Bouquet is the newest fragrance from Vera Wang. It joins her signature bridal collection:
Explaining the inspiration behind the scent, the designer declared: “For me, flowers and fragrance are the perfect expression of love and commitment, and a bouquet symbolises that union. In the hands of a radiant woman, a bouquet can be magical.” (via moodiereport)
I was rather surprised by the ad visual (shown); the model is wearing a bridal gown, but she looks a bit edgy for Vera Wang, no? It certainly isn't the pretty-in-pink kind of imagery we saw for Vera Wang's last bridal fragrance, Truly Pink. Truly Pink wasn't astoundingly original or anything, but it was nicely done and very wearable (I'd wear it if it fell from the skies), and not quite so conservative as the original Vera Wang fragrance, which strikes me as so overwhelmingly bridal that I'd have a hard time wearing it in anything other than a bridal gown.
Bouquet opens with citrus (rather sharp for a few minutes) and watery fresh notes tinged with green (the notes: dew drops, bergamot, black currant leaves, paperwhite narcissus, honeysuckle, lavender musk, cedar, iris). The heart is blended floral notes, very fresh and crisp and green, and the lavender, while soft, adds a bit of interest (and shades of the au courant "touch of masculine") in the dry down. It gets just slightly powdery at the end — is powder obligatory for brides? — and while it has a more modern, less resolutely bridal feel than the original Vera Wang scent, it doesn't really stray from the Vera Wang "romantic and feminine" comfort zone. It is about the last thing I'd think to put on the bride in the picture, who I can imagine spraying on Guerlain Jicky and then knocking back a few at the reception.
Bouquet is fine and it didn't kill me to wear it for a few days, but as with so many recent mainstream department store offerings, I had the dispiriting feeling that I'd smelled something very like it, and fairly recently. I could have written my first novel in the time I've spent over the past year figuring out what all these new scents smell "just" like, and I've given up — what's the difference? If you're looking for something inoffensive to wear to your wedding, Bouquet will do; if you'd like to wear something romantic and feminine but with a bit more personality, check out Angela's article on Wedding perfumes or just take my advice and wear Ormonde Jayne Frangipani.
Vera Wang Bouquet was developed by perfumer Loc Dong. It is available in 50 and 100 ml Eau de Parfum and in matching body products.
I can't bring myself to sniff any of the Vera Wang scents. I love her design work and I can't bring myself to be disappointed in her, and “fine” doesn't really allay my fears.
Advert bride looks a bit Monique Lhuillier-ish to me (another designer that I wouldn't want to be disappointed by).
Gosh I'm repetitive!
See, I don't really know her design work all that well, and my “edgy for Vera Wang” comment about the ad was really based on the few other ads I've seen…
To some extent, bridal wear is by its very nature fairly conservative, right? So in that sense, I would say that the scents are “in keeping with” the line.
Is that a polite way of saying the scents are a bit dull :-). And true, bridal fashion still seems to consider Bianca Jagger's suit from 1971 cutting edge!
LOL — I guess it is. If I may be allowed (yet another) sweeping generalization, I think many women, even women w/ what I'd consider “interesting and unusual” fashion taste, don't want to look “interesting and unusual” on their wedding day. I'm not a traditional wedding kind of person so I don't really “get it”, but that seems to be how it is. As with the Princess/Flower Princess scents, I'd say Vera Wang knows who her market is, and she sticks with it.
Yep, girlfriend does look a bit edgy, doesn't she? And she surely does NOT wear that VW fragrance, trust me on that, babe.
On another note: I just read Erin's great posting. Where can I find this Theo Fennell Scent that she is raving about? Thanks!
Hugs and love!
I found this a very green floral. Nothing I would wear on my wedding day, but I would wear it to a wedding.
“…who I can imagine spraying on Guerlain Jicky and then knocking back a few at the reception.” Giggle. I totally agree.
I smelled it and it was just meh. I couldn't even smell it strongly even though they were spraying it all over ribbons and handing them out, and I can't decide whether that's good or bad.
