Safran Troublant L'Artisan Parfumeur for women and men

They are crazy for discontinuing such a glorious creation. I have had 100s of perfumes and have smelled plenty more and this is the most beguiling thing I’ve ever laid my nose on.
Fluffy effervescent sugared ginger rose and saffron, with a milky sandalwood. I could sip a spoonful, tho I still feel this very much smells like a fragrance designed for the skin rather than some gourmands that smell like a candle for your kitchen.
I found a golden bottle on Mercari and I’m already feeling the anxiety of going through this bottle. It’s not the strongest of fragrances to be sure and I’m already looking for similar things to try.

I don't know why I consider this a hidden gem, but I do. Maybe it's because I've never caught anyone else wearing it? I wear it almost exclusively in cooler/cold weather (under 45 degrees Fahrenheit). The ginger and saffron are gorgeous in ST. It strikes me as perfectly unisex and my husband agrees with me.... His current fave is 5 O' Clock Au Gingembre so there's a clear symmetry.

I'm thinking of grabbing a back up bottle in case LAP decides to d/c this lovely composition. The only flaw IMO (teeny flaw at that), is gimme more roses... I think it's just my own glitch though. I don't see musk listed in the notes, but I definitely get a musky presence. This is one of those compositions that everyone should sample.

If you know the smell of halva - this is it! Soft Oriental spices mixed with beautiful and powerful sweetness and a touch of nuttiness. It’s creamy, vanillic and has this interesting spicy twist.

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WTS or swap my bottle! Preferably within EU :)

Amid a sea of fragrances that feature saffron as a supposedly prominent note, this is the first I have ever encountered that actually smells like saffron, and does so beautifully. In fact, I can barely smell any of the other notes except only the slightest hint of ginger. Quintessentially Olivia Giacobetti, it is soft spoken yet refined, evocative and calming like a hug on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

How I wish they would bring this back. Don't know why it got discontinued, but in case it's due to shortage of original raw materials then it's best not to reformulate it into something different.

This was (almost) perfect as it was. Almost, because the sillage and longevity are maddeningly poor. But the scent, that is heaven. Warm, sugary saffron milk with the finest, smoothest Bulgarian rose oil and a sprinkle of chai spices.
I still own a bottle which I cherish, and I still get mad every single time I try to wear it and then don't feel it anymore after 2-3 hours.

I used to own an old bottle of this, the one with the golden cap presentation bottle, back when I was 16 years old. It was once a perfume that I was madly in love with, right at the start of my fascination and journey into niche perfume houses, and I adored this bottle from the first sniff, immediately going back to purchase it the next day with the pocket money I had saved up over months.

This sweet saffron heavenly fragrance was one of my earliest perfume purchases I got fir myself and something I treasured.... I have regretted selling that bottle intensely over the last 15 years :( I kept back 5ml that I use sparingly, but I miss owning the full bottle which has left a hole in my heart. Please, if anyone is wanting to part with their old formulation version of this one - please, please let me know.

L’Artisan is merciless…so sad this is discontinued. Does anyone have a bottle they would like to sell? Based in US.

Olivia Giacobetti's compositions are transportive and beguiling. They do not demand your attention. I liken them to ambient music. She could very well be the Brian Eno or Harold Budd of perfumers. The levels are never turned up to 11, and while quiet, her works are by no means weak. After all, returning to the music analogy, is quiet music any less real and valid than propulsive rhythms and loud rock? Evaluating fragrance on whether it is "noticed" is much like evaluating art by the lowest common denominator. "My favorite musician has reached number 1 on Billboard 10 times, and yours barely cracked the top 40." The false corollary follows that the former is inherently superior. Rather daft thinking, in my humble opinion, but all too common.

Safran Troublant opens with saffron realism and at this point I frankly don't care how she did it because I want to get lost in the story. It's that heavenly smell of stigmas, carotenoid-rich threads, macerated at the bottom of mortar by a pestle. There's nothing else like it, and Giacobetti captures it here. It soon smooths over within a vanilla cloud, sprinkled with sugar, doused with rose and underpinned by sandalwood. Simple as that, and simply beautiful it is: a harmony of all elements.

I feel happy that autumn is fast approaching as I wear this. While it makes for a pretty-sounding name, I am not sure why it's called "troublant" as it has quite the opposite effect, it soothes rather than seduces, like a hot cup of tea or a hug from a friend. It's a hug to perfumers from Olivia.

I'm wearing this after a hiatus of a couple years. My, how hyperventilatingly sweet this fragrance is! It has a beautiful saffron note, plus an edge of ginger up top. There is a metric fuckton of a "sugar accord" which makes this cloyingly sweet in hot weather. Lesson learned: do not wear this when it's insanely hot, and go easy on the sprayer. Very nicely done, and I completely agree with the Stepford Wife comments of Kamicha.

For me, well, this is something that every decent Stepford wife would wear. Softly spicy, sweet, vanillic sandalwood laced with pink roses. As feminine as it could be. The scent of a domestic goddess with her saffron and sugar state-of-the-art baking and unquestionable seducer alter ego, accessible to her spouse exclusively. And we are talking about androids here, not real people.

It's a bit too much for me in general, but I do enjoy it occasionally. So much sweetness and indestructible lasting power. But who would not like to be a flawless creation?

L’artisan Parfumeur Safran Troublant (2002) - sugared sandalwood - if you are looking for some quiet contemplation, there’s no better perfumer than #oliviagiacobetti Her fragrances easily transports the wearer to another place. This time it’s Turkey. Starts with Rose mixed with aromatic Ginger. Then the story comes, sugared #turkishdelight mixed with saffron tea (leathery/sweet/earthy) on a base on vanilla pods and creamy sandalwood. Very well balanced, yet this is something to re-apply to bring back that glorious starting accord.

This is really interesting but not something I see myself wearing regularly.

I've never smelled the new black bottle, so I can't speak to that. My experience is with the gold cap, orangish label one.

Safran Troublant has everything going for it. It's an impeccable display of saffron, done in a very approachable way. The spikey heat of ginger is just tame enough. Gentle red roses peek through, like a flirty wink. Vanilla and sandalwood, always a reliable pair, especially when spices are involved. It has just the right amount of sweetness . It smells middle-eastern dessert inspired, so good you could almost eat it.

The ingredients /accords must have been so meticulously placed because each part works in total harmony with the next. There's nothing put of tune or off-beat, and none of the notes outweigh the others. It's not fully rose, or vanilla or woody - It's all of those things in equal proportions with a good dose of spice. I consider it a masterpiece.

I've worn about 150 ml over the last seven years and I still adore it. It's a perfect 10/10. It lasts and projects exactly how I want it to, always makes me warm and happy inside, and I've yet to smell anything like it. The thing is, I've worn it so much that I don't currently reach for it as often as I used to. I can tend to get a little bored with it if I'm honest, but that's only because I'm very familiar with it and it doesn't surprise me anymore. Regardless, I can't stress enough what a beauty it truly is.

Anyone looking for spicy vanilla should check it out. It's slightly unusual - not weird, but could have been had it not been so perfectly balanced. It does seem to be pretty mass appealing as evidenced by the countless times I was told how great I smelled when I wore it to work, out shopping, with family etc. It's a great introduction to niche, and just an amazing fragrance overall. I assume the black bottles are of the same quality, or very close as I've not heard the usual complaints that come after a house rebrands.

You could not ask for a more perfect winter fragrance imo, specifically if you like spicy vanillas. It's less a rose fragrance and more a warming concoction of spices, vanilla, sandalwood and some sweetness laced with rose.

An enjoyable, subtle, spicy, warm drink, like a chai, with half a spoon of sweetness and a generous dash of milk to make it smooth (it does not smell like milk).
There is no unpleasantness, no shouting, no demands.
It is refined, elegant but informal, inoffensive, the opposite of celebrity fragrances.
I agree that it sits close.
For the self-possessed and happy, a warm smile.

Ce parfum est une belle découverte que j'ai toujours beaucoup de plaisir à porter, il reste discret et manque de tenue mais il est beau, solaire, original et affiche un certain caractère sans en rajouter. A essayer si vous n'êtes pas des adeptes du sucré et des parfums lourds.

The strangest thing happened with Safran Troublant. When I received it, I was underwhelmed because all I could smell was an alcoholic rose which disappeared within 30 minutes. I sprayed and sprayed, on clothing and in my hair, and the result would be invariably the same. Until a few months ago, when I tried it again and, a few hours after I applied it, I was wondering where the sweet, creamy and delicate fragrance surrounding me was coming from - it was Safran Troublant! Some days it can last up to 6 hours, on other days it disappears and comes back. As for the scent itself, it’s been said before that it is a truly delightful balmy rose with sugar and mild spices, a unique and comforting concoction.

The truest saffron centered fragrance I have ever had the pleasure of encountering. Yes, its true that the longevity and silage are abysmal. However, I feel that certain fragrances, like this one, are meant to be worn closer to the skin as it adds to the elegance of the composition. As for the fragrance itself, the opening reminds me of the syrup used in gulab jamun, a sweet, milky, saffron infused Indian dessert. The saffron stays throughout the wear and is quickly followed by a subtle rose note. Thus far, I do not detect any obvious lactonic qualities. The vanilla, while there, is not the main player. This fragrance is all about saffron.

