Almost as soon as word got out that Catherine Middleton1 wore Illuminum White Gardenia Petals during her wedding to Prince William, the fragrance flew off the shelves. Illuminum vendors Luckyscent (in the United States) and Roullier White (in Great Britain) have month-plus waiting lists for the fragrance. Illuminum is hard to find, leading me to wager that many of the White Gardenia Petals purchases are unsniffed.
I was definitely curious what White Gardenia Petals smelled like. With what would a prospective queen, dressed in Alexander McQueen, watched by heads of state from around the world, serenaded by choirs and trumpets, surrounded by a massive stone abbey impregnated with centuries of incense — with what would she perfume herself? Thanks to a decant from the industrious [Now Smell This reader] Daisy, I can now tell you. With something that smells like a scented panty liner, that’s what.
I wouldn’t write this if I thought the Duchess of Cambridge were a regular Now Smell This reader. I hope every time she wears White Gardenia Petals she feels the love and exhilaration she felt on her wedding day. But I’m guessing some White Gardenia Petals purchasers might wish they spent their perfume money on another fragrance, say Ormonde Jayne Frangipani Absolute, my choice for Kate.
Illuminum is the second line of fragrances from Michael Boadi, former hairstylist to the stars and “Brand Creator” for Boadicea the Victorious. Illuminum has four categories of fragrances: floral, citrus, musk, and oud. Within each category are four fragrances. Illuminum’s website lists White Gardenia Petals’s notes as lily, white gardenia, muguet, jasmine breeze, and amber woods.
White Gardenia Petals doesn’t smell much like gardenia, and it doesn’t pack the white floral punch you might expect from a fragrance with its name. Instead, to me it’s a thin, slightly ozonic-musky lily of the valley with a tingle of fruity, snuffed-candle aldehydes and the tiniest hint of powder. I don't get any amber or woods. It has average lasting power and quiet sillage. Yes, White Gardenia Petals is pretty, but I don’t find it special. I've smelled it a hundred times as I've unwrapped a new package of toilet paper.
I see Kate’s challenge. She needed to present an image that was British, modest, modern, and correct. Today is no time for splashy nuptials, and the royal family has had enough fires to put out in recent years without having to worry about her. Kate’s wedding dress fit the bill perfectly. It was classic and quiet, but still modern — the elegance and glamour of Grace Kelly combined with Sarah Burton’s use of McQueen’s beautiful tailoring at the hips, reminiscent of both Tudor gowns and avant garde fashion. But the fragrance? Maybe Kate had to go British and couldn't wear a party-girl fruity floral, but what about Penhaligon’s and Ormonde Jayne?
The Daily Mail reported that the Duchess requested Jo Malone candles, handwashes, and lotions in Orange Blossom; Grapefruit; and Lime, Basil, & Mandarin for the bathrooms at Westminster Abbey. If you hanker after the fragrance of Kate’s wedding, you could console yourself with a Jo Malone Orange Blossom candle. Maybe by the time the candle has burned through, you’ll have had the chance to smell White Gardenia Petals before making an unsniffed purchase. Better safe than sorry.
Illuminum White Gardenia Petals is backordered at Luckyscent (50 ml for $140) and Roullier White (50 ml for 70£, 100 ml for 100£.)
1. aka the "Duchess of Cambridge" and "Kate."
Note: top image is The Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton: The newly married couple kiss on the balcony via The Prince of Wales.
Frankly I had assumed it would be a boring, safe scent. Not much sillage, inoffensive. And she had to chose British.
At least the dress was perfect.
Carnal Flower would have been my choice – propriety be da*ned!
Choose. We need an edit function!
I do make those kinds of mistakes all the time!
Has she earned Carnal Flower yet? It might take a gal whose been around the block a few times to pull off such a stunner. (Lucky for me, I know the block every which way.)
You’re right, she hasn’t earned Carnal Flower yet, maybe the
10-year anniversary.
Vintage Ubar is fantastic isn’t it? I own both the newer and vintage and love both- but the vintage has maybe the best sandalwood drydown ever.
That’s exactly it–the sandalwood is the clincher in this one. I’m wearing it right now. Summer in a bottle.
Great writing, Angela! I guess Kate’s perfume choice really isn’t so much about her taste than about her non-interest in fragrances. What a shame though, with such an excellent line as Ormonde Jayne being just around the corner. And yes, the dress was gourgeous indeed!
Kristina – I thought the same thing all along since the announcement. It seems like a safe PR fragrance for her to choose. Just exclusive enough to seem fancy and unknown to the masses and with the proper bridal sounding name. I’d bet anything that the Duchess either doesn’t wear fragrance at all, or she wore something entirely different that she’s keeping to herself.
One comment here heard rumors she wears Acqua di Parma Colonia as her to-go scent – now, that would be an interesting choice for sure. By the way, wouldn’t it be fun to assign scents to the members of the royal family? I can envision Camilla in a fierce green chypre… 🙂
Interesting! So Kate likes ’em fresh.
