Elise wants to find a signature scent as unique as her life, but at the same time, she wants the fragrance to be accessible to the people she encounters during the day. She'd like to keep the cost at $100 or less, and she has good access to perfume stores and is happy to shop online. Here is what we know about Elise:
She's in her early 40s, and works as an instructor at the college level. She's also finishing her Ph.D. and is active in volunteer work.
She's a published poet and playwright (her most recent play was produced in Chico, CA).
She has three children, all adopted internationally.
She's an old movie buff and likes anything 1940s, romantic and wonderful.
Elise loves neroli, the spicier the better. Parfums MDCI Le Rivage Des Syrtes is her current favorite, but she also likes Laura Mercier Neroli and Czech and Speake Neroli. She also likes violet, and is a fan of LesNez Unicorn Spell. Sometimes she likes simpler scents, like Bvlgari Rose Essentielle, Miss Dior Cherie, or Givenchy Very Irresistible, but in general she'd rather stay away from gourmands and straight-up florals.
Elise dislikes most musks (she did not like Frederic Malle Musc Ravageur) and patchouli-heavy fragrances. She also doesn't care for sweet, powdery violet. She wants something that will last, and found the Le Labo line in general too short-lived.
Elise has tried most nerolis — Le Labo (too fleeting), Bourbon French (too orange!), Jo Malone, Annick Goutal, Tom Ford, Santa Maria Novella. She likes Borsari Violetta di Parma every now and then, but in general it's too powdery for her.
What say you?
Note: top image is you've got mail. [cropped] by e³°°° at flickr; some rights reserved.
Hi, Elise,
We seem to be scent twins in some ways! On the violet side, you might like: SheWood by Dsquared, which is a sort of vanilla violet (not so powdery, I thought). Aimez-moi by Caron is also a more creamy violet you might like. Bois de Violette and Feminite du Bois might be of interest, but the drydown can be sort of dark and animalic, although that is a good thing.
Sonoma Scent Studio has two violets; they are very aldehydic and dry, which on some days reads as powdery to me, but maybe not to you. Juliette has a Gun may be interesting, and of course try Apres l’ondee (although you probably have). And if you don’t like patch, stay away from the Tom Ford Black Violet!
On the neroli side: you seem to have tried a lot of the soliflores already, so a few with just a neroli or orange blossom note: Femme Jolie (Sonoma), La Femme by Sahlini; Cimabue by DSH; L’eau de l’hermine by Lostmarc’h. Have fun!
I suck at this game and usually stay out of it, but for once I do have two suggestions. L’Artisan Verte Violette (I got a very bright, green violet, not powdery at all), and Ineke Field Notes. The former I believe is $95, and the latter is $88, last I looked. Ok, so in keeping with the spirit of not being an good at suggesting perfumes, I may be wrong on the Ineke. I *still* don’t get what the dif is between orange blossom and neroli, and the Ineke does have orange blossom, not neroli. But maybe it’s worth a try anyway?
Oh, right! Forgot about that one! I don’t think of Verte Violette as powdery, either. Supposedly Penhaligon Violetta is similar, but longer-lasting.
I’ve tried both; on me Vert Violette is pure flowers, and Violetta has a bit more of the plant and a whisper of powder. I went with Violetta, the lasting power is definitely superior on me.
At the risk of being a pedant Miss Kitty, my understanding of the difference is:
Orange blossom notes are based on, um, orange blossom flowers. (You knew that.) Neroli is a tree common to India, sometimes known as the bitter orange. Nearly every part of it is used for oil, medicine and fragrance, but you don’t eat the oranges out of hand. Most “neroli” notes are based on the leaves of the neroli tree, so they’re usually greener and sharper, more like citrus oil from the fruit peel, than the very floral and often sweet orange blossom.
I say “based on” because I’ve smelled actual orange flower and neroli essences and things get more complex if you go down that road. But you needn’t, most of the time.
OK, now luckyscent (down below) is saying “neroli based on bitter orange flowers” and then calls them “delicately green.” So, you know, no wonder we’re all confused.
But thanks for trying! LOL!
LOL! OK–this morning I woke up saying, “Petigrain! Petigrain, dammit!”
Neroli is the blossom of the bitter orange/neroli tree.
Petigrain is from the leaves.
There’s probably something else from the bark and roots and all but I don’t know it!
Elise, I also recently discovered how good C&S Neroli is.
It’s hard staying under $100, but I’d recommend MPG Jardin du Neroli & Dior Escale a Portofino for neroli. For violet, Malle Dans Tes Bras is quirky and worth trying (really one of my faves), but a bit pricey. Caron Aimez-Moi can be found for a song though. Another that’s affordable — grassy with a wisp of violet — is Christopher Brosius Wild Pansy. Good luck!
