88 thoughts on “Favorite Florals: Listed by Flower”

1. Great list, Kafka. You have definitely listed some of my favorites, Une Voix Noire, Moon Bloom and PHI-Rose de Kandahar. I have not tried 2 of the iris scents you mentioned. They are definitely going on my test list. I had thought about testing Papillon’s Angelique earlier and I definitely will now.

2. Hello Kafkaesque! That was a fantastic read, and thank you for taking the time to put that together… So you’re pretty in tune with the perfume world, what the heck happened to Arabian Oud on Amazon?! As soon as I found an amazing house and fell madly in love with it, it disappears entirely… strange huh? I would go other routes to find Arabian Oud perfumes, but I’m weary of eBay. -Poboijosh

   • The whole Arabian Oud/Amazon thing is very strange to me. When I do a search for Arabian Oud on Amazon, nothing turns up at all. It doesn’t seem like a mere stocking issue where they’ve run out of fragrances. When that happens to other 3rd-party retailers on Amazon, there is usually a notice stating: “No Longer Available.” Perhaps a note about being currently out of stock, if they expect more to arrive in the future. None of that happened here. When I checked, it was as if Arabian Oud had never been on Amazon at all — ever. It’s so strange that I almost wonder if there is some weird political thing going on that we don’t know about, but that is probably ridiculous.

     In any event, I have no answer for you other than to check Zahras: http://zahras.com/Perfume/Zahras%20Arabian%20Oud%20Catalog.pdf. My only word of caution to you is that Zahra’s note list is often quite dramatically off from what Arabian Oud itself states for a fragrance. And, from what I’ve heard from one other person, Zahra’s has given incorrect notes for another brand’s fragrance as well. Still, it is one place in the U.S. where you can obtain the fragrances, even if they’re at a higher cost (and definitely higher than Amazon’s prices).

     • Yes, I agree with you, and maybe it is politics, but I did get a hold of them through my Amazon account which they quickly responded as usual, and their response was that they will be back in 10 days… whatever that means, and I’m quite skeptical. After doing some digging, I’ve found an authorized retailer on eBay that sells out of New York with some descent stock on hand, so there’s more money to be blown, and just to get back on topic and my apologies of mentioning eBay again, but I found a 25ml attar of Ghroob and couldn’t resist, thanks to your review, so I’ll see, and you seriously need to get that nose on some Kalemat Wood! I’m still blown away by it, and the drydown turns into this awesome dusty Patchouli… it’d be my pleasure to send you a sample, from one Patch head to another, of course! -Poboijosh

3. I have to track down decants of Moon Bloom and Mohur extrait.

   • You definitely do!

4. My bottle of Arabian Oud Ghroob mocked me so much I gave it away. Yes, no matter how much you blink, it remains – I gave away Ghroob. Someone somewhere who shops at a church thrift shop will be one happy person. You weren’t really all that surprised though as I am NOT a hard core orange blossom enthusiast.

   I love Mohur EDP and now I have to go seek out the extrait! I have a sample of Angelique and I’m almost afraid to try it for fear of being compelled to buy a FB. Amouage Lyric – I could see myself wearing this. Vero Profumo, le sigh, if a full set were to fall on my lap I would happily try them but so far, I’ve only tried Mito which is very nice .

   Reading your blog is a very expensive habit and I love you for it 🙂

   P.S. No LOTV!!!

   • Heh, no, Ghroob is not one I would have recommended for you personally. What I would recommend though is both Lyric Woman, SHL 777 Rose de Petra, Mohur Extrait and, yes, I have to say to say it, Moon Bloom. (I know tuberose is one of your very difficult notes, but I believe you own Carnal Flower, and Moon Bloom is a much better and much more approachable take on the note. Even non-tuberose lovers like it. And, as a side note, on one person I know, they detected more gardenia on their skin than tuberose. I really would love for you to try it.)

     With regard to Vero Profumo, Mito never did much for me, but then, I’m not into green fragrances. Rozy is lovely, though. I wouldn’t recommend the full set for you because I don’t think Onda would be very you, and Rubj can be difficult. Plus, you’re not a hardcore orange blossom person, as you said. But Rozy may work.

5. Hi Kafkaesque! That is a fantastic review! I totally agree with you about Serge Lutens‘ Iris Silver Mist. When I read about this fragrance I think that this must be one to own, but I tried it several times on my skin and I appreciate the fragrance but don’t like it on my skin. I miss a fragrance by Ormonde Jayne in this list. I really like her floral fragrances. Thank you for the very nice blog. I always enjoy reading it a lot!
   Greetings

   • Hi Erik, Ormonde Jayne is a difficult brand for me, due to the huge amounts of ISO E Super that Geza Schoen tosses into everything. Even the ones I’ve liked from O/J have eventually become something I can’t put on my skin. In any event, those fragrances (Tolu, Ormonde Woman) wouldn’t be on this list anyway because they aren’t soliflores.