Yes on your choice for Camilla! I’d have liked to see the Queen Mum in something girlish and a little freaky. Will have to ponder that.
I’d love to know what she wears on a daily basis.
AnnS, I kinda agree with you, Kate just does not seem like the type of lady who cares a whole lot about fragrances; seems she’s more of an au naturale kinda princess. Shocking, but, they are out there I suppose. She probs just wanted something noticable enough for the wedding (and for her man!).
I’ve no doubt you’re right. Still, there are some nice, quiet fragrances out there, if only…
Can you imagine the possibilities if Kate was secretly a perfume enthusiast? She probably would have had someone like Ormonde Jayne commission a new fragrance for her, just for the occasion. I certainly would have had I been in Kate’s shoes!
I think Christopher Sheldrake is British. Maybe she could have hooked him in, too!
At least she likes Jo Malone, even though that’s not wildly adventurous. *big sigh* Maybe someday we’ll have her wearing a naughty chypre and loving it.
It sounds dreadfully boring. However, thank the perfume gods for the ever-industrious Daisy! Hopefully this cuts through the hype and saves fellow perfumista’s money.
I think we all thank the perfume gods for Daisy – patron saint of splits and swaps. She makes loaves and fishes out of a single bottle! It’s a miracle! It’s magic! There she is with hard to find fragrances from all over the world!!!
Daisy is amazing indeed! Thanks for the entertaining review, Angela!
All hail Queen Daisy! La Stupenda di perfumistas, or something like that.;-)
Daisy has got me thoroughly hooked now on vintage Ubar. Thank goodness she doesn’t sell heroin or I’d be in rehab about now….
hey now!….
I’ll definitely add to the Daisy love. I may have anointed her the Patron Saint of Perfumery in an email or two; glad to know others are in agreement. 😉
And to think that the Duchess smelled something akin to a panty liner (loved that line, btw) on the biggest day of her life. Eeek. At least she looked pretty.
Yes, Daisy should get some kind of prize from the Fragrance Foundation for opening so many people’s eyes to so many terrific perfumes!
And don’t forget we also lovingly call Daisy The Empress of Enabling – Kate isn’t the only one to have multiple titles!
Ha! Love that, Rappleyea!
Multiple titles….it is true that my brothers have been calling me The Royal Pain for years! 😉
‘Patron Saint of Perfumery’ and ‘Empress of Enabling’ is SO much more intriguing than ‘Duchess of Cambridge’-blah!
The name is so misleading, I really think anyone expecting (and wanting) gardenia should sniff before ordering.
“I’ve smelled it a hundred times as I’ve unwrapped a new package of toilet paper.” Ouch …. and, yeah, I snickered a little.
Thanks for the review, Angela. I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t care for gardenia all that much so was never desperate to try it anyway and now I’ve the confirmation that I definitely needn’t bother.
She never really struck me as someone who would be much of a perfumista but it’s s shame that she appears to have chosen quite so badly considering some of the alternatives available. Ah, well, as long as they both like it.
It really doesn’t smell much like gardenia, if that makes a difference to you. But yes, I didn’t find it very special. Not offensive, but just not exciting.
I was so disappointed with this! i was drolling over the notes, geenrally like Boadi’s creations (am wearing Divine today), and impatiently waited for Luckyscent to have samples, which they did for about half a day, i think. I ordered two. On me and for me, the scent has a sharp, unpleasant note, green-ish but also plastick-y. It never changes – no shift into middle notes or dry down. i can’t smell gardenia (and iadmit I’m fussy about gardenias, having grown up with them) or any white flower. I had high hopes for this as being a wonderful summer floral. I’d be happy to share my other sample to anyone who is waiting to try it before buying – which i highly recommend.
You were lucky to even get a sample! It seems like Luckyscent had it in for about 5 minutes. I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you. Aren’t real gardenias fantastic? I bought a hardy gardenia bush last summer, and wanted to tote the pot with me everywhere I went. Heaven.
Heaven indeed! They have a fairly strong scent which some people (my dad was one) don’t care for, but one blossom will perfume a room – or two! I used to have one in my office to combat the musty books and mold aura, and it worked perfectly. Much better than a plug-in… Gardenias, jasmine, and passionflowers are about the only things I miss about livinn in South Florida!
I like the sound of gardenias plus musty books. Maybe a new scent? We could call it Licentious Librarian.
I’d buy that! (probably unsniffed even!) 😉
I was rather appalled when I realized how expensive bottles of this were being sold for on eBay because people simply couldn’t wait a month for Lucky Scent to restock. I’ll admit as a fashion icon, I think she’s lovely — not terribly exciting but it’s nice to know that the future queen of England is shopping in places that are somewhat affordable — and will also admit to buying the blue Zara dress she was spotted wearing the day after the wedding, but I paid the grand total of $89 at Zara as opposed to the mark-ups I’ve seen on eBay, as well.
