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Portia
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Hello Fellow Fumies,
At APJ we have a Saturday Question. Everyone gets to chime in with an answer, chat with other responders and it’s a fun event each week. Taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.
The idea is you’ll see it on the weekend or chime in through the week. Hopefully you will come back regularly and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them. The aim is to generate real conversation and connection even though we are scattered around the globe.
Over 100 responses I will draw a Scent Sample Pack (from my collection)
This week:
Sample Pack
- Vintage YSL Opium EdT
- A Quiet Morning by Miller et Bertaux
- Vintage Eau de Joy EdT by Jean Patou
- Divine EdP
- L’Heure Bleue EdP by Guerlain
Last Weeks Winner: Old Herbaceous
eMail me at (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with your address please
Saturday Question: What Are Your Favourite Floral Fragrances?
What seems to happen so often in the scentbloggosphere is that florals get left out of the conversation. Everyone has such a boner for weird, cool, bro-ish or space age stuff that the florals get ignored. Today I’d like to give florals a moment of glory, and also to be introduced to or reminded of super scents that I have missed. So let’s get our floral freak flags out and wave them. Rose, Iris, Jasmine, Marigold, Hyacinth, Freesia, Honeysuckle, Tuberose, Lilies, Ylang, Chamomile, Heliotrope, Lavender or a mixture, let’s pay homage to the flowers today.
My Answer:
Mainly I like combinations of flowers. A bouquet. Usually with a few other bells and whistles for interest and depth. It also seems by my list of favourites that I want my white florals front and centre. All five of them are white floral heavy.
My favourite florals are from Serge Lutens – Fleurs d’Oranger, Montale – Intense Cafe for that nice rose in it, another one from Serge Lutens – Iris silver mist and one less know designer juice , named Custo Barcelona Man, a fantastic neroli unique blend by Francis Kurkdijan 👌🏻👌🏻
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Hey Alen,
Custo Barcelona Man sounds intriguing. Where did you find it?
Portia xx
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I’ve received it from a friend who lives in Madrid, as a gift. That’s how i’ve discovered this cutie . Anyways i can see it listed on ebay but dont know about the price if it’s a fair one.
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Snap! Fleurs d’Oranger is my favourite. I don’t know Barcelona Man. I can’t remember which MKKs I have,
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Fleurs d’oranger is a fantastic juice, indeed 👍🏻👍🏻
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I have Custo Barcelona’s Custo Woman L’Eau, whose creator is Alberto Morillas. It’s delightful! So are Custo Barcelona’s clothes — bright, funky, youthful.
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Vintage Crabtree/ Evelyn Gardenia, that sweet sweet gorgeous tuberose in Carnal Flower and my wedding perfume, Il Bacio,which is also a bouquet.
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Lovely choices Saffyishere.
Carnal Flower is fabulous!
Portia xx
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I adore tuberose. My parents grew rows and rows of tuberose, and it was divine! I miss those scents.
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Defo Carnal Flower! I have the C&E Taracco Orange which is lovely and fresh. I don’t use it often enough.
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Florals arent my first go to choice but I do adore my Florabotanica and L’Art Voleur de Roses.
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Hey Melanie,
Voleur de Roses is gorgeous. I think we’ve chatted about it before, yes? Scott wears it flawlessly.
Portia x
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Mel- Agree VdR is gorgeous.
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Florabotanica is really nice and I wonder why I still don’t have my FB.
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Lutens’ Fleurs d’Oranger- I smell like a goddess.
Also, La fille de Berlin. Tuberose criminelle. ISM.
My vintage Anais Anais.
Guerlain Rose Nacree du desert (currently wearing, maybe that’s why I remembered it.)
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La Fille de Berlin is one of favourites roses, too.
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* my favourite roses.
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Mine too. Obviously, since it’s on my list. It isn’t one that I thought I’d love so much so it feels extra special.
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Hey Jyotsna,
Isn’t Rose Nacree du Desert incredible3. I don’t wear it enough.
Portia xx
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Vintage Anais Anais – lucky you Jyotsna. I wish I could smell it again…the new version is nothing like it anymore.
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Neva- I know. I wish I had bought ALL the bottles. It was my go-to scent when I was young. Always a gift from my mum 💕
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Ahh…Anais Anais…I wore it back in the day when it wasn’t vintage 🙂
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Me too. Guess we’re the vintage ones now.
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Congratulations, Old Herbaceous!
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I adore orange blossom and mimosa, BV Knot, Fleur de Cassie, Mimosa and Cardamon are favorities. But usually I like my florals mixed with something like else like incense, Passage d’Enfer, Seville a l’aube, Parfum Sacre.