6. Confirmed again that I’m not the floral type. I’m happy that you included Angelique from Papillon (I was already disappointed not to see their Tobacco Rosa on the list). And also happy about the Aftelier scent (I’m very curious about her new Palimpsest).

   • No fragrance that is RoseRoseRoseRose with almost nothing else is ever going to get my vote — and that is essentially what Tobacco Rose was on my skin. As for Palimpsest, the notes sound intriguing. I think I should be getting a sample from Ms. Aftel, or it may just be the Chef Essences that I am totally obsessed by and love.

     • That means we share at least one obsession, Kafka 🙂

7. What a wonderful list, the pictures – as always – are so fitting! Does it take long to pick them out?

   White flowers are still sometimes challenging for me but I have a sample of Moon Bloom and really, really like it (Tubereuse Criminelle even more, though). Fracas (I only know the current version) is sheer horror for me…
   Favorite jasmines are A la Nuit and Grand Ball from Dior.
   I haven’t tried a single one from your Gardenia list, all go on my to try list now! Exciting!

   Abstract roses and Iris are probably my favorite floral notes, I bought a sample of Khol de Bahrein after reading your review and love it but never think of it as an iris fragrance. On my skin violet is the dominant note.

   Have a nice Sunday!

   • The photos can take FOREVER sometimes! There are days when finding just one image that fits what I have in my mind can take hours upon hours. In several instances, I never find an exact (or even a close match) at all. lol

     I had to laugh at your reaction to Fracas. Believe me, you are not alone. It is quite a notorious (and notoriously difficult) scent, in part because of just how BIG it is! The extrait is quieter and smoother, also deeper, but it’s still not a scent for everyone. For me, Fracas holds a special spot as one of the two fragrances that really shaped my tastes as a child. It simply blew me away from the very first time I encountered it on my mother, and it set my baseline for what I thought fragrances were supposed to be all about. The fact that I’m so passionate about tuberoses as a flower obviously matters, though. For me, the smell of tuberoses in nature is the most mesmerising, intoxicating thing imaginable.

     As for my Gardenia list, I tried to incorporate a few more affordable things, as I tried to do for the other categories when possible. Pretty perfumes don’t have to always cost an arm and a leg. Hopefully, you’ll find a few on the list that you enjoy.

     Interesting about the violets in Khol de Bahrein! Another blogger experienced a lot of violets as well. I bet the overall combination is lovely on you, Anka.

8. What a fantastic list and a fantastic read. I completely agree with you on Moon Bloom…it really changed my mind concerning tuberose. And you just made a lemming for me of Tawaf! xoxoxo

   • I’m so glad about Moon Bloom, and I think of you often as an example of a tuberose-phobic person who changed his mind after Moon Bloom. I really wish more people would give it a chance, as it’s a scent that really seems to fly below most people’s radar. Hopefully, you, me, and some others can change that. 🙂

9. When I saw this post, I shouted, “AHA!” because, just a couple of days ago, I was thinking that it would be great if you published another favorites list & here it is! I think it serves a great purpose for people like me who are still discovering fragrances, so I’ll be referring to it off & on while I explore more florals (looks like the Tauers, & Lyric are at the top of my “to try” list). I like Mohur Parfum, but felt it was too soft, so I look forward to trying the Extrait at some point.

   It’s really a lot of fun to jot down names from your list & then go bargain hunting on the internet. Your friend is very lucky to have you as his perfume guide & sounding board! 🙂

   • Mohur EDP is too soft, light, and thin on my skin, but the Extrait really amps up a lot of the elements.

     What I actually think you would like is the Roberto Cavalli. Boozy, ambered orange blossoms with an incredibly golden warmth and honeyed, fruited nuance. A lot of orange blossoms aren’t ambered, let alone boozy, but that one is.

     For the roses, given your issues with them and how you’re also squeamish about a heavy preponderance of the note, I would recommend PHI for you more than the Chypre. And I think I would recommend Epic Woman first instead of Lyric, since the Epic is much more spiced, incense-y, woody, and dry.

     • I found the Cavalli on ebay at a ridiculously low price, so it’s on its way to me. Boozy ambered orange blossoms–that sounds great! I have unicorn skin, so I’m hoping the amber really blooms on it. It cost me all of 26.00, so if it doesn’t work on my skin, I’ll spray my sheets with it, too.

       Yes, Phi is the Tauer I want to try as soon as it is available again, and I’ll be brave and try the Epic Woman, which I’ve hesitated to buy, despite your suggestion, because of that pickle note I read about in all the reviews/comments.