The opening is fruity, but the rose, powdery but fresh, takes the main role.
It's a delightful floral scent, constructed on a heart of rose, with a milky accent.
Comforting, elegant.
It's a sheer juice, easy to wear and transparent.

Like many other L'Artisans, it is quite fleeting and has a low staying power (on my skin eating skin).
It's a very tamed, cozy fragrance.
Hence, i don't get the name "troublant", which meaning is disturbing, unsettling but also seducing. I don't see it as a seductive fragrance, rather nice and cozy yes.

Nice to sample, but nothing to die for.

To me, Safran Troublant smells creamy, opaque, and edible. Dense but pillowy. There’s a confection I remember from childhood, something like a “cream fudge,” but not as sweet as American fudge. I imagine Safran Troublant as a delicate, saffron-and-rose-water-imbued cream fudge. I am less likely to wear it out than just for myself -- especially when I’m tired and unmotivated, it’s a welcome, energizing distraction and fortification, a soothing pick-me-up.

Seeing the notes i was very wary. I was traumatized by Baccarat Rouge in terms of the saffron/sugar couple.
But this was a nice fresh surprise ! Safran Troublant bears great similarities with Nishane’s Suede & Saffron, add the textured vanilla. The rose is not very prominent and neither is the sugar. Vanilla only smoothens the dryness of the saffron but it’s not a creamy perfume, nor is it ambery. Problem with L’Artisan Parfumeur is the weak/mild performance ...
Regardless, this is a good but average saffron, unisex and inoffensive. Pleasant, just not a head turner.

Delicious, sweet-but-not-saccharine, warmly spicy gourmand. As mentioned by others, a truly seamless blend that makes you want to get closer. My winter go-to. Great for snuggling!

I got this today as an addition to my rose collection. It is a gourmand perfume which starts out with a blast of spicy saffron. Some reviewers have said it smells earthy or like sweat. This I suspect is cumin which seems the most pronounced note on opening, giving a strong oriental vibe. However quite quickly the spiciness melds with a deep rose and the sweatiness dissipates. Vanilla becomes pronounced, joining the rose and spice. The notes seem to blend into a dessert of sweet rosy spice which is just delectable. It reminds me a bit of Indian rice pudding - so lovely. This remains unchanged for a long time and wears very close and warm. I am wearing it in summer and it is not overwhelming, but I imagine it would be comforting in winter too. I love it. If you are put off by the initial cumin blast, just wait a little bit to be beguiled by something much more tender and wearable. My only slight disappointment is that the rose is not as prominent as I would have hoped. It is more of an instrumentalist in an orchestra rather than the diva soloist. However the perfume is divine.

This is one of my favorite perfumes ever. This has a distinct rose note, but there is something salty and buttery about it. It smells like what salty skin tastes like, if that makes any sense. I don’t get savory notes and it does not tread in the Serge Lutens territory of using aromatic spices (EG, cumin, corridander, and white pepper) to “dirty” up the fragrances. Instead this is a much creamer saltier “lived in” fragrance. This sits close to the body and blends in with your body.

Clean, soft, comforting. A good scent to start or end the day with. Does not send a strong message, just gives you a sense a peaceful well being.

A very unique, beautiful scent. The beginning starts off with sharp saffron. It's spicy and a bit dirty, almost like B.O.! It then smudges out beautifully over the next few minutes and hours into a creamy sweet-spicy aroma, like saffron rice pudding. It's a very comforting and cozy scent. The rose is blended in well, adding structure and complimenting the tang of the saffron, while the sandalwood adds woody sweetness to the base. Definitely more of a spicy gourmand, not overly sweet. Works well for all genders. Sillage is low and the scent sticks close to the body, making this the perfect scent for cooler days with layers wrapped around you bringing up wafts of Safran Troublant periodically.

Wow this is such a unique scent! It captures the smell of saffron rice dish very well. For me it's mostly a spice forward fragrance, and I detect very little florals. In the deep dry down, it gets sweeter and more candied. This is a very lovely scent, very cozy, while being unique!

I get a lot of the earthy elements of saffron in here, and as a result I don't love this fragrance as much as I was hoping to. I was also expecting more gourmand sweetness, but for me the earthy, dirty saffron dominates everything, with rose in the background. Below average sillage too.

On me this only works in warm or hot weather, which brings out the rose so that the other notes only serve to make her lovelier. (In cold weather, the saffron "pong" takes over.) I wouldn't have expected to enjoy something this warm and sweet in the heat, and I'm not usually a fan of such rose-forward fragrances, but this is subtly delicious.
(My sample was from one of the older, gold-cap bottles.)

This is the exact scent of sugared, milky eggnog! Sadly I don’t get any rose in this but the saffron is noticeable. Nice sheer, gourmand scent but the longevity is non-existent. I like to put it on before bed. It’s so light that it can be worn in any weather. In a similar vein to Tea for Two, but I prefer that because it has a little more heft.

My first bottle of Safran Troublant I will treasure for ever. Because my husband bought this for me in the L’Artisan shop in Paris, just before Christmas and it was sooooooo romantic. AND because they changed it and the newer batch is not as good. The old bottle has the gold cap and it smells much deeper than the new one. Such a shame.
Nevertheless: It is still one of my BIG scent favourites. It’s really my go-to perfume in autumn and winter when I want to be wrapped up in spice and warmth. It lasts for days, it’s very grown-up and solid. It is saffron all the way, but leans more towards amber and rose than towards a savoury or leathery scent. And that’s how it stays, maybe it gets a little more vanilla as it dries down.
It is one of the best warm scents out there.

This fragrance is an art. It smells great and reminds me of delicious gourmet Turkish Delight with pure rose flavor. Sweet but not cloying or overpowering. Magical!

I just realized I forgot to review this delight. Safran Troublant is indeed spicy and warm but as other of Olivia Giacobetti's creations, it manages to be discrete too. It is milky I guess for the mixture of sandalwood, ginger and safran, but it surprisingly keeps a fresh naivity as well.

When I wear ST I feel like a five year old girl after a morning shower having breakfast while she can smell in the air the vapors of the arroz con leche her mum is cooking for later in the day.

Not a thick gourmand, nor a dark spicy oriental. I see those who enjoy the style of Tea for Two and Poivre piquant loving Safran Troublant as well.

A perfect daywear perfume, elegant and uplifting and unique. It does last though in the low discrete key. Sillage is moderate, I can't imagine how it could get to offend someone, not even the most sensivity coworkers. I wear it all year around, saving it just for nights in summer.

I'm wearing it now, and I must say it's not exactly what I expected.

Its opening reminds me of 1969 from Histoires de
Parfum a few hours into its development. Intensely spicy, almost masculine with a strong cardamum note, in addition to the titular saffron.

It evolves into an airy and dry concoction. The rose is absolutely not the protagonist here, the spices are far more prominent. Sandalwood gives it a very pleasant lightness and keeps the vanilla and spices from becoming too cloying.

I will say I'm missing some acidity from the rose, but that is probably cause I haven't had time to live with this perfume and appreciate it for what it is: a light, woody spice that is intensely unisex.

Beautiful creamy lightly spiced saffron and sandal probably one of the best creamy/sweet/spicy scents I’ve ever smelled. It’s heartbreaking that it suffers from lack of silage/longevity just like every other L’artisan I’ve owned or tried. I would buy a bottle of this in a heart beat if it had more power but as it is, it’s just not worth the price tag :(

The soft and feminine way to wear a spicy fragrance. Oh, how I love this! The opening is very close to real saffron, warm and spicy, not as medicinal as it can sometimes be in perfumes. But you can already smell the sweet roses and vanilla underneath it. This is a wonderfully creamy and milky kind of scent, the rose is jammy in a way, but not heavy, maybe like a transparent rose jelly. The sugar note is like a veil of powdered sugar that lies over the spiced vanilla in the drydown, it’s not cloying.

Safran Troublant is relatively simple and easy to wear, good to comfort yourself on cold fall and winter days, but it isn‘t boring. I read the complaints about lasting power, and I know that this is generally a problem with L‘Artisan for some people, but all I can say is that I own several of their fragrances and never felt like they vanish too quickly. This is a soft scent though, but for me there are more times and places where I’d rather smell like a delicate rose and saffron dessert than like I rolled through a spice rack. And if I want that effect, I bring out my Kenzo Jungle instead.
Despite this being categorized as a unisex scent, I feel very feminine and romantic in it, as it‘s sweet and rosy and also rounded and natural, without any hard edges. But of course I wouldn‘t want to tell any guy that he shouldn‘t wear it, it’s just the opposite of the typical male-marketed spice fragrance.

I thought I'd already done a review on Safran Troublant, but guess I missed it. So, here goes.

I love this scent! Cream saffron and what I smell as cardamom (though I don't see cardamom in the notes specifically, so it is probably the ginger) are 2 of my very favorite spices and they translate beautifully into this perfume. The rose and ginger add a bit of sharper spice and the vanilla and sandalwood smooth it all out. Not too many ingredients, but they are all so perfectly blended into a soft, comforting, slightly Indian Kheer smell that I absolutely adore. The only issue I have is that the longevity is so short. That said, I bought it anyway and will just enjoy it as long as I can.

