One of my favorite childhood pursuits was to make perfume. At least, that’s what I called it—my great grandmother’s description was “pestilence.” I scoured the flower beds, collected rose, carnation and dahlia petals, soaked them in water and waited until they turned into a fragrant brew. Eventually, the whole lot would rot and smell more beastly than beautiful, but undaunted I persevered. Faced with a garden that her great granddaughter pillaged on a daily basis, Asya gave me a bottle of perfume called White Lilac and hoped that my interest would eventually fade.
Years later, and I’m still fascinated by floral scents. Their variety is immense, from jasmine to marigold, from rose to ylang ylang. More than any other family, florals are susceptible to change as technology evolves. The aroma-material called hedione has changed the way we perceive floral perfumes. Its lemony freshness decorates almost all floral accords–and fragrances in all other perfume families. For instance, you can notice hedione in classics like Christian Dior Diorella or in modern blends like Penhaligon’s The Favourite.
To engineer a flower takes a combination of art and science. While rose, jasmine, mimosa, and tuberose yield their essence via either steam distillation or solvent extraction, most other blossoms are temperamental creatures. Lilac, gardenia, lily of the valley, and hyacinth are recreated by perfumers using their imagination and headspace technology, the study of aroma-molecules emanating from the flower. The latter is also used to create more nature-like floral impressions.
Ever since Ralph Lauren Romance and Estée Lauder Pleasures were established as benchmarks in the 90s, flowers have often been rendered as clean and wholesome. This is the reason why some people describe the family as “boring.” It also doesn’t help that this style is one of the most popular and most florals at the stores are so clean that they smell sterile.
Yet, even the most delicate blooms like lily of the valley, rose and lilac can be interpreted in a subversive manner. One way to accomplish this is to layer flowers with balsams, woods, incense, spices and animalic ingredients. If after indulging in fresh jasmine like Atelier Cologne Jasmin Angélique, I’m in the mood for dusky and risqué, I turn to Papillon Perfumes Salome. Perfumer Liz Moores amplifies the animalic growl of jasmine by cumin and patchouli, and then uses the citrusy freshness of rose and bergamot to make the composition shimmer. Salome smells so dangerously seductive that it should come with a warning label.
Even lilac, a note with a reputation for primness, can be made smouldering. In Vero Profumo’s Rozy, it’s part of a rose accord, with plenty of honey and sandalwood to sharpen the edges. Instead of a garden party and chintz, Rozy is Mumbai’s Dadar flower market and midnight jazz. In other words, it’s dazzling.
What are your favorite florals? Last week, some of my male readers mentioned wearing rose perfumes. Do you also wear other florals?
Photography by Bois de Jasmin
61 Comments
Tourmaline: Dear Victoria,
It is easy for me to name my favourite floral fragrances – rose, violet, lilac, carnation, apple blossom, lily of the valley, jasmine and orange blossom. So, my ten favourite floral fragrances are the simpler ones that feature these flowers. I have arranged them in chronological order.
1. Bellodgia (Caron 1927)
2. Apple Blossom (Helena Rubinstein 1948)
3. Diorissimo (Christian Dior 1956)
4. Roses {Original) (Yardley 1970)
5. Paris (Yves Saint Laurent 1983)
6. Lipstick Rose (Frédérick Malle 2000)
7. Orange Blossom (Yardley 2001)
8. Pur Désir de Lilas (Yves Rocher 2002)
9. White Jasmine (Woods of Windsor 2005)
10. Violette (Molinard 2016) November 15, 2021 at 8:39am
Victoria: What a wonderful list of reference floral perfumes! November 15, 2021 at 9:06am
Tourmaline: Glad you like it! By the way, I should have added that, as a child, I used to make perfume with honeysuckle flowers and water. Also, I would love to have smelled the White Lilac scent your great grandmother gave you. I love the smell of lilacs! November 15, 2021 at 9:11am
MaureenC: Great list! How lovely to see Apple Blossom in there. It was my mother’s favourite and affordable for someone on a tight budget. A lovely reminder of one of the scents of my childhood November 15, 2021 at 9:29am
Tourmaline: Hi Maureen,
I was given a gift set of the perfume and matching talc by a school friend for my birthday when I was a child. I loved the fragrance, and I so wish it was still made!
