Gucci No. 3 & Georges Rech Nuit Secrète {Perfumista on a Shoestring - Twin Fragrances} {Hasty-Review}

Gucci No. 3 & Georges Rech Nuit Secrète

I was slightly surprised the other day to catch a familiar whiff, that of Gucci No.3, a floral chypre born ca. 1985. Long discontinued, this told me that probably a vintage perfume lover was somewhere near. The sillage seemed to lead back to a young woman sitting at one of the cash registers at Monoprix, but I wasn't sure...

This mental note resurfaced a couple of days later when out of curiosity I went to check out a shelf of discounted perfumes. There was a row of Georges Rech fragrances, which it turns out, are discontinued as well but still pretty widely available in the gray market. So, to cut short the not-so-suspenseful suspense, I realized that Nuit Secrète is a replica of Gucci No.3. I didn't go as far as trying it on skin but its olfactive signature was easily recognizable.

Gucci No.3, the first time I noticed it, it was on someone. I had to ask what it was. This is a luxurious-smelling, shimmery chypre with loads of presence. Knowing Italian women's taste for fur, I'd say that it fits the image of Italian elegance one might encounter. It's not minimalist. It's a bit showy, but not Big. It smells expensive and sophisticated, and so when I caught a whiff of it on a girl in simple, down-to-earth work attire - black tee and black jeans - there was a bit of a disconnect. It might have been the newly circulating Nuit Secrète.

If you cared for Gucci No.3, you can try to give a go to its twin fragrance, Nuit Secrète.