Goutal Chat Perche
I think my love for anything whimsical is well documented by now.
Give me a nostalgic story and a pretty floral and I’m on the hook. So a fragrance reminiscent of childhood (a very French, pinafore wearing, bucolic fantasy childhood of course), was a must-review for me.
Chat Perché arrives. It’s an Eau de Toilette. It’s got kitties (!!) on the box. The press release tells me it’s not only inspired by les enfants, but intended to be worn by them. Not so sure what I think about perfumes for kids, but I give it two generous sprays on each wrist figuring this will be a kind of floral water.
No, it is not.
Chat Perché is named after a french version of “tag” (or tip as we called it when I was a kid, now my girls call it chasings). It has listed notes of nasturtium, sweet pea and lemon blossom. And I have to say, four sprays and tag, you’re “it”, catapulted flat on your back onto a sun drenched garden lawn, grass lush and high; and just above, sweet peas so heavy they are in danger of collapsing under their own weight. It’s hyper-real, Alice in Wonderland stuff. I’m half expecting that delicately embossed hummingbird on the label to fly out and engage me in some kind of trippy conversation about pruning the topiary.
Chat Perché positively vibrates on the skin like the buzzing of hummingbird’s wings. It’s sweet and simultaneously freshly green as a tender tendril, plucked with childish abandon. And it stays that way for hours and hours, bright lemony musk seeming to prop up the fresh flowers rather than take over from them.
Compliments abounded that sunny afternoon I over-sprayed. I was a blossom attracting all comers.
And you know what, I don’t think this is a scent for little children. It’s too alluring. But a young maiden out hunting for someone to play cat and mouse with? I think Chat Perché would be just perfect for such a game.