This month we will launch Puredistance OPARDU Perfume. It took more than a year to further work out OPARDU. Central to the ‘feeling’ of OPARDU have been the expressive paintings of Kees van Dongen, in particular one of his illustrations for the book ‘PARFUMS’ by Paul Valéry, published in 1945 in a limited edition of 1000. (Jan Ewoud Vos is the owner of book no. 429). The bouquet in the middle of the picture below is an illustration of Kees van Dongen. The word ‘OPARDU’ is a creation of the owner and creative director of Puredistance: Jan Ewoud Vos. When he came up with the word OPARDU he felt that this word had always been there, in a mysterious way… evocative and strangely familiar. To him the word OPARDU expresses a deep longing for the bygone days of dreamy opulence and true romance.
When Jan Ewoud Vos showed this illustration of Kees Van Dongen – a rich and lush bouquet of flowers – to Annie Buzantian, the famous Master Perfumer from New York, she instantly fell in love with it. The first word that came to her mind was ‘Opulence’. She also felt this nostalgic feeling for the early years of the previous century; the golden age of perfumery. And then her work began. As a starting point Annie used a reinterpretation of a classic carnation she had already created which was safely stored in one of her ‘secret’ drawers. After many months of intense work and communication with the Puredistance Team she succeeded in creating a Perfume that matches the feeling of the word OPARDU perfectly, and brings back the elegance and graceful beauty of the past. Main notes are carnation, tuberose absolute, purple lilac, jasmine absolute and gardenia with a background evoking the gentleness of romance through soft powdery notes.
OPARDU has an instant hypnotizing effect that revives memories of love, romance and seduction. Be prepared for a perfume that will bring you back to the velvety nightlife of Paris in earlier days. We have pre-launched OPARDU to our dealers and a selection of journalists and bloggers. The reactions we received have exceeded our best expectations. Below are a few examples of the positive feedback.
Sandra Raičević Petrović – Fragrantica
‘OPARDU really leaves an impression that I carry the most precious piece of jewelry, unique and complex, comprehensive and complete.’
Mark Behnke – Cafleurbon
‘It has an amazing amount of sophistication and a vintage vibe while still feeling relevant for the present day.’
Suzanne Keller – Eiderdown Press
‘… that it does indeed make one think of love and romance. Lilac has a way of doing that and probably no lilac scent does it better than the dreamy and elegant Opardu.’
Simone Shitrit – Mais Que Perfume
‘It is elegantly creamy, cozy and floral. It contains a liquid wish for adventures.”
Birgit Öckher – Olfactoria’s Travels
“For me, Opardu stands for “Oh, perdu!”, a sigh of quiet desperation for the things that are irrevocably gone, lost in time and never to be found again.’
Elena Vosnaki – Perfume Shrine
‘Here, in Opardu, the purple lilac is trembling under the morning sun and the white flower notes provide a tinge of honeyed sweetness.’