I was curious about this one, but think I’ll pass. I’ve heard some reports she wears Acqua di Parma Colonia on a daily basis, but I’m not sure if this has been confirmed or simply a rumour.
I adore her style (I want that green wool shawl she wore to the grocery in Anglesea) love that she continues to wear dresses from Zara and other stores that are within normal people’s reach.
I agree with other poster’s comments that her wedding perfume reflects a lack of interest in perfumes and I knew as soon as I read the name that I wouldn’t be going in search of it because I don’t generaly like gardenia/white flowers. It’s a pity really – if I were married to the heir to the throne I would make Roja Dove my new best friend!
*And I totally agree that Ormonde Jayne Frangipani would have been a perfect choice.
“…if I were married to the heir to the throne I would make Roja Dove my new best friend!”
Julia – you had me ROTFL! I totally agree with you here!
Me too!
Yes! You’re so right about Roja Dove. He could have created something bespoke for her, and then she could have graciously allowed mass production. Genius.
Yes! Actually, I read that Clive Christian did a royal take on two of his fragrances for Mr. & Mrs. Wales (as I’ve read they call each other) with a special presentation that Roja Dove had something to do with as gifts to the couple. Not exactly bespoke. It would be awesome if she did that and had the proceeds go to one of their official charities like Beatrice with her hat. I’m interested to find out what charities the Duchess of Cambridge will give her royal patronage.
Great idea! I swear, you should do PR for royals.
Oh, Julia – you are so right – total missed opportunity! I hope they do run into each other at some point 🙂
Acqua di Parma seems like a good choice for her–conservative, but elegant and fresh. Nice on the Zara dress!
I detest gardenia so I certainly wouldn’t seek this one out even if I was someone who wanted to smell like a celebrity or a future queen (at the rate it’s going she will be quite ancient when/if William becomes king: her mother-in-law is still sprightly and Carolus is gonna want to stay on that throne for as long as he can after waiting an eternity to get on it).
Of course, here in the UK, everyone’s forgotten about Kate and is enamoured of Pippa, well, of her bottom anyway. She completely upstaged her sister.
Oh, Pippa. I don’t know if she means to be upstaging, but she’s been doing just that since the wedding. Maybe it’s just an American thing, but I was under the impression that only the bride is supposed to wear white? Even if Pippa’s dress wasn’t white, it was still waaaay more cleavage than I personally feel is appropriate for that sort of thing. It was a hot dress, no doubt, but to your sister’s wedding? To a prince of England? Really, Pippa?
Ari – people in the US do have “white” weddings that you see from time to time in the newspaper clippings. It would be considered a very formal choice. It’s not so common, but I thought it was a nice esp. considering there was only one maid. And btw I loved that green satin she wore to the dinner party! Gorgeous!
Ohh, I see, thank you Ann. Clearly I’ve been going to the wrong weddings!
Heck, I’ve hardly been to any weddings at all! I think 5 in the past 15 years, including 2 of my own. Ha. For us “normal” non-royals I think now days its pretty much anything goes for weddings.
Actually, her dress wasn’t terribly ‘décolletée’, and, anyway, it’s not that that has captured people’s imagination, it’s her bum (and that row of little buttons). She has a much better figure than Kate (who does have bosoms, but no waist and no hips: the wedding dress had a bustle to give the illusion of a shapely figure).
I would have counted on the bustle to HIDE my shapely figure. Darn it.
I was about to say : “I supply my own bustle, thank you. “
Doesn’t the bride pick the dresses for her attendants?
I bet there was some kind of royal “style committee” for this one.
Certainly, I just think Kate must have been ok with the color of Pippa’s dress (and probably the cut and fit of it too)
The dress was pure Jean Harlow–1930s starlet.
I’m enamored of that bottom, too. Reminder to self: must do squats.
OH SNAP.
I’m really not all that impressed by Kate Middleton. For 29 and university educated, homegirl hasn’t really done all that much- she was an “accessories buyer” for a boutique back in 2006, and that’s it. She might be “common” in that she wasn’t born into the royal family, but she doesn’t have much in “common” at all with anyone who wasn’t born wealthy and privileged. So I wasn’t expecting a particularly exciting perfume from a rather uninspiring princess, and it sounds like I wasn’t far off.
Maybe she isn’t an entrepreneurial genius, but Kate sure managed things with William right. Sweet, modest, patient as all get out–now all she has to do is have a bunch of babies.
Ain’t that the truth. I remember the tabloids went nuts during Kate and William’s brief separation. They photographed Kate all over town, going to the hottest clubs with her sister Pippa alongside her, both looking hot to trot. Kate knew exactly what she was doing and she played that situation exceptionally well; obviously, it worked to her advantage and she’s a princess now.
