• About
  • Login to comment
    • Facebook
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Now Smell This

a blog about perfume

Menu ▼
  • Perfume Reviews
  • New Perfumes
  • Perfumers
  • Perfume Houses
  • Shop for perfume
  • Resources

Caron Farnesiana ~ fragrance review

Posted by Jessica on 29 December 2011 28 Comments

Caron Farnesiana advertCaron urn

Farnesiana was one of the first modern fragrances inspired by the mimosa flower, that notoriously difficult-to-replicate fluffy yellow bloom. According to Jean-Marie Martin-Hattemberg's volume on Caron, Farnesiana was created by perfumer Michel Morsetti in 1947; its composition includes notes of mimosa, black currant, bergamot, jasmine, violet, lily of the valley, lilac, vanilla, sandalwood, opopanax, hay, and musk (although the Caron website currently only lists mimosa, sandalwood, and hay). The name "Farnesiana" refers to acacia farnesiana, the botanical name for a particular variety of mimosa; it is also, Caron suggests, evocative of Rome's grand Farnese Palace.

That juxtaposition of a simple flower and a Renaissance palazzo seems appropriate to me, since I've always considered Farnesiana a sophisticated comfort scent, an unusual floral-gourmand (or "fleurmand," as I like to call this perfume sub-genre). To my nose, Farnesiana begins with a powdery, pollen-like mimosa note and with accords of sun-warmed hay and grass. Oddly enough, this green-tinged phase reminds me of certain fragrances from Santa Maria Novella, like Ginestra (Broom) or Fieno (Hay), that evoke meadow-like landscapes. Farnesiana's heart opens up to reveal the sweetly resinous opoponax — one of those notes that I might or might not love, depending on the context, but I do like it in Farnesiana. Then there's also a considerable amount of dusty almond with just a hint of fruitiness (the black currant) and a drop of vanilla. I also detect a cool lilac note, although some of the other listed florals are not as apparent to me. The base of the composition includes just enough soft musk to make Farnesiana's far dry-down a refined skin scent for me.

Of course, the issue that I've been skirting up to this point is the question of possible reformulation: has Farnesiana been altered over the years, and if so, for better or for worse? The sample I'm using right now was acquired directly from the Caron boutique in New York City just a few weeks ago, so I'm assuming it's the most recent version. I've only been familiar with Farnesiana for about six years; in my memory, it was a little plusher and more golden when I first sampled it, but the current Parfum still "feels" like Farnesiana to me. However, I haven't sampled any truly "vintage" Farnesiana. Erin, who has gone further back, regretfully calls today's Farnesiana "a pale non-entity"; in Perfumes: The Guide, Tania Sanchez finds little to love in the current fragrance after sampling a 1950s original.

On the other hand, Victoria of Bois de Jasmin thinks Farnesiana's current formulation is very well done, and I tend to side with her on this one. For me, Farnesiana is still an intriguing fragrance, something hard to define, somehow gentle yet moody and changeable. I'd recommend trying it if you usually enjoy soft almondy scents or meadowy-grassy florals, since it combines these two ideas. Of course, if you're already deeply in love with a much earlier bottle of Farnesiana, the current offering might disappoint you — heaven knows, I've had that experience with Caron's Bellodgia — but sometimes, a little ignorance can be bliss.

Caron Farnesiana Parfum Extrait is available in a range of sizes: 7.5 ml ($100), 15 ml ($150), 25 ml ($180), 50 ml ($240), 100 ml ($360), and 200 ml ($520), in glass stopper bottles. For purchasing information, see the listing for Caron under Perfume Houses.

Possibly of interest

5 perfumes ~ vanilla fragrances for spring
Top 10 Winter Fragrances 2018
Caron Fleurs de Rocaille ~ fragrance review

Filed Under: perfume talk
Tagged With: caron, michel morsetti, mimosa

Advertisement


28 Comments

Leave a comment, or read more about commenting at Now Smell This. Here's our privacy policy, and a handy emoticon chart.

