Flower Galore: Floral-Based Perfumes

One bottle of perfume contains a whole gamut of notes blended creatively to achieve the desired scent. Each perfume is more than an olfactory experience, behind the notes are stories of inspiration, captured moments or a fleeting memory of something that piques the senses.

Flowers are one of the basic components in most perfumes and fragrance houses use flowers of every kind. These could be locally cultivated or grown elsewhere. Flowers evoke femininity, a gentle embrace or a light caress from a woman. In fragrances, it gives a certain character, a distinct trail, a representation of a specific era that take you to an olfactory journey.

Let’s explore some of the popular floral perfumes today.

Parisienne by Yves Saint Laurent

Parisienne is floral-fruity in the opening embellished with notable floral notes such as peony, rose and violet. It’s slightly musky but the rose component notably stands out. This is a lovely fragrance that lets the wearer experience the old the new. Roses have a way of adding a nostalgic flair to the overall appeal of the fragrance no matter how mainstream the fragrance is.

Pleasures by Estee Lauder

Pleasures is a sheer floral fragrance that centers on the rare essence of exotic Baie rose. It’s charming, fresh with plenty of lush floral notes – lilies, peonies, jasmine. Fresh-cut grass notes are also present.

Chelsea Flowers by Bond No 9

This fragrance is inspired by New York’s Chelsea Flower Market. So, imagine yourself swimming in a pool of flowers. The impression is dainty, fine and lively courtesy of the floral notes of peony, tulip, hyacinth, magnolia and rose. Definitely luxurious albeit expensive.

Versace by Versace

Versace is a blend of soft floral notes such as orchid, lilac, jasmine and lotus. It’s an abstract floral but comes out as a well-blended fragrance – fresh, clean and sparkling.

DKNY Be Delicious Night

Iris, freesia and jasmine captures the magical night life of New York. DKNY Be Delicious Night is floriental in composition – incense-y, spicy and mysterious.

More of these floral-based fragrances at discount perfume retailer, scentiments.com.

Giorgio Armani Idole d’Armani

Idole d’Armani, an ode to femininity. The Giorgio Armani website aptly describes it as “an irresistible combination of grace, beauty and independent spirit… a tribute to this ideal and to women everywhere.” Idole is Armani’s attempt to create another mass-market fragrance that centers on a woman’s sensuality.

Perfumer Bruno Jovanovic, also the nose behind Onde Extase (2008), designed this fragrance. The notes are: top, “dazzling bitter orange, juicy pear, ginger and davana“; middle, “audacious rose loukoum and mythical jasmine blended boldly with saffron absolute, creating a honey-coloured subtle spicy note; and the base,  “luminous and sensual, unexpected styrax, patchouli and vetiver.” The bottle design is rather minimalist: art deco inspired with a wave of fine lines decorate the outline of the crystal round bottle.

Idole is a balance between the old and the new. Calling it a classic is quite tempting but not rightly so. Once the fruity-floral component unfolds, emphasis on the public’s penchant for modern fragrances is immediately recognized. These qualities make mainstream fragrances distinct and well, ubiquitous. The contrast of notes evokes a fresh fruity approach at the beginning then develops into a warm and elegant base of musky woods.   The sweetness is not obtrusive. In fact, the pairing of jasmine and saffron sits well with the pear notes.

Idole reminds me of Dolce&Gabbana’s The One. Both are beautiful fragrances to begin with – well-balanced, versatile, lovely – but there something seems to be lacking. Armani could’ve added more character in it so that it won’t end up smelling like other scents.  As for sillage and longevity, Idole delivers.

More of Giorgio Armani’s fragrances at discount perfume retailer, scentiments.com.

 

Guerlain Idylle

Guerlain in-house perfumer Thierry Wasser is the nose behind Guerlain Idylle, one of the recent fragrances in the floral category from Guerlain. Wasser wanted to produce a harmony of flowers, a floral sweetness to be exact, and use it as a theme in a story about love. Rose is the predominant note in the fragrance while other florals such as peony, freesia, lily of the valley, lilac and jasmine are infused to recreate a more feminine drama to the old-fashioned aroma of roses. A modern interpretation of Guerlinade was also incorporated in Idylle to breed more passion and also, to suggest sensuality as the scent builds up.

The gold bottle takes form in the shape of a tear. Ora Ito, the designer of the flacon, wanted to picture the modern Guerlain woman without losing the traditional elaborate designs of the bottle Guerlain perfumes are famous for. Idylle is wide at the bottom and has a shapely outline similar to that of a woman’s body.