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Hiya Mariann,
You love Passage d’Enfer, Seville a l’aube and Parfum Sacre? Wonderful. Me too.
Portia x
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Glad you like them too! If only the Passage d‘Enfer would last longer on me, but respritzing is nice too 🙂
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I’m with you on Mimosa & Cardamom!
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Cant wait to pull it out again soon!
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Hmmm trying to think of florals that I even like, mm…still trying to think.
Ok I am glad iris is a flower, because I am wearing La Pausa tonight. And I like Iris Silver Mist, but that is more rooty.
I have a phobia of tuberose. And lily. But I do agree Ms P that combinations of flowers hold more interest for me.
Great question!
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Hey JackieB,
Iris is a lovely flower in fragrance. So many ways it can be incorporated.
Portia xx
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This not uncommon dislike of tuberose is very saddening. It is maddeningly divine.
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Nocturnes de Caron (buttery florals)
Heaven (lily of the valley..so ladylike)
Reglisse Noire (lavender)
Jour Ensoleille (orange blossom)
Calyx (rotting florals-LOL!)
Un Ete En Provence (fruity florals)
Noa (coffee floral)
Victoria (the original which I cannot find the notes on but there is floral in that one…my nose smells rose)
Pacifica’s Egyptian Bergamot Rose
Pacifica Avalon Juniper (heliotrope combined with grapefruit and juniper)
Pacifica Tunesian Jasmine (gorgeously blended with an almond note)
and your mention of marigold made me realize that I really love that note. There was fragrance by Dolce and Gabanna that came with a red cap..the bottle was exactly like the Light Blue one but the cap was red…that was a gorgeous marigold.
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I think it was just referred to as Dolce & Gabbana red cap – I loved that one too!
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ah!! finally someone who knows which one I am talking about!!!
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I smell marigold in Safari RL, Brigitte, probably, that’s why I like it so much.
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Yes! There’s marigold in Safari too. Probably why I like it as well.
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Diana, Brigitte- I’m looking for a fragrance that has African tagete. I have heard their smell is quite amazing. Bal D’Afrique does nothing for me.
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Hey Jyotsna. I’m not sure but aren’t marigolds and African tagetes pretty much the same? I don’t know if you tried Safari (for women), but if you like green floral scents and/or galbanum, you definitely need to try it. Just go for vintage, there are nice minibottles on ebay.
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WOW! Wonderful list.
“Calyx (rotting florals-LOL!)” LOL indeed.
Portia xx
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and yet with my skin chemistry it always seemed to work…without fail every time I wore Calyx I got a compliment (and usually it was from a man).
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There’s that magical skin again, turning rotten flowers and blood into all sorts of beauty.
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AG Grand Amour and Songes, Seville a l’aube, Sonoma Scent Studio Jour Ensoleille, Lieu de Reves and Bee’s Bliss.
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thanks for the reminder! i adore Lieu de Reves too!!!!
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MMKinPA! Love your choices. Especially the Goutals. YUM!
Portia xx
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Songes, Seville a l’aube and Bee’s Bliss are among my favorites too.
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Long-time favorite florals include Guerlain Champs Elysees EDP (gorgeous powdery floral); Cartier Panthere EDP (1986 version with gorgeous floral heart, not the more recent La Panthere); Chanel No 22; and Chanel Beige. (And of course my classic No 5). Portia, I need to re-visit Joy! It will be my perfume of the day! Thank you for the reminder xoxo
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How could I forget Champs El;sees Kathleen. Beautiful fragrance, well underrated.
Portia x
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Champs Elysees is great in all concentrations, in my opinion, but extrait used to be the smoothest (not sure if they even produce it now).
I like Beige but have never thought about it as a floral perfume (don’t ask what type I think it is :), in my mind it’s “Chanel.”
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I know it! Beige’s name I think is deceiving. Makes it sound like something bland and subtle, like more of an Oriental. Yet, it is very much white floral and definitely Chanel.
Champs Elysées extrait, yes the best concentration. I no longer have it but it was gorgeous,
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“Beige” is such a pointless name for a lovely scent. I haven’tried it but so many fellow fumies have great things to say.
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Yes, we were discussing this last month. What marketing moron decides Beige is a good name? It describes everything that is boring, banal, insipid and dull. Yoo-hoo, Chanel? You better ask Tom Ford to name your next perfume. It will be anything but mundane.
