Description
The MIRIAM short is the first in an ongoing series called “Woman’s Picture” by Brian Pera. This series and its companion Tableau perfumes represent a ten year collaboration between the worlds of perfume (Andy Tauer) and film (Brian Pera). The first three episodic shorts in the “Woman’s Picture” series inspired their own perfumes, (Miriam: October 2011; Loretta: March 2012; and Ingrid: October 2012).
Each perfume is packaged with a DVD of its related short (portraits) and a novelette related to the character in question. The portraits of “Woman’s Picture,” though mostly contemporary in setting, are inspired by the women’s films of the Thirties, Forties, and Fifties, and focus on the subjective experience of strong female characters and their interaction with fragrance.
Andy Tauer worked on the juice of the perfume for Miriam. As he explained, he did his best to fill the vintage-like bottle with the vintage-like scent of the 40s. Miriam perfume is an aldehydic rosy-musky scent, sheer and long-lasting, soft, sensual and ultra feminine, evoking old Hollywood glamour with its elaborate beauty and science of seduction.
нгкфнф – :
The opening is widely diffused by experimented and fresh, almost effervescent aldehydes that carry under the initial vivacity a radiant bouquet of soft white flowers, a blast of petals in which the fresh side of the rose and the limpid one of neroli predominate. Shortly after this bright garden there is a little ‘shadow where they grow the violets whose natural essence of the leaves gives the greenest character to the scent. Then Miriam warms up by opening the softer facets of jasmine and ylang-ylang, which are a prelude to the sweetly amber background characteristic of the floral like Coeur-Joie or even L’air du Temps by Nina Ricci laden with musk ambrette talcato. It is in fact especially in the bottom that this scent bears the signature of Andy, with a just woody footprint of sandal rounded by vanilla and tonka bean and made sensual by an amber animal, contrasted by the clean note of musk poudre as a distant trace of Orange Star.
(_HOMA_) – :
I bought the 7ml purse spray blind because of the notes listed, and because I love vintage style fragrances. I’m not good at separating out notes and its probably easier to describe by what it reminds me of and the image it creates-there is definitely a Chanel No 5 vibe, and hints of My Sin. This is a feminine scent without being the least bit girly-there’s no sweetness or innocence here at all. This is an experienced woman, a mature lady who survives on her nerves, gin and tonic and cigarettes. She’s elegant but brittle, sophisticated, alluring and wears a lot of red lipstick. This is a mature fragrance-I suspect 15 years ago I would have hated this, but now in my 40s I can appreciate its complexity and rounded notes. I get incense in the dry down along with an earthy, almost sexual note that suggests an erotic animal underneath the cold veneer.
I think this would be difficult to wear daily-to me its more like something you would wear for a specific event or occasion. It’s quite cloying on me, and only just missed being headache-inducing by virtue of only applying one squirt to test it initially. This isn’t something you would apply liberally-its full on and a little overpowering. I like it, but I don’t think I’ll be getting another bottle.
serg 1980 – :
While I appreciate greatly his homage to vintage perfumes, this is a perfume that does nothing for me like Arpege, My Sin, Cuir de Russie, Chanel No. 5, and other vintage perfumes. Too much geranium, too much violet. I see no similarity to Chanel 5. The aldehyde slap in the face fades with the drydown but I don’t smell anything special. Maybe it’s my chemistry. Maybe I’m a purist but can you create a vintage-like perfume using modern methods? I don’t know what equipment was used to make this but the charm of the scents and the ingenuity of the perfumers of the 20s and beyond rests in their genius to come up with new methods of perfumery that created masterpieces like Arpege. My question is can you remove all that and just take notes from vintage perfumes and come up with the same result?
mivirm12 – :
Stunning fragrance, old school in every way – scent, quality, refinement. So beautiful that any negative comments baffle me. But scent is so subjective and personal and everyone is affected differently. I am a Chanel No 5 fan and love classic aldehydes (No. 22, Arpege, Caleche, etc.) so maybe that makes all the difference. But I do not get much resemblance to Noontide Petals other than the vintage feel and smidge of Tauerade in the base which almost every Tauer has if you look for it. They have an entirely different feel overall to me and I literally find little resemblance. I am a huge Noontide Petals fan so I wanted to try this one as well but I just want to warn everyone that this is very different. Miriam is beautiful, soft, musky and powdery with an amber base. If you like classic, elegant fragrances from yesteryear, you will probably salivate over this.
Kysok – :
First sniff – a whiff of incense. Fades into a lush floral, warms and inviting, with a delicate silage. Very sophisticated yet approachable and extremely sniffable! Lovely indeed!
As the dry-down continued, I was reminded more and more of another fragrance; eventually, I realized it reminded me of Chanel’s 31 rue Cambon.
rimlyanin – :
I’m sitting with my darling aunt at tea. We’re delicately sipping Oolong from china cups. Our white gloves are pristine, our pocketbooks are black patent leather and oblong in shape. We’re both wearing nylons with seams and fitted sheath dresses. Shame on me, because all I can think of when I smell Miriam (my fragrance of the day) is my rendezvous later on. He’ll be waiting, and I know he will place his lips to my neck, inhale, and the gloves will come off (so to speak).
Gorgeous. Vintage-inspired. Quality. Seductive. This has got it all. Love it!
