Jill is getting married in October, and she'd like to find the perfect perfume for her wedding. It must be something she has never worn before. Her wedding will be in Portmeirion village in Wales, and will have a 1920s/30s theme. She'll be wearing a 1930s gold column dress, and her husband will be wearing either Ormonde Man or Knize Ten. Jill has great access to perfume stores, and is willing to spend up to $250.
Here is what we know about Jill:
She's in her 30s and lives in London.
She says she appears mainstream but is actually pretty quirky, and she has a sick sense of humor. She is also self-confident and can be loud and/or less than tactful.
Jill loves the sea, silent films and the clothes, music and films of the 1910s, 20s and 30s. She also loves sleep, soft fabric, reading.
She likes to wear vintage, and she loves shoes.
Smell is very important to Jill — smells that others dislike, she finds intriguing rather than repulsive.
Jill likes green tea fragrances, things that are dusty, tart or multi-layered, and the oriental, chypre and green fragrance families. She likes notes of pepper, oakmoss and roses. She doesn't like sparkly fruit notes, light sparkly perfumes, too many white flowers (tuberose excepted), heavy vanilla or celebrity fragrances. Jill's favorite perfumes at the moment include Molinard Habanita, Ormonde Jayne Tolu & Ormonde Woman (and yes, she's tried the rest of the Ormonde Jayne line), Frederic Malle Le Parfum de Therese, Etat Libre d'Orange Rossy de Palma and Piguet Fracas. She also likes Frederic Malle L'Eau d'Hiver, Serge Lutens 5 o'clock au Gingembre & Serge Noire, Carven Ma Griffe, Chanel Sycomore, Etat Libre d'Orange Jasmin et Cigarette.
Jill recently tried Parfums DelRae Bois de Paradis (too fruity), Piguet Visa (overpowering & scary) and LesNez Unicorn Spell (liked the violets but not the base).
What say you?
Note: image is Post Box: Old post box in San Gimignano (Italy) [cropped] by Luca Zappa at flickr; some rights reserved.
He’s wearing Knize Ten? He has good taste!
Jill should find herself some vintage Knowing parfum, if such a thing can still be had. (AFAIK they haven’t made it in years. I have a bit left, literally two mL or so.) The EDP they’re selling might be almost as good, but of course the oakmoss is reduced or gone: still, it’s fantastic, a dark luscious floral chypre which goes very well with Knize Ten (and I know this because I’ve owned both). It would not feel out of place in the 1930s.
Jill, you sound like a woman after my own heart. How marvellous to get married in Portmeirion. Now this is sort of a shot in the dark, because your tastes seem very similar to mine — I really love Givenchy III, you might want to try it. Absolutely intoxicating stuff, IMHO.
Three fragrances that came to mind for Jill:
Guerlain Sous le Vent for a vintagey green
Chanel 31 Rue Cambon for a multilayered chypre (with rose)
Serge Lutens Bois de Violette because I think it would be great for a Fall wedding
Seconding the Sous le Vent — great recommendation!
3rd the Sous le Vent!
First off, Jill, I love you for loving “sleep, soft fabric, and reading”! I have a few random thoughts:
*CdG Stephen Jones: weird violet
*Frederic Malle Dans tes Bras: another weird violet
*Chanel Cristalle and Bel Respiro: great greens
*Robert Piguet Bandit: I’m not sure I’d wear this for my own wedding, but it’s worth a sniff; it’s green and sharp and old-fashioned and killer-diller
*Patou Cocktail: discontinued, but you can still find this fantastic dry chypre around, and as a bonus, it’s a classic 1930s scent
*SL Tubereuse Criminelle: OK, I’ve never even smelled it, but it’s supposed to be tuberose and menthol and weird and beautiful
*JAR Bolt of Lightning: beyond EVERYONE’S budget, but maybe you can snag a decant! I just sniffed it on Saturday, and it’s wild, starting off with a very odd earthy green, then segueing into a dark, dusty tuberose
Good luck, and congratulations in advance!
