More jasmine! A quick run through the jasmine tag here at Now Smell This reveals that I'm the main jasmine freak in residence. If you're not a jasmine freak, sorry, come back tomorrow.
Rodin Olio Lusso Perfume
I was curious about Rodin Olio Lusso Perfume for two reasons. One, it's jasmine, and as I already made clear above, I'm nearly always interested in jasmine. Two, it was developed by perfumers DS & Durga, and I'm very fond of their bold, rustic-chic indie style.
The Olio Lusso Perfume is apparently meant to capture the aroma of the Rodin brand's Luxury Face Oil, which I've never used. Now that I've tried the perfume, I'm pretty sure I could find a way to fit the oil (or the hand & body cream!) into my skincare routine if only I could afford it. The perfume opens rich and strong, and it's mostly jasmine straight through from the beginning to the end. It's brightened with a bit of citrus and tempered with a bit of lily of the valley (you'll hardly notice unless you're looking for it). It's slightly indolic in the early stages, less so later on — not as indolic as some of the huge jasmine bombs (Serge Lutens A La Nuit, Bruno Acampora Jasmin), but nowhere near as clean (or sheer) as more mainstream-oriented jasmines (Guerlain Jasminora, Acqua di Parma Gelsomino Nobile). It's much stronger on the jasmine than my more recent favorite, Lush Silky Underwear.
I have no idea how many notes there are, but it smells relatively unadorned — just a deep, sexy jasmine with a slightly musky dry down. I don't think there's any point in trying it if you don't love jasmine. I'd buy it in a heartbeat if it weren't so spendy. The lasting power is reasonable if not quite fabulous, and it layers beautifully (and while it is alcohol based, it does leave an oily sheen on the skin).
Rodin Olio Lusso Perfume is $220 for 30 ml, and can be found at b-glowing or Beautyhabit. If you've tried other Rodin products, do comment!
Ko Denmark Jasmine + Neroli Perfume
Ko Denmark, like Rodin, is primarily a skincare / bodycare company, but they do offer their signature fragrance in an organic roll-on perfume.
I called DS & Durga's style rustic-chic,1 but in the case of these two particular perfumes, the label might be more appropriately applied to the Ko Denmark. It is jasmine, but it's a soft, quiet jasmine. It's also equally focused on the rose (other notes include neroli and ylang ylang), and has a natural, almost herbal cast, that while not overdone, contrasts with the Rodin's bright yet heavily floral character — worn next to each other, the Ko Denmark scent feels a little flat and lifeless, and the Rodin rises up to the luxury status bestowed by its price. By the same token, the Ko Denmark might be more likely to appeal to someone who doesn't like their jasmine to overwhelm. Personally, I enjoyed wearing the Ko Denmark, but have a feeling I'd get more use out of the Body Lotion (which would presumably make a nice layering agent) or the Body Wash.
Ko Denmark Jasmine + Neroli Perfume is $45 for 3.6 ml Perfume Oil, and can likewise be found at b-glowing or Beautyhabit.
Tried any other great jasmines lately? Do comment!
1. Actually, I stole the term from Jessica, who used it when she reviewed DS & Durga's Poppy Rouge, The Orchid Drinkers and Five Step Waltz. I do think it's an apt description of their perfumery style, but the Rodin arguably has a more "polished" and "pretty" feel than some of their prior fragrances.
I love jasmine as well and have longed to try to Rodin line – and the Ko for that matter, but unfortunately price is a consideration in these economic times. I wonder if samples will be available so I’ll know whether it’s worth doing without lunch for a while for….
You can buy samples from Beautyhabit, but yes, the price of the Rodin is prohibitive for many of us!
yes all the rodin products are really spendy. my dermatologist worked with them on the oils and he gave me some products to try free, which was really nice. i just use them all as hair oils though!
Lucky you! I think they make a separate hair oil now.
Oh, I do love a good jasmine. I’ve been stuck in my vintage Samsara rut forever for jasmine, though. These both sound really good although spendy. I love the classic blend of jasmine/neroli/rose/ylangylang that the Ko sports.