And I agree with Ari about Kate’s credentials; while they aren’t exactly impressive, nevertheless she certainly got what she (ostensibly) wished for above everything else. Kudos to her for achieving it, even if some of us question whether or not she is deserving of it. I say, more power to her.
I’m not sure William is cut out for a real brainiac, anyway. I predict a happy marriage.
Not a princess! Just a duchess (and never a queen, either).
All the British royalty stuff is so confusing! I understand Kate was turned into a Duchess by the queen. O.K. But she wouldn’t be queen if William were King? Would she stay a duchess, then? So confusing.
As I understand it, it is because Kate is a commoner (not of royal blood). Diana was of royal blood so she could be a princess, queen, etc. Kate, on the other hand, will be “royal consort” or some such if her husband is king. Archaic and unfair, but so is the whole concept of “royalty.”
Oh, o.k. Kind of a drag, though, for her, I’d imagine. All that work and you’re not even a princess.
I’ve read conflicting information. One source says Kate won’t technically be a princess until William becomes King. Then another source claims she will never be a princess, but will be queen one day. Another says she’s Princess William of Wales, but is not a princess in her own right. Confusing indeed.
Impossible to figure out!
I was sort of indifferent (but definitely not hostile) to the spectacle of the wedding, but I had no real interest in smelling this and figured it might be insipid.
Panty liners and toilet paper? Oh my. But I think I know what you mean, Angela.
You’d think she might have chosen Creed Love in White or even JM Vintage Gardenia — but then again, this is “brand new,” so maybe that had appeal. And who knows what fragrance she really wore, if any. Thanks for putting to rest any slight bit of curiosity I had about this scent. I’d much rather go sniff a little bit of Un Cœur en Mai, which would be my idea of an ideal wedding scent for a woman.
Un Coeur en Mai! Perfect. That and a 1940s suit with a gardenia corsage, and a good lunch to follow. (Clearly, I need to marry Cary Grant in a pre-WWII movie.)
No, no, Angela, sorry… but I’ve already spoken for Cary. 😉
I’m thinking I can pull a Randolph Scott in this situation. HA!
Very suggestive, Joe. I think the rumors about the Scott-Grant affair have never fully been squashed!
All right. Surely Gregory Peck will be by the courthouse soon….
Yes, Angela, and he and I are going to finish where “Roman Holiday” left off! 😉
I think that’s the most suggestive thing I’ve ever posted here! Gosh, I’m blushing…….
Dang! Well, then, Gary Cooper….
Oh Angela, what a hoot! You’ve excelled yourself today. Scented panty liner. . . who’d have thought it? I was interested in getting a whiff of this one, seeing as I love gardenia, and the notes sounded interesting to me, even though I’ve never heard of jasmine breeze before – who thought that one up? But now I just can’t be bothered anymore, as I’m sure there are superior gardenia fragrances to be had for less money. I also thought that the Ormonde Jane line would have been a contender here, especially the Frangipani, I really couldn’t think of anything nicer, it’s so bright and fresh, and of course, British.
I think Jasmine Breeze was a way to turn down the jasmine (drat!) and add a splash of ozone (double drat!). I don’t know what happened to the gardenia in all this.
Given the “jasmine breeze”, it actually sounds as if they intended to evoke/scent a pantyliner. Anyone else remember FDS and the silly commercials? A breeze was always blowing…
Yep. I think the Jasmine Breeze was the killer on this one. Way too “fresh” (and I fully intend those quotes.)
It’s funny about gardenias. I’m not normally a white flowers kind of person, although I have a few that I rarely wear. Gardenias are so hard to pull off without them just becoming an orange blossom or jasmine fragrance. My fav gardenia is about as inexpensive as you can get – Pacifica Tahitian Gardenia. The drydown does get into that high end dryer sheet category, but hey, it’s only like $20. I think I mostly use it for the bath gel. It’s good enough for me until I get bored an put on some Joy or Cristalle.
I just tried and fell in love with Michael Storer Stephanie. It’s the closest I’ve smelled to the real thing!
I’ll have to check that out – thanks for the tip. I’ve never heard of it. See that’s why everyone is so great – tons of tips!
OMG!! Haunani! I just got my Michael Storer today!!! Stephanie is fabulous — If Kate wanted gardenias she should have tossed those Brits and ordered a bottle of Stephanie. Totally botte-worthy!
You know….it’s vaguely reminiscent of Manoumalia but without that note that seems to translate as “rot” to some people. Very lush stuff this is.
Ann – I remember you were looking for a non-tuberose-y gardenia a couple years back. What a find at $20! I’ll have to give it a try.
I’m gradually coming around to tuberose – thanks to Carnal Flower no less! (Why look any further?) – but I still do have troubles with *some* tuberose. But I’m patient with the white flowers – it’s not a category I’m that interested in anyway, so I’m happy when one comes along that I like, especially when it’s that cheap. The bath products are particularly nice.
