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“Царевна Лебедь» ( Princess Swan)



In one of my research for a new niche perfume, Russian house Brocard caught my attention.

I just can’t believe why such a huge country stuck on a vintage monstrosity as Red Moscow by Novaya Zarya. Despite so many praises to this perfume, it feels very heavy and old. In my humble opinion, only ladies 85+ could wear it. Call it tradition – fine! But I believe you have to continue creating something new to be proud of. Unfortunately, the ones I saw, while I was visiting Russia, cannot be even classified as perfume.



I was thinking – this is wonderful that finally somebody created something fresh and  uniquely Russian in terms of perfumery.

I wanted to have experience buying niche perfume in Russia. I decided to write to a Russian perfume blogger who has a beautiful review on Brocard perfumes. I asked him if he could suggest stores I should visit during my Moscow stay to find Russian indies' perfumers. Thanks to his kindness he answers me with tons of information for which I’m very appreciative. 


I chose “Царевна Лебедь» ( Princess Swan) because I love the idea behind the name, and i love the name behind the perfume - Bertrand Duchaufour. I think using a fairy tale for fragrance already creates magic aura around for any perfume. Unusual bottle’s metallic filigree setting along with the frosted bottle itself is also eye catching feature. I was wondering how Bertrand could interpret Princess Swan into fragrance.


The Swan Princess (Russian: Царевна-Лебедь) is a 1900 painting by Russian artist Mikhail Vrubel, based on the opera The Tale of Tsar Sultan by Rimsky-Korsakov (which was based on the fairytale of the same name by Pushkin). Vrubel designed the decor and costumes for this opera. The part of the Swan Princess was performed by his wife, Nadezhda Zabela-Vrubel.

I was determined to buy it while I was in Russia but wherever I went, to my big surprise and later disappointment, no one knew Brocard perfumes.


As an act of desperation, I rediscovered how Novaya Zarya House is doing nowadays, they still create old fashion perfumes along with new ones. I saw couple of YouTube videos about old and new fragrances and decided to try them on. To be honest, I could barely stand the whole store fume itself. I bravely asked for those perfumes I know from reviews and it was terrible, cheap smelling alcohol like substances. One word – Eww... When I got home, I have to breath in Royal Princess Oud (I had travel size with me) to rehabilitate myself. Kidding you not!


So, naturally when my cousin Natalie decided to visit relatives in Moscow, my only wish was a Rose from Enchanted Forest and The Beast if she is allowed to capture him... well, why not?! Right... of course it was a joke but my only wish was this secret of Russia - Brocard Perfume Царевна Лебедь!


Long story short, she finally got it, literally running around entire Moscow and suburban trying to convince sales persons of every beauty store she visited, that Brocard is not her or anyone else’s imaginary perfume house. Three days later my desirable perfume Царевна Лебедь were in New York together with bonus perfume.


The Russian Princess


Excitingly I opened the bottle and was ready to be judgmental... first scent I smelled is cloud of marshmallow, not sweet but rather dipped in the saltwater. I just imagine that... ) Very creamy and musky. Maybe its sound strange but from time to time i could feel slight scent of mold.. its a little bit off putting.

I don’t know for which occasion I could wear it, but I definitely will, well maybe. It's not bad at all. 


Царевна Лебедь is floral, woody, musk fragrance for women by Brocard that was launched in 2017. The nose behind creation is French perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour. 

Top notes: bergamot, juniper, pink pepper, citron and sea notes

Middle notes: orchid, magnolia, marshmallow, jasmine, hawthorn and lotus

Base Notes: sandalwood, musk and vanilla

Main Accords: sweet, aromatic, floral, marine, powdery

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