Speaking of an oily sheen – I recently wore the Samsara parfum and the sandalwood left an oily sheen and feel on my wrists! They don’t make them like that anymore!!
It’s true, they really don’t!
I used up a sample of the Rodin face oil and really liked it, but I can’t justify buying a bottle because of the price. The same is true for the perfume, though I might break down and order a sample.
So, did it help your skin in any way, or did it mostly just smell great?
It’s great for the skin, but so are other facial oils for a fraction of the price.
True enough.
i’ve read so many dermatologic journals and articles and every one says that while plant oils are excellent for the skin because they moisturize (obviously) and have antioxidant activity, most fragrant essential oils are not great for the skin. there’s a high incidence of irritation, especially when exposed to sunlight. citrus and lavender are the biggest offenders but florals can be equally damaging. being scent-obsessed as we all are, this has always disturbed me a little. i decided to compromise by using scented products on my hair and body but keeping my face creams fragrance free. who wants to find out that their delicious smelling face oil actually caused irritation (or, worse, pigmented sun spots) months or years later!
Interesting. My face serum smells great from ylang ylang — maybe I should look into potential issues.
Robin, if it’s true ylang ylang e.o., you should be fine. Most of the florals aren’t harmful per se, but *could* cause allergic reactions in susceptible people. If you’ve been using it for a while, you’re fine.
Fine. You talked me into not worrying about it 🙂
Thanks for the review, Robin. I love jasmine in perfume and the real flower and Olio Lusso sounds gorgeous. I really want to try this since you mention Acqua di Parma Gelsomino Nobile, which I also found too clean and light.
The AdP was pretty but not at all my style — and that “clean, light and dewy” style seems to be the one they’ve settled into, as a brand.
On a jasmine-related note:
I and my mother recently sampled Acqua di Parma Gelsomino Nobile, as my mother’s favorite flower is the jasmine, and I want to buy her a jasmine perfume when she uses up her current bottle of Dior J’Adore. My mother liked AdP GN, but while I found the fragrance pleasant, I was surprised to find myself rather disappointed with it – I guess I was expecting more of a punch, even though, ironically, my favorite perfumes have long tended toward the “light and airy” end of the spectrum.
I’m curious about Serge Lutens A La Nuit, which everyone seems to trumpets as “the jasmine to end all jasmines”, but I’m worried that it’ll be too much for my mother (and too much for the office). I suppose the solution is to simply order a sample, but I have yet to come around to the idea of purchasing fragrance samples (I have been spoiled by the free fragrance samples that I can get at Nordstrom and Sephora). Thoughts?
Thank you!
If it helps, my mother did not like Guerlain Jasminora, which I think is because Jasminora smells more “crisp” whereas Acqua di Parma Gelsomino Nobile smells more “sweet”.
Hmmm. I do understand not wanting to pay for samples. But it’s hard otherwise unless you live in a city like New York where you can test nearly everything without paying. It is one of those things I don’t even notice anymore — I figure it saves me money by keeping me from buying unsuitable things unsniffed. Plus, it’s fun to try lots of different things!
A La Nuit might well be too much. A few closer-to-middle-of-the-road jasmines: By Kilian Love & Tears, Estee Lauder Jasmine & White Moss (although maybe that will teeter into the “too much” territory too), Septimanie Perfumes Pavillon des Fleurs, Chantecaille Le Jasmin.
Thanks so much for the suggestions, Robin! I’m sure I’ll come around to the idea of purchasing samples soon enough (it does make total monetary sense), but gosh darn it, I’ve just been so spoiled by Nordstrom and the like.
I have also sampled Estee Lauder Jasmine White Moss and Jo Malone White Jasmine & Mint. The ratio of jasmine to moss in the former was disappointing. (My mother strays very little outside of florals.) I liked the latter to a surprising extent, once I got over the initial spray of mint, but after a while, something clicked and I realized that I seemed to be smelling more tea than jasmine. Has anyone else noticed this, with Jo Malone’s White Jasmine & Mint?