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I always think that I’m a nae flowers sort of creature, and all smoke and leather and mean greens… then I remember Fracas. And how much I love lavender, narcissus, hyacinth, and lillies in fragrances, and old fashioned floral swooners–sure, sure, on the oriental side of floral–like l’heure bleue and shem el-nessim that are just awash with flowers. And I realise that I am a big damn fraud.
I’m even coming round to the idea that I really like iris…
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HA! Crikey,
We all tell ourselves stories of ourselves that are not necessarily true. Glad you are finding iris.
Portia xx
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oh, nicely put!
I have just anointed myself–really, it’s the only word–with about 1ml of 28 La Pausa to get that glorious but fleeting half hour of orris-irisey loveliness.
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Narcissus, hyacinth, and lilies — your tastes and mine overlap there! And I’ve “discovered” iris in the last couple of years, and I’m finding it too is much to my liking!
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It is quite a potent set of flowers, huh?
I’ve still not found my one-true-lily, though the Lush/Gorilla Death and Decay is pretty good. Heady. And the hyacinth in Paul Schutze’s Tears of Eros is bit of a favourite of mine. You?
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have you tried Ineke’s Gilded Lily? It’s a good one!
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I have not! I may have to get a sample of that next time I’m ordering anything from Roullier White (though… how fruity is it?)
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For hyacinth, I’ve been very happy with Jo Malone’s Blue Hyacinth. Narcissus: Penhaligon’s Ostara, although it’s really yellow daffodils, not like paperwhite narcissus. Lily: VCA’s Automne; Donna Karan Gold.
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Thanks will try the JM.
There’s a lovely strand of narcissus in Papillon’s Dryad, too. Though I’m with you on Ostara.
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I forgot about the narcissus in Dryad!
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Hi, thank you so much! I’ve emailed you my mailing address. Favorite florals? So many scents, so little time! Decades-long loves: Chanel No. 22, since I was in my 20s; the former Diorissimo, also since my 20s. Newer loves: Penhaligon’s Ostara; Hermes’ Muguet Porcelaine; Lancome’s Jasmins Marzipane; Tiffany’s Tiffany & Co.; Commodity Velvet; Laboratorio Olfattivo’s Decou-Vert and Nirmal. New to me but longtime classics: Jean Patou’s L’Heure Attendue; Amouage Gold; too many Guerlains to list. Dying to try: Papillon’s Angelique.
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Hey OH,
You know I never think of CHANEL No 22 as a floral because the aldehydes are so prominent but you are totally correct to call it one. YUM!
Portia xx
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Same here…I think of aldehydes and incense when I think of no 22 which I also love.
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See Portia? You don’t view Chanel No. 22 as a floral. Neither do I. Yet I love it.
Same goes for me with Arpege and Madame Rochas (which auto-correct rudely wanted to change to Roaches). I don’t think of them as strictly florals. Aldehydic florals yes, as you pointed out. Clearly I’m a bit of a dim bulb in categorizing perfumes, then.
I should try Fracas again, since Carnal Flower is one of my besties.
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Yep. Aldehydes rule in those!
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I went down the No. 22 rabbit hole in the first place because of the white roses in it! Just beautiful. My mother always wore No. 5, so that is “her” Chanel to me; and No. 22 just suits me better. It did in my 20s, and it still does, although I really like No. 5 Eau Premiere. Why, why no red bottle for THAT No. 5? Though the red bottle of L’Eau might give me an excuse to get that, which so far I have resisted although I like it a lot.
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Aha! The floral/aldehyde debate rages on 🤗
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Silly me ,I forgot to mention Ostara…. and the most divinely devastating De Profundis. Yet another… L’Artisan’s Le Chasse Aux Paplion.
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I haven’t tried De Profundis; I have a small coffret bottle of Chasse Aux Papillons, which you’ve reminded me to take out and try.
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The Jasmine Marzipane one intrigues me…how prominent is the marzipan note?
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Not very prominent, but definitely present. It offers a sweet, milky almond layer underneath the jasmine similar to the “dragee” aspect of its new sibling, Iris Dragees. I’m really enjoying both (and just reviewed the latter). I am finicky when it comes to jasmine fragrances; I grow and love real jasmine, and find the flowers’ fragrance so alluring, but I don’t love many jasmine scents. Jasmins Marzipane is clearly a fantasy jasmine, but it is very pretty and not an overwhelming BWF as some jasmines are. Best of all, it and its siblings come in a 14 ml travel size! I got mine when Neiman Marcus had an online fragrance sale recently.
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Yikes!!! I just read your excellent review…now I want both! Will have to give them some proper skin time when next in Manhattan… I love that they come in smaller bottles for a reasonable price!