10. On these “flower” perfumes, my 7 favorites are (these are not “soliflores”, but the NOTE plays a key role) :

    ROSE :
    1 – EdP Malle – Portrait of a lady
    2 – Tauer – Une Rose chyprée

    I also like Chanel Allure EXTRAIT, which is pure “rose de mai from Grasse” oil ; I only put some drops for me when I’m alone 😉
    I don’t like to wear EdP Malle Une Rose, but I like to smell it on others.
    Tauer Une rose de Kandahar (I only have samples) is a very nice perfume too, but is more about creamy apricot than rose on my skin 😉

    JASMINE :
    3 – Chanel N°5 EXTRAIT (I dislike both N°5 EdT and N°5 EdP, but I adore the extract which I wear quite often (both vintage from 80’s – more musky and animalic – and contemporary versions)

    IRIS :
    4 – Chanel 31 Rue Cambon (one of my favorite perfume, a pure tragedy which begins in pure joy and ends in despair and tears !)
    5 – Chanel N°19 EdP (one of my “signature” scent)
    Special mention to Goutal Heure Exquise (a bit too “femme” for me, and not very “abstract” or “evocative”, but great nevertheless)

    TUBÉREUSE :
    6 – EdP Malle – Carnal Flower (which behaves like a drug in the summer, I’m totally addicted to this sublime perfume)

    EXOTIC FLOWERS :
    7 – Chanel Bois des Îles – Ylang-ylang boost at the beginning, but so much other things after 😉

    • I enjoyed reading your list, Philippe. Thank you for sharing! 🙂

11. What a fantastic read. I love florals, and so many of my favorites are here- Moon Bloom, Mohur Extrait, vintage Fracas, Lyric Woman, Tawaf, several others- as well as friends I haven’t met yet. Many of us gardenia fanatics are so set on Velvet Gardenia that there’s no reasoning with us, so no point in pursuing that section overmuch! But I do wish I understood what physiological quirk makes me unable to smell the gardenia in Un Vox Noir. I mean none, nada, zip. All I can smell is some sickly smoky raspberry. Yet everyone else who tries it gets gardenia. And reading your comments on Ghroob make me determined to try it again as soon as I get home. I remember smelling a strong note of what I think of as “high screechy cherry,” which I find in a lot of Middle Eastern womens’ perfumes. Noora, for example, is so full of that note that I gave it away. I think it is meant to be an almond note, but it goes right down my spine. But now I am determined to get past that and smell the orange blossom!
    I do hope that you will do more of these “favorites” posts, because they’re always so much fun. I’m hoping for a “favorites for fall” post. Sometimes I stop and realize how many of my favorite scents came to me through your blog. Given how much I’ve spent, I am insane to want you to write more Favorites posts. But, uh, please?

    • I second and third and fourth to infinity on favorites posts!

      • Heh. Smooches to you, my dearest. Favorites posts take substantially longer than regular ones, but I will see what I can do. I must say, the thought of doing something like a Favorite Orientals leaves me gulping and daunted, given that orientals are my main genre. It would probably take me a month to comply, be pages upon pages, and over 20,000 words long. 😀 Perhaps if I take it in very small steps…. lol 🙂

    • C’mon, y’all, if we all whine in unison, she may do another favorites post!

    • Yes, more Favorites, pleeeeeez!!

      I’ll have to get a bigger bullwhip to manage the unruly lemming herd, but I’m fine with that. 🙂

    • I haven’t tried TF’s Velvet Gardenia yet, but a very kind, loving and generous friend sent me a sample. I knew when writing this list that I would probably end up updating it with a Part 2 at some point, and that Velvet Gardenia would undoubtedly go on the expanded Gardenia section. (I suspect Sarrasins from SL may go onto an updated, expanded Jasmine one, too.)

      Re. Une Voix Noire, how utterly fascinating. I mean that quite sincerely. Smoky raspberry?! And cherry in Ghroob? Skin chemistry is the funkiest, most amusing thing ever! (You know I share your fascination with skin physiology and how things can manifest themselves from one person to the next!) I wish I knew what was happening to give you cherries and raspberries with those two scents.

      A Favorites for Fall list would be so weird for me, primarily because I wear fragrances all year round without regard to the seasons. But, yes, I know that some scents seem to be more natural fits for the average person for colder weather. I’m trying to think of where I would begin with a cold weather list, given that heavy orientals and ambers are my speciality. My God, the list might take me a month to compile! LOLOLOLOL. I’ll see what I can do, my dear, though I wouldn’t hold your breath at it appearing sometime soon. By hook or by crook, I’m determined to get through my Italian Series, even if I do take occasional detours every now and then!