Nordstrom is lovely about samples.
And yes. I think of the Jo Malone as the mainstream copy of L’Artisan’s The Pour Un Ete, which is the pretty much the same notes. Tea, jasmine, mint. But I like the L’Artisan better.
I, too, had an aversion to purchasing samples due to the proximity and generosity of the aforementioned stores as well as others, like Saks, where I could have a sniffapalooza at my convenience (and I sense one coming up again in 2 weeks). I am also partial to spray samples instead of splash. For niche/indie fragrance houses, like SSS, Andy Tauer, Ormonde Jayne (to name a few) I did not mind paying for the samples because they came in spray top vials and were packaged very well. Just about the only fragrance samples that I paid for which were not satisfactory came from a well-regarded niche perfume store in Greenwich Village (NYC)…while the samples arrived safely, the packaging was not professional-looking at all (how difficult is it to print labels?).
i know which store you’re talking about and i agree printed labels would be an improvement, but i will say that it’s nice how their samples come in little plastic pouches with a pretty black logo card to keep them straight. it makes storage easier and neater, and you can smell the base notes of the scent just by opening the pouch!
Just want to say that you guys *can* mention the store name if you wish — we don’t prevent people from talking about their personal shopping experiences!
Duly noted, for the next faux pas :-;
in new york, if you factor in the cost of a cab or even the subway to get to the store where the sample you want to smell is, and the time it takes to do this, i find it MUCH cheaper and easier to order samples online, even if you have to pay like 25 dollars for a discovery set. not to mention that once you’re in a physical shop the temptation to buy something full size is much bigger than online, especially after a nice salesperson has helped you out.
I’m also a jasmine lover, so I’d like to add a couple of suggestions for jasmine perfumes that would be worth a sniff: Montale Jasmine Full, which is just so lovely and lush; and Isabey Fleur Nocturne, which is stunning. I think they are two of the most beautiful jasmines out there. And, for reference, I also own A La Nuit and love it dearly. Child perfume might also be of interest because the dominant note in it is a lovely jasmine to my nose.
Thanks so much!
montale jasmin full is my number one favorite jasmine soliflore. it’s absolutely delicious, like a bundle of jasmine sambac with one or fresh two gardenias mixed in. very intoxicating and shimmering yet simple.
another jasmine that’s often overlooked and very beautiful and elegant (though not a soliflore) is l’artisan la hair fleurie. has anyone tried this? it’s a somewhat grown up scent and less quirky than many l’artisans. i adore it.
oh dear – of course i meant la HAIE fleurie!
Ha…but I like the idea of a “La Hair Fleurie”! Can’t remember if that’s one of the ones they discontinued? I know I tried it years ago.
oh lord! i just checked and you are right! it’s no longer on the website. i need to order a bottle for posterity ASAP. i’m livid!
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I think it was a while back though.
not at all, i’m so glad you mentioned it! just ordered a full bottle and it will last me forever. i almost never wear this stuff (reminds me of the late 90s when i wore it all the time) but want to have it in the collection for sure.
I’m in SSS’s Nostalgie today, which is a jasmine blended beautifully with other florals, sandalwood, and other gorgeous things. Very gentle, and gentle on the credit card too. I swear I picked up the beeswax in it this morning (in the perfume I mean, not in my credit card), noticing the beeswax as a note by itself for the first time.
I bought a small bottle of Lush’s Flying Fox shower gel after Robin reviewed it a while back. A jasmine bomb indeed!
Isn’t it though? It will take me years to finish off my little bottle. I do love it though, when I’m in the right mood.
I swear KO Denmark recently changed their blend. I’ve had older and newer samples. Yes, it’s a natural blend so it might change over time, but the older samples smell sweeter, fresh-indolic…more, sunshine-citrusy.
The newer one has a harsh, herbally addition of rose that changes the whole feeling of it. It’s raspier and more herbal. The simplicity of the jasmine and neroli was nice enough and unusual; I don’t care for the recent addition of rose and ylang-ylang.
I read that on MakeupAlley too, so I think you’re right that they reformulated.
