Today we're helping Gina, who wants to find a new evening perfume — something sexy but not overpowering. She has a few day perfumes that don't seem right for a grown-up date. She can pay up to $150, and is also happy to buy a decant if a full bottle is outside of that range. She doesn't have great access to a perfume stores, but is happy to shop online and/or order samples.
Here is what we know about Gina:
She's in her late 20s, and is a graduate student in French literature.
She says she's fairly serious and somewhat introverted.
Her sense of style tends to run to minimalism in general — in clothes, perfume, decor, anything.
Gina likes like green florals, the greener the better. The longest love-affair she has had with a perfume is Frédéric Malle's En Passant (in general, she gets along well with Olivia Giacobetti scents). Hermès Osmanthe Yunnan would her ideal day-to-night perfume, but it has absolutely no staying power on her.
Gina has a somewhat ambivalent relationship to rose, fig, iris and linden.
Her dislikes are complicated. There are a lot of 'sexy' perfumes that she likes — particularly orientals — but that give her a headache. This is true with many traditional oriental base notes: sandalwood, patchouli, incense, oud, vanilla. Most Bertrand Duchaufour scents are way too heavy and/or too sweet, although one of her favorite perfumes to smell on others is L'Artisan Dzongkha. She also doesn't like gardenia (sometimes jasmine is ok), and Guerlains don't tend to work on her.
The closest she has ever gotten to a sexy perfume is The Different Company's Rose Poivrée, which she loves, but after about an hour the civet is too much.
What say you?
Note: top image is Bologna - no bill posting [cropped] by on1stsite. at flickr; some rights reserved.
Maybe a chypre for Gina? Y or Silences. Or perhaps some Magie Noire, I have vintage, it’s not often I wear it but it’s so distinctive – a bit of dark drama…
I hestitate a little with Y (with the patchouli and civet), but Silences sounds promising.
Suggesting:
Parfum d’Empire Osmanthus Interdite
Laboratorio Olfattivo Decou-Vert
I will second Osmanthus Interdite. I tried it in my quest for an Osmanthe Yunnan replacement and it’s on my to-buy list! On my skin, it’s more fruity than OY is, and also seems to have a bit more “body”.
I agree that Osmanthus Interdite has more fruitiness to it. Especially apricot accord is easy to notice.
I’m happy to hear this Pd’E is on your to-buy list.
It definitely is a solid choice fragrance.
I am looking forward to trying Osmanthus Interdite. I haven’t managed to get my hands on it, and was disappointed with the Different Company’s Osmanthus. Décou-vert sounds great, but it also seems like it’s kind of in that same register that I’ve been accumulating for a whlle–beautiful garden-like fresh fragrances that work well for day. (Maybe it’s futile to look for something that says “I am out for a hot night on the town” when I rule out the heavier notes though.)
Annick Goutal Grand Amour edp would be a fantastic green floral.
In a similar but slightly different vein, Annick Goutal Un Matin d’Orage is simply gorgeous.
Montale Velvet Flowers is a beautiful sexy floral (not green) or Chypre Vanille would be great.
Also, even though most Guerlains won’t work, have you tried Jardins de Bagatelle?
Both of the Annick Goutals look interesting, and like they’d be substantial without overwhelming me in the process. I like the idea of ginger and magnolia in the Matin d’Orage. I have tried (and couldn’t grapple) with Jardins de bagatelle–but I must amend my pronouncement on Guerlain as I was recently pleasantly surprised by Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca. Maybe absinthe or licorice notes would be a place for me to go?
Serge lutens Datura noir?
You know, I’ve almost ordered a sample of this multiple times. This may actually motivate me to do it. It sounds really sweet, but maybe that’s what I need.
I would recommend for Gina:
Bottega Veneta
Chanel No. 19
Assuming she has probably tried Hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Nil, but tossing it out there, too!
I do really like the Un Jardin… series. My favorite is Un Jardin Après la Mousson.
Worth trying the BV in the Eau Legere, too, given what Gina mentions liking. I find it greener and crisper. (Although maybe that’ll make it feel more daytime.)
Atalier Cologne’s Trefle, which is green and not an oriental
Ormonde Jayne Woman (but I would sample first, to make sure that it is not too heavy for you).
BVLGARI The Vert
My recs are Centennial from Soivohle, Sana from Slumberhouse, and possibly also (untitled) from Madison Martin Margiela
Oh the Sana sounds amazing! I love rasberry/blackberry leaf. We used to have blackberry leaf tea when I was a kid, and from what I remember of the smell that may be exactly the kind of thing I’m looking for–sweet but not overwhelming, green but not too fresh, a bit dark and hard to place.
Here are a few that I think might be worth a try:
The Different Company Osmanthus
Annick Goutal Heure Exquise
Jacomo Silences
Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Pandora
If you’re interested in licorice/absinthe notes:
Keiko Mecheri Paname
1000 Flowers Reglisse Noire
L’Artisan Fou d’Absinthe
I second the TDC Osmanthus, Goutal Heure Exquise and Jacomo Silences.