With kind regards,
Tourmaline November 15, 2021 at 9:34am
Cornelia Blimber: Apple Blossom! so many memories of my young age, shared with Tourmaline and Maureen. November 15, 2021 at 3:21pm
Tourmaline: They should bring it back! I’m sure it would sell. November 16, 2021 at 8:05am
Nina Zolotow: Vintage Bellodia (the extrait) is my most favorite floral of all time! If I had to live with just one perfume, this would be it. November 15, 2021 at 12:34pm
Tourmaline: It’s a classic beauty and one of my favourites of all my perfumes, not just my florals. November 16, 2021 at 8:07am
Debby: I’m also happy to see Apple Blossom here, I wore it as a young teen, it was my grandmother’s favourite and she insisted I had some too. I was over the moon to get a perfectly kept vintage bottle exactly the same as the one I had on eBay last year, what a trip down memory lane!
If you love lilac, have you tried En Passant? A recent discovery of mine, it’s heavenly. November 15, 2021 at 1:53pm
Tourmaline: Hi Debby,
That was a great eBay find. I found a small half-full bottle of the bath oil a few years ago, which was better than nothing. I must keep a look out, as obviously there is still some treasure out there.
Indeed, I have been meaning to try En Passant for years! I really must get onto it. November 16, 2021 at 8:10am
Colleen Connor: Can you please tell me how to go about finding the older perfumes. I like everything on your list! I grow most of them. I am just getting started with my perfume obsession. Jasmine is too on my list. November 17, 2021 at 2:06pm
Tourmaline: Hi Colleen,
You must have a green thumb, to be growing all those flowers successfully. I have still never seen or smelled real violets or lily of the valley flowers, and hope to do so someday.
I must confess that the only place I have ever searched for vintage fragrances is eBay, and while I have had good luck with my many purchases, I often read on this website about other people receiving bottles of fragrance that have “turned”, or simply don’t measure up to the fragrance memory.
There will always be a level of risk in buying on eBay, but checking whether a seller has a good track record in terms of feedback is always advisable.
I’m sure that other readers would have advice as to other sources of vintage fragrance, as well as tips on minimizing the risk of buying a dud.
You have a lot of fun ahead of you in your fall down the rabbit hole of the fragrance obsession. I wish you the best of luck on your journey!
With kind regards,
Tourmaline November 18, 2021 at 5:59am
Redhead: I ADORE ADORE ADORE floral perfumes!! Especially white flowers! Gardenia, jasmine (sambac, philadelphus from your photo above, grandiflorum, stephanotis…), tuberose! Dear dear, I am on my gardenia craze now! My favourites are SL Une Voix Noire, Isabey Gardenia (both pure parfum and edp), Chanel Gardenia. I did not get along with Ellie Saab Essence no2 Gardenia (cloying and flat) and Estee Lauder Tuberose Gardenia (smells like orange blossom bomb on my skin). If someone is as crazy about Gardenia as i am, please, let me know your favourites and why! November 15, 2021 at 9:36am
Mingzhe Wang: I love gardenia! Grew up with them in china, but have not been able to find anything that really reminds me of it. Elie Saab comes close but it is a bit off. I will have to try One Voix Noire! Interestingly, when sprayed on paper, Jo Malone’s Jasmine Sambac and Marigold smells very much like a realistic gardenia, but not on skin. Recently I found out about Jeffrey Dame perfume, which is only available in the USA. They have a gardenia soliflore. Readers seem to think it is very realistic. I will have to find out more. November 15, 2021 at 9:45am
Valentyna: Yes, I read about Jeffrey Dame and Yves Rocher (discontinued one) Gardenia. But they are hard to get and I doubt they can be complex enough to recreate that fascinating scent!