Just like the tree, this scent exudes balance, growth and harmony. Inspired by the sound of wind blowing through the trees, finding a waterfall through the woods, and grounding yourself in nature. Safran and spicy notes mix with a slightly sweet vainilla touch. Surprising and original.

+ This is quite lovely. It's soft spicy ginger, and has a softly powdery cosmetic quality probably from the saffron/sandalwood combo... all while not being overly sweet. It's light, airy, and feminine on my skin. Dries down dry and powdery. Inoffensive. Future buy list. Very light and fleeting. Very intimate scent cloud. You cannot overspray this. For the delicately scented among us.

EDIT Sept 2020 - Back in stock! I bought it, finally. It has arrived and I love it even more than the sample. I'm excited for it to age and mature in my collection. Happy today! I love it so much I just might buy a backup bottle.

The closest thing in my collection I can compare this to, is Serge Lutens Jeau de Peau. The warm sweet milkiness is in both. This one with a soft spice, SLJdP is more sweet & "foodier". This one is also lighter. I'm gonna spray myself down with it, but I have a feeling, it could never overpower. If you do like this & you do not mind the sweet foodie thing, SLJDP is still not an overbearing fragrance, but it's def louder with a better throw than this one. This is VERY safe. I'm a HUGE L'Artisan fan, Juice & bottles tho, so I had to have it! I do wish they were all a tad stronger and had better longevity. IMO opinion, the Rose is not in the back seat, it's in the trunk in this one.

A fluffy delight. The spices are gentle. Ginger and saffron are prominent and the sweetness is soft. It is worthy of being a staple for rose, spice, sandalwood lovers during the cooler months because while it is cozy it's also a bit zingy. It really enhances my mood on a gloomy day, it feels like the sun is peeking through the clouds. The color of the juice is a good representation of the feelings it evokes. It's a linear composition & wears closely. It's easy to wear while also being unique enough that it doesn't smell like anything else. Just a lovable sugared ginger, rose, saffron, sandalwood, vanilla scent!

Longevity is a little sad as with most L'Artisans but I don't mind. The scent makes up for lack of staying power for me.

It was a blind buy and my first L'Artisan fragrance, but at £40 I couldn't say no to a bargain!

I've just worn it this afternoon, so I'm getting to know how this juice will evolve and it's quite promising. Starts with a spicy and in the face saffron, earthy and kind of zesty. But the blast is short lived, in about ten minutes it evolves into a creamy, sweet but not too much syropy notes lingering about. Thereafter, all I can detect is cardamom and I love cardamom too. I would say it's a pleasant crème brulé scent, which is the opposite of my taste for oriental-woody fragrances, chypre or fougere. Will update after a few days.

Hmmm. Like but not a love. Look, I'm very picky and somewhat unforgiving if I don't like even a single note so keep that in mind while reading this. At least I admit it!

I love vanilla and really like saffron. Couldn't find this to test locally so I took a chance. Overall, I do like this and the saffron is very nice, especially mixing with the vanilla in the dry down. I'm not much on the opening though. It's a bit too floral for my tastes. The opening leans too far into women's fragrance and isn't really unisex. That's okay for many people but a bit unpleasant for me. However, after that it's very nice. On me, longevity isn't an issue (@5-6 hours) but it sits close to my skin and doesn't project all that great. Yet, it is still strong on my skin (up close) even after 5 hours. Does describing this as a strong skin scent (on me) make sense? Overall? 6.5/10 So I don't regret buying this at all.

As far as a men's (unisex) fragrance goes, it's rather unique from what I've found. The saffron note is the star, it's done very well, and not found featured often (at least not so far in my searches) in a fragrance that men can wear. Yet, even though it's labeled as unisex, I think this is kind of inaccurate and it's more for women. I do believe women will like this more and be more comfortable with it than males. I think that rose note amps up the floral aspect and tips the scales towards females. Then again, that could be my own personal discomfort with florals talking. Still like that saffron note mixed with the vanilla though in the dry down.

One of my absolute favourites it’s so warm and sweet and comforting. Like relaxing into a bag of golden rose sweets. Really enjoying it on the bright sunny autumnal days we’ve been having and also to bed. Will be needing a full bottle of this it’s in my all time top 10.

For me, this is a gourmand! Saffron rice.

This is straight-up smells like food to me. I've liked saffron as a personal fragrance in other perfumes, but this one is just too much like flavored rice for me.

A very beautiful light floral. A little old fashioned, in a classic way. I can imagine people of all ages enjoying this but would best suit 35+ due to its effortless confidence. I get hints of tobacco in the base along with a soft and sweet rose and vanilla. Unlike many fragrances from this line, this does last a long time on the skin and has fairly decent silage. I blind bought this but unfortunately it is too similar to La Dandy which I already have. I am selling on Ebay UK as I just don't see myself reaching for this enough.

A scent so insistent and persistent and seductive that it slowly, gently, firmly crushes any of my reservations about it.

Yes, maybe it's several spoonfuls sweeter overall than I would like, but the saffron punch is really detectable and manages to last for a surprisingly long time - longer than in other leather/saffron or neroli/saffron mixes I've tried, while looking for a partner which can make this lovely spice sing on my skin. This one really does - and the sweetness also gets around the problem of saffron sometimes going earthy/bitter, as well as extending its life.

Yes, it collapses ever so slightly into a powdery-pale-pink rose phase, which is not my sort of thing at ALL, yet the spice keeps pulsing away steadily inside, so the rose seems organic and natural and real rather than tipping into robo-feminine or plastic-Barbie territory.

Yes, it really really does smell like payasam, or kheer, or other milky-spicy South Indian sweets, though without overwhelming cardamom (which is a good trick as cardamom often plays a lot rougher than other things and overpowers them) and never allowing the sweetness to become cloying or sickly. Reminded me in some ways of Kenzo Jungle L'Elephant without the shouty mango note.

Yes it's soft and almost dusty, so gentle it could be twee, but it manages to snuggle without smothering.

Anyone should wear anything they want, but to me this is a predominantly feminine rather than unisex perfume; in its gentler moments it wafts almost towards a "kind grandma" sort of scent, but never ever seems fusty or 'old fashioned' - just gentle and wonderful.

So much better than I was worried it might be. And with more-than-respectable longevity too. A genuine saffron victory.

I wish I was into bellydancing just so I could get decked out in that kind of garb and wear this while performing.

Young Woman in a Yellow Dress (Madame Modot) by Amedeo Modigliani 1918

When I'm dead and gone I would like to think that my grandchildren remembered that she wore her hair very long, even past her sixties, and that a hug from her smelled delicious, expensive, unlike any other Grandma.

What a lovely fragrance. It has a similar quality to Five O'Clock au Gingembre - that of cosiness. A great scent to wear to curl up by the fire and eat ginger biscuits. On me, I get a great blast of saffron to start, mingled with a very fresh rose, very light like a rosewater. After a few minutes there's the merest hint of fresh ginger as if a scent wafted in from the kitchen. And then very quickly the drydown, which smells exactly like the sugary white chocolate mix I make at home (mainly vanilla). I love Giacobetti's scents, but heck, this is elusive - it's a skin scent inside half an hour, though having reached this phase, it then lasts for hours. Glad I bought a 100ml bottle, as it will need reapplying often, but its quiet throw makes it, like the Carons, a great fragrance to wear to dinner. Very glad I have this - it's a most unusual fragrance journey. These days I often wear it layered over Calligraphy Saffron, which anchors it and makes it last longer.

If you love Safran - you must try this one! fantaboulus! Safran, Rose, Sandalwood and I guess the spicy note comes from the mix of safran/wood/ginger. Totally unisex and great. Very longlasting and with gooood projection. My skin usually "eats" parfum but this one I can still smell after 15 hour.

OM du älskar Saffran - så måste du testa denna! Helt otrolig mix av Saffran, Ros, Sandelträ och jag gissar att den kryddiga tonen kommer från mixen av Saffran/Trä/Ingefära. Helt unisex och underbar. Otroligt hållbar och med en rejäl utstrålning. Min hud "äter" parfym men denna doftar fortfarande efter 15 timmar.

TO DIE FOR. I freakin' love this one...this stuff is no joke. It's a creamy/milky candied saffron with a hint of rose water in the background. Doesn't have the best lasting power on me, I'd say I get 3-4 hours with soft sillage. I'll often layer this with Molecule 01 which adds a cedar/woody note and a couple extra hours of lasting power. Although it's sort of light I'd say it's a cold weather, fall and winter, scent in my opinion.

Very simple perfume. This perfume don't have any scent change in its scent pyramid. If you used niche brand before, you have detected that the most niche perfumes have some changes in their notes during timeline and some of them are so complex, but this one is so simple. Just saffron and rose and nothing else.
I become so surprised from Mr. Duchaufour's perfume. He is one of the best perfumers in the world, but this perfume is too simple for a niche perfume.

Both longevity and sillage is too short.