For licorice you might want to try and find a bottle of Guerlain’s Anisia Bella. Discontinued but there might still be bottles available online. Another great, but sweeter anise fragrance is Etro’s Anice. Wonderful for summer.
In the same style as Un Jardin après la Mousson ( my favourite Jardin as well) is L’Artisan’s Fleur de Liane.
In a similar vein as Une Rose Poivrée is Etat Libre d’Orange’s Rossy de Palma.
Hmm this is a good challenge! Fun.
Grand Bal comes to mind as definitely a grown-up, romantic perfume that could work for dates–simple but so lovely. (And easy-going, for jasmine.)
I haven’t smelled Rose Poivree but I’m reminded of Le Labo Rose 31, which is definitely sexy but I find less overpowering than many perfumes in that category.
Jo Malone Dark Amber & Ginger Lily seems worth a shot for a more sheer nighttime perfume.
I realize you don’t mention necessarily wanting citrus but Cartier Declaration is super sexy while being (in my opinion!) leavened by the citrus and consequently easier to wear than most.
Finally, this feels a bit strange to recommend since it couldn’t have less in common with either En Passant or Osmanthe Yunnan, but I love those two and still loved Dzing! so could be worth a shot–it’s another Giacobetti, and I’d def classify it as sexy perfume.
Looking forward to hearing what you end up liking!
I know that I’ve smelled both Dzing and Declaration, but for some reason have no memory of them, so I’m going to have to procure some again to see if I get a more lasting impression.
Grand Bal’s notes seem deceptively tame, but I’m going to hunt it down just to see.
Jean-Louis Scherrer is a fabulous, date-worthy green floral. A bit more lively than Heure Exquise, I think. The current edp is available at Beauty Encounter, and it has good sillage/lasting power. Vintage edt is great too.
yeah, I saw this on Bois de Jasmin a while ago and meant to try it, then forgot. Good to be reminded.
I’d second Grand Bal and Ormonde Woman, and add the updated Balmain Ivoire. It’s a grown-up green floral with good staying power.
I think you should try Osmanthus Oolong from Providence Perfume. Very rich, not too sweet. My favorite green fragrance is Niki de St Phalle. I find it quite sophisticated and it would be nice for the evening. Silences is great, my husband wears it when we get dressed up. Also, Aromatic Elixir in the special Perfumers Reserve. It starts out much more smoothly than the regular one and the dry down is all woods, rose and amber to my nose. One of my favorite licorice fragrances is Lolita Lempicka au Masculin. Have fun!
I have a bottle of the Ivoire Balmain. It doesn’t work for me as I’m not a green fan, but if this feels like a good fit and you’ve sampled it, I’d be happy to send you my bottle as a gift. I need to downsize and at best, on MUA would be taking samples as a trade. But if it isn’t your taste, no biggee. Any of you other perfumistas out there, you as well, if you’d like a bottle. 97% full or so. New bottle. You can reach me at mou7gh at gmail.com. First come, first serve. Hope it’s ok to post that…
Thanks for the offer, but the patchouli is a bit pronounced for me, sadly.
I’m wondering how you might like OJ Ta’if? I know there’s some rose ambivalence, but it’s an atypical rose with a green and spicy base but NOT overpowering or overly dramatic. Might be just the ticket!
OJ Woman! (kidding)
Someone suggested Chanel 19 and I second that. Probably in EDT concentration.
Atelier’s Rose Anonyme is a spicy and sweet rose with good longevity that somehow isn’t heavy. Also, Gucci by Gucci edp has a fruity opening I don’t love, but settles down into a sexy but quiet, sweet-but-not-too-sweet floral with great longevity. (I think it’s discontinued, but can be found online; it’s the rectangular brown bottle with the gold charm.)
Hello Gina, I’d suggest Mito by Vero Profumo, it’s a sparkly fresh green chypre, almost radiating. And you can get it in 3 different concentrations now, so there shouldn’t be a problem with staying power. The other one I thought of, is Mona di Orio’s Tubereuse. It is not as fresh, as your other favorites, it has a slightly creamy, clean aspect, but it is a quite tender, enveloping green scent. To me, both scents have the understated sexyness, you might be looking for.
Good luck!
Safran
Great taste in perfumes so far!
On a Giacobetti line I would also say – try Dzing! Beautiful leather vanilla, a sexy minimalist scent for sure. If Dzing! turns out not to agree with your skin, go for Safrant Troublant.
Most beautiful green floral I know is Carnal Flower. The only white floral I ever bought. Became my signature and magnet for compliments, deemed incredibly sexy too.
Better late than never – Balmain’s Vent Vert? Green as, wonderfully rich, original and fantastic staying power on me. Powerful though so so try first.