That’s so funny you mention the Pacific gardenia–I just smelled some this week and thought it was really nice! And they had a gift set with a roller ball perfume, lotion, and shower gel for $18. A steal.
Oh, me too! (on the Pacifica). Sometimes on me it gets to be a little too orange blossom-y, but it’s tolerable enough, and the gardenia nice enough, for an orange disliker such as myself.
Oh Angela, I was literally laughing out loud at this! Great review! You didn’t even do the Robin review and damn this with faint praise; you just damned it! But so enjoyably. 😀
I hope I wasn’t too harsh! The perfume wasn’t offensive, it was just kind of blah.
Nooooo…. nothing at all offensive about panty liners and toilet paper! 😉
Brand new ones, you know. Right from the box.
🙂 NOW you’re damning with faint praise, LOL 🙂
I can’t win! But maybe you have a point.
Panty liner! Thanks for the laugh! Great review.
Get the unscented kind and you’ll never have to worry about it!
Definitely a surprise for me as I had expected something a little bit, well – more. It reminds me of a dept store white floral, a VERY NICE one, but just that.
All the same, it’s not a perfume that wears the bride and I’m sure made a lovely accent on her. I think she’s quite lovely and elegant, and the perfume was appropriately secondary. As long as she and PW are happy with her choice.
I agree with you 100%.
Great review. I laughed so hard I nearly spit out my tea.
I’ll admit to being fascinated with every detail of the wedding and in even more awe of Kate’s style. I know better than to buy a fragrance unsniffed and yet I longed for this anyway. A lack of funds kept me from buying it and now I’m thankful. This sounds like a scrubber to me.
You might love it, but do try it first!
Like everybody else, I cracked up at “scented panty liner.”
Because I too have smelled it thanks to Dear Daisy. It’s quiet and pleasant and boring, and you have now heard my Thumper Rule review. (i.e., “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” I managed to say something nice there, and then I had to stop.) I was excited about the notes, because I do love me a white floral, and it sounded great. It wasn’t.
In any case, I’m still glad I jumped in on the split, because Now I Know. Picking something brand new, something that no one had already made up their mind about, as to what kind of person wears, for example, OJ Frangipani – that was smart PR. Picking something British was essential for the Duchess, but I thought she might go with Floris Wedding Bouquet or Bouquet de la Reine, or maybe Essentially Me White Blooms. Or maybe that one of those ridiculously spendy Grossmiths might have been *given* to her…
In any case, now I’m pondering which of my unsuspecting non-perfume friends I can pawn this decant off on.
I totally forgot about Floris! Good choices there, too.
I completely respect your adherence to the Thumper rule. Most of the time (not always, for sure) I only review perfume I love or at least find intriguing. But I wanted to be honest, and panty liners don’t smell bad, they just smell like, well, panty liners.
Oh, no, you’re fine. I meant my “nice, pleasant, boring” three-word review was the Thumper version.
Thanks for being understanding! Sometimes it’s hard to turn out reviews that are honest but not mean.
Oh, Mals, I’d forgotten about the Grossmiths – that would have been SO WRONG! Sort of puts her safe choice in pleasing perspective. More Thumper credits for you, LOL!
At the risk of sounding really cranky; I didn’t like the dress. I thought her chest was too thin for that particular display of cleavage. I could count her ribs. Apart from that I thought it was very elegant and much better than Lady Diana’s one back in the 80’s.
Your description of the fragrance made me laugh. Wouldn’t it have been great if she had worn L’Air de Rien?
I was mostly struck by how very formal it was. Living in Holland we have had our fair share of royal weddings over the past few years and they seemed more relaxed. But then that might just be sheer chauvinism on my side.
She is a tiny thing. She must be one of those “I’m stressed and can’t eat a thing” types, as opposed to “I’m stressed and just held up a Baskin Robbins ice cream parlor and won’t leave until my spoon gives out” types.
L’Air de Rien! There’s a certain brilliance to that.
Three cheers for cranky! lol!
Angela, I have been laughing at so many of your comments!! I really wanted that “like” button we have on facebook.
I bought into a bit of a split for this, for posterity’s sake as much as anything. I wore the perfume the other day, and I will use it up. It’s perfectly pleasant, smells nothing like gardenias, wafted around quite well. Nothing to write home about. Not sure what I was expecting – I’m not fond of what I have tried from Boadicea the Victorious.
That’s sort of how I feel about it. I loved being able to smell it, and my decant will slowly get used up, but it might be more for scenting lingerie washing water and things like that.
I totally laughed at “scented panty liner” too, and immediately knew I wasn’t missing a thing! Thanks, Angela!
You’re welcome!
All this has made me wonder – what did diana wear on her wedding day?
I remember someone saying she wore Diorissimo, which would be perfect, I think.
Heeley is British and a lot of people recommend Ophelia for a wedding on luckyscent…
I tried Ophelia briefly at Aedes and liked it.
and then theorizing over why she wore Ophelia could supply us with entertainment
OOh heh…but that perfume is just lovely, a perfect white floral to me!
