I am still waiting anxiously for a sample of The Different Company's Jasmin de Nuit (please comment if you've tried it!) so as consolation today I am wearing Divine Bergamote. This is yet another of my favorites from Jean Claude Ellena, who created the first 4 releases from this line before moving on to become house nose at Hèrmes. The notes are: bergamot, hesperidium, precious woods, ginger, orange flower, green leaf, rhubarb wood, musk.
This is a sheer, transparent scent. When I first tried it from a sample vial I thought there wasn’t much to it, but since obtaining a spray bottle I am very pleased with its depth. The top notes are tart, but not nearly as sharp as your typical bergamot opening. There is just a little buzz of ginger — I’m not sure I would have noticed it if it wasn’t listed in the notes, but it does have that little "nose tickle" that ginger provides. The green notes are likewise subdued but help to soften the sharpness of the citrus and the orange blossom.
It dries down to a really lovely citrus-y wood scent with a nice musky base. It has very good lasting power, although like everything else from The Different Company it is only available as an eau de toilette.
Fans of citrus & woods should definitely give this a try. The Different Company line is not cheap, but the packaging is nicely done, and I like the fact that the bottles are all refillable. The estagnon (a 250 ml aluminum bottle for $130) is an excellent value per ounce, especially if you find some nice friends to split it with.
I am also very fond of their Bois d'Iris, a sheer earthy-woody scent that is a must-try for iris lovers. The Osmanthus was something of a changeling on me: once or twice I really loved it — a sheer, bright floral with touches of green and hay — but at least twice I put it on and thought it smelled just plain odd. I still have a sample but have given up on it for now. Rose Poivrée is an unusual fragrance with a bit too much vetiver and civette for my taste, but very much worth a try.
For buying information, see the listing for The Different Company under Perfume Houses.
Update: Divine Bergamote is now known simply as Bergamote.
Hi R – Divine Bergamote is indeed lovely. I actually was talked into it by Danielle at Tak. I thought she was out of her mind but she was once again right. I have not opened the bottle yet – waiting until Spring and my trip to the Philippines. I thought it would be perfect for a business trip. If the Jasmine is at Tak today – I will sample it and let you know what I think. Enjoy you day off
F, that is funny, I would not have picked it as something you would like! But you are right, it is perfect for a business trip. I hope Tak has the Jasmine!!
Nice review, R! I'm waiting for our store here to get their first shipment of Different Company and then I plan on trying the trio set. The Iris sounds nice, and the Bergamot also sounds enticing!
Enjoy your well-deserved day off
Let me know what you think when you try them! I think the line is very well done. The Bois d'Iris is maybe even nicer than the Bergamote, but I already have several earthy-woody iris scents so didn't feel justified in buying it.
I can do that! I'm curious about the Iris, too. My first encounter with Iris was Hermes Hiris a couple of weeks ago. THAT was really weird–the strong woody top note dried down to a totally different smell…and lasted 15 minutes
Then I tried the Aqua di Parma Iris—nice, long-lasting…but just that. Maybe Iris and I don't get along very well? We'll see…
I'll keep you posted!
Ok, then we may have very different tastes in iris! Hiris is one of my favorites, and I swear it lasts all day on me. The Bois d'Iris is more sheer and less earthy than the Hiris, so you might still like it.
The Aqua di Parma is very pretty, but I don't really think of it as an iris scent. It dries down to mostly orange blossom on me. I do like it though!
I bought a decant of this on eBay, and now I'm wanting a whole bottle. I find it to be an interesting citrusy ginger, a bit peppery with soft green floral. The drydown is lovely. Although rose is not listed, the drydown reminds me of a fresh dewy green rose bud.
I didn't care for the Rose Poivree either.
Interesting, sounds like you smell more ginger than I do, and more floral. I've been wondering if the “rhubarb wood” is really just plain rhubarb. There is definitely something else in the dry down.
I'm expecting samples of the rose, bergamot, iris and osmanthus. Lucky Scent don't seem to have the Jasmine yet, last I looked anyway… but Beauty Habit does, in case samples are needed.
[ notice i say..”needed.” ]
;*)
good Sunday, Robin and friends.
Lucky scent just got the Jasmin this week. I've already ordered a sample elsewhere so all I can do is wait! Let me know what you think of them, but they are all so sheer that they make a much bigger impression when sprayed than they do from the little samp vials.
ah, bummer.
I could have added it to my order, but I didn't see it listed on their sample page! Why do they gotta do it, R.? They want to keep us coming back for more & more…don't they?