12. This is just wonderful. I adore this post. It is a bit of a window into your perfumist’s soul. It is also very generous of you to show this flowery soul of yours.
    My new temptations: Moon Beam, Tawaf, Mohur (???? should I, darn rose? Will you kill me??), Khol de Bahrein, and George.
    I am tempted by Mohur yet that rose which I detest and which makes me run away for my life, stops me. When I had the misfortune of getting Lyric woman and Une Rose Chypre in a big sample size of madness I was distressed. These things smell like potpourri on me. Something also dies of a dry death on my skin when I try on rose perfumes. Yet that Mohur’s sandalwood sounds so gorgeous! Hedonist was a milky disaster on my skin and I am probably the only person in the world who turned Hedonist into a cheap sweet fruity milk. The exotic flowers don’t really seem to work for me, either. Sensual Orchid and Black Orchid are truly disastrous on my skin. I amplify something on these two that makes them smell like a cocktail that went the body shop route. Gosh, what’s wrong with my skin!

    • So sorry, Wefadetogray, wish for your sake that this wasn’t happening, but your skin is saving you some serious money ;-). Can’t help you with the Mohur Extrait since I have none myself at present (sob,) but can say that Ms. Vermeire is a perfectionist about the real Mysore goods.

      • Will tryit , dear FeralJasmine, will try it if only for the creamy woody beauty that is real Mysore. May the rose drawn in the beauty of the real stuff.

      • The problem with WeFadeToGrey’s skin issues and tastes is that eliminating florals doesn’t spare her wallet from her obsession with some seriously expensive dark, incense, smoky, amber or sandalwood orientals. LOL. She also shares our mutual love for pure Mysore scents, and won’t settle for anything less. But, you’re right, at least she’s spared one large genre of fragrances. 😀

    • Heh, I know “Florals” aren’t exactly the first thing that someone thinks of when my name comes up, but I really do like my super-charged white ones! (Tuberose… when I die, I want my casket to be filled with tuberose! lol)

      As for your skin and what it does to florals, my God, that sounds rough. Potpourri? Cocktails via The Body Shop? Sweet fruity milk? Terrible, all of them, but especially the potpourri for roses. (I cannot stand potpourri. lol) If it’s any consolation, I have a friend whose skin turns almost all florals into BUG SPRAY! Almost across the board, in fact. The poor thing is stuck with citrus fragrances in large part as a result.

      Are there any florals which work as… well, what they’re actually meant to smell like, on your skin? Roses are clearly iffy and I know that ylang-ylang goes south on you as well, but what about the white flowers like tuberose, orange blossom, or gardenia?

      • Good question but let me first share a laugh with you and FeralJasmine about our sandalwood mania and my skin which amplifies the Yankie Candle within every single flower and fruit, really (With the exception of Daim Blond’s apricot!). Now back to your question: I am not sure. I do love with a passion Frangipani Absolute by Ormonde Jayne; I cannot explain to you the pleasure it gives me to wear this thing of beauty. I love Velvet Gardenia (TF) yet I do not like Cruel Gardenia nor Chanel’s Gardenia those leave me a bit numbed. I love Jasmine (Jasmine Rouge!). I think I cannot stand though very oily Orange Blossoms; they smell like butter on me. For instance, I tried all the Le Labo flowers and I hate them with a passion, all of them. Let me think. I like Iris. I have many samples of Iris perfumes, yet not full bottles, so I guess that that says a lot.
        I guess it has to do with my emotional neediness! I need to feel surrounded by, enveloped in a wooden, golden, warmth embrace to feel loved (lol but not lol).

        • I wonder what you’d think about the Cavalli, as it’s ambered orange blossom, not oily ones. I’ll have to try the Frangipani by OJ, but I’m a little leery of the ISO E Super Geza Schoen puts in the fragrances. Plus, Plumeria/Frangipani and I have a weird relationship. But I’ll give that one a sniff. I do have a sample of TF’s Velvet Gardenia, thanks to a very generous friend, so I’m definitely planning on trying that one. Hopefully, soon.

          • I will try the Cavalli and get back to you on that. I just got my surrender to chance order today so it will go on my next one Let me know how does the ISO E Super treats you when you sniff Frangipani. To me is all white and gold and I do not often care nor feel the white aspect of life really. I live much more comfortable in shining darkness but this thing just radiates something that comforts me.

13. No more Arabian Oud?! So glad I bought both Ghroob and Kalemat last fall when you wrote about them. The orange blossom in Ghroob has a clear, cool, almost metallic edge to it (the silver frankincense, maybe?) that’s unusual and very refreshing.

    Thanks for this wonderful list – many favorites here and lots of lemming-fodder as well. I’m drooling at the thought of PHI; it sounds right up my alley and I missed it last fall, so am watching Andy Tauer’s site like a hawk for samples from the new batch. Rose de Petra and Khol de Bahrein are calling my name as well.

    And I’ll be hunting down samples/minis of the Carolina Herrera and Roberto Cavalli frags too; it’s always great to get tips on the few really good mainstream perfumes out there. Kind of balances out the Xerjoff/Roja Dove/SHL 777 sticker shock.

