Infini
Caron (1972)

This version of Infini PdT is layered beyond its opening aldehydes. It would seem disingenuous to discuss what notes I detect, whether a narcissus accord goes in whatever shape or direction or the rose is a certain kind of rosy and the lilac reminds me of arboretum walks in May, and so on. This is because my nose doesn't tell my brain that it knows where one ends and the other begins, or even if there are clear overlaps. It all just coalesces like the seasonings in a good warlock's broth: a composite deliciousness. It's so tasty.

Orbiting it all is muted, cool greenness and spiced-clove smoke, discreetly herbal accents, moving forward into the iris-cloaked "woods are lovely, dark and deep" and a warm amber sunset. It feels crepuscular, recalling that sensation I love, a hypnagogia, the liminal space between awake and asleep, a heavy-eyed mossy sedative. I took a nap in the afternoon while wearing this, and it served as the "smell-track" as some Don Slepian new age was the "sound-track." Infini PDT inspired me to explore this concept more. This earlier Daltroff version is a must for green aldehyde floral adventurers.

I have the vintage 70's parfum version in a spray travel container (rectangular, black plastic with a gold band - very much like a Chanel No 5 type travel spray). I am not sure of the age of my spray. The juice is dark - so, vintage, but maybe not kept well. Nevertheless, it is beautiful - green, green, green! I do not get any smoke or leather notes at all. I get jasmine, lily of the valley, narcissus. Infini is most like Chamade, Diorissimo, Volupte, or vintage Vent Vert. It is not as dry as No. 19. or Cristalle. The effect is like smelling a huge bouquet of spring flowers, including that dusty, pollen note (which might be what other reviewers are noting as 'smokey"). Great stuff, indeed!

Infini is to Chanel 5 what prosecco is to champagne.


This is just padding to make the post long enough. . .

The opening combines a distinct peach note with the gentle contrast to a coriander impression, enriched by a good lashing of a comparatively discreet aldehyde - less bright and less attention-seeking as in Chanel No.5. All these are mixing together to produce a delicious starter.

The drydown is tuning up the floral volume: muguet with daffodil and carnation crest a powerful, but never too sweet, potpourri; when a rose impression announces the transition to the base notes, the additional richness of a vanilla with sandalwood is combined with a gentle musk, which is never harsh or faecaloid, but more on the soft side. The base also develops an increasingly powdery undertone with time.

I get moderate sillage, very good projection and an astounding fifteen hours of longevity on my skin, with the last five hours being very close to my skin.

This is a delicious scent for spring evenings, rich, smooth and velvety. The quality of the ingredients is astounding, the aldehydes are incorporated is a manner that is discreet but effective, and the blending is superb. A great floral aldehyde, sweet and soft. 4/5.

Wow - this stuff is fantastic! For those who haven't smelled it, it's an aldehydic floral in the veins of Chanel No 5, but less sparkly and more down to earth, with Caron's signature mix of dusting powder and cloves. There's some green galbanum and a whiff of smoke, as well as a musky suede that come through in the middle.

It kind of reminds me of a much more refined Old Spice, in that the leather and smoke and cloves come together to form a meaty undertone to counterbalance all the powder and flowers. But really, Old Spice is beef jerky being smashed by a perfumed sledgehammer, while Infini is a carefully crafted bouquet in the kitchen of a castle on the French countryside.

The drydown remains flawless - first a mix of hyper-rich sandalwood and musks with a generous helping of rose, which gently fades to vanilla and spiced musks that last for a good 20 hours in the modern extrait version. Thumbs all the way up - this is truly grand perfumery!

One of my favourite fragrances of all time (hence my username). A beautiful slightly green, aldehydic smoky floral: just perfect. Elegant in a way so many modern fragrances just aren't.

Though I am devastated to discover this jewel has recently been discontinued, this could be worse, as completely by chance, a few years ago I discovered a perfume called Brocade, which is made by the monks on Caldey Island (off the coast of Wales, UK). I have only tried the pure perfume, and I really cannot tell the difference on my skin between it and Infini (it's a fraction of the price too). Brocade is available online on the Caldey Island website. I'm still very sorry to see the demise of Infini, especially when Caron has recently added some very nondescript fragrances such as My Ylang to its range