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Congrats on your win, fellow Guerlain admirer! I adore l’Heure Attendue (wish I had a bigger bottle, though).
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Ostara is so lovely. I don’t know why i don’t wear it more often.
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Sooo many but I tend to go old school with my florals. My faves are the ones I first wore: Jessica McClintock and Perfumer’s Workshop Tea Rose.
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TEA ROSE! Gina, good reminder.
Portia xx
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My produce lady wears Jessica McClintock as her signature…it smells amazing on her.
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Portia, before I forget: don’t enter my name this week: I own three out of five 🙂
I love floral scents, preferably rose, violet- and iris-centric ones, and excluding big white florals (I love some of those but this is not the kind of perfume I’d blind-buy easily). Chant d’Aromes might be the one I love most, but of course, a few Guerlains come close: Vol de Nuit with its narcissus, Chamade, l’Heure Bleue. I love too many rose scents, listing them all would probably bore you all, but there is only one fleur-d’orange perfume I admire: it’s Houbigant Orangers en fleurs.
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I nearly forgot Arpege No.5, Eau Premiere and So Pretty, and my beloved carnations: Dianthus, l’Air du Temps and Oeillet Bengale. There are too many florals I love, I have to draw the line somewhere 🙂
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YAY! I’m so glad the question hit into your fragrant loves Diana,
You won’t bore us with fragrant detail. Here of all places feel free to fly your floral freak frag.
Portia xx
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Thank you, Portia, you’re always so kind 🙂
Well, then I need to mention some of my favourities irises, e.g. Infusion d’Iris and TDC Bois d’Iris, and since I’m a big ran of rose perfumes, here’s my list of those I love: Parfum Sacre, Rose Poivree, La Fille de Berlin, Rouge Hermes.
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Ooh, I love No. 5 Eau Premiere! I like L’Eau a lot too, but it feels better suited to my young adult daughters. Have you tried L’Artisan’s Oeillet Sauvage? It is a really beautiful carnation, a note I also love.
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I haven’t tried Oeillet Sauvage yet, thanks for the reminder!
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It is so soft that I wear it to bed sometimes. It’s just so pretty!
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Let’s see, Tiare OJ for pretty white flower, lots of iris but latest is L’Attesa, Douceur de Siam for another pwf, and ELO L’Eau de Protection for a tough rose.
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La Douceur de Siam is incredibly good, Pissara is a genius, IMO.
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L’Atessa is beautiful.
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Yes AnnieA,
Tiare is GORGEOUS!
Portia xx
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I really like florals so apologies in advance for the long list ahead…
Dilettante for orange blossom, Moon Bloom for tuberose.
Mohur and PHI for rose.
Pretty much all the Chanels for rose/iris/jasmine.
Eau de Magnolia for magnolia.
Pichola and 24 Faubourg for what I think of as big grand bouquets.
Chanel 19, Silences and Odalisque for green florals.
Narciso white cube for gardenia.
Whew, I’m sure I missed a few to boot!
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Hey Gigi,
Love that you have a few Neela Vermeire Creations in your list. She’ll be thrilled.
Portia xx
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Hey, now I’m thrilled to hear that! I think Mohur is one of the great masterpieces of our time.
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We agree on this.
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We have many favorites in common! I counted 5 or 6 that I like (and it’s even before you named any Chanel perfumes! 😉 ).
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Gigi – you have picked gorgeous scents. I love your greens, PHI and Moon Bloom.
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Well I think I have a problem with florals. Or at least the BWF category. For some reason I have a lot of iris in my collection, but I sort of don’t consider them florals. They just happen to have iris in them. I do adore Carnal Flower. I have both TF Jasmin Rouge and SL La Fille de Berlin. They do not work on me. I used to wear Madame Rochas, but is that a floral 🧐 Guess I better check my stash and see what’s going on.
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Marcella,
You have a problem with BWFs and love Carnal Flower? He He He He. Not consistent. He He he.
Yeah, I reckon Madame roaches is an Aldehydic Floral, like No 5 and Arpege.
Portia xx
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I know, it doesn’t make sense. My perfume habits run towards fickle, inconsistent and nonsensical 😑
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Arpege is gorgeously aldehydic!
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LOLL! I know, I know. I love Arpege, but I don’t consider it strictly a floral. To me, it’s primarily an aldehyde. Sheesh! I better go back to perfumista school. I need to review my categories.
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I also like SL Datura noir. Im not a huge floral fan but like Hermes Neroli dore, Chloe fleurs de capucine, L’Occitane Vanille & narcisse and Jar Bolt of lightning.