UVN SL has been hiding from me for a long time, even when i bought it in a split, i couldn’t see its beauty at first. I couldn’t get past the initial strong fruit-juice-dried-on-a-table accord, haha. But then I came across Roja Tuberose and it made me love it! When I learnt to understand that initial nuance, I managed to find Gardenia flower in UVN, a lot of it, and fell in love! November 15, 2021 at 9:53am
Anniea: While I am not a Big White Flower fan in general a friend gave me a beautiful bottle of Arquiste No. 7 Boutonnière, which is a stunning gardenia. November 16, 2021 at 9:07am
Redhead: I’ve been looking to try that one, but no such like yet. I shall have to keep my eye open in the perfume groups 😉 November 16, 2021 at 1:41pm
Sara Nylen: Dusita melodie d l amour is the greatest gardenia fragrance. I love the flower but havent found a perfume that does it justice except for Dusita. November 17, 2021 at 4:20am
Redhead: Thank you for your suggestion, however after many efforts to like Melodie de l’amor by Dusita I came to conclusion it’s not for me. I don’t get a bit of gardenia in it.. We all are so different, aren’t we? November 17, 2021 at 9:58am
Mingzhe Wang: Thank you for such a great article! It’s so wonderful to learn about how a nice floral scent is recreated. As a guy, I often shied away from roses, but I keep trying, and I do think FM Portrait of a Lady works super well on a man. I also love TDC’s Rose Poivree, which is still one of my favorite perfumes. Other florals I love, in no particular order, are Hermes Osmanthe Yunnan and Cedre Sambac, FM En Passant, ELdO Jasmine et Cigarette, SL Iris Silver Mist, FM Carnal Flower, Elie Saab Essense no. 9 Tubereuse (what a great combo of Tuberose and Cinnamon!), Jo Malone Jasmine Sambac and Marigold, and Mimosa and Cardamon, and finally, FM L’Eau d’Hiver. Who can say no to a wonderful iris and heliotrope combo? 🙂 November 15, 2021 at 9:40am
Nikos: Ah I miss the smell of marigolds, your article made me nostalgic.
Other than rose perfumes I really enjoy narcissus. The bad thing is that mostly appears in leather fragrances which I avoid. And more than often it is combined with orange blossom which is another big no note for me.
My favorite narcissus fragrances are Eau de Narcisse bleu, Grey flannel and Masque Milano’s Romanza.
I really like jasmine but I wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing let’s say Sarrasins. Though I do have a small vial which I sniff every now and then like an addict. I am wearing Diorella (current formulation) and it’s not so floral on my skin.
I also love the smell of chrysanthemum but neither De profundis nor Amouage’s Myths for men seem right for me. Myths woman on the other hand is beautiful but maybe too much to wear.
I feel I need to apologize for writing so much I guess you hit a soft spot there! November 15, 2021 at 9:44am
Tourmaline: Hi Nikos,
You don’t need to apologize for writing what is actually a relatively brief comment. You should see some of mine; you would think I couldn’t be succinct to save my own life!
It is indeed frustrating when a note that you love is paired with ingredients you don’t like. November 16, 2021 at 8:16am
Nikos: “ I couldn’t be succinct to save my own life” is for me now quote of the day (and possibly a next etat libre d’orange fragrance)! November 16, 2021 at 9:28am
Klaas: 😆 November 16, 2021 at 5:04pm
Tourmaline: 😆 🌷 November 16, 2021 at 5:27pm
Klaas: Hey Nikos, if you like narcissus you should try Dryad, another Liz Moore creation for her Papillon brand (Victoria mentions Salome in this article). It is absolutely gorgeous and not leathery for a change! It has a likeness to Guerlains Vol de Nuit, one of the best narcissus fragrances ever! The current formulation of Vol de Nuit isn’t very good though, I’m afraid, but Dryad is great! It is very complex and layered, old school in the best of ways…. November 16, 2021 at 5:03pm
Nikos: Thanks for the tip Klaas. I will have a look at it asap. November 17, 2021 at 4:17am
Shruti: You could try Nargis a narcissus soliflore from Forest Essentials, an Indian brand that retails internationally online. November 25, 2021 at 2:48am
Elizabeth: I love ROZY and have a bottle of the Extrait version. The great perfumer Vero Kern, who created Rozy, is deeply missed. I think of her every time I wear her gorgeous perfume. November 15, 2021 at 9:48am
Lainie: I love florals — in fact, not much else smells good on me. Many years ago someone gave me a little vial of what I believe was the original Quelques Fleurs, heaven. And the tuberoses — Carnal Flower and by Kilian Beyond Love. I also love rose scents, Amouage Lyric Woman especially, but I’m not sure I’ve found the right one for me. November 15, 2021 at 9:52am
Mela: Your Story about experimenting at your grandmothers house made me laugh. I used to do the same thing while adding kitchen spices to see what would happen and then try to preserve it by adding bizarre ingredients to the mixture. To this day I cannot fathom why she allowed me to do this, as I mainly created noxious gases. I would try to bottle my creations and then make labels by cutting up holiday and greeting cards from her collection and pasting them to the bottles. Occasionally my cousin and I would combine a couple of her perfumes and spray them into balloons.
