Tuberose - The Bad Girl of the Perfume Industry

"Every single person making a tuberose fragrance is trying to knock off the classic, which is Fracas" - Frédéric Malle

While I am not entirely sure that is the case, Robert Piguet's fragrance Fracas is, after all, an elevated, historic piece of art within the perfume industry.

Fracas was created by perfumer Germaine Cellier and launched in 1948 for Robert Piguet. Cellier was a fierce and charismatic businesswoman, an incredibly talented chemist, and an artist. She socialized with Jean Cocteau and other artists and poets within surrealism and dadaism. Her style in perfumery was described as refined and daring, with a touch of dissonance.

Historically, capturing and taming the naturally seductive scent of tuberose has been difficult, almost impossible. This is because its extract, much like jasmine, contains indoles, the chemical components reminiscent of rotting meat and a hint of armpits.

Using her knowledge of the latest advancements in biochemistry, Cellier blended Indian tuberose extract with, among other things, large amounts of Tunisian orange blossom, precious French jasmine, and Italian iris root, all on a base of synthetic civet (meaning no animals were harmed in the process).

The result was classic perfumery's ultimate, timeless 'bad girl.' The sexiest, darkest white floral fragrance the world had ever experienced. (Greta Garbo, Madonna, and Courtney Love, to name a few famous fans)."

Today's Fracas has long since been reformulated, just like all the other classics, but it remains a legendary fragrance.

At 26, I made my first attempt at wearing Fracas, but to my great disappointment, it just didn't work for me. At 41, I gave it another try and bought it. Suddenly, it sat like a dream on my skin. For me, it required a bit of living.

However, there is no denying that it is a vintage scent that might not be to everyone's taste. If you are curious about more modern, easy-to-wear, yet sultry and deep variations of tuberose fragrances, the following are available at Lila Engel. 

• @hiram_greens lifelike Moon Bloom, featuring jasmine and ylang-ylang.

• @byermia_fragrance Ambrosia, where tuberose comes together with frangipani, mimosa, and plumeria, among other notes.

• @jeroboamperfumes Gozo, with tuberose, saffron, and patchouli.