    As FeralJasmine said above, More please! We love your work. 🙂

    • Awww, you’re so sweet. As for the Carolina Herrera/Roberto Cavalli, I always try to add some cheaper, more affordable names to the list precisely as a way to “balance out the Xerjoff/Roja Dove/SHL 777 sticker shock.” 😀 (Hence, Tocca and Ineke) LOL, that was so funny, “Sticker shock.” But, in the case of the Cavalli/Carolina Herrera, I actually own and truly do love the fragrances. The Cavalli is a boozy ambered take on orange blossoms which isn’t a common approach, and that may be why I find it so incredibly cozy and addictive. (I sprayed a ton on my sheets last night after the post, and it was a fantastic cocoon of warmth. Slept like a baby for once. lol)

      As for Ghroob, you may be the one person on earth to describe that fragrance as “refreshing.” ROFL. A orange blossom-obsessed friend tried it and wrote to me with a note in all-caps that pretty much went like this: “GHROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOB! HOLY GOD! NUCLEARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!” Heh. She loved it, but noted that it was quite sweet in the beginning on her skin. I’ll have to ask her if she found any refreshing aspects to it.

      In terms of PHI, I know so many people who are watching that site for its release that you may want to consider getting a mini instead of a sample. By the time you get the vial and decide whether or not you love it, the bottles may be sold out. But if you get a 15 ml bottle and don’t like it, then you could sell it easily later on. Just something to ponder, my dear.

      • My freakish skin chemistry strikes again (sigh). Ghroob isn’t even particularly sweet on me; it’s the olfactory equivalent of sleigh bells (cool and silvery) on a floating bed of orange blossom.

        And thanks for the tip on PHI; a 15-ml bottle does sound like the way to go. I can always swap it at NST or Basenotes if it quarrels with my skin.

        Oh, and anything that can be described as “boozy” or “ambered” is an instant Pavlovian reaction for me… mmm!! Can’t wait to try Cavalli!

        • Hah, I forgot about your skin. Totally get it now! 🙂

          As for the Cavalli, I really hope it works well on you, especially given the aforementioned skin issues. Do let me know once you try it, okay? You can get samples on eBay for quite a low price. (I know, because I just checked today for a friend. lol)

      • Speaking of Cavalli, have to tell you how thrilled I was to have you recommend something that was under my current $50 guideline. Naturally I ordered one immediately. The only Cavelli I have ever tried was Serpentine, which is vile on me but comes in such a lovely snake-embossed bottle that I bought it anyway. It will stand on my dresser, completely full, for years to come.

        • Heh, I have to tell you a story. My mother read the piece yesterday and was curious about the Cavalli, so I sprayed it on her. She loved, and insisted 15 minutes later that I order her a bottle. A big bottle! To quote her conclusion, “it smells so much better than some of those expensive perfumes you make me try.” He. 😀 (My mother doesn’t understand the whole gourmand trend AT ALL. She doesn’t think much of very boozy perfumes, either, though I think the Cavalli has a subtle booziness in the opening.) Anyway, I thought you’d find that amusing.

          I’m really glad you’ll give this one a shot. I think it’s important for lists like this to include some affordable scents — like the Tocca or the Ineke — which is why I included them even if they didn’t do much for me. Plus, those two actually are good examples of green, fresh gardenia scents and show that not everything has to be a “death by ____[insert flower]” sort of fragrance.

          But the Cavalli… that is real love for me. I sprayed some on my sheets the other night, and had the best sleep I’ve had in months, mostly because it was such a soothing, delicious, intoxicating scent. It made me realise how rare it is to have an ambered, golden, lightly boozy orange blossom scent. Not indolic, not leathery, not dark. But totally golden and lightly honeyed. I’m so, sooooooooooooooooooo hoping it will work well on your skin, my dear. I really do! And if you don’t like it, I’d be happy to buy the bottle off you. 🙂

          • The minute I read your description of the Cavalli, I knew that amber and orange blossom had to go on my skin. Will post back when it arrives.
            I retried Ghroob, and this time I applied tiny dots and rubbed them into my skin briskly, and the “screechy cherry” note faded within minutes, to be followed by musky orange blossom with definite undertones of gardenia. I haven’t heard anyone mention gardenia in this one, but it is emerging. Not a dominant note, but there. Anyway, a little friction and heat seem to dissipate the note that I disliked and allow me to appreciate this beauty.

          • I think there is a definite greenness in Ghroob that might well turn out to be like gardenia on some skin. So do you think the smaller quantity or the rubbing alleviated that “screechy cherry” note that you struggled with earlier? I’ve found that Ghroob is one of those fragrances where quantity definitely impacts the notes that come out, particularly the soapiness that orange blossoms can sometimes manifest.