Then we made water balloons and go to the top of her building’s outside stairwell and drop them, thinking everyone would like the smell.
This was how I discovered White Shoulders, several Diors, the original Oscar and other classic florals. Now as an adult type person some of my favorite notes are: Jasmine, hyacinth, rose, iris, lilly-of-the-valley, tuberose…a few favorites are –
Diorissimo
Fracas
Jasmine et Cigarette
Biege by Chanel and Chanel 19
Papillon and Timbuktu, l’Artisan Parfumeur
Tolu
Attar de Roses by kiko Mecheri
Fleur d’Oranger by Lutens
also Bois de Violette, sa Majesté la Rose
Many of the Hermes Hermessence flowers
I can’t wait to see the other comments so that I might add new fragrances to my wish list! November 15, 2021 at 10:05am
irem: “To this day I cannot fathom why she allowed me to do this, as I mainly created noxious gases.”
I know exactly why she allowed you to do this: Grandmothers have a very special love for their grandchildren. All they care is to make them happy, and most of the time that translates into no “No”s in grandmas house. My grandma was like that (how I miss her). Now, my mother is a grandmother like that – but as a mother she was not tolerant to my fragrant concoctions 🙂 November 15, 2021 at 10:49pm
Tourmaline: I like White Shoulders and I adore the original Oscar. I still have a good stock in my fridge!
I really need to try Bois de Violette. November 16, 2021 at 8:18am
Carolyn Middleton: Penhaligon’s Bluebell, which I wore for years & absolutely loved – then my best friend of more than 40 years told me relatively recently that she thought it was disgusting! November 15, 2021 at 10:26am
OperaFan: Oh no…. Never!
I love Bluebell for its spicy hyacinth, but it can be a polarizing scent. November 22, 2021 at 10:58am
Tara C: I love florals, especially Guerlain florals such as Rose Barbare, Floral Romantique, Neroli Outrenoir, Cruel Gardenia. I’m also a fan of Lutens florals such as Une Voix Noire, Rose de Nuit and Sarrasins. But really I love so many: rose, jasmine, lilac, gardenia, narcissus, heliotrope, neroli, tuberose. November 15, 2021 at 10:27am
Bregje: I did the same thing as i child! Pick roses, poppy’s and whatever i could find and then put it in a jar with water. Exactly like you described they would turn and not smell so good in the end😜.
I love florals so where to begin?
Paris and l’air du temps, diorissimo are some of the first scents i remember since my mother wore them( i still use paris myself),
Knot,jour, fleurs d’oranger, la fille d B,stella and stella peony are among my favourites. And from time to time i reach for Romance. November 15, 2021 at 11:43am
Alityke: I do like a good jasmine soliflore. SL A La Nuit made me weak at the knees when I discovered her! Of course, I then found her dominatrix, leather clad, older sister, Sarrasins!
TF Velvet Gardenia is sadly missed so I made friends with Isabey Gardenia, although today I’m wearing the final 1/2ml of vintage Tuvache Jungle Gardenia extrait. Yep I smell of Danny La Rue in his drag queen pomp! November 15, 2021 at 12:08pm
ClareObscur: Hi gang. I’m really loving these comments, so entertaining. I too started my perfume journey with flowers and remember trying to bottle some concoctions unsuccessfully.