I agree with Joe that Dior’s Escale a Portofino would be worth a spritz or sample.
After several recommendations here on NST and at the Posse, I tried it on the weekend. I own AG Neroli (my favorite neroli) and this one had similar lasting power — 3-4 hours on my skin, significantly longer on my sweater.
I have several bottles that scratch the same fresh, green itch for me (AG Neroli, Chevrefeuille and Eau de Sud; Mandarine Basilique + Divine Bergamot, Calyx) but nothing that’s quite like Escale a Portofino. I’m still mulling…and hearing Miss Kitty and Daisy whispering in my ear “$100 is the new free”….
The Bay (Queen St, Toronto) had a 75ml for $65. Ebay has several for ~$80 for the 100 ml size. The Dior counter indicated that it might not be around for long.
Hope that helps. Happy hunting!
Ooh, Wild Pansy sound nice! Thanks!
While you’re ordering your CB violet samples, do try Room With a View. I can’t smell Wild Pansy or Violet Empire very well–I seem to be anosmic to the violet he uses in those–but Room With a View is a more complex, deeper violet perfume, just gorgeous. Like a warmer, darker (but not very dark) Unicorn Spell.
How about Caron Narcisse Noir or Blanc?
I was thinking the same thing, Smokeytoes! The neroli in those is gorgeous! I’m not a neroli expert, though. Narcisse Noir EDT seems to be readily available at discounters.
Balmain Jolie Madame for that leathery violet? Interesting and easy to obtain for a good price at discounters. Second the Verte Violette since I dislike powder, and that’s a nice one.
happy hunting!
Elise –
I’m not much up on Neroli scents (not my favorite), but I do a have a few Violette suggestions for you……Violette by Fresh is very nice, (the drydown especially) and for a spicy/unique take on violette, Stephan Jones by CdG and Love In Black by Creed are both staples in my wardrobe! Hope the suggestions help – and good luck!
Elise-
Check out the Les Eaux Armani Prive Line.. They’re very well done fragrances especially the Rose Alexandria and the Vetiver Babylone…
As far as violet…. I love Narsico Rodriguez for Him.. You may enjoy it yourself…. and Fresh Violette is very nice as well! And if you do check out the Armani Prive Line, check out the Pierre de Lune, a nice violet thats a little more out of the price range…. Good Luck
You’ve probably tried it, but I have a friend who loves ElizabethW Neroli. I third the Fresh Violette idea, and maybe Penhaligon’s Violetta?
Perhaps she should try Lisa Hoffman Tunisian Neroli. Ava-Luxe Neroli Blossom is also nice, if at times a little soapy. I’m seconding the Escale a Portofino recommendation, as well.
For violet, she should try Love in Black (not under $100, but a decant is!). I’m adding my voice to the Verte Violette chorus, and adding a note for Caron’s Violette Precieuse. I know the VP is reformulated, but it’s cheap at the discounters and I think that the reformulation is pretty good, not the same as the original, but still good. Also she should try Heeley Cuir Pleine Fleur, which is a actually a great violet with a lovely soft leather note.
Finally, I’m also going to suggest, Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile EdT and Prelude to Love by Kilian. I know that these are not neroli or violet scents per se, but given her likes, I think she might like these as well.
How about HdP Blanc Violette? The price is a bit out of the range but maybe a decant will do. It could turn out to be on the sweeter side, but I find it very pleasant and airy.
I second the Apres l’Ondee, Aimez Moi and Jolie Femme!
I go to Balenciaga Le Dix for violet, in the parfum if you can find it, but the edt is great as well. I’d also second or third Bois de Violette but it’s outside the price range. Eau de Cartier is another excellent violet fragrance. And another vote for Penhaligon’s Violetta, which I love although it is a pretty hard-core, death by violets sort of thing (what a way to go!)
“Death by violets” — I love it!
With compliments to Tania’s description of A La Nuit in The Guide as “death by jasmine…!”
I recommend Bois de Violette also. I realise, as has already been said, that is out of price range due to only being available from Paris! However, the Perfumed Court are doing a deal on Serge Lutens bell jars right now, so it would be worth at least sampling to try it out. It’s very people friendly, elegant, relaxed and spicy – and it dries down beautifully.
Aedes (in New York) carries it now! You can purchase samples from them. Very worth a sniff, but heavy on cedar in the dry down, so if you’re not a cedar fan…
I second Eau de Cartier. It’s nice and green like The Unicorn Spell. I like ’em both, but prefer Eau de Cartier.