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یه عطر خیلی ساده و ابتدایی از آرتیزان. این عطر هیچگونه تغییرات نت نداره. نه تنها نت بویایی آن در درون هر مرحله از 3 مرحله ی تغییر نت بویایی مثل بعضی از عطرهای برند نیش تغییر نمیکنه؛ بلکه اصلا هیچ تغییر نت هرم بویایی هم نداره! شروع تا خاتمه ی عطر تقریبا فقط یه رایحه هست. ترکیبی از زعفران و گل رز. در ابتدا زعفران کاملا برتری داره و یه حالتی مثل بستنی های زعفرانی رو القا میکنه
ولی به مدت کوتاهی زعفران شدتش کم میشه و گل رز قویتر میشه. البته عطر حالت گلی نمیگیره
از آقای برتراند دوشافور که غول عطرسازی هست؛ این کار خیلی ضعیف بعیده
پخش بو و دوامش هم اصلا خوب نیست

I am wearing it right now, and I keep on smelling my wrist :) It is gorgeous, a delighful, warm fragrance, that brings a smile on your face and in your heart. Bravo Olivia Giacobetti, I just love l'Artisan Parfumeur.

It's notes best describe the scent
I can smell lots of sugary,spicy saffron in the opening.a touch of ginger adds a sharp bite to this warm and sweet confection
There are lots of desserts made with saffron and rose water in my country so no wonder that safran troublant has an eastern-gourmand undertone to my nose
After couple of minutes rose shows up and makes it even more delicious,Eastern and sexy.it's not a heavy or very dark rose
Vanilla and sandalwood ground and soften the sharpness of scent so it dries down to a creamy and smooth scent.I can see why it's likened to saffron flavoured rice pouding in other reviews and I agree
All in all I like it and I find it conforming and interesting at the same time but I won't buy it just because it's scent is considered too foody for me and kind of nostalgic,I love this scent but I don't like to smell like this
یه رایحه شدیدا زعفرانی و خوراکی طور شبیه کاچی و اگه هل و دارچین داشت میتونست عین شله زرد باشه
علاوه بر شله زرد،شیرینی وانیل و قند و یه رایحه رزی ملایم(شبیه چند قطره گلاب تو یه پودینگ زعفران) حس میشه
درباره پخش و موندگاری نمیتونم نظر دقیق بدم چون فول ور نکردمش اما مشخصا قوی نیست
در مجموع رایحه خوشمزه و نوستالژیکی داره اما برای عطر نمیپسندمش

I sprayed this earlier this evening onto the freshly showered skin of my forearms, after applying a fragrance free moisturiser; my skin soaks up perfumes like a sponge and I find moisturising first (usually) improves longevity.

Initially, this smelled quite harsh and spicy as the saffron and ginger are very powerful. Then the magic occurred and I got wafts of the most delightful rich, creamy and spicy fragrance, underpinned by unobtrusive sandalwood and vanilla. I don't get any floral notes at all. Sillage is very close and this is - on me, anyway - poor from the outset and a skin scent within 45 minutes. I have a decant (thank you for this, Alex Planet_X) and the spray is very over-enthusiastic! However, as the fragrance seemed to calm down very quickly, I added another two sprays to each forearm.

Out of interest, I also sprayed some on my pyjama top and THIS is where I can pick up the body odour smell to which some reviewers refer, although it isn't overwhelming. The scent does not seem to develop or change on clothing, which is unfortunate.

Some two hours later, the scent has all but disappeared from my skin, unless I breathe warm air onto it and then inhale immediately.

Although I LOVE this fragrance, I know that I will have to re-spray every two hours and will get through an entire bottle very quickly.

This is one of the worst performances of any perfume I have tried; the other is ID Parfums Siam Flamboyant, which I tried earlier today. However, 60ml of SF is currently retailing on eBay for less than £10 GBP including P&P. 100ml of Safran Troublant is well over £60 GBP +.

I know Safran Troublant is an EDT, but at this price point, the sillage and longevity are shockingly poor.

This is very disappointing - and I can see from reading previous reviews that my experience is not unique.

Nice offering, but don't last.

Smells just like the safflower oil, a very common herbal extracted drug for external use in asian countries, with subtle rose nuance.

Quite linear, and even not sophisticated enough, but I just love it in almost every expects except its poor longevity.

Longevity: less than 3 hrs on my skin with subtle projection in the first 30mins or so.
Rating: 7.5/10

Beautiful, unique and ethereal creation signed by Olivia Giacobetti for L'Artisan (not Bertrand Duchaufour, who's credited here on Fragrantica).

I mostly get rose, vanilla, saffron, ginger and sandalwood. A little gourmand but not overly so. It strikes me as elegant and quiet, even when applied generously. It's a scent that one truly wears for themselves because others aren't likely to notice it unless they're extremely close to you. If you prefer big, radiant, sillage monsters, this isn't for you because it doesn't shout across the room. It's a scented whisper.

I've been wearing this quite a bit (it's currently summer here in Paris) and even on the hottest days, it's never too much. It just creates a beautiful halo of scent around me.

One of the five fragrances I'd rush to save if the house caught fire. There's nothing else quite like it.

This was a blind buy for me from L'Artisan Parfumeur. I didn't have any doubts about loving it, since this cross references with several of my previous favorites on fragrantica database, but was apprehensive on how it would work with my skin chemistry. Would I get the saffron and rose I want, or only vanilla, as some people here seem to have gotten? Fortunately, for me, this works amazingly! Saffron comes through in the best way possible. Crisp rose, too, initially, but it all blends to a beautiful, soft and not at all offensive gourmand blend in about an hour from the application. It also lasts longer on me than people report, but this seems to be a common occurance for L'Artisan Parfumeur brand in colder, drier climates, with a dryish skintype people here tend to have.

And, for the record, new L'Artisan Parfumeur box for this fragrance closes the "created by" discussion that has been going on at many sites. It clearly states this is a Olivia Giacobetti creation, not a Bernard Duchafour as this site still states. So, if maintainance is reading, maybe it's time to change this?

Gosh, this is a beautiful fragrance but sadly so weak and short lived on me. I immediately get rose, saffron and then vanilla. What an inspired combination. Very feminine and I think seductive. I cant stop sniffing my wrist. I might just have to forgive the poor longevity because its so beautiful. I do seem to love BD's creations. The addition of the ginger with the sandalwood really make this perfect. The ginger gives a little kick to really enhance the other notes.
Is it my imagination or does this smell similar to Guerlains L'instant edp? It smells like a slightly sweeter version.
I recommend everyone should tries this as its just too lovely not to experience just once.

This is stunning! I can see this being a great SPICY perfume for the heat. It's definitely saffron, but really sheer after the dry down. I definitely see purchasing this in the future. Thank you "ThisVulture" for the glorious sample! My PFF ;)

Safran Troublant is warm, soft, intimate, beautifully blended, and feminine. It's one of those fragrances that when I wear it people lean in for a closer sniff. I enjoy its calming, comforting and sophisticated presence.

Interesting how differently can perfume behave on two skins. I bought this for myself longing for saffron scent. When sniffing the cap it was like opening the jar of dried saffron, but on my skin it was all about creamy spicy rose, very feminine with saffron buried somewhere deeply under. Creaminess reminded me of Lanvin Oxygene and rose accord of Perles de Lalique. Before giving it away I offered spritz to my wife and that was completely different story. Beautiful realistic saffron accord like when dried saffron is thrown to a warm arborio rice. No detectable rose at all. I wish I had her skin. So the bottle goes on her shelf instead. Luckily I can at least enjoy it on her. I don't understand the longevity complaints as I could detect it on myself from morning to late afternoon.

زعفران

سافران تروبلنت فضایی متضاد با نام خودش داره و حس و حال زعفرانی و گورمند جذابی داره که نوستالژیک و احیاگر خاطرات تابستانی شیرین و نابه!
نه اینکه عطری تابستانی باشه؛به هیچ وجه!
بلکه حسی از بستنی های زعفرانی شیرین و دوست داشتنی قدیم رو زنده می کنه که عضو مهم و لاینفکی از خاطرات تابستانیم به شمار میرن!

سافران تروبلنت گرم و زعفرانی و شیرین باز میشه که تندی خفیفی هم درش حس میشه.این رایحه ی زعفرانی باکیفیت؛به آرامی شیرین تر و خامه ای میشه و این لحظاتش خاطره ی بستنی و تابستان و دلچسبی اون فضا رو برام زنده میکنه.
عطر گرم و گورمند و نسبتا سنگین زعفرانی؛با اضافه شدن زنجبیل؛تند و ادویه ای تر میشه و هرچه جلوتر میره شدت اون به آهستگی افزایش پیدا میکنه و به عطری زعفرانی؛ادویه ای با پس زمینه ای دودی تبدیل میشه که گرم و شیرینه.
این بوی آشنا اما زیبا؛مدتها به مشام میرسه تا اینکه کم کم روایح فلورال با محوریت رز و حاشیه ای کرمی و لطیف به این فضا اضافه شده و فضای زعفرانی-ادویه ای قدرتمند رو کنار میزنن و سافران تروبلنت تبدیل میشه به عطری رز بو؛خامه ای؛کمی آبدار و تازه و کمی پودری که زعفران عظیم حاکم بر اون کاملا ضعیف و گوشه نشینه.این بخش عطر رو در عطرهای بسیاری حس کردم و متفاوت و خاص نیست اما کیفیت بسیار خوبی داره که خیلی دلفریب و زیباست و زیبایی همیشه دوست داشتنیه و ابدا تکراری و خسته کننده نیست!
زعفران ضعیف شده؛باز هم قدرت می گیره و بدون اون حس تند و داغ ادویه ای؛با پیوستن به فضای گلی؛پایانی زیبا برای عطر رقم میزنن.
عطر زعفرانی؛فلورال؛خامه ای؛شیرین و کمی پودری.

