BDK
Pas Ce Soir Extrait
2023
PERFUMER
Violaine Collas
cocoa EXTRACT
black pepper ESSENCE
ginger ESSENCE
peach
JASMINE
quince chutney
orange blossom
patchouli
BENZOIN
CASHMERAN
vanilla
‘Pas Ce Soir Extrait is a tribute to the original perfume and an expression of its gourmand sensuality. With facets of fruit and liquorice, I wanted to give this fragrance an even more colorful touch: I love the idea of textures and colors in perfumery, so Violaine Collas and I came up with the idea of adding cocoa to give it a new powdery and addictive touch. Pas Ce Soir Extrait is a gourmand elixir that emphasizes boldness and the essence of Paris.’ – David Benedek
Pas Ce Soir is the second BDK to get the ‘Extrait’ flanker treatment. I think it somewhat follows the same path as Gris Charnel’s Extrait changes in the opening, but then flips it around. However, just like it, I don’t think it’s an improvement objectively, although I do enjoy Pas Ce Soir Extrait more myself.
That’s to say that I think Pas Ce Soir Extrait is less feminine leaning and harsher than the original, which is the same feeling I had with Gris Charnel Extrait. Here, the original DNA was very far feminine leaning in my opinion and I do prefer this new direction to wear myself. However, it feels like a less beautiful, less well constructed fragrance and I definitely can’t imagine many women especially liking this Extrait more than the original Pas Ce Soir, because of the first couple of hours.
Gone are some of the fruity touches, for an even more astringent acidity, focusing heavily on tartness (ginger). Almost bitter, but the acidity and brightness last for a good couple of hours.
It’s not as gourmand as I thought it would be from the start. Instead, there’s a sharper, dry, powdery patchouli. Perhaps a tiny bit in a chocolate direction instead of really earthy or green, but definitely patchouli more so than gourmand. As mentioned, sharp, mixed with the tartness, making for a pretty harsh, albeit not unpleasant experience. Quite a deviation from the fluffy, pretty opening of the original though.
This all changes as it dries down more. About 5-6 hours in and the sweetness has overtaken fully, but I found this facet to be a bit disappointing. Hoping for a thick gourmand with chocolate nuances and it’s only halfway there. This smells mostly like caramel, but mixed with the generic designer-realm sweetness of the original. Moreover, this time with more cashmeran. I’ve remarked on this with several BDK I think; some of their sweet or woody bases come across too flimsy, muddy and/or cheap to me and Pas Ce Soir Extrait is unfortunately one of them. It’s not bad, but it also doesn’t live up to my expectations or the higher price point of the Extraits.
Which is a shame, because Pas Ce Soir EDP surprised me positively and in theory, a less feminine leaning direction should’ve made this a hit for me. I don’t dislike it and maybe I’m being a harsh critic, but I’m left feeling underwhelmed and I do think it will be a divisive (at best) release for many lovers of the original. The drydown is quite pleasant, but the opening hours I have a hard time picturing the audience for. Then again, many people are enjoying and preferring Gris Charnel’s Extrait, which I found to be significantly inferior to its original, so do get out to sample this and make up your own mind. I would love to hear more people’s thoughts on this.