14. Such a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon, reading your list of personal favorites!!! Thank God for STC and Luckyscent, so that I can have a sniff of some of the prohibitively expensive scents!!!
    I am now armed with yet ANOTHER list of “must try” fragrances, and can’t wait to sample those I’ve not tried! “Lemming-fodder” indeed!! Love it!! 🙂

    • Indigo Perfumery is one you should consider in terms of samples, as they carry quite a few things on this list, including having an exclusive on my beloved Moon Bloom. They have Viktoria Minya, Andy Tauer, Jardins D’Ecrivains’ George, and Papillon (for Angelique, though my great, GREAT love is her Anubis). Indigo has a set of any 5 samples for $18, with a coupon that gives you money off a full bottle of anything you buy from that sample set. So, definitely, look at Indigo as well if you’re tempted to try any of those mentioned: http://www.indigoperfumery.com/fragrance-sample-program

      With what I know of your tastes, Lexi, I would definitely include Anubis as something to try. It may not be a floral soliflore, but I think you’d enjoy it quite a bit.

15. What a wonderful list! I am happy to know that I have quite a few of your favorites and Moon Bloom is my newest love. I also am saddened to hear that Ghroob has become unavailable and will cherish my bottle even more.

    • HURRRRRAH for more Moon Bloom love! I’m so happy about that, you have no idea. Perhaps between you, me, and various other posters, we can spread the word so that more people hear about this utterly beautiful scent.

16. What a fabulous article Kafkaesque! I’m honored to be included and so gratified that you got (and shared) the essence of Cuir de Gardenia so perfectly, I really appreciate it!
    Mandy

    • Dearest Ms. Aftel,

      I’m so glad that my brief summation of Cuir de Gardenia did it a little bit of justice in your eyes. Succinctness is not my forte, and there is so much more to the scent than can be discussed in a small paragraph. Hopefully, I could lead a few people to try its mix of lush sensuality with a slightly feral, animalic Meow. lol 🙂

      As always, with the deepest respect,
      Kafkaesque

17. I enjoyed this joyful list oh so much until I heard that 1. Arabian Oud was no longer for sale on Amazon and 2. I just bought a large decant of the wrong Mohur.

    If I was doing a tops list I’d include Mohur and Khol de Bahrein, too. Black Orchid? I go back and forth on it. Frankly, when I’m in the mood for it, I usually reach for, ahem, Queen Latifah Queen, my cheapie love (along with a lot of other people, I hear, though I usually don’t care much about what fragrant company I keep).

    I’m a rose lover and Rose de Petra didn’t move me, which I found surprising. I liked it fine, but I assumed it would knock my proverbial socks off or that it might be my “holy grail” of roses, considering how much I love O Hira, Black Gemstone, and Khol de Bahrein.

    Anyhoo, this was great fun and makes a great reference list. I need to sample some orange blossom frags. For no reason I can think of, I forget about this particular floral, which is odd because I grew up with orange blossom water as a staple of the bath. I’ve been meaning to try George. .

    • Ooops about the Mohur decant. Well, the EDP is nice, but it’s too soft, delicate, and thin for me. I really think the Extrait shines like a jewel, though, and all the elements are so much deeper, richer, spicier. Hopefully, you’ll get to try that one soon.

      As for Rose de Petra, perhaps it appeals to me simply *because* I’m not a hardcore rose lover? Perhaps people in that category expect a significantly greater quantity of the note and in hardcore amounts? You may want to look at Lyric Woman or, if you haven’t tried it already, Portrait of a Lady which supplements the rose with lots of fruitchouli. *shudder* For a more spicy, incense-y, woody rose, I would suggest Amouage’s Epic Woman as well, though that one has a pickle note on my skin from the guaiac. The same thing happens to some other people, but not everyone, so it’s definitely one to consider as well if you’re interested in a less sweetened take. Then, finally, there is Papillon’s Tobacco Rose. I would definitely recommend trying that one, given your hardcore rose tastes, particularly as it’s very well priced.

      • You are probably right about the Rose de Petra, though I do think my expectations were outrageously high. The three other SHL frags are in the “shockingly stunning” sphere to me; the RdP is not.

        I think the perfect rose is Creed Fleur de The Rose Bulgare, which is discontinued. Not for rose haters. Rose, rose, and more simply perfect rich blend of roses.

        And Mohur is spectacular. Let’s see what I think of the EDP. My large spray sample is the extrait and I may have made a mistake, but I don’t mind a quieter fragrance.

        FYI: Not enough rose in Papillion’s Tobacco Rose, either, and that is another where expectations got me. I love both tobacco and rose so I should love it! I need to try it again. I was baffled by my feeling that it was “meh.” Maybe it was my mood!