این عطر بر خلاف اسمش؛اضطراب و تشویشی درش حس نمیشه بلکه خیلی جذاب و اعتماد به نفس زاست که در هوای پاییز و روزهای زمستانی؛میشه گرمای آرامش بخشی ازش گرفت.
نمایش با کیفیت و زیبایی از رایحه ی آشنای زعفران با همراهی رز و ادویه و شیرینی جات؛با ماندگاری و پخش قابل قبول...

کامنت:م.ع

(سایت لوکس بایر (با امکان تست سمپل

Seductive, Comforting, Warm, Allusive, Natural. Creamy.

L'Artisan bringing brilliance to the world yet again.

A simple but very convincing accord, not at all loud (L'Artisans never are) but so demanding. It just grabs my attention and releases it once itself gone.

This master work of saffron, vanilla and rose (mostly rose on me) is indescribably excellent and has my surrender each time i bring it to life on my skin.

*****

I tried this a few years ago and loved it. It was sweet but in a mild, comforting way. The vanilla was whisper soft and the spices blended so that it didn't scream saffron, and wasn't foody. I recently got another sample and wow, definitely different! Now it seems more like just a spicy saffron, like a cooking smell almost. The soft vanilla was still there, but the overall impression was not as soft as before (about 6 years ago). I'm not a saffron fan, but I loved the way it smelled the first time I tried it. I don't like it now. Too kitchen-y.

This is such a warm and comfortable scent that I often spray it on my nightgown to send me off to sleep. It still smells lovely the next morning and, indeed, for days after. For folks who complain of its brief longevity, try spraying it on your clothing. It's amazing!

this starts off with a sugary-ginger with rose and saffron. it's soft, pretty and a kind of mouthwatering scent. it gets milkier from the vanilla, i guess. it kind of smells like chai and rose to me, or a middle eastern dessert. it gets even more milky on me and smells mildly animalic for a brief period. i guess it's the sugar and vanilla becoming more prominent? i'm not sure. it seems to go back and forth between these two stages. also it is very very subtle (i have a sample though.) i do like this one a lot, just wish it was a bit bolder on the skin.

the scent is lasting for ages on me... do give it a try! I think t's really lovely.

Lovely, discreet, close to skin saffron scent that smells like well....real saffron!Elegant and light, not a spice explosion like some saffron based scents.I like stronger interpretations of this kind of scent but this is still well done and quite beautiful as I find with most perfumes from this house.Could be unisex if a man wants a mildy spiced, unobtrusive scent.
EDIT: As much as I love this scent the longevity is not great :( I'm still glad I bought it but am happier that I got it for £29.99/100ml from Tk Maxx, I wouldn't be overly happy if I had paid full price for 30 mins to an hour max wear, such a shame.

I really thought I'd like "Safran Troublant", but it wasn't my thing at all. The rose jumped out immediately with a matronly body-cream quality, floating on top of a watery, caramel-like sweetness that reminded me of burnt custard. It's ultra feminine, boring and unrefined to my nose.

Had to sell it.

Safran Troublant opens with a cloud of saffron mixed with sweet and sour fruity notes and bits of coumarin. I smell passion fruit (not passion flower). Then, some vanillin notes start to linger through, together with a hint of woodiness. Rose is up next. The rose is quite subtle on me, but grows in intensity as the saffron disappears. The drydown is a sweet and sour rose on a vanillin soft sandalwood base with a hint of saffron.

Sillage is moderate, longevity weak to moderate.

I love the sweet and sour opening. Despite the coumarin, the scent stays soft and almost powdery even. I am not a fan of rose scents but this one is different-- the rose supports the other notes quite well. I like the different layers of the scent, the cold vanillin, the warm rose and the sweet sour fruity notes that bind it all together. And the saffron is wonderful.

This lasted hours on me. Granted, if you're more than 5 ft away from me, you're probably not going to smell it. However, I have nothing like this in my collection! And, it's very yummy! Dessert from another exotic world. It's milky, spicy (middle eastern spice) and a little sweet from the sandalwood. Mostly, SAFFRON! Awesome! :-) It's not something I particularly love usually, but this is very enjoyable. I definitely know what another reviewer meant by saying this smells like "body odor" (I promise didn't turn or go bad); there is a distinct BO quality but we all know not all body odor is bad!! We're human after all and we like how we smell! It still smells gorgeous and yummy! And it only smells that way if you smell it an inch away and that's not how perfume is smelt usually...

The top note of SAFRAN TROUBLANT is a very strong, metallic saffron...and I wasn't too keen on it. . . But, while I was contemplating who I could give this bottle to, the saffron began to mellow and warm and mingle with a sweet, gingered rose. Eventually, the saffron shed most of the rose and combined with the vanilla, ginger and sandlewood to, curiously, create a very warm "arroz con leche" (rice pudding) scent.

To me, this frag smells just like my mother's warm, creamy "arroz con leche" with a liberal sprinkling of nutmeg. On my skin, there is a very pleasant warm milk smell that I really enjoy. Yet, I wouldn't classify this scent as sweet, rather I find this scent is best described as warm, creamy and animallic. The saffron releases a "dirtiness" that makes this EDT sexy, romantic and multi-dimensional.

SAFRAN TROUBLANT lasts a good 4-6 hours on me and radiates within arms' length. Definitely a unisex fragrance that can easily be enjoyed all year because it is not so heavy that it should only be used in colder months. It is warm, yet light, and very enjoyable.

Very impressed scent-wise. Terribly disappointed about its longevity

On me this is a soft warm scent with lots of saffron and ginger. A natural sweet nuances akin to the smell of raw sugar wafts in and out alongside a subdued vanilla fragrance. During the dry down I could smell a transparent sandalwood note that is so soft it's always on the verge of vanishing. No rose. But I'm perfectly fine with that.

I especially adore Safran Troublant for its versatility. This is a scent that can be worn and enjoyed alone or paired with clean florals to give them depth and warmth. I've paired it with soft notes like tea and neroli that can be easily overpowered, and each time the combination turned out fabulous.

But it only lasts 2 hours or less on me, and my skin generally holds on to perfumes well! For that exact reason I won't purchase it.

I purchased this on the strength of a decant. My first impression was not great. Seriously, I adore saffron, but straight from the nozzle, this stuff smelled real coppery, like blood, sweet, sickly, metallic and decidedly "butcherish". Anyway, undaunted (you have to admire my persistence), I applied some FSW Bollywood to my other arm just in case at some point in the day I needed a serious nose rescue. I could mention here that FSW Bollywood has saffron in it, which was the main driving force which sent me toward the Safran Troublant. From beneath my heavy english winter coat, something rather lovely began to drift nosewards. Something soft, sweet, and delicious. Like the loveliest milky saffron pudding. It smelled like 1970s ice cream, the kind you got in the middle of Count Dracula's Deadly Secret ice lollies. I was actually salivating. I checked the FSW arm. No, it wasn't coming from there, I checked the Safran arm. You know those moments when something smells or tastes so good, your eyes kinda roll back and you are yanked back to reality by the soft drip, drip of saliva falling onto your handbag? Yes, it was one of those moments. I got my son to check (he has an amazing nose), and I had to wrestle my arm free from him, as he didn't seem to be in any hurry to part with it, it was like trying to steal a bone form a particularly hungry hound. Verdict? Blood. Then sandalwood, roses, then the big finish of sweet saffron & vanilla milk pudding, or seventies ice cream. So ... I'm doing the "Google is your friend" thing, and happen upon the following article on cumin (which I have oft opined smells like a chap's armpits), which mentions saffron...... "I just had to throw this in here, since I was on the subject of cumin and man-sweat and I was sort of tight-roping sex.
I've tinctured saffron. Just a smidge cuz that's all I need. Saffron isn't one of those smells that makes you all squishy inside and ask questions. It's interesting. Foody, of course. Stains the hell out of whatever it's mixed with.
I read somewhere, can't recall where exactly (age creates these memory lapses . . . ), that women in ancient times would blend saffron paste with rose oil and apply it to their nipples for their lovers' pleasure. The theory is that the nipple sniffer becomes extremely excited and gives the old girl a healthy toss before passing out next to her, his bright orange nose glowing in the darkness.
So now I'm off to find an acceptable rose oil. And then . . . well, that's none of your business." ~ Justine Crane, Oh True Apothecary. (I lolled so hard, I had to have a bottle right there, right then.)

Safran Troublant by L’Artisan Parfumeur is a wonderfully restorative, heart-warming/heart-opening scent. There’s a comforting sweetness to it, though not at all sugary or syrupy or cloying. A bedtime ritual beginning with custardy spoonfuls of sandalwood pudding and vanilla bean cream, a lukewarm bath infused with a concoction of milky musk and delicate pink rosewater, and a marvelously grounding, magically enveloping hug. You’ll sleep the soundest and deepest of sleeps, and you will be visited by the loveliest midsummer dreams.