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Hey Tussah,
L’Occitane Vanille & Narcisse is SO GOOD! Punches well above its price range.
Portia xx
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Amoureuse!
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O H Y E S! 100% Amoureuse ElizabethC,
Portia xx
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Some that immed. come to mind include Lutens Fille de Berlin, Gucci No. 3 and Lyric Woman (does Lyric woman qualify as it is rose-centered but also has oriented feel)
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Hey Fazal,
Yeah, Lyric Woman definitely counts.
Isn’t Gucci No 3 fabulous!
Portia xx
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I LOVE Gucci No. 3. It is one of the best ever Guccis, men or women.
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Lyric Women is va va voom!
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Floral perfumes are probably my most favorite category (with “oriental,” “green” and other modifiers, of course). OJ Ta’if, Tiare, Champaca and Frangipani; JM French Lime Blossom, Mimosa & Cardamom and about 10 others; Guerlain Cruel Gardenia, Champs Elysees and Chamade; Chanel No 19; Les Parfums de Rosine Rose d’Amour; Diorissimo; Puredistance Antonia and White; SL Profundis and Vitriol d’oeillet; Tom Ford Fleur de Chine, Champaca and Vert de Fleur… I should probably stop but I could easily double the list – did I mention that I like florals?.. 😉
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Hey there Undina,
I was hoping you’d drop by. Yeah, I know how much you love them. I’m a fan too.
Portia xx
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OOO thank you for reminding me of French Lime Blossom!!! I love that one too. And to add to the linden note I will also say Pacifica’s Bali Lime Papaya which is lime blossom (linden) paired with papaya..it’s beautiful.
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And thinking of Lime Blossom also reminded me that I loved Jo Malone Orange Blossom as well…that was my very first full bottle of Jo Malone.
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De Profundis is out of this world. I wish Serge would make it more accessible 😦
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Me too Is it available in any London shops, do you know?
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I might be mistaken but I heard that the jar bottles are only sold in Paris 😦
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LIberty seems to have the super-expensive skyscraper bottle version of it. But the cheaper black travel atomisers are still on the web site… but, do check it still smells good. Last time I sniffed it it seemed to be very heavy on the white musks…
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Same here. Considering how hard it is to get so many perfumes here, he needs to make it accessible!
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Yes to all the OJs! Her florals are so beautifully blended.
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I don’t consider myself to be a huge floral lover but there are some beautiful ones: Paris and Rive Gauche by YSL, Penhaligon’s Blasted Bloom, Heeley’s L’Amandiere, Amouage Beloved.
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OOOO! Rive Gauche!!! yes!!! Neva- you just reminded me that there were so many older florals I wore years ago- the original Chloe, Diane von Furstenberg, Oscar de la Renta, Lauren (there’s another great marigold), Yardley English Lavender, Poison, Giorgio…..I will stop there.
Blasted Bloom intrigues me because Old Herbaceous raves about it.
What are your thoughts on Heeley’s L’Amandiere? That one came up when I was on an almond/marzipan quest a while back.
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L’Amandiere is a green floral on my skin. I feel fresh mown grass and flowers and it is soft, powdery. It reminds me of the old Shiseido Zen from 2000 in the white translucent bottle, the one with bamboo and violet notes. L’Amandiere has also better lasting power than most Heeley perfumes.
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Giorgio! Loved that bombastic blast. Maybe I’m a tuberose girls at heart? And iris. Never found a rose that made me happy.
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Florals always feel a bit decadent on me, so I don’t wear them a whole lot. Some of the ones I’d nominate are not strictly “florals” in the Edwards categorisation, but here goes:
1. Malle Geranium pour Monsieur
2. Histoire de Parfums Tubereuse 3 Animale
3. Heeley Cuir Pleine Fleur
There are probably some neroli fragrances that are classified as floral, but I tend to think of those as citrus, for some reason.
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Honestly, I think a man in the right floral, especially tuberose is mmm, mmm, mmm. Kill it Greg!
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I definitely can’t list all the florals I love because I would be here all day. They make up the bulk of my collection for sure, either as flower centric or blend. I will try to edit as best I can.
Songes, Jour Ensoleille, Carnal Flower, Iris Poudre, Yin &Ylang, DK Gold, Fidji, Frangipani, Opium and Magie Noire, both outstanding chypre/florals, Fracas, Intense Tiare, Baiser Vole, Fleur d’Osmanthus, POAL, Pichola (instant love from first sniff). I’ll stop now, I could keep on and on and on.
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This list reads like a poem, Cassie!
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