  1. Rappleyea says:
    29 December 2011 at 2:14 pm

    Wonderful review, Jessica, and this sounds lovely. Several years ago, the very first samples I ever ordered from Patty’s business before she was The Perfumed Court, were from Caron. I liked them, but never bought FB’s of any of them, and that, as I remember, was the end of my Caron exploring.

    And I agree – if the current version suits you, there is no reason to make your life more complicated by chasing after a vintage version!

    Log in to Reply
    • Jessica says:
      29 December 2011 at 2:39 pm

      Thanks, Rappleyea! I had to “grow into” Caron, other than Bellodgia, which I’ve always loved (my grandmother wore it)… so you may yet find a Caron scent that suits you!

      Log in to Reply
      • Rappleyea says:
        29 December 2011 at 3:07 pm

        Bellodgia has been my mother’s fragrance for years! Before that it was Rogers & Gallet Blue Carnation.

        The Caron’s were too sweet for me if I remember. I think I never revisited the line because of all the lines, that one seemed to have the most negative remarks by perfumistas about reformulation.

        Log in to Reply
  2. Tama says:
    29 December 2011 at 2:28 pm

    I am so on the bandwagon of being perfectly happy to enjoy current formulations if I am none the wiser. I love the current versions of Femme and Jolie Madame, for example.

    I have a sample of this but don’t remember if I liked it or not. Will have to re-explore! Thanks for the great review.

    Log in to Reply
    • Jessica says:
      29 December 2011 at 2:39 pm

      What we don’t know can’t hurt us. Or, what the nose didn’t smell, the heart can’t grieve for. ;)

      Log in to Reply
      • Rappleyea says:
        29 December 2011 at 3:08 pm

        That should be cross stitched and framed! :-D

        Log in to Reply
      • Haunani says:
        29 December 2011 at 3:23 pm

        Very good, Jessica! And I agree, too.

        Log in to Reply
  3. Elizabeth says:
    29 December 2011 at 2:55 pm

    I love Farnesiana! It makes me think of German almond cake and marzipan, both very nostalgic foods for me. I am glad to hear that the current formulation still smells nice. Annick Goutal Eau de Charlotte is another member of the “fleurmand” category which I am enjoying right now. Mimosa, cocoa, and blackcurrant jam, mmmm!

    Log in to Reply
    • Jessica says:
      29 December 2011 at 4:18 pm

      Elizabeth, I’m very fond of Eau de Charlotte, too! Definitely a “fleurmand” worth sampling, for anyone who hasn’t tried it yet!

      Log in to Reply
  4. BChant says:
    29 December 2011 at 3:19 pm

    Great review! You’re point about ignorance of previous formulations is spot on. It is certainly true that if one has become accustomed to perfume over a period of time and the quality of the product is diminished then disappointment is unavoidable. However, if it is an entirely new experience, then its past incarnation is irrelevant. It is perhaps a little unfair the way some perfumes are judged in this regard. Anyway, I love Caron so I am always glad to see this house reviewed!

    Log in to Reply
    • Jessica says:
      29 December 2011 at 4:18 pm

      You articulated that so well! Thanks, BChant.

      Log in to Reply
  5. RavynG says:
    29 December 2011 at 3:19 pm

    something has always puzzled me about mimosa…. the mimosa I grew up with was never yellow. I was clusters of pink fluffs with very sensitive fern-like leaves that closed when you touched them and long green seed pods like beans. It smelled like a fruity floral–sorta cherry blossom/watermelon/strawberry scent, the epitome of summertime and picnics under its willow-ish dripping branches…

    Is this the same mimosa we are talking about but maybe in a different color?

    Log in to Reply
    • Bela says:
      29 December 2011 at 4:14 pm

      No, it isn’t the same kind at all. The mimosa everyone tries to reproduce the scent of is the one with yellow powder puffs because that’s the kind that grows in the South of France, where Grasse (the perfume capital of the world, really) is situated. You might want to read this recent NST article: https://nstperfume.com/2011/12/16/5-perfumes-mimosa/

      Log in to Reply
      • Jessica says:
        29 December 2011 at 4:20 pm

        RavynG, we had one of those puffy-pink flowered trees in the front yard of my childhood home, and we always called it a “mimosa.” Apparently it’s really a “silk flower tree,” as clarified in the mimosa post that Bela has linked. But it’s often (erroneously) called a mimosa. I also used to call it a “truffula tree,” as in “The Lorax.” :)

        Log in to Reply
        • Alyssa says:
          1 January 2012 at 1:59 pm

          Yes! Yes! I call them Dr. Seuss trees–never saw them until I moved to Austin. Here people consider them “trash trees” because they pop up like weeds and suck up all the available water. But I adore them. And they do smell heavenly, though curiously only from a distance.