Safran Troublant is a lovely, natural safran at first, but after a few hours it starts to smell more and more like an old person who hasn't been showering for a while. It's a note that's supposed to smell spicy but for me it doesn't work. The strange thing is that after maybe 7 hours the sweaty note has pretty much disappeared and the perfume is more like it was in the opening: the safran is there with a hint of vanilla.

1. Grease a 12x15 inch pan.

2. In a medium-size pot, combine sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, evaporated milk, whipping cream, and butter. Monitor the heat of the mixture with a candy thermometer while stirring. When the thermometer reaches 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) remove the pot from the heat.

3. Stir in vanilla. Transfer mixture to the prepared pan and let the mixture cool completely. When cooled cut the Carmel into small squares and wrap them in wax paper for storage.

There you have a very simple recipe that I found online for vanilla caramels. I've been thinking about it all day, and wondering if it would be possible to add some saffron to the mix, because the rich scent of Safran Troublant reminds me of a really good caramel-but the saffron, while strongest at first application, holds true for hours, so now I want caramel + saffron.

This perfume is very nearly linear to me. As I said, the initial strong blast of saffron fades, but it never disappears entirely, just combines beautifully with sugar and ginger to make a perfectly glorious treat.

One sniff and there was no doubt I love this perfume.That was almost 10 years ago.
This is a really fine perfume, gourmand vanilla and slightly spicy, very slightly rosy but unlike other rose saffron scents it is very light. On my skin it stays very close but lasts half a day.It's creamy and dreamy. I think it is a classical "come-hither" scent and very seductive.
This is not only full-bottle worthy,it's back-up bottle worthy for me!

Olivia Giacobetti has a way of combining disparate elements to make something that while surprising is never shocking.  Unexpected, but perfectly coherent when you think about it.  The sweet and salty hay of Dzing! The smoked-lily soap of Passage d’Enfer.

It’s a delicious way of changing our reality.  The trick is neither fantastical nor over-the-top. She gives us something that doesn't really exist, but easily could since it makes perfect sense. In Safran Troublant, she doesn't give us a talking bear or a winged horse. She gives us a rose/saffron marshmallow. Not only is this imaginable, it starts to convinces me that I might actually have eaten one of these marshmallow at some time or other.  The perfume is so persuasive that I question myself.  Is the perfume a memory or an imagination?  Giacobetti speculates so effectively that I question the experience, but she does it so deftly that ultimately I don't care.  It's as if I'm day-dreaming.  My mind eases a bit and I become more mindful and less perplexed.      

Some perfumes call to mind comparisons to the visual arts.  The portraiture of the soliflor. The fruity-floral as a still-life image. The abstract expressionism of Timbuktu.  Giacobetti breaks into the written word with her perfume. Safran Troublant is literary fiction.  It is the perfect short story.  I don’t know of any other perfumer who does this.

from scenthurdle.com

I was informed today that the wonderful Safran Troublant is being discontinued, at least here in the States, along with several others from the line.

Too bad to see it join Tea for Two as unavailable anymore, so those who are interested in purchasing it might want to be on the lookout for it before it's gone for good.

Incredibly lovely perfume! Saffron and spices and rose . . . Gourmand and luscious. Unfortunately sillage and longevity leave me wanting, but that did not deter me in getting a bottle! I want to bathe in this . . . radiate an artful warm aura. Read the reviews for this fragrance! They say it much more eloquently than I can. It leaves everyone with an imprint of niche beauty.

aaahhhh che cosa bella! primissime note di zafferano, che si perdono in un bouquet di zenzero, vaniglia e rosa. molto evanescente, ma una persistenza più spinta lo avrebbe reso pressochè nauseabondo. si assesta, nel tempo, su note speziate e lievemente vanigliate.

allot of sharp saffron with ginger as a top note,, a bit later the hint of vanilla appears, the type of vanilla that appears in Traversee du Bosphore... but the saffron is the dominant on both top and middle note. not my type

This review is based on a tiny decant. This one opens up with bitter sweet saffron (almost gastronomically) and spicy cardamom (which is not listed) in the blend of creamy sandalwood and sweet vanilla. It has moderate projection and longevity on my skin.

Love. It is love.

I smelled it for the first time today, and my limbic brain went into ecstatic overdrive. I could not think anymore. I just kept on smelling my arm, and mumbling incoherent one syllable sounds. And I walked out of the store with a 100ml bottle, which set me off by about CAD$ 168. Totally unplanned and completely compulsive.

Back home, I sprayed generously and I am now, officially, in olfactory paradise.

So, how does Safran Troublant smell like? There definitely is saffron, but that is only part of the story. While saffron remains at the centre stage throughout, it is gorgeously enveloped in softness, with a hint of rose and ginger. I presume that the vanilla and sandalwood are responsible for that incredibly aerial softness but, really, in truth I cannot pick out the specific notes. And yes, rose and ginger can be sometimes overwhelming, but that is not the case here. They simply provide a bit more depth.

All notes are so magnificently blended that I have the feeling I just found the perfect masterpiece.

That said, as noted by others, sillage and longevity are below average. I like close to the skin scents, so poor sillage is a non-issue for me. As for longevity, that's a bit of a shame.

I tried this just on paper and I loved it!!
The main note I can perceive is saffron, but it it warmed by by rose (which isn't so strong or predominant) and vanilla (which I can't smell as vanilla but more like a warm spicy note).
In this perfume I can't recognize the single notes but it's a mixture of good aromas.
I adore it!!

Around Christmans in sweden we make special christmas buns with a lots of saffron in them. I love them, especially the smell of saffron.

Wearing a perfume that smells like those buns was not my cup of tea, I like the smell but it has no dimension.

I could smell the saffron scent for about 2-3 hours, the perfume it self was rather boring imo. I didn´t find anything exotic or interesting by the smell of just saffron. I´t didnt smell nor vanilla nor powder just saffron in a bitter way.

I am a fan of gourmand fragrances, but I expect more of them then just the smell of pure saffron. I prefer 8 88 by Comme des Garcons that has a much more subtile smell of saffron and a dimension to it.

This scent enchanted and captivated me ... Warm safran, oriental vanila, spice, elegant. I not expected that will be till so kind, so good. Ideal on summer time and the winter.

Imagine a saffron rose that blossoms in the torrid heat of a desert sun, nourished with cloves and cut ginger. One evening, it's picked and crystallised with sugar, served as the final dish of a wedding feast, with bonfires built with vanilla pods; smoky, rich and sweet.

An oriental rose with both sweetness and spice, so breathtakingly balanced and beautiful. The perfect choice if you want to smell exotic and intriguing, like thrilling adventures in faraway places.

This is the fragrance that started the niche game for me.

When I was fairly new to the world of perfumery about 2-3 years ago I have never really laid my nose on any niche at that time except for some Creeds and such brands that are typically found in your mid-end department stores which I usually found these scents safe and disappointing for their high price tags.

When I first sniffed Safran Troublant it led me to realize there was a lot more potential in the world of niche than what your local department stores had to offer and gave me reason to continue exploring the niche perfumery even if it meant I had to do it through the internet (no niche stores around my area).

What I liked about Safran Troublant was that it was something completely different from anything else i've smelled at the time, it came off as a little daring yet with quality.

However, after 2 more years of sniffing around and building the knowledge that I now have about perfumery, I think there are better options than Safran Troublant in the niche market that can do almost the same thing but better, especially in terms of longivity. For example, the spice and the rose in Safran Troublant reminds me a lot of Rose 31, except later on Rose 31 has a nice dry down whereas Safran Troublant doesn't really have much of a drydown due to longivity issues.

Yes, as many of you point out Safran Troublant does have poor longivity (this is L'Artisan we're talking about), but personally for me it's not a problem because Safran Troublant is more of a comfort scent to me more than anything else and I like my comfort scents to have low longivity because I either fall asleep in them or later on in the day I like to spray on something else.

I got a sample and tried it as I like saffron but instead it smelled like sweat/body odor. I am so dissappointed. Maybe mine had turned. :(

I could have sworn there was cardamom in this - like Cartier Declaration but better and more gourmand. In any case, it's wonderful and after one sniff I was hooked. I'm very much looking forward to sniff number two.

This starts out with a fantastic sweet and dusky saffron note, the best one I've smelled. After a few minutes it's joined by a very light veil of vanilla and rose, and it's quite beautiful. About an hour in I get a faint trace of sandalwood behind the vanilla, but by this time it has faded down to such a quiet scent that I can barely tell it's still there. Another 30 minutes and it's basically gone from my wrist. Sigh--I wish I didn't love this perfume, because it disappears in the blink of an eye....

Very light and delicate fragrance. Does have a bit of actual saffron smell to it along with vanilla and some other spices. Almost too delicate for a man in my opinion, although it is stated as unisex.

This was so close to amazing for me that I'm disappointed. When I first put it on I loved the strong saffron. That morphed into carnation and then disappeared in half an hour, though, and I couldn't discern the perfume at all.

Shrugged it off but then it came back rosy, which was okay-- I detest virtually all rose fragrances and this is the first one that didn't make me ill. So I toyed with it for a while in case I ever got the urge to smell like a rose. But then that disappeared and it was nothing again.