Friends do often associate me with flower scents but my “perfume journey/obsession” has recently helped me to add some new notes to my collection.
A search for flowers with a difference has prompted me to buy/wear SL Vitriol d’Oeillet, (Can’t seem to find vintage Bellodgia) and SL La Religieuse. I would so love to get hold of Une Voix Noir as I find gardenia intriguing. I think it was Valentyna who mentioned her discovery of how to appreciate that one.
Some floral I’ve loved over the years are:
1. Chamade by Guerlain
2. Grand Amour by Annick Goutal
3. 5th Avenue by Elizabeth Arden
4. Splendour by EA
5. Aqua de Flore by Carolina Herrera
6. Oscar de La Renta in the 1980s
7. Kelly Caleche by Hermes
8. Miracle by Lancome
9. Jasmine (& other Soli Flores) by Annick Goutal
10. Cinema by YSL
11. No. 5 (EDP) by Chanel.
New additions include Dio November 15, 2021 at 12:36pm
ClareObscur: Soz
That last line was just to say that a recent addition to my collection is vintage Diorissimo. I am learning to love it & the lilac note does bring up childhood memories of a lilac festival held annually in the city where I spent my youth, in Upstate NY. November 15, 2021 at 12:42pm
Aurora: What a great post, I imagine little you in the garden, still hopeful in spite of the failed attempts. It was a loving gesture from your great-grandmother to give you a perfume.
Hands down my best floral perfume discovery of the last few years has been Houbigant Essence Rare, delicate, yet long-lasting, a perfect bouquet of the most beguiling flowers. November 15, 2021 at 12:48pm
Nina Z: I adore many different floral perfumes! And as I said above, my all-time favorite perfume is vintage Bellodgia (extrait) and in general I love carnation perfumes and perfumes that feature carnation. Also, I love other flowers that have a spicy aspect, such as hyacinth and lily. I have found that certain flowers that I love in real life don’t work for me in perfumes, though, especially the ones that I find too high-pitched (narcissus, lily of the valley). And I just don’t get “violet” perfumes because that note just smells like a chemical to me. That being said, here are some of my favorites:
1. Carnation: Vintage Bellodgia, Prada No. 2 Oeillet
2. Mimosa: Mimosa pour Moi, Une Fleur de Cassie (totally copying Victoria here who sent me down the mimosa rabbit holde)
3. Rose: Vintage Nahema (hands down!)
4. Jasmine: California Reverie, Love & Tears, and still looking
5. Orange Blossom: Seville a l’Aube, Sweet Redemption
6. Lily: Lys Mediterranee, Aqua Allegoria Lys Soleia
7. Hyacinth: Chamade!! November 15, 2021 at 12:50pm
Phyllis Iervello: My favorite floral notes are:
Iris
Orange Blossom
Jasmine
Violet
Rose
Lily of the Valley
Tuberose
My favorite floral perfumes right now, to name just a few, are:
Parle Moi Perfumes Iris Tatoo
Diptique Eau Capitale
Malle Magnolia
Memo Sintra
Nishane Florane
My November 15, 2021 at 12:51pm
Emily: Didn’t think I liked florals at all when I started sniffing, historically I’d been drawn more to all the woods from moss to smoke.
Boy, was I wrong. From the white flower divas (Dusita’s Melodie d’Amour, Rogue’s Jasmin Antique, Hiram Green’s sunny Moon Bloom) to the rooty nuance of iris (Heeley’s Iris de Nuit, Aedes de Venustas’ Iris Nazarena), there’s a panoply of blossom scents that send me swooning. Turns out what I didn’t love were aldehydes (& according to my beloved decants of Maai & Le Cri, those have their place, too).
My most recent floral fixation is Prosody London’s Jacinth Jonquil, an all natural yellow floral from a house I’d never heard of before a sample came gratis from Indigo Perfumery with a bit of Cavatina (also exquisite, pure Easter Sunday). Jacinth Jonquil smells like those first days of late spring warm enough to bring out the dresses & sidewalk cafés. Joy-filled & flirtatious. Daffodils everywhere. I’m utterly seduced. November 15, 2021 at 3:51pm
Fazal: My answer is conditional since it depends upon how the note is deployed. Having said that, two notes I really enjoy in perfumes are iris and jasmine. I like iris when its lipstick or buttery side is emphasized, former like it is in original formula of Dior Homme and the latter like it is in Masque Milano (in fact, L’Attesa is the only perfume I enjoy in the entire Masque Milano line).