Two more thoughts: Andy Tauer’s Incense Rosé, which is a dark, dusty rose and incense scent, and his Rose Chyprée, which is, well, just what it sounds like, and definitely has a snazzy vintage feel.
Hi, Jill.
Have you tried any of the MDCI line? You may like Enlevement au Serail, in particular. It has bone structure similar to vintage Femme, but smells more polished. Enlevement is genius in that it has a vintage feel yet doesn’t smell dated. Hey, I’m with you in the love of things ’20s and ’30s. Good luck to you!
vespres siciliennes by MDCI is an excellent choice too
Glad she listed Etat Libre d’Orange Jasmin et Cigarette! I was going to recommend it about halfway through the article.
It’s a tough one, but has Jill tried any of the Tom Fords? White Patchouli, Black Orchid?
I second the Givenchy III – a really beautiful green chypre.
Also, Carnal Flower is a fantastic greenish tuberose.
And lastly, how about Histoires de Parfums 1740 Marquis de Sade? Not associated with many weddings, I suppose, but I often layer that with Knize 10….I think the two smell wonderful together!!!
Best of luck with your wedding…….sounds dreamy…
I agree with the Marquis de Sade and Carnal Flower.
I’ll third-fourth Givenchy III…..great scent!
I am wearing 1740 today! I love it. I don’t know that I would wear it to my wedding, though. I reflected today that it smells a tiny bit like vomit — but, dare I say it, in kind of a good way, if that makes any sense at all. It’s hard to explain. It is just slightly gross, and yet I adore it.
Nonetheless, I don’t think of it as a wedding scent — i.e., it doesn’t seem sufficiently joyous and romantic to me.
I love Carnal Flower — it would be perfect for one’s wedding day.
Chypre Fatale has a nice evolution on the skin-the patchouli isn’t associated with a”wedding”, but I so love patchouli.
Alpona is a beautiful chypre (Robin has a great review) by Caron. You can probably still get some before Caron discontinues it.
Congratulations!
Just butting in to say that I understand Alpona was reformulated though…haven’t smelled the new version but haven’t heard good things about it either.
Alpona has been discontinued, but Caron’s NYC boutique (and probably the discounters) still have some. I really liked it, but I never smelled the original version and so have no basis for comparison.
First, let me start off by saying I have a lot in common with Jill’s tastes in perfume.
Chypres
The Party in Manhattan: well for starters, it’s based on a 20-30’s party in Manhattan!!! How more perfect could you get! It’s a very well made chypre in the same vein as the new Profumo for Acqua di Parma and is extremely elegant and perfect for a wedding day.
31 Rue Cambon: Shimmering topnotes sizzle down to a dreamy lactonic base. Utterly addictive.
Rose de Nuit: In the same vein as the discontinued Gucci No.3 and Knowing. The best rose chypre on the market today.
Mitsouko: need I say more.
Profumo (AdP): old formulation; still widely available and extremely close to vintage Femme. A true gem.
Tuberoses
Tubereuse Criminelle: once the menthol dries down, you’re left with a bouquet of tuberoses that can’t be matched.
Beyond Love: extremely creamy, indolic and no-holds-barred tuberose soliflore.
Carnal Flower: this would be perfect for a wedding day.
Parfumerie General Tubereuse Couture: a very fresh, wintergreen tuberose with a sugar-cane cutting through it. Extremely unique, very feminine, and would work amazingly in the summer.
I could go on and on, but I’ll stop here.
Good luck!
Ohhh! Gucci No. 3 is wonderful! I had forgotten about that one… I wish they still made it.
Yes! Profumo (1930)… old or new, it is tha bomb! Love that stuff… for anyone who likes TRUE chypres 😉
Wow, thank you for all of your suggestions so far! There are quite a few there I’ve never thought of (or heard of in some cases)! I will definitely try Sous le Vent and 1740 – they both sound lovely – and also some of the classics you’ve named. I did try Dans tes Bras but while I really like it for everyday (I did say i like smells not everyone is keen on!) I’m not sure if it’s autumnal enough. The Tom Fords I like too but am really on the fence a bit and I don’t want to clash with the husband!
