Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier - Grain de Plaisir

Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier (MPG) is one of those truly niche lines that seems seldom to attract much attention or reviews. It has its fans, to be sure, but generally it seems to stay beneath the radar somewhat. Grain de Plaisir is one of those perfumes in the line which seems even more obscure and there are very few reviews of it. It's a very masculine perfume, and I'm aware that recently I've been reviewing quite a few masculine perfumes, so I apologise for that; it's not intentional, just that this is how I've been wearing stuff recently. And who knows, perhaps there are some ladies out there who might appreciate some of these. Grain de Plaisir (I have no idea what the name means) opens with a healthy dose of citrus, what I perceive as neroli and petitgrain. There is also quite a lemon-y-ness to it, possibly verbena, and a bit of lavender as well. It has a cologne-like feel, what with the lavender and citrus, but then I detect a strong celery seed/leaf smell, which immediately lends more of a foody smell to it. However, this is not a gourmand by any means, but quite herbal and piquant. If you like celery in cooking, and enjoy its fragrance, then I think you might well like Grain de Plaisir; if not, then you might be struggling. I personally love the smell and taste of celery in every form and for some reason it is almost therapeutic to me, whets my appetite and just makes me feel good. It is no exception with this fragrance - I'm left wanting to sniff my wrist repeatedly to capture that green, herby, aromatic, almost meditative quality that celery brings. As the fragrance progresses, I detect an almost incense-like quality to it, without being really incense-y at all, if that makes any sense. There is also a strong presence of vetiver and amber, and possibly even juniper. The underlying woodiness is patchouli enhanced. I think Grain de Plaisir is actually a very good fragrance, and criminally overlooked. It won't please everyone, that's for sure, and it is quite masculine, but I could certainly recommend it to those of you who are perhaps looked for a citrus-herbal-green scent that can be worn in summer, with some substance, but could also be worn perhaps in the transitional seasons as well.

Perfume notes include celery seed, mastic, myrtle, lavender and exotic woods.