I’ll have to try it!
Yes, you’re right! That’s funny. Too much tragedy, I guess, although totally British, Shakespeare-wise.
I actually made this comment forgetting about the Hamlet connection, then I realized that someone else would probably point it out so I decided to beat them to it.
I don’t remember what it was like; I only remember that I liked it. I’m going to get a sample so I can get a better idea.
I’ll keep an eye out for it, too.
I haven’t tried that one, but Heeley would have been a great brand to try.
There is apparently a huge tradition of gifting for these occasions; perhaps Roja Dove and Ormonde Jayne gave presents of their things…but I have also read that the royals also give nearly everything away afterwards…
It would be too painful to give up Roja Dove and Ormonde Jayne gifts.
Let’s just say that WGP wasn’t what I was “hoping for” but it was a little closer to “what I expected” — yes, she sort of needed to select something “Brit” , and OJ would have been where I’d have done my selecting (love Frangipani) but I also understand that she didn’t want to select something associated with anyone else’s big fancy smancy wedding. I mean, I’m just a run of the mill peasant type and I wouldn’t want to pick a perfume for my wedding then have everyone talk about who else wore it. Plus she definitely gave a boost to a brit designer , and it’s something that other people can reasonably afford….that said, OJ isn’t any more expensive so it would have a been a good choice (make good friends with Roja Dove later) .
How it smells: Angela, you’ve pretty much hit the perfume nail on the head. No arguments there! pantiliners, tp, nice soap….yep. Pretty, clean, unexceptional, more mainstream than I thought it would be considering Michael Boadi is supposed to be “all that and a bag of chips” . Disclaimer: I thought all the Boadicea the Vic. scents were uninspired as well.
When I first sprayed some on –my 19yr old walked thru the room and asked if I had sprayed Calyx. And that’s when I realized that the opening is , well,….Calyx. Then for me it’s mostly lily and soap.
I saved a little out from the split for myself, and I like to look at the bottle and think I have a many times removed memento of the royal wedding.
Kate’s dress–I thought it was lovely….and way way better than Diana’s (which was atrocious) I like Kate, It seems she’s a nice girl and she’s handled a lot of crap really well. I think she’s much more prepared that Diana was for sure. I hope they’re happy, I hope they can stay happy.
Pippa’s dress–I doubt Pippa had much say in it. Btw, I wouldn’t have worn panties under it either (so nehh!) as for her butt: it’s nice….I wish mine would take the hint and look more like hers!
Thanks for letting me in on the decants and giving me the meat for a review!
that’s the beauty of a split like this—46 people got to have enough to wear several times (most splits were 5ml) , to have a little piece of the hoopla, without having to spend $140 or waiting until August when it gets back in stock at retailers. I don’t think anyone thought it was going to be an amazing, ground-breaking scent ( I sure didn’t) …but we’re a curious bunch and it’s fun to be in on “the know” .
It was a perfect plan. (I think you should have included an extra fee for the chiropractor you might have to hire to straighten out your decanting finger, though!)
No – her decanting finger is registered with the FBI as a deadly weapon!
And hopefully insured by Lloyds of London!
perfumista finger…..joint replacement….hey, maybe I can get a bionic decanting finger! *quick someone make that Six Million Dollar Man bionics noise for me while I spritz…*
Thank you, Daisy, for enabling such a fun post!
you are welcome….I do my Evil Enabling Best ! 😉
Who wore Ormonde Jayne for their wedding?
I don’t know these things.
I’m not sure anyone famous did. It keeps coming up because some of us (me, for sure) think it would have been a good choice for Kate.
Frangipani is not for everyone, but then again, nothing is for everyone…. Anyway, if she had similar skin reaction as mine, it wouldn’t have worked. Everyone around (herself included) would have been puckering their lips all day – that lime peel lasts forever on me….
Oh no! Citrus-sticking skin!
I like to think that your offspring has an excellent nose, as my first reaction on smelling this was also Calyx! At first I enjoyed it and thought it pretty (although devoid of the promised gardenia and coconut), but after several wearings started to wonder if our septic tank needed emptying as I kept smelling sewage. It slowly dawned on me that it was coming from me …. I guess this is the “rotten” aspect that I have read people complain about regarding Calyx, although I never had a problem with that. It’s a bit sad to think that our future queen might be wafting a trail of sewage behind her, but maybe it’s just my nose. And I definitely think that she probably wore another perfume on the day and pulled off an amazing bluff!
The whole fact that you suspect she HAD to have worn something else is a sad commentary on the perfume! Sewage sure doesn’t sound romantic.
“With something that smells like a scented panty liner, that’s what.” I pulled something in my side, laughing. I love you. Let’s have dinner again sometime.
PS This sounds craptastic. I can think of a bunch o’ things she SHOULD have worn. Also: how about an Ormonde Jayne scent? Ok, or even Penhaligons?