Well, it'll have to wait for I have exceeded my limit all ready this month.
:*O
You'll review it and let us know.
Maybe they don't have a tester yet? Hope I get my sample soon. The one report I have heard on JdN so far is NOT good.
Rhubarb wood, must be just rhubarb, right? I mean we grew it in our back yard, and there is no “wood”. Maybe it is being called wood, but is actually pulp. Pulp = wood?
I don't see what else it could be. I was wondering if that was just a translation issue? JCE also used rhubarb in Rose Ikebana, and it is more obvious to me in that scent.
eek! I just picked up my Different Company 48 Hours set…I think this confirms that Iris and I just do not get along!
The Rose Piovre is different, a bit on the masculine side, but it has a pretty drydown on me.
I have yet to try the Osmanthus (that is for tomorrow!) but it smells so pretty from the bottle!
I'll post tomorrow about this one!
Oh I'm so sorry you don't like it! I hope you end up loving at least one of them, that is not a cheap set.
I really like Divine Bergamote, and I smell similar notes. It opens with an obvious citrusy lemon, a less noticeable ginger spice, followed by a faint smell of pepper, just the right amount. Finishes with a “green?” rosebud. Wonderfully clean and de-void of mint. Second choice for me is the Iris. Third choice is Osmanthus, and the Rose is not an option.
Regards, John
John, that makes 2 votes for rose. I am going to have to try it again and see if I can smell it, I certainly didn't notice it before.
I would love to know which of these scents are selling well. From what I've seen on the forums, the rose doesn't seem to be very popular with women or men, and I haven't seen anyone who has bought the Osmanthus either.
This might tell me something: I needed 2 days to decide whether or not Different Company Osmanthus is right for me. The first day I liked the pretty, delicate flower smell of it, the next day it smelled like that bug repellent spray, “Off!” I think is the name of it. Yikes!
I think the Rose Poivre may be the only one that holds a bit of interest for me; I definitely like the dry down the best of all, but am I just needing to convince myself just because I don't want my whole purchase to be a disappointment?
So much for buying unsniffed…!
Wow, that is pretty much what happened to me with Osmanthus. I can't think of any other fragrance that smells so different each time I put it on.
Sorry for your mistake — I've made some expensive ones too, and now try to only buy unsniffed if it is less than $20. It is hard to wait for samples though!
I guess I'm not having too much luck with this line! I am awaiting a 10ml of Bergamote, though, so I hope that one works out!
Thanks for your fragrance sympathy! I hate to make unsniffed mistakes, too; I usually end up swapping them away (can I say that here?).
Live and learn…
Well, I'm about to spend my hoarded xmas dough on TDC Osmanthus — is the 90ml flacon refillable, anyone know? lusciouscargo says that the estagnon can be used to fill any flacon in the line, but the blurb at luckyscent says the 250ml flacon is refillable, without saying anything about the 90ml.
I was the the Chicago Nordstrom a couple of weeks ago and they carried the whole TDC line, what an idiot I have been not to have looked!
Just checked the TDC website, and they basically have the same wording as luscious. I would email luscious to be sure, but guessing that the 90 ml is refillable — it wouldn't make any sense otherwise.
The bottles are gorgeous, so congrats on your purchase! One of these days, I'd love to own the metal travel atomizer.
Heh, I just called the Chicago Nordstrom, the sales person there tells me the 90ml top is not removable; I wrote luscious to be sure. A shame, because in my aesthetic judgement, I think the 90ml is better looking and better proportion than the 250ml. I would buy that, and then keep a refill estagnon.
Strange how this fragrance market works, neither of the 2 Nordstroms nearest to me carries TDC, neither does Neiman Marcus nor Saks. I asked the Chicago Nordstrom lady why is that, and she says it just depends on the market. (The Nordstrom store on Michigan Ave. has a little niche (literally) for high-end stuff: TDC, Guerlain …) I live in the DC Metropolitan area, where you can practically throw a stone and hit a [lobbyist, lawyer, political op, contracting and IT fatcats, take your picks] who presumably has the cash to spend, but there's no where to go for Diptyque, TDC, etc. I was working in Tampa last year and *it* had a Guillot Apothecary which stocked pretty much everything that you can find at lusciouscargo.
The only thing that's slightly “uncommon” carried at Neiman Marcus is the Creed, Floris, and Jo Malone lines.
I really would like to know if the 90ml botlle is refillable ? and what do you thinik of the refill estagnon bottle ? did it work well as a spray ? Thanks so much for your help. The Different Company Osmanthus is one of my favorite.