          Log in to Reply
      • SuddenlyInexplicably says:
        29 December 2011 at 5:21 pm

        We also had those trees–the ones with the yellow flowers–in Southern California, where the climate is similar to the south of France. But we called those trees “Acacia trees.” Frederic Malle’s Fleur de Cassie evokes the smell of those trees perfectly to me, and brings back the days when I used up on the hill behind our house, under the acacia tree, writing poetry or making out with my first boyfriend. I have never smelled the Caron fragrance, however, and now I really want to give it a test.

        Log in to Reply
        • Bela says:
          29 December 2011 at 6:06 pm

          The yellow mimosa from the South of France is originally from Mexico. Back at the end of the 19th century, wealthy Americans, who used to spend winter on the French Riviera wanted to have beautiful flowers to look at and smell when nothing else was in bloom, planted mimosa trees in the gardens of their villas. Et voilà!

          Log in to Reply
        • Jessica says:
          29 December 2011 at 7:22 pm

          I need to retry FM Fleur de Cassie! I remember recoiling from it when I tried it, for some reason… it somehow *upset* me, lol. Need to revisit it.

          Log in to Reply
          • Bela says:
            31 December 2011 at 11:35 am

            Fleur de Cassie does not smell like mimosa: there are all sorts of things going on in it as well. I’ve tried a lot of so-called mimosa perfumes and, imo. the only true one is the Diptyque home fragrance.

    • mals86 says:
      29 December 2011 at 4:20 pm

      Confusing, isn’t it! That’s what we Americans CALL mimosa, but it isn’t. That’s really “silk tree.” (And I think the blossoms smell nice, too.)

      European mimosa is what the perfumery thing is all about – see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acacia_farnesiana. I’ve never smelled these live.

      Log in to Reply
      • Jessica says:
        29 December 2011 at 4:20 pm

        Yes, exactly! It’s an American misnomer, apparently. But I did love that tree and the scent of its funny flowers…

        Log in to Reply
      • Bela says:
        29 December 2011 at 4:32 pm

        Oh, you’re missing a treat! The scent is absolutely wonderful and the flower the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen. I spent my teenage years and most of my youth in Nice so mimosa is very dear to me. Also, it blossoms in the winter and cheers everything up (although it’s never really gloomy in the South of France).

        Log in to Reply
  6. Haunani says:
    29 December 2011 at 3:27 pm

    Thanks for the review, Jessica! I tested Farnesiana a long time ago, and it’s time to try again. Your reference to my two favorite SMN fragrances, Ginestra and Fieno, added to my interest. :-)

    Log in to Reply
    • Jessica says:
      29 December 2011 at 7:23 pm

      I like Ginestra so much… I need to get my hands on another, larger sample! Yes, I think the hay/grass note is still very distinctive in Farnesiana, so if that’s something you like, Farnesiana is worth sampling.

      Log in to Reply
  7. Perfume Sniffer says:
    29 December 2011 at 3:45 pm

    I’m glad to read that a current Caron is not a complete disaster. I’ve grown tired of hearing about reformulation and how everything is ruined. So, ignorance is bliss and I think that’s wonderful!

    Farnesiana is something I used to like but have outgrown. It now smells like plastic dollheads and I can’t bear it. I do love mimosa so when I need a mimosa fix I go for the more floral (and not foodie) mimosa scents like PdN Mimosaique and L’Artisan Mimosa Pour Moi. Also, the Givenchy Amarige Harvest editions have a nice mimosa note. If the mimosa note goes anywhere near almond/marzipan I simply can’t abide it! (I’m so picky when it comes to anything foodie, I admit)

    Log in to Reply
    • Marjorie Rose says:
      29 December 2011 at 6:30 pm

      I haven’t sniffed this, but I suspect I’d be with you, PS. I have found everything with a “nutty” note oddly over-sweet and “plasticky,” as you suggest–doll head!