Galuhska13522 – :
A very delicious smell, reminds me lot of Chanel No.5, but in a more finer way, not as strong perhaps.On my skin after two hours smells divine,a warm amber comforting smell.It is a vintage smell but what a delish!Love it!
aymagistr – :
A masterfully created perfume that reminds me very much of perfume from other ages, if you love vintages you surely will be impressed what mr. Tauer has done with “Miriam” here. It is a gorgeous powdery green aldehyde made in the same traditions as the best power fragrances made by french high-end perfume houses. Quality wise this is amazing and the composition itself leaves very little to hope for – it is made perfectly.
The scent itself is rather green and cold, very elegant and refined. Do not seek a girly sweet perfume as this is nothing like it. “Miriam” is a rich, cold and elegant woman in her 40ies with everything in her life sorted out. Not by someone else – by herself and she damn well knows what she is worth.
joker8686 – :
Gorgeous ! Had a tester and then had to get a fb. The most gorgeous powdery drydown with tauerade thrown into the mixture. After the initial burst of aldehydes violet and rose it doesn’t take long to settle into the soft comforting sandalwoody, vanillic drydown. Just delicious.
kondvik – :
This one has a luxuorious start of aldehydes, violet leaves lying on a warm but transparent ambery drydown. It has beautiful powdery-aldehydic sillage, multifaced and feminine.
BUT…after two hours or so Miriam transformes into something sharp, medicinal-resinous and really unpleasant. So, I say no to her, sorry.
sammag – :
I just received this in a sample today along with Drole de Rose and 06130 Cedre.Out of the three this one definitely stood out. I think the iris and rose are the standout here. I also get beautiful vanilla and amber, sandalwood and tonka in the drydown. Typical classy Tauer quality, and that Tauer signature touch.
I’ve got to have it. This is definitely a 1940’s style perfume. Powdery, unique, delicious boudoir scent. A Rita Hayworth kind of scent. A sexy, sultry seductress. Fire inducing.
Put the blame on mame, boys
This is delicious!
aksai0001 – :
I was so excited to receive this little bottle as it is not available any where near me. I got this with 3 other Tauer perfumes. I know this perfume carries the story of classic 40’s beauty. I’m sure it captures it perfectly. For me, I was overwhelmed by the aldehyde monster. All I got was aldehyde, powder, and maybe some soft rose. I do not like aldehyde, so that basically made this stuff a no go for me. That said, I believe you Chanel No 5 lovers will really appreciate Tauer’s work here.
smok951 – :
I took it thinking I liked a lot, really disappointed if I did not understand or does not work on me. I confess to not being able to put it back fearing the utter disappointment, but I’m afraid to hear the smell of disinfectant or Autan that reminded me (maybe the lemon geranium?). Maybe it’s me who do not understand.
Panfil29 – :
A Masterpiece.Gorgeous!!!Makes every woman beautiful,sexy,classy and romantic!Andy Tauer thanks:)
etosvetaleto – :
A beautiful scent which Rita Hayworth or Hedy Lamarr could have worn to a premiere – old-fashioned glamour, strong, loud and gorgeous. The florals combine well with the amber and musk, and there’s a spiced tea accord that reminds me of Tauer’s Une Rose Chypree, another lovely original. The drydown is quite heavenly, balmy, soft and dreamy. Yes, it’s a little like Chanel No 5, but on me it’s less floral, more oriental, and I really think this scent could become a classic.
The only problem I have is with what seems to me like unnecessarily complicated marketing. Living in the UK, I’ve never seen Brian Pera’s work, and if the perfume is sold with a DVD it probably won’t work in Europe, anyway. I got my sample from an American site, and I’m not sure whether Miriam is available at all in Europe. It ought to be, because I’m sure other Europeans will love it! I also don’t “get” the link between films and perfume. What do they have in common? I don’t want to smell like a film character, I want to smell like me, only better!
That said, I like Miriam a lot, and would one day love an FB. If I can get it.
sarmat8888 – :
Clean and straightforward. I have smelled scents like that before, and the closest description is Dove soap. As it wears on, it gets better and better. A lady-like scent, not off-putting, although powerful with some thickness that does not go away. It is described by others as close to Chanel No. 5, I don’t get that; maybe the Eau de Toilette of Chanel No. 5 comes the closest. All in all a wearable scent. Not sure whether it will become full bottle worthy.
Poeme de Lancome has a similar feel, long lasting thickness and sameness, pleasant and guaranteed not to morph into some weird dry down.
bondarev51 – :
The first thing you’ll think of when you smell this is, ‘that’s pretty’. I”m not sure I can describe myself better, but try to imagine how you’d feel if you saw a girl on the verge of womanhood, trying her best to look ‘all grown up.’ Pretty.
There’s a lot thrown in here, and more than anything it is an innocent, white floral. But if you sniff with a purpose you’ll detect the violet and geranium, which on me is a welcomed relief. I like this earthy, green edge, it keeps things interesting. I don’t get much base, vanilla standing out the most. As a Tauer it comes with the signature three toot foghorn, so apply sparingly. This is not something you’d spritz on before stepping into a crowded elevator.
I”ll wear this a few more times to see how it evolves. This is a safe fragrance that would wear well in any occasion, but I suspect we’ll see more reviews on the loudness factor.
dankoym – :
This is gorgeous! It initially smells very close to Chanel No 5, pure perfume. But there is an violet note that takes over. Then it morphs and gets a little creamier and floral. Vanillic dry down is what lasts. Total of maybe 4-5 hours.