Givenchy launched Eau de Givenchy in 1980, and I almost certainly bought a bottle shortly thereafter as it was one of my staples in college. Eventually I moved on to other fragrances — this was back in the day when I would never have seen the need to own more than 2 or 3 perfumes at a time — and I only recently had the chance to try it again. The notes are bergamot, spearmint, tagetes, greens, fruits, honeysuckle, jasmine, lily of the valley, tuberose, rose, cyclamen, orris, musk, cedarwood, sandalwood, and moss.
Eau de Givenchy opens with bright citrus and green notes, and just the tiniest bit of mint. Some websites describe this as a fruity floral, but whatever fruits it has other than citrus are very subdued to my nose. It is certainly not overly sweet. The dry down is for the most part what I would call "well-blended", but there are distinct notes of lily of the valley and jasmine, with the jasmine continuing to intensify with wear. The woody-musky base notes are very light and soft, with a hint of iris.
This is a crisp, sheer, almost clean floral, very sparkling and cheerful. Like the other light florals I remember wearing in the early 1980s, including Chanel Cristalle and Diorissimo, it has more elegance and sophistication than you find in your average "fresh floral" today. At the same time, it has a contemporary feel, and seems very much in tune with modern preferences for light, ethereal florals. To my nose, it certainly doesn’t call to mind the 1980s, which I tend to associate with much heavier perfumes.
Despite the Eau de Toilette concentration and the light nature of the fragrance, Eau de Givenchy has excellent lasting power. I am so glad to have re-discovered this underrated beauty (huge thanks to L)! It is going to be perfect for the spring & summer — and hopefully spring is just around the corner.
Update: In 2007, Eau de Givenchy joined Givenchy's Les Mythiques collection.
I hope you are feeling better. The Eau de Givency sounds quite lovely. Not that I am going to buy unsniffed (heaven forbid) – where is the best place to procure this from?
F, After dragging myself around the house in a stupor for 2 days, I am way better, thank you! Best prices I've seen: $25 for a 3.3 oz tester at scentiments, $15 for a 1 oz spray at fragrancenet.com.
Speaking of not buying unsniffed, did you get your Folie de Rose yet? How is it??? And please, what is new & interesting at Tak?
Hey, R, just a general comment/question:
Where do you get the nice photos you post? Do you take them yourself? They look very professional.
Glad you're feeling better. Being sick bites when you love perfume like we do!
M, Gracious, no, I steal them from other websites! Since they are perfume advertising and the copyrights are not owned by the sites I steal them from, as far as I know it is not a legal issue. But perhaps one day I will find out otherwise
Hi – The Folie is on its way and has not been received yet
I will certainly let you know when it does! I owe you a samp. I will let you know what is at Tak later this weekend – going on Saturday if the weather holds. Happy you are feeling better. Thanks for the info on the EdG.
Just wanted to say I'm glad you're feeling better!
I've never smelled Eau de Givenchy but I tend to like the older Givenchy's rather than the newer ones which I feel are heavier. I do however like Hot Couture (black). I didn't like it at first but I spotted it on clearence for $11 so I bought it and over time learned to love it.
Thank you so much!!! I hope everyone else avoids the flu for the rest of the season
And I have really never smelled most of the newer ones, including Hot Couture! There is always more sniffing to be done
Oops, I must have gotten my weeks confused, what else is new! Have a great weekend in NY then!
So citrusy, and sparkling. I love this scent and am never without it in Summer. Nothing better on a warm day to perk yourself up.
My thoughts exactly, thanks for commenting!
I’ve just bought the re-packaged EdG from Givenchy’s 2007 ‘Mythical’ line, worried lest it had been re-formulated, but all seems well. Compared to my 1996 bottle, they seemed pretty much identical, tho’ other people with more experienced noses than mine might detect differences.
The re-packaged version only comes in a 100ml bottle but I got a good price for it online. This is the only 100ml bottle I own and it looks enormous, sitting on my dressing table. Still, spritzed generously after a shower on a hot day it is heavenly. So it’s great to have a big bottle.
EdeG comes packed in lilac and I miss that lovely, very distinctive old blue.
So glad to hear it was still ok when the Mythiques came out! I’ve been considering whether I ought to look for a cheap bottle too.
But yes, loved that blue cap!!
Whatever happened to Le Givenchy (was that its name?). The one that Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) stashes in her mailbox and sprays on, in Breakfast at TIffany’s?
I don’t remember the perfume in the movie, but Givenchy L’Interdit was supposedly created for her.