      Log in to Reply
      • Jessica says:
        29 December 2011 at 7:26 pm

        (Then again, I always liked the smell of dolls’ heads and Play-Doh…!)

        Log in to Reply
    • Jessica says:
      29 December 2011 at 7:25 pm

      Mimosa Pour Moi is so pretty!
      I used to like very almondy scents, even People of the Labyrinths’ Luctor et Emergo and Serge Lutens’s Rahat Loukhoum and Acqua di Parma Mandorlo di Sicilia… but my tastes have altered somewhat. Farnesiana is just almondy enough!

      Log in to Reply

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Advertisement


Parfum1

Luckyscent

Search

Browse by…

Topic

Perfume talk New fragrances
Shopping Books :: News
Body products Home fragrance
Polls Another subject

Date

January 2019

Date

December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
Prior months

Author

Robin Jessica
Angela Kevin
Erin Guest Author

Tag

Celebrity perfumes
Cheap thrills
Collector bottles
Perfumista tip series
Video
The complete tag index

From NST at Twitter

  • @Persolaise Oh nice!,
  • RT @SplendidTable: .@AftelierPerfume shares some of her favorite #essentialoils to use in cooking. https://t.co/fUYId3sFYI https://t.co/duZ7VNqH3v,
  • RT @katemclean: Honoured to feature as one of 6 international artists and designers working with #smell - opens tomorrow… https://t.co/PZKPkJiDc4,
  • Last day of 20% off everything at AromaM with coupon code AROMAM24...,
  • "D.S. & Durga’s New Manhattan Perfume Boutique Has a Scent—and a Song—for Every Lover" (vanity fair) https://t.co/NttxKmQnc5,

Recent reviews

Serge Lutens Le Participe Passé
Burberry Her
Terre d’Hermes Eau Intense Vetiver
Cartier Carat
Diptyque Tempo
Bvlgari Omnia Pink Sapphire
Proenza Schouler Arizona
Gucci Guilty Absolute Pour Femme
Diptyque Fleur de Peau
Hermès Myrrhe Églantine
Miu Miu L’Eau Rosée
Atelier Cologne Iris Rebelle
Jean Paul Gaultier Scandal
Thierry Mugler Aura

Blogroll

Bois de Jasmin
Grain de Musc
Perfume Posse
The Non-Blonde
More blogs...

Perfumista lists

100 fragrances every perfumista should try
And 25 more fragrances every perfumista should smell
50 masculine fragrances every perfumista should try
26 vintage fragrances every perfumista should try
25 rose fragrances every perfumista should try
11 Cheap Perfumes Beauty Outsiders Love

Favorite posts

Top 10 Fall Fragranced Things 2018
5 perfumes ~ vanilla fragrances for summer
Perfume: the best of 2017
The Great Perfume Reduction Plan
Why I Love Old School Chypres
New to perfume and want to learn more?
How to make fragrance last through the day
Fragrance concentrations: sorting it all out
On reformulations, or why your favorite perfume doesn’t smell like it used to
How to get fragrance samples
Perfume for Life: How Long Will Your Fragrance Collection Last?

Upcoming

List of upcoming Friday projects

***

23 February ~ Splitmeet

TBA March ~ Swapmeet

Back to Top

Home
About Now Smell This :: Privacy Policy

Shop for Perfume Online
Perfume Shopping in New York
Perfume Shopping in London
Perfume Reviews
New Perfumes
General Perfume Articles
The Monday Mail

Glossary of Perfume Terms
Perfume FAQ
Perfume Links
Perfume Books
Fragrance Awards

Noses ~ Perfumers A-E :: F-K :: L-S :: T-Z

Perfume Houses A-B :: C :: D-E :: F-G
H-J :: K-L :: M :: N-O :: P :: Q-R :: S
T :: U-Z

Copyright © 2005-2019 Now Smell This. All rights reserved.