the bottle design. But Sirene becomes more enchanting as the moment unfolds; the flowers calm down, the sweetness isn’t cloying anymore, and it reveals another facet. Over time, the fragrance settles perfectly on my skin, neither too strong nor too weak, offering the most interesting part of its composition: when the flowers (rose/violet) blend with a softly woody vanilla base. You either love it or hate it; I don’t think there’s a middle ground. Personally, after testing it, it seemed similar to another perfume I own; it took me a while to figure out which one, but I have to say it resembles Baby Rose Jean de Versace: they share that same loud, dusty, and musky floral spirit. But the lily of the valley and bergamot in Baby Rose Jean give it a more innocent and playful tone, less sensual. Both fragrances were launched almost at the same time. Regarding the 80s vibe, I see Sirene as very 90s, perhaps with some vintage reminiscence due to that dusty touch with violet notes, but nothing more. I loved Anita Rosal’s review: ‘Gourmand Floral, Bold’… I liked it too.

I’ve wanted to write about this perfume for a while, as I love it but didn’t know how to approach it. It’s a fragrance that demands prudence, patience, and moderation. You need prudence not to wash your neck immediately, because the opening notes are intense and ugly: a bitter orange almost medicinal, like overripe fruit, alongside a strange peach that doesn’t harmonize. This lasts 5 minutes if you’re lucky, or up to 30 if not. But with patience, the beauty of the heart notes emerges: a blend of rose tincture, violet, and ylang-ylang, with that vintage powder touch that makes me imagine a young woman in front of an old boudoir, surrounded by rice powders in glass jars, ivory combs, and tortoiseshell, admiring herself in the mirror like the ladies of the Belle Époque. Despite that image, it’s not for old ladies, but for women who love the delicate, powdery, and ethereal. I don’t detect vanilla or woods. The bottle fits perfectly: frosted glass with Greek statues and pink wood-colored liquid. The sillage is intense and the longevity is exceptional, almost 24 hours. Finally, it requires moderation: just 1 or 2 sprays, because if you overdo it, it will smell strong and the floral bitterness will persist. It happens to me often because I struggle to moderate myself while savoring those heart notes I love so much. If asked why I use it frequently and recommend it despite being ‘difficult,’ it’s because it evokes eras and creates mental images of peace and beauty, making us believe in past lives with another appearance and destiny, reconnecting us with hidden memories deep within our psyche.