Vi — they are Bendel, I think there's an EDT, an EDP and a parfum, relatively spendy but the EDT was not too bad, don't remember precisely. It is a LOVELY scent and I would have bought it based on the notes, but it is extremely ripe on me! Somewhere between Cartier Declaration and Eau d'Hermes. Might be just me, though, Erin found it very musky but not ripe. Smelled cuminy on me.
Glad M chimed in, because I was going to say Harrods — forgot Bendels got it in. Pretty sure The Perfumed Court had samples, too.
Thanks, you guys!
I think I need to sample this one first…!!
Interesting distinction, and not sure it's one I understand. What would you wear on your own wedding day?
Let me know what you think — I still haven't smelled it!
I don't know if it is good or bad either…perhaps it depends on what kind of impression you're hoping to make? Personally I'd rather be the girl who wore Jicky & knocked back a few.
I'd just be happy if her model stood up straight, LOL! I really am sounding old…the gowns are lovely but the models always look so pissed-off! Odd for bridal wear.
I've been so put off by her behemoth 'branding' that I haven't bothered about the fragrances. Wasn't there a thread on here about mattresses?
Thanks for filling in the info, March! I've just had samples. Definite try before you buy, I agree. As March says, I didn't find it shwea-ty, but it is strong and, well, startling. I think of Emeril going “BAM!” when I put it on.
I can't imagine what I would wear to my (hypothetical) wedding – probably something really austere.
Will do!
I loved your review today, Erin. Thank you for all of the good information. It has inspired me to throw on my Osmanthe Yunnan tomorrow (hugs to NST!), which will be a perfect day for it here in LA. 🙂
Wait, wait, wait– “dew drops”??? Seriously? I about spit my coffee onto the keyboard when I read that. I know I'm still very new to the frangrance world, but is that really a note? Or is Vera Wang on crack? (That model might be!)
Yep, there is a Vera Wang Bouquet mattress. For you know, after the wedding.
I guess that is so. See, I'm probably not a good wedding guest because I never think of things like that.
Well, it is their nice way of saying “watery aquatic fresh stuff”. So as ridiculous as it sounds, it does have “meaning” in terms of the notes 🙂
Nice review! Totally agree with you that Vera Wang knows her market & sticks with it. She's smart & knows what her audience expects from her.
*sniggers* Can you use the mattress more times than you can wear the dress?
Vera Wang's stuff always wears so bitter and soapy on my skin. And it's all pretty enough…but that tends to sum it up for me: eh, pretty enough. Purchasing “Sheer Veil” once was a mistake (I actually even had an allergic reaction, which is unusual for me) and I would be surprised if I ever find a Vera that wears well on me. I also agree with your take on that ad—usually a pristine bride or dear is pasted on the ads, but this one looks more like the reluctant bride or partying bridesmaid.
And I hear ya' on the fragrance clones; have you tested the new “Versace”? It couldn't smell anymore like “Aqua Di Gio” to me if it was presented under the Armani label. Really, the differences are so subtle, that they could both be one in the same. I don't understand it—there must be more options. I can only imagine that some new synthetics must almost be sold in bulk at a discounted price ;D.
Not going there 😉
Thanks K.
I smelled Versace only very briefly, is it just like AdG? I'll have to pull it out for a real test on skin one of these days.
I thought the same thing about the model's terrible posture. Also, the bride doesn't really look very happy. What's up with that? The scent sounds nice but average.
yeah they're not all that great on my skin either. the powder gets too big for my liking, and the scents are classy and well done but just boring. i totally agree sheer veil was a screw up for me too (and i got greedy and bought the 100ml), smelled like insecticide on my skin.
new versace is not that great either, and i think acqua di gio is also horrible. only aquatic i can stand is bulgari aqua original or small doses of the body shop oceanus (better as a room spray!).