My suggestion for your neroli nirvana is the original (and now discontinued) L’Occitane Neroli. You can still occasionally find bottles on EBay. Here is a great review:
http://thenonblonde.blogspot.com/2009/03/lost-perfume-series-loccitane-neroli.html
It’s spicy, lasts, and yes, has musk, but it may appeal to you.
Now, going in a completely different direction, when I read your description, I just thought “Paestum Rose”. It’s not a sweet, powdery, musky or a straight-up floral; it is the sort of distinctive and remarkable perfume that suits a confident 40-something poet /playwrite /college-level-instructor. Deep and rich, without being heavy; a rose scent that doesn’t read as a “mere” floral… Subtle, but remarkable.
Another vote for Ineke’s Field Notes from Paris as well.
Champaca from the Ormonde Jayne line? That seems like a daytime, accessible, unique, unusual floral. It’s simply gorgeous, actually, and one of my all time favourites.
My recs: SSS Wood Violet and Piquet Baghari. Yum!
A similar one to Wood Violet is Genie des Bois by Keiko Mecheri. I have that one on today. Lovely!
Elise, I know you love neroli, and I bet you haven’t tried Montale Pure Gold yet. It’s close to the limit for you price-wise for a 50ml bottle, but you could always buy a smaller amount. The Perfumed Court has decants, I see. Here’s the typically uber-romantic description from Luckyscent (I just don’t trust myself to give you my own blow-by-blow as I loved it when I tried it but didn’t make any notes about it) :
Pure Gold
Eau de Parfum
by Montale
The Scoop
In Pure Gold, Pierre Montale has showcased the succulence of heady, indolic white florals with sun-ripened fruit, surely a match made in heaven… Neroli , distilled from the flowers of the bitter orange tree, weaves its delicately green notes around the tangy sweetness of mandarin and the almondy juiciness of apricot. A perfect setting for the twin divas, jasmine and orange blossom, to enter the stage and cast their intoxicating spell. The blend is suffused with a cloud of slightly smoky vanilla and powdery white musk. A full-bodied, radiant fragrance, shamelessly feminine and as caressing as the lightest pashmina.
Pure Gold Notes
Orange blossom, neroli, Egyptian jasmine, mandarin, apricot, white musk, vanilla and patchouli
P.S. I don’t remember finding it powdery or musky.
sounds like i’de like to try this
Hello! First time ever posting. I have a suggestion, but of course it falls into the pricey category. I tried this a few weeks ago and couldn’t stop smelling my wrist: Creed Neroli Sauvage. Can’t recall the lasting power (which might mean that it didn’t last too long) but one of those you could gladly keep spraying on.
I think 1000 by Jean Patou might not be something directly related to what you’ve described, but it feels like something in the same emotional vein. I really enjoy it.
I recently discovered black phoenix alchemy lab- they have fragrance oils in countless blends, there is probably something there that everyone could wear and they sell samples for $3.50 per person which is partly why i like them, i am a broke student. I have not tried any of their orange blossom scents but their dragon’s blood scents are really nice. Robin- i really like your reviews, it would be awesome if you’d review some of theirs.. but they have customer reviews at http://www.bpal.org
Apres L’Ondee. You may want to buy some vintage extrait from the Perfumed Court to compare.
Hi Elise,
I would recommend Malle’s Outrageous for a violet fragrance that is awesome. You may check to see if they have the travel sizes which usually comes in threes. If they don’t have it I would check with Perfume Court for a decant size.
italian co L’herbelario have an increadible green neroli eau de parfume called neroli…long lasting and strong neroli smell!!
my favourite violette is penholigans violetta and i also love carons narcisse noir..the extrait is way better than the eau de toilette
Ok, the problem seems to be the desire to have a signature scent, it has to individual, memorable and relatively inexpensive. Now I can’t tell what her friends/workmates/partners in crime are wearing, but I’d take a guess that the qualifications on neroli and jasmine etc… are an indicator, so I say try something completely different :).
My two cents worth, try Sonoma Scent Studio’s Tabac Aurea, or Michael Storer’s Winter Star. There’s absolutely no point in having a signature scent that there’s some chance people you know already wear. Just Look at Chanel No. 5, it may be lovely but the damn thing is everywhere and has been for my entire life, I’d die a happy man if I never have to smell it again.
Both Tabac Aurea and winter star can be had for under $100, no one else will be wearing them and you will be remembered, artistic and stylish.
My first time posting too! I get huge amounts of violet from Le Labo Iris 39. It’s that confusing Le Labo ‘ignore the name’ thing. Might be one to consider?