There’s still a while to go so I can see I’ll be having some much-needed fun trying out all your suggestions 🙂
I see some of my ideas have already been listed- Bandit, CdG Stephen Jones…
also Diorling (vintage would be great)- I really loved the Party in Manhattan- would be cool for a 20’s wedding, Amouage Jubilation 25, Arpege Parfum, Chanel no. 19 parfum, Malle Une Rose, Mitsouko
And I don’t know if Sonoma Scent Studio ships overseas- but Vintage Rose is worth trying…
Congratulations!
Hi!
My suggestion is Annayake Pour Elle. The most different tea fragrance you will ever smell. Very quirky.
Here is a wonderful review on it:
http://fragrancebouquet.blogspot.com/2007/05/annayake-pour-elle-by-annayake-perfume.html
Congrats and hope you find the perfect scent for your wedding day.
~Dawn
Hi Jill — My rec’s for you are:
Guerlain Chamade – just gorgous and it will last many hours thoughout your ceremony from the burst of galbanum and chewey black currant and florals at the top to the warm sultry balsamic drydown….
Parfums de Nicolai Temps d’Une Fete which is just wonderul light and ethreal but rich greens and florals with a very beautiful dry down … Very classy sophisticated and romantic – a retro style scent.
Hermes Un Jardin sur le Nil – I know this is technically a fruity floral, but it reads to me more like a green cologne and is very pretty and long lasting.
Annick Goutal Heure Exquise which goes with spades on both accounts for green (galbanum) and then powdery (gorgeous bone dry sandalwood and iris). I never get much rose from this one…it is tres beautiful for a classy wedding. It is very dry and lovely.
Ok here we go..and since you like Habanita so much (as do I), you may like the older Ralph Lauren Safari (which will save you tons of $$$) – it is a tremendously well blended, dry powdery green chypre from Domonique Ropion. I highly recommend it and you can find it at online discounters and shops easily. It is very classy, very old school, very much in the same vein as Habanita, Chanel 19 (original), Chamade, Temps d’Une Fete…just gorgeous!! And it has great lasting power so you will smell as good when you start your day as when you finish…And the bottle is very pretty and retro to go with your lovely wedding theme.
My out there rec is Boucheron — the original in the blue sapphire bottle – just tremendous gorgeous oriental that is warm, rich powdery and very elegant…..also good lasting power.
Good luck!!
Another though…I’m envisioning this gorgeous October wedding and your gold column dress….if it were me, I’d be wearing Guerlain’s Nahema or Bal a Versailles.
Okay, Ann, my almost-scent-twin*, you’ve been right about everything from Fete to Chamade to Champagne de Bois. I already loved No. 19 and BaV. This might be your millionth rec of Heure Exquise, and it’s finally worked on me! I must find a sample… (rubs hands together in diabolical glee…)
*Except for Nahema, which I cannot smell at all (freakish anosmia of mine?).
C – I’d be happy to put a sample in w/your Lyric split once it gets here. I have a larger bottle than I need.
Hey Mals – I can swap you a sample of HE too….
boucheron…something blue 🙂
Nice! I hadn’t thought of that! They sell the most beautiful little bauble style bottle of the perfume too.
Boucheron is such a beautiful fragrance! The “something blue” angle is fun, and it’s perfect for fall, IMO.
Ooh, have to second the Boucheron. Definitely a dame perfume.
Vintage Mitsouko would be wonderful as would Sous Le Vent.
Your favorites are my favorites. Do try Carnal Flower and Heure Exquise. Do let us know what you choose. If I haven’t tried it, I’ll have to.
How about Sous le Vent by Guerlain? Best wishes to you on your upcoming nuptials!
Our tastes are very similar, Jill.
Frankly, I’d wear Fracas (which you already own). If you don’t have the pure parfum, it may be worth seeking out.
Congrats on your impending nuptials!
Jill, I fear that my tastes are not nearly as sophisticated as yours, so I will offer not recommendations but congratulations on your upcoming wedding.
I’ve never smelled it, but Narcisse Noir has been around since 1911, so it’s appropriate for your time frame. It combines a reputation for being the sort of thing worn to ruin a man’s life (great with the gold column dress) and a note of orange blossoms, traditionally associated with weddings.
