A peppery yet sophisticated iris which has an iridescent quality; an olfactory shimmer.

Listed notes

Iris, peony, basil, vetiver, violet leaves.

Top notes

Tell me that a fragrance has both iris and violet in it and I am unlikely to get too excited about the prospect of sniffing it. The inclusion of those two ingredients conveying something which might smell a bit like sweets, make up, or something from a bygone era. To judge Costume Liquide on those two elements alone, however, would be to miss out on a fragrance which is luminous, iridescent and bursting with a chic modernity bound to appeal to lovers and converts to the iris-and-violet sensibility alike.

Costume Liquide by Pierre Guillaume opens with a bright blast of papery iris but it has a shiny quality to it and calls to mind holographic foil, sparkle and shine. Not in a gaudy way, but in a way which calls to the magpie inside all of us that wants to enjoy the rush of discovering something reflective hidden in the long grass.

The pepper then makes itself known and it has a similar effect to a citrus would have, in that it lifts the iris, gives it flight, but also adds a touch of warmth, a touch of airy space and elevation, and a sprinkle of something drier than the iris just on its own.

It isn’t listed, but to my nose I detect something like some form of watery citrus in there too, helping assist with that lift but only hovering in the background. Could this be the mysterious peony accord? Perhaps. But it isn’t very loud in the mix so it’s unlikely to cause any offense.

Heart notes

There’s a clean modernity to the way in which the fragrance unfurls. Costume Liquide feels very confident and self assured. Any concerns I had about this being a scent which leans towards yesteryear are immediately swept away on a wave of peppery iris. At turns the iris feels clean, almost sparkling, and then earthy and warm. The way it shifts gives this iridescent impression, but the way that it moves is almost like the swirling movement of sparkling fog.

Here and there, Costume Liquide becomes almost soapy, definitely clean, mildly melancholic somehow. It is a scent to project confidence, but it makes us wonder what vulnerabilities are being hidden beneath that facade.

Base notes

Another of the shifting facets that Costume Liquide shows us is a kind of metallic hue which adds to that feeling of focus, but also that sense of shine as well. It isn’t super metallic, nor is it like chewing on tinfoil, but instead you just get that little thrill of metal here and there which is almost reminiscent of the tang that salts the air before a thunderstorm.

The final few beats of the fragrance are of a spicy, iris, hovering somewhere between the earth and the heavens. There are trills of metal from the violet leaf which run up and down the spine of the scent, and we get wafts of both the earthy pepper and the spicy vetiver which is gentle but persistent in the base. These two facets hold hands, one taking us from the top into the middle part and then the other taking over from the middle part to the final throes. Thrilling stuff, which illustrates once again what a subtle and considered perfumer Pierre Guillaume is.

Costume Liquide is thoroughly modern and in the best possible way. It feels like an energetic and thoughtful reinvigoration of a perfume trope which has been around forever. I still don’t like violet leaf, per se, but in this scent it feels so exciting that I can’t help but warm to it.

The other stuff

The perfumer for Costume Liquide is Pierre Guillaume.

The longevity for the fragrance is really very good indeed. It lasts forever on clothes, and a good twelve hours or so on skin. The projection is also really strong, but not obnoxious. It goes to perhaps a bit further than handshake distance, and trails beautifully.

Costume Liquide is the sort of scent which will take you from day to night quite easily, and is a bit of a chameleon in terms of being suitable for all manner of occasions. Sometimes it can feel like a mild mannered day scent, and at other times it shimmers with an olfactory iridescence which would put it more firmly in the evening wear category. Our advice would be to wear it whenever you like! Similarly, it pairs well with spring and autumn weather, but could very much be worn at the height of summer (and it copes with heat pretty well) or the depths of winter.

The brand

If you’ve visited us at all previously then you will know that Pierre Guillaume are one of our firm favourites here at The Sniff and we have reviewed a vast array of his fragrances which combine interesting, modern compositions with a wide range and ease of accessibility. These aren’t the esoteric end of the spectrum, but instead are wearable scents which fit into your daily life with ease, whilst giving you that slice of luxury and uniqueness you may have come to fragrance to find. Pierre Guillaume scents are designed to make you, yes you, feel good and have a little bit of joy in your day, and they do that so well.

We’ve previously reviewed Tonka Bodykon, Dialogue with Venus, Oshiso, Intime.Extime, A Une Madone, Alphaora, Morning in Tipasa, Animal Mondain, Lune d’Eau, Sunsuality, PG 9.1 Komorebi, PG 03 Cuir Venenum, PG 04 Musc Maori, PG 5.1 Suede Osmanthe, PG 16 Jardins de Kerylos and the exceptional Bois Naufrage. Also by Pierre Guillaume we’ve looked at Superlady, Sucre d’Ebene, Shermine, Aqaysos, Jangala, Tonkamande, Anti-Blues and Hapyang.

Buy it

Costume Liquide is available from the Pierre Guillaume web boutique where it is priced at €110 for 50ml EdP or €160 for 100ml. You can also purchase it from Bloom Perfumery London for £95 for 50ml or £140 for 100ml.

We were kindly gifted a sample of this fragrance by Pierre Guillaume. Our thanks to him!

Header photo by Carlos Vega on Unsplash.