I wrote the review on Makeup Alley and yes, they did change the formulation. I had the same response –where did my sunny, happy jasmine fragrance go!
I emailed Henriette Holst and she confirmed that the formulation had changed — in fact, it continues to evolve. I just received from the company some samples of the newest version which is somewhere in the middle. It’s a bit more complex and floral as opposed to full on jasmine. I still think I like the first version best but the one I’m sampling is also nice.
Thanks so much Liz. Kind of disturbing to hear they’ve reformulated it yet again — I think I’d be afraid to order not knowing what I’d get each time!
You make me want to try the Rodin perfume!!!
(and their face oil and the hand cream too!)
I love jasmine in fragrances, but I wish I found a jasmine-centered perfume with a real base and a top – a jasmine flower adorned just enough to make it a perfume and not a “captured” smell.
I own A la Nuit (like for Fracas, I cannot figure why people call it overwhelming!!!), while I love the smell I’m always left wanting for more (more lasting power, more evolution, more detailed work).
I also like BK’s Love and tears very much- it strikes the right balance for me between the star note and the supporting roles, but I would have chosen different actors: the jasmine is too clean, the base too white musk, …Anyway, I might want a bottle!
From your review it seems Rodin is mainly about jasmine…and yet I want to try it badly…
Agree about Love & Tears — too clean. Wanted more oomph!
Guessing the Rodin will not be complex enough for you.
My current favorite jasmine – Kilian Love and Tears!
It’s a lovely scent that’s just too clean for me — and I’m happy about that since it’s also spendy!
Love and Tears is too clean for me, too, but I found a trick to wearing it. I add a couple of spritzes to some jojoba oil, and it gets rid of the piercing aspect of it.
Great idea!
Robin- thank you for reviewing these two which have been on my radar.
I would LOVE to have the Rodin but it’s expensive – so it’s good to read your review .
Re. face oils. The best face oil / serum I used was the Clarins Generation 6 serum . Just a drop in the morning and a drop at night under your face cream . It does last a long time and not so expensive at about 99 bucks a bottle. A bottle lasts about 6 months for me.
Also the Ko Denmark . I popped some neroli and jasmine essential oil on my skin sometime back to get an idea of the smell . It’s a shame if they have already reformulated it though.
I use a Vit C serum which I adore (Skinceuticals, expensive) and a face cream by Alaffia (not expensive) which I also love. Don’t really need anything new, just tempted by the idea of smelling jasmine every morning!
The Ko Denmark smells almost more like rose geranium than true rose to me…kind of herbal/spicy. Not as bright & floral as what I expected from something called Jasmine + Neroli, I guess.
my guess is that if you’re using that good vitamin c serum, it’s such a good antioxidant that any potential irritation from a little ylang ylang in a serum should be neglible. let’s tell ourselves that at least!
Works for me!
I love Olio Lusso face oil. Not only is jasmine wonderful to smell, it will certainly soften your skin. I think it is worth the price because a bottle lasts so long.
What about MPG Jasmin. It is one of my favorites!
Glad to hear it softens in addition to smelling good!
I have to mention Sonya Dakar Omega oil. I use it occasionally when retinoids have me too “flakey”, but my teen uses it to control acne, and it is better than anything else we have tried (and we tried microderm, pharmaceuticals, beta-hydroxy acids, etc etc). Who would think that an oil would work?! But within 3 days people at her school were commenting. It is pricey, so I “dole” it out to her from the “master bottle”:-). The scent is pure spa, being neroli and lavender. Also, just tried Dyptique hair/body oil at Nordstrom: love the scent, texture, and satiny hair/skin. I figure it is 3 products in 1 (hair, skin and perfume) so that is how I plan to justify the cost to myself! ($60). The Dakar Omega oil is more, about $124, but one “squirt” a day makes it last quite awhile, and I believe you can call the spa directly for samples, paying only for shipping… Last “rave”; Shu Uemura Camilla oil, pure heaven but too pricey in my book for mere hair oil…
Good to know, thanks!