The juice inside, alas, is not as original as what I expect it to be.  While it’s a nice, floral scent, very feminine, as a matter of fact; the intermingling of flowers emanate a refreshing yet ordinary smell. Pleasant, gentle and can be categorized as a safe floral-based perfume (no surprise headaches at initial application). However, there’s not much innovation in the scent. Idylle could be Guerlain’s conventional take on mainstream fragrances. But I think they should not veer away from the basic Guerlain fragrances too much because the previous fragrances really stand out from the run of the mill type of perfumes.

Dolce&Gabbana Rose The One

Rose The One is Dolce & Gabbana’s modern take on the classic flower of romance, rose. This fragrance is a flanker of the The One (2006) and its more recent predecessor L’eau The One (2008).  Bright, powdery and lacking depth – generic, I believe is more apropos. The composition is almost linear  and the rose is not as intense. The fragrance notes focus on the citrusy element that projects a fresh and zesty base. The notes are black currant, grapefruit, mandarin orange, lily of the valley, rose, lychee, peony, lily, ambrette, sandalwood, musk and vanilla.

While Rose The One is a pleasant fragrance on the overall, it’s not something that piques the interest. It’s somehow reminiscent of Yves Saint Laurent’s Baby Doll and Parisienne as both fragrances center on rose accords, as well. Like the original The One, this version doesn’t do well on the longevity department. It quickly diffuses and barely present after a few hours.

The ad is definitely more beautiful and elegant than the actual perfume. There seemed to be a disconnect between the fragrance and the campaign, or shall I say, D&G and P&G Prestige put more hours perfecting the campaign over the fragrance. What a shame.

Here is Rose The One’s ad campaign featuring Scarlett Johansson.

Dior Addict

Compelling, bold and luxuriously creamy – Dior Addict is the modern, intuitive woman who knows what she wants. This floriental fragrance from Dior is as enchanting as the notes that perfumer Thierry Wasser put together. Mandarin leaves are introduced at the beginning of the notes followed by the exquisite florals in the middle. The base notes, on the one hand, develop into a sweet-spicy scent where vanilla accords create a wonderful sensual energy as it combines with sandalwood and Tonka beans.

Dior Addict is reminiscent of Angel: the gourmand aroma is very pronounced. The floral notes in the heart (orange blossom, night queen flower and Bulgarian rose) evoke a serene-like feeling albeit ephemeral because the vanilla takes center stage in no time. The way the notes meld together is beautifully done. Despite its rich composition in the dry down, the freshness of mandarin and the enchanting air of floral accords balances the addictive quality of the fragrance.

As for the sillage, expect long hours of intense fragrance wafting all day. Perfumistas who have tried and lusted for Dior Addict vouch for its incomparable longevity. It clings on the skin for hours. This is something you ought to wear during winter or evenings.

Dior Addict was launched in 2002 and is available in eau de parfum.

More of Dior’s fragrances at scentiments.com.

Creed Acqua Fiorentina

Father and son Olivier and Erwin Creed teamed up to create a floral fruity fragrance called Acqua Fiorentina. This scent is not heavy on the florals; rather it’s a charming, light fragrance good enough to pair with the mainstream fragrances of today. This latest scent from Creed doesn’t project something new and exciting. It’s comparable to one of those I’ve-smelled-this-before fragrances in the perfumery. Nonetheless, I’m not discounting the fact that this is a well-crafted fragrance on the overall. It’s just that they could’ve been more creative in the composition to make it more distinct and more impressive.

The notes are bergamot, rose, Virginia cedar, sandalwood, plum and Amalfi lemon.The plummy notes at the beginning is pleasant and sweet while the citrusy accords blend well with the “hardly there” musk notes. The fragrance is very linear and there is no hint of complexity as it moves from the top to the middle and down to the base notes.

More of Creed’s fragrances at discount perfume online retailer, scentiments.com.

L’eau d’Issey & L’eau d’Issey Pour Homme

L’eau d’Issey’s claim to fame in the perfumery is its groundbreaking floral aquatic fragrance that has become the benchmark of many perfumes since it was launched in 1992. This fragrance is all about pure floral accords and the sparkling freshness of water. Although there’s a whole entourage of notes that encapsulate this fragrance; lotus, rose, lily and precious woods form its olfactory signature.

This fragrance react differently depending on the skin type, which is an obvious fact. Some find the combination of floral and aquatic accords too synthetic and an assault to the senses. Yet on some who are more compatible with the notes pick up all the nice and clean notes of soft florals and watery accords. L’eau d’Issey is one of the most subtle fragrances in the perfumery, in my opinion.