My thoughts exactly–about dinner, Ormonde Jayne, and Penhaligon’s. Seriously, though, get over to this side of the country soon!
It’s clear to me that Miss Kate made a huge mistake in NOT sending in a letter to Monday Mail! And all she had to say was “I’d prefer a British make and I don’t want to gag my guests.” We’d have set her on a better path.
March –send me your address and I’ll send you a sample …craptastic or merely boring… Poor Kate–she could have done better in the scent department!
Monday Mail could have definitely set her straight!
I wonder if I could get in on the WGP sample special…..
I admit to being kinda curious, gardenia always having been up there on my list of favorite smellin’ things, but wouldn’t it be funny if she really did wear something completely different? I can just picture both Mr. and Mrs. sharing a chuckle over duping their loyal followers over a perfume…..
hey, I didn’t see this until now….way late….drop me a note at Daisyloo82 at gmail dot com and I’ll send you a sample. 🙂
I guess nobody in her entourage considered the wedding an opportunity to make a scent statement … or Illuminum paid someone a lot of money for the promo … or she just likes IWGP?
BTW like eveyone here I’ve heard TFA bandied about but I like the scented toilet paper reference. I only came across that kind of toilet paper when I visited some of my friends homes as a kid, but it definitely has affected my “reading” of certain flowery-musky perfumes. ONLY time scented toilet paper works as an accord is Tocca Cleopatra’s drydown.
(BTW BTW I think Kate shoulda layered.)
What is “TFA”? I’m stumped (but kind of slow at figuring out these things, too.)
I know what you mean about scented toilet paper–once you smell it, it’s ingrained in your mind.
Tampax fresh accord, or something along those line. Sorry, I usually avoid acronyms. I just see this one a lot! 😛
(See, now my smiley got mistranslated, that should be a colon, capital P as in a guy with his tongue out to the side. Now my smiley just looks angry and crazed!)
Oh! You’re right, that one does deserve it’s own acronym.
Patty’s patented “Tampax Fresh Accord” from Perfume Posse. Took me a minute. 😉
Oops, by the time I posted, I see the acronym was cleared up!
Just as I had suspected: more hot air and hype than haute perfumerie.
Excellent alliteration, Eminere!
LOL. This was a fun read Angela and many of the comments were fantastic. (and some fantastically catty!) Thanks for reviewing this- I was very curious about this purported wedding scent. I think it would be great if she didn’t even wear it (and the company made out like a bandit!) As for my catty comment: I didn’t think that much of Pippa’s bum-looked pretty small and flat to me!
And I thought that Kate was an impeccable bride 🙂 Wishing them the very best.
I agree. They have my best wishes, too.
Of course, I’d love having Pippa’s hind end, but in the end (so to speak) pulchritude wins.
Angela, I always appreciate a pick-me-up on the first workday after a long weekend, and this delightful post was perfect!
Kate and Prince William seem to be very nice young people who are trying to set a new tone of their own. I agree with Daisy’s comment that Kate probably wanted something new and unknown. If you pick an Ormonde Jayne, let alone a Creed or Penhaligon, it would turn out to be the signature scent of any number of people already, at least one of whom would make snarky remarks soon repeated in the tabloids. Kate probably liked the name of the perfume and the brand’s modern image. I like that she went for a niche line, in any case.
And I do plan to sample WGP when it’s back in stock at Luckyscent. It’s a bit of perfume history!
I never thought of that angle, that Kate wanted something few other people would be wearing. Good point!
Scented panty liner? THAT IS HILARIOUS!! Yes, that’s correct…two exclamation points. It was that funny. I have to be honest, this dude has come out with like 3 thousand fragrances in 2 years. Those numbers are a little overdramatic, but it’s how I feel.
He’s definitely been busy. It’s overwhelming. Even if the line were loaded with good fragrances, it’s almost too much to consider wading into them.
This sounds dreadful Angela. I would’ve out some Ta’if on her! 🙂
XOXO
T
Or “put” some on her, whatever works 😉
Very nice! Kind of reminiscent of the Diana “English Rose” thing, too.
This is too funny!!!! SCENTED PANTYLINER! Maybe it smells really good on her…like how perfumes change their character on different people… For my own wedding I’m thinking of something from Annick Goutal…classic but memorable…& timeless….
True, maybe it smells alluring and interesting on her. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Goutal is a great choice. Maybe Grand Amour?
Reading this, I am now going to break the wedding, white gardenia TFA spell and give an afternoon extra spray of my beloved champagne de bois!(well at least, my words have daisy and other fellow enablers in common with the review and comments )
Once you get the chance to smell White Gardenia Petals, you’ll be glad you broke the spell, I think! From what I hear, Champagne de Bois is wonderful.