This was all last night and when I woke up this morning I had two distinct drydowns from it on two different parts of my body. My wrists smell like one-note vanilla, which is okay. The bends in my arm, however, smell wonderful, like a very faint but intriguing smoky sweet tea. If I could get that drydown everywhere I might buy this but it's too faint and ephemeral to make it FBW for me.

It had no sillage on me, but no perfume does.

What to say about this wonderful perfume ? Not particularly strong or longlasting, but even these two things are little to complain about when a person simply desires some calm and comforting moments.

One of those things to wear for yourself right before dropping off to sleep, and one fragrance I know I'll never be without.

Whether it turns out to be your cup of tea or not, different enough to deserve a sniff from any thoughtful and curious fragrance hunter.

a magical and sensual scent, spicy and creamy, just sweet enough to be soft & conforting, tender, and refined. This is like cocooning but in an elegant way, on an old velvet sofa, with a cachemire plaid over you, drinking a hot milk with brown sugar and spices, in fall, while it's raining outside, and some rose & vanilla candles are burning in the room... listening to some soft, lounge music.

Saffron--glorious threads of orange saffron! Safran Troublant smells exactly like pure saffron right out of the spice jar, but over time it becomes creamier with the added richness of vanilla and just the right touch of rose. I smell saffron all the way into the drydown.

After trying so many foodie scents like Loukhoum, Gourmandises, and Sweet Oriental Dream, I badly wanted a perfume that was not so sickeningly sweet. The sugar was too much to bear. And Ford's Noir de Noir is beautiful, but it's so dark and rich that I think of it as an evening or special occasion fragrance. It's also quite foodie with a sumptuous, creamy, French vanilla note.

Safran Troublant is the answer to my lengthy query as to whether I would ever find a true saffron perfume with just the right amount of rose that is not sweet like candy or covered in barrels of powdered sugar. To think--I almost passed on sampling this because I assumed it would be like all the others.

While many people describe this perfume as gourmand (technically it is, since saffron is obviously edible and plentiful here), I guess I fail to want to eat this perfume and will instead satisfy any cravings for Turkish Delight with the likes of Loukhoum.

Safran Troublant is not as strong of a perfume as I'd like, but it does last, and I do feel it was worth the price. It's great for casual wear; a breathtaking interpretation of saffron; a beautifully crafted perfume; simple but unique.

Most of all I feel the saffron, rose and vanilla notes in this fragrance. But I can't call any of them intensive, actually.

This fragrance smells oriental, but calm enough. Also it smells gourmand enough. Quite natural smelling fragrance.

I can't say that I like it too much, but I rather like it than don't for sure. Good fragrance!

Magical and elusive.

Safran Troublant is a fine fragrance---assuming you like the scent of saffron, which I do---but it is fugitive. The initial impression of a true, warm saffron note is rather brief. It's followed by a faintly floral (I don't get a rose scent, only "floral"), faintly vanilla and sandalwood scent, with a glissade of spices (cardamom, mostly) somewhere in there, and a lingering hint of that lovely saffron. As it settles into the skin, I notice mostly the vanilla scent. It's not sweet, which I am happy about. It's entirely delightful, but it's like time-lapse photography! If ever L'Artisan came out with a reformulation that magically kept this exact scent profile but made it LAST long enough to enjoy, I'd be all over that...

This seems like it's got myrrh and amber rather than vanilla. The vanilla certainly isn't the dry and bitter natural vanilla, as it is syrupy here, and is also a bit "dirty" or animalic. I like the smell but it may be lacking in dynamism, and so not really what I'm seeking in a personal fragrance, which I want to entertain me for several hours. It's a bit on the heavy and dense side of things, and I'm not sure if the notes contrast enough for me either. I don't get any sandalwood unless I smell it up close on the skin. Overall, it seems like an interesting attempt to merge a few different genres, but there are so few notes that it either works for you or it doesn't. It doesn't seem like the kind of fragrance you can try again in a month and discover something new. I don't feel any reason to sample it again any time soon, but if and when I do I'll update here. This review is for the old style bottle, not the one pictured above (I don't know if that matters).

And "red rose?" Not unless my nose is "broken." My guess is that it should read "rock rose," because that would explain the animalic quality I detect (I get no floral rose), but perhaps there was a reformulation (I have the original style bottle).

Well, thank you Olivia Giacobetti..!
I definitely adore Safran Troublant.
What a beauty, perfect for at least three seasons.
Not too light and very bright.
Reminds me of Dolce Vita, but spicier.
On my must-buy-a-bottle-of-this-soon list !!

It was created by Olivia Giacobetti!

This scent is amazing. I've always said my ideal scent would be one that imitated my favorite Indian dessert, payasam. Payasam (also known as kheer) is basically rice or wheat or noodles boiled in milk with lots of sugar, cardamom, and saffron, and it's basically the most delicious thing ever.

I've searched high and low for a scent that would mimic the smell of payasam or authentic Indian chai tea (which is almost always made with cardamom rather than cinnamon/anise/what have you). Unfortunately, most of the scents I've tried so far, both niche and mainstream, pair cardamom with very masculine woody scents or savory/borderline sweaty spices, and they almost always go very light on the saffron. I don't want to smell like an Asian marketplace, damn it; I want to smell like the desserts they're peddling there!

Safran Troublant is a miraculous exception. [Edit: see below.] ST smells almost identical to payasam and a bevy of other Indian sweets made with saffron, cardamom, and milk, but also pairs that delicious edible scent with the lightest touch of rose, more close to rosewater than fresh roses themselves. This, ladies and gentlemen, is a gourmand done right. Safran Troublant leaves your skin smelling mouthwatering yet not "foody"; it's sweet without being cloying; and, most importantly of all, it's so perfectly blended and smooth. It carefully balances between food and floral, and it skillfully bypasses that icky sensation foody perfumes sometimes create - feeling like you've spilled a bunch of food down your front.

I feel like I'm floating in a bath in a pool of cream, saffron, and spices. And it feels damn good.

Update: Okay, upon slathering this on a bit stronger, a sharp cumin note stands out. Eeek! It does fade a bit after a while, but it's still there enough to make me feel nervous (I'm sort of hypersensitive to cumin-y scents). I guess it's back to the drawing board.

Safran Troublant is a precise balance of Sensual Girlishness and Esoteric Asceticism, The earthy Rose note Is a Willowy Young Hippie with her long fair Wisps
Around her Pale lightly freckled face With her Diaphanous Batik Gown of all different colors and a
Suede Southwestern style Hat with Turquoise Stones, Walking in a familiar rhythmic motion, removed of thought or feeling like her soul been ascended from a
another plane, The Rose note represents The innocent
Wanderer for an unquenchable Thirst for Knowledge. Sweet
with an Tinge of Patchouli begins our Journey,

Walking around in the Ashrams the Warm Winds of Saffron Pierced her Senses brought her to Consciousnesses Then from the corner of her Pewter Colored eye is a Sadhu Staring into space without time
nor age piercing Black eyes Yellow Red and black Pigment on his meditative face and a Saffron Colored
Cloth covered the Background, Wisps of Incense smoke
Intoxicated the Moment even further couldn't keep her
fixation on this Holy man.

Safran Troublant Conjure Passion and Spirituality vast Like the Epic Mahabharata and the devotional
love Of Rama And Sita of the Ramayana,

S.T Brings the Ancient into the Modern.

Rose and saffron? Holy moly! I'm in love. This fragrance is unbelievably easy to wear. Saffron is just such so soothing to me. Although it is beautiful...It is a bit too soft for me. I wore it the summer I was separating from my daughter's father and I swear, it has aromatherapeutic powers. It made me feel comfortable and secure at one of the most difficult times in my life. Now, I'd like to revisit it. The only thing I'm thinking is I may be ready at this point for it to have more of a "kick." I'm not as tender as I once was.

This is such a soft, delicate fragrance - the saffron is absolutely beautiful (I love saffron though). I can't stop smelling my wrist when I wear this! In addition to the saffron is rice, vanilla, cinnamon, and something sweet...(I make it sound like rice pudding but it's not exactly that). it's truly unusual and enticing. The problem is, it does not last AT ALL. it is gone so quickly after I apply it that I could never justify buying a bottle :-(

L'Artisan Parfumeur SAFRAN TROUBLANT definitely has a hefty dose of saffron, so much so that it strikes me as more of a culinary than an oriental perfume! One of my favorite comfort foods is actually saffron rice, and SAFRAN TROUBLANT captures the scent in a bottle, so I cannot agree that this is troubling at all!

I love, love, love the smell of saffron rice (I usually make it with basmati)--and also the taste. But I'm definitely in Mellyhelly's camp on SAFRAN TROUBLANT: it won't work as a perfume for me because of the utter familiarity of the scent. (I'll have to try her recipe and use arborio next time...) I can imagine that for people who are unfamiliar with this delicious scent, SAFRAN TROUBLANT would seem exotic and unique. I love it, I do, but I would not want to smell like saffron rice.

I won't deny its beauty, but the problem with Safran Troublant, as I smell it: I once had a candle (or perhaps it was some potpourri) that smelled EXACTLY like this. True, it was a good-quality, expensive, department-store candle or potpourri, but an environmental scent nonetheless.

Safran Troublant is a spicy floral that's perfectly suitable for men or women, as long as you won't be offended when someone asks who is burning a Yankee candle when you're in their presence.