I enjoy jasmine compositions that are not too soliflore but rather have a bit of abstract touch. I love the gothic jasmin interpretation in Sarrasins (my most favorite jasmine perfume) and also enjoy jasmine-cigarette ash combo that is quite noticeable in original composition of Jasmin et Cigarette by ELDO. I respect Lutens A la Nuit as the most realistic jasmin perfume I have smelled but it is too soliflore for me to wear it on a regular basis. However, it would be a different case if I were a woman.
P.S. I realize my response is kinda repetitive since I have already said these things in the comment sections of your previous articles 🙂 November 15, 2021 at 3:51pm
Cornelia Blimber: I love all kind of florals. When I was young, my ”signature” was Je Reviens, Worth. That soft jasmine, I still miss it.
Also L’Air du Temps was a favourite. I loved that carnation. I have a bottle from about 2000, a shadow of the past but a lovely shadow.
And Arpege for the rose. The current version is not bad, I still enjoy it.Guerlain’s Liu as a lovely jasmine (still have a few drops, vintage).
Favourites are:
Joy, Patou.
First, van Cleef & Arpels (Hyacinth is beautiful, but gives me a head ache, so no Chamade or Cristalle edt. But in First the blending is harmonious. Also in Grand Amour,
Goutal)
I love Tuberose: Fracas (of course!). And Poison. And Tubereuse MPG. I have a sample of Tubereuse Indiana, Creed, which I love (vintage).
There are so many great florals! The jasmine in Dior Absolu (Not LÁbsolu!) is wonderful. And of course A La Nuit. Speaking of Lutens: I love Datura Noir. But I can’t appreciate his roses. Sa Majeste, La Fille de Berlin, no, not for me. Too fruity, maybe.
Whenever I want to feel like a rich lady: Mahora, Guerlain!
Also Nahema is in my collection.
Is lavender perfume a floral, or is it ”fougere”? I loved lavender from childhood. Yardley Lavender, Jicky, Mon Guerlain, Heritage.
LÍnstant de Guerlin is my fav. magnolia. Wanted by Helena Rubinstein is not bad either.
My mimosa is Guerlain, Champs Elysees.
And the rose in Mille, Patou. And Paris.
I love Gabrielle, Chanel, and No 22….
and…..and…all those lovely forals! November 15, 2021 at 3:59pm
Cornelia Blimber: How could I forget Iris Silver Mist!
Ans Shalimar Initial. November 15, 2021 at 4:02pm
OnWingsofSaffron: What an exquisite collection! You are very lucky! Best wishes! November 17, 2021 at 1:35am
Cornelia Blimber: Thank you! And very best wishes to you too! November 17, 2021 at 4:27am
Maggiecat: I’m loving this thread – florals are my favorite! Jasmine, always, magnolia, lily, peony, rose, verbena… I wore Diorissimo as my wedding scent, but if Perfume Dusita’s Cavatina had been around back then, that would have been the one. I like citrus scents, musks, and woods, but unless there’s a floral note in there somewhere, it just doesn’t suit me. And I also used to try to make perfumes as a child – the lilacs growing in my Chicago backyard were a frequent ingredient of my very unsuccessful experiments. November 15, 2021 at 6:59pm
Nancy Chan: My favourite floral perfumes include :
-Osmanthe Yunnan
-J’Adore EdP and Touche de Parfum
-Chanel No.5 Extrait
-Misia EDT
-Kai perfume oil
-Insolence
-Diorissimo( Not the current one)
I have recently discovered Chanel No.22. I love the sparkling fizz and the powderiness- Still thinking whether to purchase this first or Bois des Iles, even though they are on a different theme.
