It only hit me yesterday.
I have no florals in my collection!
What I mean is, the only florals I have are of the white and lush kind and I'm sure there are others out there that don't fall into this category.
Is it possible that so far I haven't come across one I liked?! The only thing I could come up with that is floral and I have it, is Paestum Rose (but this also falls into category "there must be other flowers out there besides roses").
I've been going in my mind through my bottle and decant collection and just can't come up with anything that could be termed a floral (without being a tuberose/gardenia/jasmine or rose). I mean, there are other florals out there, right?
And the only floral perfume I know I like and think of as the best representative of the genre is Juliet by Juliet Stewart. Which of course, I don't own. :)
So please, suggestions would be most welcome of where to start my floral journey.
P.S. I seem to have journeyed through every other perfume genre out there but this one.
Off the top of my head: Malle En Passant (lilac), Tauer Carillon pour un Ange (muguet), Caron Bellodgia (carnation), Malle Lys Mediterranée (lily), Ormonde Jayne Osmanthus or Parfum d'Empire Osmanthus Interdite and I'm sure you have an iris in your collection?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestions! I tried En Passant you sent and that one works for me (and was actually what propelled me into this). Carillon I have a sample of but I don't find it wearable unfortunately (I like it a lot, just not for me).
ReplyDeleteI do have several osmanthus samples, and I like that particular note, but never went for more than a sample (I should get myself some). That's a very good suggestion.
Bellodgia and Lys Mediteranee I'm unfamiliar with - but keep wanting to try them.
And yes, I have an iris. :) But it's the little bottle of Iris Ukiyoe so I tend to forget I have it. :)
Hmm...have you tried Armani Onde Extase (daffodil)? I quite like it, in spite of its silly name.
ReplyDeleteAxum, I've never even heard of this one. :) Thank you. I'd love to smell a daffodil perfume.
ReplyDeleteHa, Ines, I was thinking exactly the same resently. Floral? It must be all the perfumes that I smell and think "nice", before I throw myself over the orientals and woodies :-)But I don't own a single one, and would actually like to find a floral that suits me. I of course have absolutely no suggestions for you, but I'll be watching this space...
ReplyDeleteInes have you ever tried Datura Noir by Serge Lutens? That is based on the Datura flower. Of course, I don't know if that qualifies as a white floral, but it is something different to the usual suspects.
ReplyDeleteAsali, in my new search I'm going through samples I have that might work and I already found one! PdN's Week-end a Deauville. It's great - probably because it's a green floral and after work I'm off to check its availability in Zagreb (and see if they can suggest something else).
ReplyDeleteHi Michael, yes, I tried Datura Noir (and love it) but for me it falls into the lush white category (no wonder I love it). :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the suggestion - I should wear it to remember exactly why I like it so much.
Oh dear , thye list is endless . It is time for me to send you another care package...
ReplyDeleteHermes Hiris
Annick Goutal Heure Exquise
Carthusia Aria di capri
DSH Parfum de Grasse
Rifat ozbek Ozbek
Madame Rochas
L'Air du temps
Apercu
Miller Harris Coeur de Fleur....
Thank you Carol for that list!
ReplyDeleteFrom it, I only know Hermes Hiris and I love that one - so it's a bit strange now I think about it, that I don't own it (I know why though, I wanted to buy it, it wasn't available and later just slipped my mind).
Although looking at your list, I'm a bit ashamed confessing I have no idea how some of the classics on it smell like... Ooops.
Thanks Ines. PdN definitely on my Paris list, and Hermes Hiris, I must go and try in the 'local' H-store.
ReplyDeleteI was going to say you should investigate green florals! I see you've already found one. Perhaps because it's spring I want to suggest Gucci Envy, but it's not for everyone...
ReplyDeleteI second an exploration of iris (that's what I'm currently doing), The Perfumed Court has wonderful iris samplers. Or there's Carol. :)
ReplyDeleteI'd ALSO like to second Birgit's recommendation of Ormonde Jayne-- if you get the Discovery Set (2ml sprays of each of their 12 fragrances), you will have the chance to try many different florals, and they are all pretty sheer and not overwhelming, they were a lot of fun for me to test because I was not always comfortable with florals. Now, I'm getting to know which ones I love and which are best to avoid.
Oh, and what about Lily? It's very unique.
I just thought about something else- have you tried Guerlain L'Heure Bleue EDP? I'm wearing it right now, and had the thought that maybe you'd like it. It's a powdery floral oriental, lots of heliotrope, tuberose, iris and other florals with vanilla and musk base. It's gorgeous, it was one of the first perfumes I fell in love with when I was a teenager. :)
ReplyDeleteElisa, I was thinking that green florals might be my way into the florals. I love green perfumes. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not really familiar with Gucci Envy - I can't seem to remember the names of Gucci perfumes, they all get mixed up in my head and I never know which is which.
Carrie, thank you for the suggestions, I'm getting a bit into the lily teritorry (tried AG Des Lys yesterday and I like the weirdness of it).
ReplyDeleteAs for OJ, I tried several of those perfumes and they don't work on me. They have a shrill note that gets into my nose and won't leave so I can't really smell anything else.
Of course, as I haven't tried them all, there might be sth among them for me (I'm still hoping some of the lush flowery ones might work).
Carrie, I'll give L'Heure Blue another try. So far, it hasn't really swept me off my feet.
ReplyDeleteLe Mimosa by Annick Goutal (and other mimosas - you have a link to my post about perfumes with that flower - thank you, btw);
ReplyDeleteChamps Elysées by Guerlain,
Nectarine Blossom and Honey or Orange Blossom by Jo Malone,
Black Violet by Tom Ford,
Muguet Blanc by Van Cleef & Arpels
Asali, PdN is a hit and miss for me. Some I love, some smell very strange on me. I wonder what you'll make of them.
ReplyDeleteBtw, I have a new PdN love - Odalisque (Weekend a Deauville is not yet available here so I did some sniffing of others in the line). :D
Undina, thank you very much for the suggestions. :) All are new to me.
ReplyDelete*rubbing my hands with glee because of the new things on the floral list to try*
Hmm. Un Lys? And another vote for Hiris, though does iris root count as floral? And...y'know, I don't seem to have all that many non-jasmine florals in my collection either. Oh, Osmanthe Yunnan. Bas de Soie? Y'know, I'd forgotten Bas de Soie; I think I'm going to wear it tomorrow. And does Issey Miyake A Scent count as floral, or is it primarily green? I think both Bas de Soie and A Scent have hyacinth; maybe that's what I'm craving right now.
ReplyDeleteHey CF, thanks for suggestions. Un Lys counts. I should give Bas de Soie another try, I forgot how it smells (I just have to find my sample first). :)
ReplyDeleteAnything with hyacinths and I'm sold.