As others have noted (and as I have heard is generally the case with L'Artisan scents), poof! It's gone in a couple hours.

I finally got a full bottle of this wonderful scent
and I am sooo pleased with it.
Its my first venture into the
Gourmand category of fragrances.

I love this smooth, sensuously
light and spicy scent.

The Saffron infusion ...added to
a rich and unique mixture of flower notes and my favorite base ... Vanilla!!!!

Its a gourmand scent, and although it may sound like a "Plate of Paella"...
its very .... Uni-Sex in my book...

I cant stop smelling my wrist ....
and can't wait to wear this out and see what the response is from friends and strangers.

UP Date Oct7 2010:
My only compliant:
Non lasting and fleeting!
the fragrance isn't long lasting ..
and I find myself spraying it over and over....to recapture its ethereal
magic.

I know Safran Troublant since its release, I was so curious! I expected a vibrant spicy oriental scent, instead all I could smell is saffron with some vanilla and not long lasting.
It's a very nice smell for smell's sake.
I have a friend who wears it and she's happy with it, but for me it's a no no for wearing because it strongly reminds me of typical Milanese risotto! It feels like going around after a bath into saffron rice! Very nice and a good smell, but definetely too foody and culturally affected for me!

I totally agree with most of the comments here. Safran Troublant is unique, warm, spicy and delicious. Very good for cold winter nights when you wish you were curled up with your loved one by a fireplace surrounded by candles drinking hot gluhwein. Surprisingly, I don't find it too dominant or overpowering, just an elegant and uplifting scent to make heads turn as you walk by without annoying people who get nauseated by strong scents. I love it, and as winter is on its way, I am definitely considering to buy a bottle.

I am have been holding off my review on this perfume for a time now. Safran Troublant feels to me like an olfactory peep into my soul and I feel so shy about talking about it. But this is such a masterpiece it would be an injustice to keep it to myself.

Safran Troublant is, as expected, a fragrant ode to saffron. Upon opening, every single time the inital heady rush of golden saffron paralyses my mind and all I can feel is my heart beating a little faster with excitement. It is like being suspended in time and space and feeling all your hopes at once.

The first time I wore this, the transition from the opening to the creamy sweet saffron-infused base actually brought tears to my eyes. Ever since then though, it has simply brought me peace and a gentle humming in my body. Depending on my mood, it can also make me a feel sweetly melancholy. Troublant indeed!

As it really settles, it seems like the fragrance oozes from my pores, as if I really *am* Safran Troublant.

This is the kind of fragrance that would make me extremely jealous to smell on anyone else. I love it beyond reason or sensibility.

The issue of lengevity is very real. One second it is there and the next I am desperately hoovering my skin with my nose, trying to recover my lost treasure.

Ultimately it is understandable though, how can such an etheral heavenly gift really be captured for long?

On second thoughts, that is probably why God invented purse atomisers.

Very beautiful. Original, light oriental, spicy, creamy, fluffy, warm, sensuous and sexy too - for all of those ten minutes that I can smell it. Unfortunately this doesn't last on me at all! Since I seem to be the only one to experience this here, I must put it down to my skin chemistry - but this fragrance somehow completely disappears after a very brief moment.

I'm wondering if those who love this also love cinnamon, clove and nutmeg.

I suspect that if you are not a fan of these spices, this wouldn't work for you. In general this genre is difficult for me to wear; scents tend to turn too discordant and unpleasant on my skin.

But if this is your genres, Safran Troublant will be a pleasant, enveloping surprise that will wear like sunshine.

I just love the spiciness of saffron in perfumes - another fave of mine with a distinctive saffron note is Agent Provocateur but it is quite different from Safran Troublant. The latter is a gorgeous oriental - warm, sensual and luxurious with soft and cuddly vanilla drydown but I just wish it was a bit stronger and longer lasting. Saffron can be smelled from beginning to end, at least on my skin, and is absolutely addictive. I would definitely like to keep a bottle for my collection as I truly appreciate its character and originality.

I love it soooooo much...... My favourit of the last year.

Oooh, the notes..
Saffran Troublant is a very pleasing although lacking intensity. I need more of this stuff! So yummy kinda fragrance!
Lasting power is about few hours, but that's not enough!
I too agree, one of the best, but I think every L'Artisan I tried are very best and special.
I love how passionflower sounds with saffron, although I think there's more passionflower than saffron. But it doesn't spoil the day, it's gorgeous!
Later it becomes more spicy and I can detect vanilla. Very worth trying if you don't know what to pick.
Lasting power is good (eight hours on me), but it's too much close to skin. Dry-down is vanilla and passionflower.

Sweet rice pudding?? Creamy milk?? I would spend a whole week's wage on any perfume that has those scents in it, so LUCKY i only bought a sample of this. I can't smell either of those things - Im so upset! This is like a light fresh spice scent. The opening smells like saffron with hint of lemon zest to it. That dies down and the other notes are all there in pretty equal measure, and the one thing i really like is that the rose here is not powdery and old fashioned smelling, like a lot of roses seem to be, to my nose anyway. The whole thing is very light and subtle, I had to put my nose right to my wrist to be able to smell this. I think I can see what others are referring to as a sweet creamy-milky smell, its the vanilla and rose that gently lift the saffron to make this smell like a subtle indian rice pudding, but for me at least, all the notes are so subtle that I could only just make them out. I don't know if this fits my definition of sexy, but its definitely unique and pretty in it's own way. I doubt I'd buy the FB.

With the first spray i was ecstatic! Saffron! How i adore the scent of saffron. I use it in my cooking and have been longing for a perfume that smells mostly of saffron.

However, as it began to dry down it began to smell like carnation. Yes, i know, i don't see carnation among the fragrance notes, but that's how it smelled on me. I like carnation, but that wasn't want i was looking for. Saffron was still there, but fading away.

Gradually the vanilla began come forward, so i smelled carnation and vanilla, with mere hints of saffron. Sigh. I was hoping for stronger saffron - or perhaps my nose just stopped smelling it.

In any case, it will be good for summer and, i think, autumn... well, and probably winter, too, as it is warm and spicy, but delicate. Ah, the search for more saffron perfume will continue, but i suspect this will be the, uh, "saffronest".

-- Addition 19 May --

As i said above, i continue to wear "Safran Troublant", and i find the more i wear it, the more i become sensitive to smelling to the scents in it. I no longer smell "carnation". Now i smell a dash of rose, followed by strong saffron when i first put it on. Additionally, i smell saffron from first application to full dry down. I think perhaps i didn't put enough on the first time i tried it.

It still has a lot of vanilla, but i am coming to love this more and more... Perhaps it will be "my signature" this year. Mmm-mmm-mmm, saffron. This *is* the "saffron-est".

Fairy, fine, ambiguous, with many notes composite like symphony, but in it can be heard rather piano, not forte. Piquant, oriental, warm, elegant, but not ostentatious. First smell after perfume Mitsouko, which ideally adjust for me. Because Safran Troblant has something from soul and character – Mitsouko - liberty, individuality. If compare to beautiful arts – this are masterly draw brush paints: red, golden, brown, yellow, white. This smell doesn't intrude. Appetite, spurring – saffron, rose, wanilia, probably muscat, creates fine, intriguing mixture. Great congratulations for Olivia Giacobetti! - she is author (not Bertrand Duchaufour )this modern and magic composition, dignified legendary parfum Mitsouko.I love parfums L'Artisan, but specially I love Safran Troublant.

I can remember one of the first articles I ever read regarding perfume - one of the many 'What your perfume says about you' ones, with particular attention as to what you possibly enjoyed doing on the basis of the perfume you wore.

I was an Angel devotee at the time - and although the vanilla wasn't foremost for me, the article quite rightly had it that I was a foodie who enjoyed cooking and getting people together over food.

It seems I can't escape my fate! Safran Troublant is my latest, very special perfume of choice - it's warm, slightly spicy, sweet and definitely evocative of its namesake. Imagine being wrapped in a rich, fragrant cloud of orange yellow and you're half way there.

One downside to the perfume - the tester bottle that I tried from in the first place lasted for hours. I have found that I don't get nearly so much wear from the bottle I purchased. I'd be interested to find if anyone else has found the same?

In Sweden the most common use for saffron is in a kind of buns that we bakes during december to celebrate Lucia and Christmas, in my family it is a christmas tradition to bake the buns together with my kids some days before Lucia (13th december). Otherwise saffron is use for that special french fishsoup... So I was a bit skeptical at first when it comes to saffron in a perfume, I don´t want to go around smelling like saffron buns.

But I don´t. Safran Troublant is a gorgeus perfume. One of the best of the L'Artisan`s perfume I´ve tried this far. If the colour orange was a fragrance it could smell like this. Warm, aromatic and quite sexy too. It makes me think of light candels, sheer shiffonscarfs and bubble bath. A perfect fragrance to wrap you in with in november and december when the weather is rainy and grey (at least in Sweden).

If you are unsure about rosefragrances, you should try this because it dosn´t remind me of any other fragrance with rose that I have tested. The same goes for the safron, if you are skeptical (like me) still give it a try, I am sure you will enjoy this.

I was about to buy a big bottle of Dzing! and I maybe will, but now I think I must have a big bottle of this one to.

A must must must try!