        How on earth do you have time to reply to so many comments? You don’t have to respond to that! Cheers! 🙂

18. Glad I’m not the only one who just can’t do the cold irises. I really liked my sample of Angelique and had actually forgotten it’s an iris scent as I get mostly mimosa, vanilla, and something ylang-y which must be the champaca (I also don’t get a lot of rose from my precious Lyric so am glad I’m not completely crazy). I will have to sample Khol de Bahrein soon as now I’m curious to know whether there’s another iris I could like. Actually, you have me wanting the entire 777 line.
    Oddly enough, I really hadn’t noticed the jasmine in Hedonist, probably because it’s so well blended it just smells like its honeyed self to me. I’ll have to sniff more carefully next time.
    Add me to the list of people who love favorites lists. 🙂

    • Aha, your Angelique experience is a lot like mine!! I get a lot of champaca fruitedness too, mixed with smoky guaiac-like notes and that orchid-y vanilla. But there is iris at the start. I simply don’t like iris enough to really appreciate it. LOL.

      Do you really not get a lot of rose from Lyric?! I keep a mental list of people who don’t, something which is really, REALLY easy to do as there is only ONE other person that I knew of up until now. ROFL. 😀 I’ve always felt like the biggest freak when it comes to that fragrance, so it’s good to know that we now number three people on this planet. heh. We can all be crazy together.

      • If I really concentrate, I can smell a bit of soft rose in Lyric and I get a quick blast in the opening but over all it is a not-too-sweet vanilla and ylang-ylang custard with lots of cardamom. I call it a rose fragrance for the same reason you do, everyone else seems to find it a big spicy rose, but for me the Amouage I think of as rose is Jub 25 (which I also love).
        PS. Now I want to try Mohur extrait even more. Thanks a bunch 😉
        PPS. I don’t know why but I can never log on here at work with my WordPress account, even in safe mode. It’s really me though, I promise.

        • Unless I use another computer, apparently.

          • It may be a weird thing about the email address or the name you use to sign in. As an anti-spam measure, all first-time comments have to be approved (unless they include a lot of links, in which case they are sent directly to the Spam folder). I’ve noticed that if someone changes the spelling of their user name, it seems to think you are a first-time user and puts the comment in moderation. I don’t know if something like capitalisation affects things, like MikasMinion vs Mikasminion vs mikasminion, but it very well might. Honestly, given the massive amount of Spam that I have to go through every day and delete via the Admin section, I’m grateful that there are a few blocks in place. There was one day when I had well over 340 spam messages to go through and delete in blocks of 20, and it took FOREVER!

            My point is, it really may be a WordPress thing to do with email addresses or sign-ins, more than anything weird happening on your work end. But I’m grateful you keep trying, my dear! Hope work and your Monday go well!

19. Your mention of the Carolina Herrera fragrance brought back memories of a trip to Sephora in Manhattan in 1999 or 2000. I must have smelled thirty fragrances that day and the Carolina Herrera one was the only one I liked enough to get. I later got her men’s fragrance for my boyfriend too. I don’t see it anywhere anymore. It would be sad if it was reformulated.
    I have the same problem with A La Nuit, so it will not be a purchase for me. But if I did own a bottle I would probably spray it on myself all day.
    For iris I like Chanel No 19 parfum. Have you tried the parfum form of this fragrance? (Then again I prefer all of Chanel scents available in parfum over the EDP or EDT.)

    • I would bet money that the Carolina Herrera is reformulated. It is simply a sad fact of what happens to all long-standing fragrances in the industry, from more mainstream ones to niche. It’s a cost-cutting, profit-margin-increasing measure, alas. But how nice that someone else remembers the scent, as well as how great it was.

      As for Chanel No. 19 parfum, no, I’m afraid I haven’t tried it.

20. What a beautiful list, Kafka. I learned a great deal today, and though I may not veer onto a path laden with iris, I am definitely going to try Moon Bloom. I did have a sample a while back, but I did not give it enough attention, gave it to a friend, and forgot about it. Now, with your hearty appreciation, and a mutual friend’s generosity I look forward to re trying your favorite tuberose. I love all of your rose choices, and Cuir Gardenia is the only gardenia I know of, that I enjoy. I just love ‘best of’ lists, this and lists of best books top my list of favorite lists… I also loved your end of the year favorites.

    • Oh, my dear, have you never tried Une Voix Noire? If you haven’t, then you really must give that one a sniff! The tobacco note is the iffy aspect, but it’s going to depend on skin chemistry. I think the greater problem would be the lightness on your skin, as I don’t think this is hefty fragrance. Still, if you’ve never tried it, it might be another gardenia that would appeal to you with its darker qualities.

      And, hurrah for Moon Bloom getting another shot! I’m so very glad.

21. Thank you for this invaluable list, Kafka! I add my voice to those who’d love to see more of these! Also, would love to know your favorite violet fragrances!