i wish bridal scents were less powdery, i hate powder (or too much flowery cr*p) and fruit in my perfume in general, so you can guess in the eventuality that i will be married, i will for sure NOT be wearing a vera, neither will i purchase the mattress (i'd trade the price of the mattress for a ticket to cuba, spain or argentina to dance mambo/salsa, rumba/flamenco and tango, respectively)… a non-vera serta mattress is just fine for me! not like you need a special mattress just because it's your wedding night anyhow…
I agree, I don't understand why bridal scents have to go all powdery. If I want to smell like powder, I will apply powder. I just tried Bouquet yesterday, and didn't mind it, but it didn't knock me over. I may actually consider purchasing Truly Pink (for the office), because it's one of the few rose scents that doesn't turn on me.
Should I ever take a trip down the aisle I will wear a big beautiful floral (Fracas maybe?).
She is trying to look sexy. IMHO, most models emulate sexy by looking slightly perturbed.
I'll take the ticket to Cuba too!
Fracas would be perfect!
I actually like this photo very much. I like the model, her expression, the lighting of the scene. The edginess of it appeals to me, but I get that most people want a different mood when it comes to matters matrimonial.
Having fun imagining you stinking up a wedding wearing something like, say, Kingdom. 🙂
Hey, didn't mean to imply that I don't like it — I do, other than the one point others made about her posture, which I think is valid — she ought to stand up straight.
LOL — but that would annoy me too! How about Miel de Bois? That would be a perfect “bad guest” fragrance.
i totally <3 fracas on that one. i want to be a bride with class but still a little sass (kind of like, what did SHE do during her bachelorette party?), not oh she's pretty but we'll forget about her after the 200 family weddings we'll have to go to.
other scents that would possibly work: voluer de roses by l'artisan (it literally means "stolen roses" so you could be a runaway bride, marrying the person your parents hated, whee!), une rose (now that's a rose with attitude, not pretty and quiet at all), carnal flower (big white floral with attitude and puch, yay!) both by editions parfums frederic malle... and i could go on but i'll stop the verbosity now.
Oh, sorry, did not mean to imply that you were implying, either. 🙂
Yes! I'm envisioning a Serge Lutens wedding – everyone in the wedding party wearing a different Lutens. You're invited, and get to wear MdB.
You probably didn't imply it, LOL…
What a stinkfest! The bride in Muscs Koublai Khan, the groom in Fumerie Turque!!!
Carnal Flower would be perfect, and so would SL Tubereuse Criminelle.
My, the model does look rather rained upon. Sort of a my-outdoor-wedding-was-just-canceled-because-of-an
-unpredicted-thunderstorm-and-now-if-you-come-within
-three-feet-of-me-your-head-will-come-off look, no? Gorgeous but evil. =o
I found a fragrance card (I'm not sure about the actual term) in my Vogue. It was nice but we all have stories about how amazing it smelled in the magazines and how rancid it turned out on your skin, right?
I liked the green notes right off the top; I'm a green-top-notes sort of person. I put it on my skin and consequently found out that it didn't like me. Or my friend, with whom I was shopping. We both sniffed an hour later. You know how most designer perfumed lotions tend to smell like… well, like perfume sprayed over some sort of medicated cream? (My friend had a more colorful description…. o…o;;;) That's how Bouquet turned out.
Oh well. I couldn't have afforded to fall in love with another perfume at that point anyway; I'd already bought one that day! xD
LOL at “gorgeous but evil”! Sorry Bouquet didn't like you…but as you say, just as well.
Its a bit odd – the picture (which I like & find mildly edgy) has absolutely no relationship to the scent, which is about as bland & mundane a green white floral as they come. its perfectly pleasant, but why wear this when there are so many more interesting things around? Telling the SA this while she was standing next to the Prada rep who was making me decant of the new Infusion d’Iris might have been not the most polite thing to do, but hey, can you blame me? ;D
Some people, I am sure, prefer pretty to interesting, but in this case I'd argue there are prettier things to be had as well.
I smelled this one the last time I was at Macy's. I really liked it! Her best. It may even be better than Princess! I may get this for my mother
Hope your Mom will love it!