Yes, the 90 ml is refillable. I don’t know anything about the Estagnon though…didn’t even know it had a spray.
Hi Robin, thank you for your reply. I have bought the Estagnon refilling bottle from The Different Comapny. It did come with a spray. Works well itself. No need to pour into the chrystal bottle if prefer. Really enjoy for blog. I have learned a lot ! Thank you.
Perfect, so glad you got some! Much cheaper to buy the estagnon in the long run.
That is a darn shame. I just split an estagnon with someone, so I don't have one of the lovely bottles. The 90 ml really is a darn good looking bottle though.
Call Blue Mercury in Georgetown, I am pretty sure they have Diptyque, L'Artisan, maybe a few others. Also check out Art With Flowers on the top floor of the Galleria at Tysons. They have Serge Lutens and several other very good lines, although offhand can't remember exactly what.
I finally tried TDC Rose Poivrée, ick! I don't get any pepper, vetiver or civette. I get the rose-water-in-Indian-restaurant smell. The coriander, cumin, and cardamom that I get (I really don't know if they are in there, it just seems like that to me,) are just so wrong! After a few minutes the spices fade and all I'm left with is an uninspired rosy rose. There is an Indian ice cream parlour in Edison, NJ (I think it's called Kwality Ice Cream) that showcases a slew of unique and tasty flavors like Rose Petal, Carrot & Cumin, Ginger, etc. This scent just makes me think of the Malai Kulfi ice cream there.
Wow, I'm going to have to try it again. I didn't remember it that way, but it has been a long time since I tried it. Anyway, you've saved yourself more $$, LOL!
Divine Bergamote is the sample I have on today. Love how bright it is when you first put it on (like earl grey tea with lemon) and it has softened up nicely too. A very cozy scent. Perfect for the stormy day we're having. Will put this one on my wish list.
It really is pretty…and does much better as a spray than dabbed from a vial, in case that is what you're using. But I split a bottle w/ someone, and it didn't keep well, unfortunately!
I tried this yesterday and thought I was in love, until the bergamot faded and turned first into Sunlight laundry powder, then something green that was very similar to Un Jardin sur le Nil. As my fiancee doesn't care for Nil, this last was a deal-breaker for me. Any suggestions for a fragrance that opens with citrus like Bergamote but doesn't go so green at the end?
There are so many not-green citrus scents that it's hard to know where to start. Have you tried Annick Goutal's Eau d'Hadrien or Eau du Sud? Or can you be a little more specific about what you're looking for?
Sorry, I haven't tried either of those. I should have been more specific – I basically want an opening exactly like that of TDC's Bergamote, with a huge blast of bergamot. I'm still exploring my options for summer scents, so I'm not sure what types are out there. I did try Un Jardin en Mediterranee today and I like it much better than Nil. Let's see… two of my current FBW faves are Gris Clair and Daim Blond – maybe something with lavender or apricot? Being an Armani Code fan, I do quite like Vetiver Tonka, so maybe vetiver might also fit the bill. I've also tried L'Artisan Jatamansi, though only on paper, and I liked it as well.
As a final consideration, I should probably note that I'll be working at a law firm over the summer, so my chosen scent would need to be something that wouldn't be likely to offend anyone, or seem overtly feminine (read: floral or fruity). If it works on the golf course too, that would be a bonus.
Bergamot is VERY widely used as a top note. There are so many scents that open with a “huge blast of bergamot” that I couldn't possibly list them all. For scents that center on bergamot/orange blossom/neroli, you might try Czech & Speake Neroli, MPG Eau Pour Le Jeune Homme (spicy), Le Labo Bergamote (also spicy), Santa Maria Novella Queen's Cologne (entirely unisex), L'Artisan Fleur d'Oranger (also unisex). It's late, guessing other things will pop into my mind later.
For a law firm/golf course vetiver, try Paul Smith Story or the old classic, Guerlain Vetiver.
Hope that helps, and will see if I can think of more tomorrow morning after I've had some caffeine
Just popped into my head — Santa Maria Novella Eva, also a unisex so don't let the name bother you, might be perfect.
Also, the discontinued DKNY, called just exactly that, in the tall, white frosted bottle, has orange and tomato leaf, so it's very, very green and crisp. Nice stuff. Might be what you're looking for. I've seen it around, so it's still selling through out there. . .good luck!
Oopsy daisy. You wanted NOT green!!! I guess we can just turn around and scratch that little suggestion of mine. Sorry 'bout that!