L’eau d’Issey Pour Homme is geared towards the citrusy-woodsy composition. The top notes are teeming with zesty mandarin and lemons so you’ll get a very sharp citrus in the opening. There seems to be no progression from the top to the middle and base because the freshness is palpable even in the dry down. The men’s cologne is quite potent that’s why it is best to be prudent with applications.

Both fragrances perform well in terms of sillage and longevity.  L’eau d’Issey and Pour Homme can be classified as singular fragrances. There wasn’t much transition going on in the notes. The women’s fragrance is floral-aquatic throughout and same applies with the men’s cologne  on its citrusy-fresh appeal from start to finish. To those who adore simplistic and no-nonsense fragrances, these combo may suit their olfactory preferences.

In light of Issey Miyake’s success in the fragrance category, a series of flankers were created over the years – tweaked, neutered and amp’ed up. More of Issey Miyake’s perfume and cologne collection is available at discount perfume retailer, scentiments.com.

Astor Place Bond No. 9

Astor Place is the latest scent from New York based fragrance house Bond No. 9. The perfume is inspired by the city’s vibrant arts and style intersection – home to the Astor Place Opera House and Tony Rosenthal’s sculpture “Alamo” or “The Cube”.

This fragrance was launched in April 2009 and described by founder Laurice Rahme, as unisex  (all Bond No. 9 fragrances are unisex) with feminine tendencies.  Designed by perfumer Laurent de Guernec, the notes of this fragrance are violet leaf, mandarin zest, freesia, poppy buds, orris root, teakwood, musk and amber.  The bottle is a palette of beautiful colors, more like a montage of cubes ala-Alamo.

The notes open up with a pleasant fruity accord that reminds me of berries. It quickly disappears, however, as the essence of white flowers replaced the sweet notes at the top. The base seems to be invisible as the musk and amber are nowhere to be found. It could be the freesia toppled the supposed woodsy notes. I wish the dry down is a lot more pronounced to give the beautiful floral more character. Some say that Astor Place is reminiscent of Paris Hilton’s first fragrance or Dior’s J’adore. While both are aesthetically pleasing to the nose, I expect something more from Astor Place. Perhaps, more dramatic flair to it  just like the real Astor Place.

Astor Place is available in eau de toilette at 50ml and 100ml. There’s also a Swarovski limited edition in 100ml bottle.

Love Ralph Lauren

Extravagance and opulence.  That’s Love by Ralph Lauren, a floral-oriental fragrance that centers on Bulgarian rose. This  stunning perfume in a heart-shaped bottle comes at a hefty tag price to the tune of $600 (crystal parfum edition). If you desire the  more ostentatious display of wealth, trimmings of 24-carat gold and an amethyst top, be ready to splurge some more to experience more of the Love. How about $2,200 to cap (pun intended) it off with a real amethyst gem?

This overly expensive fragrance is composed of the following notes: magnolia, mimosa, rose, ylang-ylang, amber, orris root, patchouli, vetiver, vanilla and musk. It starts off with a rich complex floral fragrance then quickly introduces the lush notes of roses in the middle.  At the base, Love lets you experience the creaminess of vanilla mingling with the woodsy accords.

Love seems to defy recession given its insane prices. Being a floriental perfume, one would wonder if the perfume is really about the scent, the bottle or the marketing hype? The eau de parfum version is more forgiving at $135 for a 2.5 oz bottle.

Ralph Lauren fragrances are generally conservative scents. There are other florientals in the perfumery which are as good as Love and priced realistically at that. If you’re a collector of precious perfume bottles embellished with jewels, Love may as well be part of your inventory.

Tom Ford Grey Vetiver

Vetiver is widely used in the perfumery for its fixative properties. The United States, Europe and Japan are said to be the main consumers of this precious root. But what makes vetiver so special? Tom Ford knows.

American fashion designer Tom Ford presents his latest  masculine fragrance bearing the name of the essential fragrance ingredient, vetiver  -  Grey Vetiver. As expected, vetiver is the primary note together with orange flower, grapefruit, aromatic sage, orris, nutmeg, pimiento, amber woods and oak moss.

Grey Vetiver is a modern interpretation of the classic masculine vetiver. It starts out with fresh citrus then transitions to a somewhat toasty-spicy essence (perhaps, the sage and nutmeg). The dry down is warm and cozy as the vetiver mingles with the ambery woods. Although this fragrance is not exactly groundbreaking, it’s well-blended and is a nice vetiver-based scent.

The frosted bottle is a replica of the earlier Tom Ford fragrances, ribbed flacon with the designer’s name imprinted  on the thin metal sheet. Grey Vetiver comes in 50 ml eau de parfum.

If you’re a fan of vetiver, you might as well get a bottle and compare it with your other vetiver-based perfumes.