You know, I actually expected she would make a choice like this; a watery, sheer but creamy kind of plastic scent, something similar to Estee Lauder’s “Private Collection Tuberose” or a more high-end version of something like “Pure White Linen”. The scent she chose just seems like the perfect match for “very pretty, clean and safe”. Typical, well-dressed prep school girl. A “Jacqueline Bouvier”-esque debutante. Pippa’s the sorority girl; a tad racier, but hardly trashy. Both girls are beautiful, just…safely beautiful. Soap scrubbed, neatly dressed for uneventful events. But I guess all “society” style is going in that direction; spray tans, laboured finger curls and pearls. I just expected something truly ethereal and otherworldy for the event – the way a wardrobe designer insists on dressing lead film stars in special, unexpected ways, in order to have them stand-out from the supporting actors. All we got was “simple and elegant”. But I guess that’s her. And it was still very lovely. I kind of wonder, though, why she – or her hubby to be -wouldn’t have commisioned her own, private blend? It seems more romantic and personal.
Now, James Middleton (their brother), on the other hand, is something else altogether. That man is a royal hottie with distinctive panache. He has a striking look and an “old school”, aristocratic poise that radiates high-end sex appeal. Maybe he’s not of the persuasian where this fan-girl could turn his head, but I see no harm in admiring a natural work of art, regardless of whether my sex attracts him or not. I wonder what scent he wears?
Sadly, I think the Private Collection TG or White Linen you mention have more personality than White Gardenia Petals. You sum up Kate and Pippa’s style really well, too.
Agreed on enjoying a natural work of art, no matter one’s chances!
Nabbed a sample of this. It wears on me like a blend between the new Cartier fragrance “Cartier de Lune” and something from the company “Garden Botanicka” called “Heart”. Watery musky, a dash metallic, creamy, fresh lilies. And it’s actually…very pretty on me. Surprisingly so. I’m…liking…the “fresh panty liner” accord (?!) and I have no idea why…it shouldn’t be happening…
Actually, I do know why. It serves me right, spewing things like “merely elegant” and “society girl vs. sorority girl, blah, blah, blah”, “pretty but…” (wow – what a little snot!) It’s called fragrance karma. I was spreading bad vibrations. And now I’ve been served ;D.
(Note: I do stand by my observation of young Mr. Middleton’s hotness, however.)
That’s so funny! I think the perfume gods did the same thing to me when they cemented my affection for White Diamonds. Remember, though, as far as James goes no boy wants a girl who smells like his sister….
I’m not surprised. I thought her wedding dress was perfect, but I don’t find her style that exceptional otherwise. There are so many beautiful perfumes, it’s a shame style-setters like her and Michelle Obama don’t choose better ones. ( I’m thinking of Obama’s choice of Creed Love in White.) But what can we expect when ads for Katy perry purr have been in Vogue for the past several issues? Have you seen that awful ad with the pink cat outfit?!
The more I delve into perfume, the more I realize that we’re (perfumistas, that is) a pretty select group. There are probably more people out there with expertise on nail polish or hosiery than perfume. It’s too bad, since fragrance is so rewarding to explore.
We really are a select breed. It still amazes me how many people think of perfume as a mere afterthought or not at all.
…and how many people gasp at our perfume collections.
I’m not surprised. I thought her wedding dress was perfect, but I don’t find her style that exceptional otherwise. There are so many beautiful perfumes, it’s a shame style-setters like her and Michelle Obama don’t choose better ones. ( I’m thinking of Obama’s choice of Creed Love in White.) But what can we expect when ads for Katy perry purr have been in Vogue for the past several issues? Have you seen that awful ad with the pink cat outfit?!
See above!
It’s funny because 2 french magazines, Paris Match and Point de vue wrote that she was wearing Fleurissimo by Creed!!!
Aha! They immediately seized on the French fragrance! She would have smelled so much nicer if she had worn it. Who knows? Maybe she did.
I don’t know if I’d spring for a full bottle, but I do…like it. On me, at least. Which is something that usually happens in time lapse, after I’ve expressed that I could never, ever appreciate panty liner accord/fruity florals/gourmands whatever else I think I’ve somehow evolved from appreciating. It does make for a nice surprise, though, when I end-up liking a blend despite myself. Oh, well. It’s nice to think that I always get what I deserve ;D.
(And thanks for the additional heads-up, Angela: I’ll remember not to wear this scent if I’m ever within chatting-up distance of James and there’s a chance he isn’t distracted by any stunningly pretty, male company…)
I’m glad you’re honest about it! I’ve found myself surprised at liking plenty of fragrances I was sure I’d despise. Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds, for instance.
I finally got a chance to smell this one (thank you, Daisy!). You say panty liner, I say Glade air freshener. Same thing, really. How very disappointing that this is how Kate/Catherine smelled on the most important day of her life! But I suppose she loved it and felt special, and really that’s all that matters (though I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing this on my wedding day!).
I agree-ultimately it’s how she felt that matters. But I also agree I won’t be wearing it to any weddings soon….