VERSATILE PARIS
BONNE POIRE
2025
PERFUMER
Anne-Sophie Behaghel
Acetate Cis 3 Hexenyle (apple, banana)
Hexyl Acetate (Green, pear)
Styryl Acetate (rhubarb, grapefruit)
basil (aromatic, fresh)
bergamot (tea, zesty)
cis 3 hexenol (cut grass, apple)
diacetyl balsamic (butter, hazelnut)
ethyl linalool (Bergamot, lavender)
triplal (damp, green apple)
aldehyde c18 (coconut, solar)
cardamom (peppery, citrusy)
damascone alpha (apple, rose)
ethyl decadienoate (pear, nut)
filbertone (hazelnut, green)
hedione (jasmine, watery)
phenyl acetate (honey, animalic)
stemone (fig, mint)
verdox (apple, damp cellar)
coffee (coffee, Tobacco)
cedramber (cedar, iridescent)
cedarwood (pencil shavings, spicy)
ebanol (sandalwood, coffee)
ethyl maltol (caramel, toasted)
exaltolide (red fruits, violet)
globalide (powdery, clean)
habanolide (BlackBerry, woody)
methylaitone (coconut, sandalwood)
undecavertol (fruity, violet)
vanilla absolute (honey, spicy)
vanillin (almond, spicy)
‘A fresh, sweet, green, fruity, honeyed, crispy fragrance blending a perfectly juicy pear and ambery Calvados. For those who remember, Bonne Poire was originally a limited-edition scented candle in 2022. You LOVED it, and as a result, we decided to release it as a perfume, not a candle. (…) Our perfumer has reinvented the pear in a fragrance as fresh as it is gourmand. A fruity and amber blend where pear harmoniously mixes with vanilla touches. The composition unfolds with slightly green and sweet notes, creating a sensation that is both sparkling and enveloping.’ – Versatile Paris
Bonne Poire was released alongside Cerise Sur Le Gateau & Presser Le Citron as part of the 2025 Eaux de Parfum collection. It’s the only one of the 3 that I’ve smelled at the time of writing and on paper, I figure this would be the one that’s most to my taste. In reality it’s… well, you’ll read (and do read until the end).
Bonne Poire definitely wasn’t what I was expecting from the get go. Yet, the longer I wore it (and especially upon my second time wearing it), the more it fit in with my expectations and enjoyment. See, I was expecting a much brighter and more acidic fruity scent as it opens. I purposely added two descriptions by the brand in the quote paragraph above the review; Before wearing Bonne Poire, I’d only read the first part (fresh, crispy & juicy imprinted in my mind). I think the ‘as fresh as it is gourmand’ line from the second quote would’ve given me a more correct mindset.
Personally, I don’t view Bonne Poire as fresh and juicy all that much, but I also don’t find it gourmand. In a way, that I think means that the brand did an excellent job balancing them.
Admittedly, I was let down at first. I missed acidity & I missed juiciness. To my nose, it lacks sour qualities completely and goes in a subtle, but sweetened direction straight away, with a texture that fits the oily roll-on form factor. Almost the opposite of sparkling.
But, don’t get me wrong, Bonne Poire isn’t a sweet full-on vanilla, pear desert either and after adjusting my expectations, I can definitely see this scent as the sweet pear juice, with gel-like consistency, that a real pear has. However, it most reminds me of the flavor of Festini pear ice cream.
I wore Bonne Poire again on a relatively warm, Sunny day, walking in nature. And that’s when I started to appreciate it much more. Because instead of growing sweeter and sweeter and more ambery and vanilla, as the notes paint, it stays relatively linear. This is another trademark I’ve come to see with these roll-ons (despite this being ‘just an Eau de Parfum’ in concentration); they still wear smoother and transition less drastically. So while I wished the opening was less sweet, after the walk, I was surprised and happy to smell that its pear quality was retained, whereas most fragrances would’ve lost it. And especially because it’s more subtle & less vibrant to my nose in the way it comes off the skin, it helps with keeping the balance of fresh and sweet as promised by the brand.
After (and during) the walk, I viewed it in a different light. That same Festini pear vibe to be sure, but now it had a zen-like, nature-quality that was very fitting for the weather and situation. Had you asked me 5 minutes into my first wear, I’d have told you that I’d happily give Bonne Poire away to someone I know. Now I feel like I should keep it in my car or backpack, so I have it around when I visit a park or forest or to reapply after to freshen myself up.
And to be fair, I think Bonne Poire will remain a ‘utility fragrance’ for that purpose, rather than being a scent that I’d pick out for most other occasions, but I will appreciate it for it.