As for flowers, Roses, Lily of-the-Valley, Gardenia, Mimosa and Tuberose are lovely for their scent. I love Violet notes in perfumes, but have yet to smell the actual flowers with the scent. November 16, 2021 at 8:56am
Kimberly: Hi Victoria, I think one of my favorite floral notes is Ylang Ylang. I have been spending 10 to 12 days this fall getting to know some of my perfumes better. I was suprised to discover the soft note of Ylang Ylang in Cuir de Russie. Sublime! For special occasions during the fall, when the air is crisp and I can sit outside enjoying a meal I layer Portrait of a Lady with Nahema. I recently bought a small travel size of En Passant and look forward to spending time with it but will wait for spring. I do like Jasmine Sambac but it can tend to be overly sweet in some fragrances. I love violet and wear La Violette, Apres L’Ondee and L’Heure de Nuit. I love wearing Mimosa Pour Moi in the early spring. There are so many floral perfumes that I love. I feel a bit like a blessed butterfly fluttering about from one flower to the next. November 16, 2021 at 9:25am
Klaas: Wow, so many great comments, such fun to read all of them! I must say I am not a great fan of florals for myself, with the exception of lavender which is a floral I can’t get enough of…..I am more a green aromatic and vétiver kind of guy….though I did wear Poison for a while!
My mum however loved her florals and I have very fond memories of her wearing Chamade, Anaïs Anaïs, Chant d’ Arômes, Jardins de Bagatelle, Beautiful, Private Collection and Paloma Picasso……Fleur de Citronnier by Lutens was another favorite…….
I’m afraid I somewhat perverted my mum’s taste. I got her hooked on Encre Noir and Vetiver Tonka 😉 November 16, 2021 at 5:24pm
Old Herbaceous: Florals are my favorite fragrance family, and I own too many to list! I especially like green florals; Papillon’s Dryad is a favorite. My favorite flower scents are daffodils and other narcissus, roses, lilies of the valley (muguet), hyacinth; but I also love carnation and lilac scents, and I’ve found myself gravitating recently to iris and lavender.
Vitriol d’Oeillet is a great carnation! My favorite daffodil scent is Penhaligon’s Ostara, sadly discontinued. I love Diorissimo, Hermes’ Muguet Porcelaine, Laboratorio Olfattivo’s Decou-Vert, and Guerlain’s Muguet. For roses, two that I love are Ormonde Jayne’s Ta’if, and Jo Loves’ Rose Petal 25; but there are many others!
Chanel No. 22 was the first Chanel fragrance I bought for myself, decades ago, and I still love it. November 17, 2021 at 9:23am
Colleen Connor: Where do you shop for your perfumes!? I am just getting started. I always gravitated towards my one Diptyque candle or room spray.( which sometimes gives me a full headache.) In the winter I crave fragrances like gardenia, jasmine, orange blossom and lilac. Should I stick with samples off of eBay until I find what I like? I wish there was a Jasmine starter kit! I have been obsessed with Jasmine and Orange blossoms since a trip to Seville 17 years ago. I grow in my sunroom. November 17, 2021 at 2:35pm
cdave2: Colleen, if you’re located in the US, Surrender to Chance sells samplers based on various themes and notes. They currently have two for jasmine: https://surrendertochance.com/jasmine-perfume-beginners-introduction-to-jasmine-in-perfume-3-samples/, and https://surrendertochance.com/rich-sweet-jasmine-sampler-set-of-eight-1-2ml-samples/.
I have no affiliation with them, but a friend of mine has ordered from them for years, with good results. Hope that helps! November 17, 2021 at 11:17pm
Colleen: CDave2, thank you for your recommendation. I am looking at the site now and considering sizes. Colleen November 18, 2021 at 7:43am
Van Tr: Please make classes about flower! 💕 November 18, 2021 at 3:52pm
Victoria: That’s a great idea! I will do! 🙂 November 18, 2021 at 4:16pm
crystalwrists: The problem with many florals, for me, is that they are often “dry” and irritate my nose. When a floral is more juicy or dense, it is better in my opinion. Must be why my favorite floral smell is Tea Olive or Osthmanthus. That seems almost fruity to me. Wish there were more Tea Olive floral scents! Also love Mon Parfum by Paloma Picasso. Sexy floral! November 18, 2021 at 7:40pm