Your wedding fragrance should evoke a memory or be something special you wear on occasion. You also don’t wanto scream HEAR COMES THE BRIDE before you walk down the aisle so i would go for a lighter fragrance. my choice anne pliska
orange blossom is traditional for a bride. I would add Rubj to the recommendations and I personally like Aqua e Zucchero by profumum . Sawn spencer hurwitz makes a beautiful fragrance called tea vert. stunning.
Ooooh Rubj would be wonderful.
Big 2nd to that rec. 🙂
I haven’t tried the The Vert, but DSH does some beautiful things, doesn’t she? I really love her Rose Vert for “green” and “rose” — it is one with lovely but not huge sillage. It is a lighter fragrance, though, and Knize Ten might eat it.
sorry for typos. strange chimp interning 😉
I’d love to smell either Après L’Ondée or Vol de Nuit extrait on the woman I married. Both are perfectly suited to an autumn wedding! 🙂
VdN would be amazing for a bridal fragrance on the right woman!!! Totally – esp. in extrait!!! And what a glamorous and appropriate bottle to go along with the retro theme! Nice!
I agree. Vol de Nuit would be a lovely and romantic choice!
Hi Jill, from another Jill. I don’t think I have any suggestions to add, but just wanted to say your wedding sounds like it will be amazing! Congrats.
So many excellent recommendations so far. What do you think of Delrae Amoureuse? It might really suit your theme and dress, I think.
I think someone already mentioned Bandit, but what about Baghari? I feel like it’s sort of a “wacky chypre.” *(At least, it is on me.)
Parfums de Rosine Un Folie de Rose is a rose chypre that I really like, and I am not typically fond of rose. It’s like a TDC Rose Poivree (which I can’t recommend) tempered down so the spice isn’t so consuming, and the green and oakmoss of Chanel No. 19. The same House also made a Diabolo Rose, rose with a mint-forward disposition. This sounded strange to me until I tried it, and to my nose it’s the freshest and closest to a natural rose.
Here’s one out of the ball park Jill–Oh Lala by Azzaro. It’s a spicy oriental and the bottle is a keepsake.
That’s all I got. I wish you joy and many years of symbiosis!
So many wonderful recommendations! Sounds like a trip to TPC about to happen! I don’t really have anything to add but wanted to wish you a lovely wedding and many years of happiness.
Congratulations!
Question–what flowers will you carry? You don’t want to be all “matchy-matchy”, but you also don’t want to compete with your bouquet.
My fave would be FM’s Une Rose–sexy as hell, but still, it’s rose!!
I’m having cream roses for flowers – not orange blossom I know but it’s the wrong time of year. Also, I love roses 🙂
for a wedding a perfume should be something romantic and something you will remember wearing at your wedding. chanel no.22 is very romantic. it has that classic and elegant feel to it. also it makes u think of the 20s, 30s, 40s.
I second Une Folie de Rose and thought of Party in Manhattan just before I scrolled down and saw it mentioned – that would tie in with the retro feel. Memechose just introduced me to it and it is the first chypre I have tried that could convert me to the category!
Anyone who wears a gold column dress on their wedding day immediately has my respect!
I too, like many others who have responded, suggest that this event screams BANDIT in EXTRAIT!!! It is less brash and sparkling than the EdP and Edt, but it has a smooth, dark richness and uber-vintage feel. You can buy darling little 7ml bottles in Harrods.
I also reckon you should pay a visit to Roja Dove, and ask one of their fantastic assitants to tour you through some scents based on what you like. There is one man there, with blonde hair and glasses (I forget his name) and he is so helpful and enthusiastic. I had great fun last time I went. He introduced me to so many scents I’d never even heard of, let me sample Dove’s own exclusive range, as well as housing all the well-known classics in every concentration. Part of the whole experience is the process of purchasing – and going to Roja Dove feels more special than the ground floor perfumery.
I definitely agree it’s a great excuse to go to Roja Dove and really wallow in everything!! I had no plans for this Saturday but I think I do now!