    • Violets…. hm. That’s hard. I liked Serge Lutens’ Bois de Violette, but my skin…. *sigh* The violet was so weak on me, undoubtedly because I tried the current, reformulated version. TF’s discontinued Violet Noir wasn’t really a hardcore violet scent on me. SL’s Feminité du Bois (again in current, reformulated version) was nice, but… well, to be honest, a disappointment. I think the famous original would have blown me away, but the current one was simply okay. So, I suppose I don’t have a real violet love, yet. Nothing has really blown me away. Part of the problem is that I like a dewy and earthy violet, not the sort of metallic kind found in some fragrances that seem to use a form of ionone note that isn’t as appealing to me. The little wisp of what I smelled in the Tom Ford was very much my sort of violet, but it was so ghostly on my skin. I’ll have to think about what other ones I’ve tried, as I think I’m probably leaving out one or two.

22. Several favorites of mine on that list, thanks for sharing it! I need to get a sample of the Mohur extrait. And I too am stalking Andy’s site for PHI. 🙂 I hope I am lucky enough to get a bottle! Got one last year as I knew it would sell out and ordered immediately. This year it will sell out even quicker due to people knowing how great it is!

    • I really hope you get your PHI, my dear. And, yes, definitely try the Mohur Extrait if you can. As a die-hard rose lover, it is practically your duty. 😉 lol

23. Oh wonderful piece! I am too hopelessly in love with soliflores…especially as the spring equinox has just come in fact about one hour ago to Australia. I was wandering about in the garden last week and nearly fainted with pleasure upon being just tsunamid by a heavy, carnal, sweet, rich wave of orange blossom as I went past a navel orange tree….I always go and seek them out, but this was extraordinarily lush and heady. For the first time I saw the Orange blossom in my beloved Rubj……roooooooobge as I call her not Ruby….which I usually see as tuberose centric. It was very warm and sunny at the time, delirious. I am thrilled to see that you like Champaca Absolute too….I kept thinking I couldn’t be the only one!!

    • True orange blossoms in nature are so narcotic and mesmerizing, aren’t they?! One of my favorite smells. I’m glad Rubj works so well for you, and gave you a glimpse of those blossoms as well! 🙂

24. I love orange blossom and am on a budget, so ryour Roberto Cavalli review sounded perfect & tempting. A blind buy, very cheap, it arrived today. Wonderful, happy, delicious! My newbie nose also smells orange (as in the fruit) which I always hoped to find as a note in an orangeblossom. I have a sample of SL fleur d’oranger, which is stunning, but I find Roberto Cavalli so far more wearable (daytime) and a lot more affordable! And in some ways…I think more fun.
    Angela Merkel approves too!
    Thank you Kafkaesque for this useful and causative post, I hope you will include good budget choices in your future posts.

    • Yay that the Cavalli worked so well for you, Hamamelis! (I can’t believe it arrived so quickly. Wow, that was very fast.) I’m really happy that you’re enjoying it, and I agree that it is more fun than the SL. I think it’s because the Cavalli is warmer, as well as lightly honeyed/boozy and with greater fruited sweetness, so it’s flirtier and a little more playful in nature. And, yes, I will be sure to continue putting budget-friendly choices wherever possible in my lists. 🙂

      Please give “Angela Merkel” several kisses from me all over on her beautiful face, but especially on that regal, powerful nose of hers. 😉

      • Angela Merkel replies with a several happy tail waggings and a big wet lick in return! And some kisses for that handsome German Gentleman.
        I also spotted a Cavalli bodylotion for a bargain, do you happen to have tried it?
        Angela M. really likes her wooden sticks…and I discovered I really like (love?) woods in perfume, so if I can put in a request for your favourite woods some time…my tail would be wagging ;).

        • I’m afraid I haven’t tried the Cavelli body cream, my dear. As for woody fragrances, that is such a hard question to answer. Many orientals have a foundation of woods. And there are so many different kinds of woody fragrances, too! Wood with citrus, wood with spices, wood with booze, wood with florals, wood with amber and incense. I’m not sure I would know where to begin, but I will think about it. I do know that trying to think of some budget-conscious options will be incredibly hard. Right now, I can only come up with Tom Ford’s Oud Wood, which is a nicely spiced, approachable oud fragrance (that isn’t very oud-y at all), but that isn’t a cheap scent. Some of the other wood fragrances that come to mind are significantly more expensive than that one! I’ll see if I can think of anything, though.

          • This helps already this beginning nose, to distinguish between the different woods (in Dutch we have a saying: I can’t see the wood for the trees!), I wasn’t aware it is a scent universe to itself. Tom Ford is indeed a challenge budget and sample wise, but I will try. And I will try the body cream and report back.
            I can sample more expensive fragrances btw, until I started this scent journey I hadn’t realised the Netherlands aren’t doing too bad on the perfume front, and there are quite a few perfumeries that send niche samples. Even the Hiram Bloom is made in Holland (or at least Hiram Green lives in Gouda cheese city), and Pure Distance’s office is in Groningen (sort of the Northern Exposure of the low lands). But I would think that at this point in time my nose needs more experience and education before smelling those!

          • ParfuMaria in the NLs has a great sample program for niche fragrances, like 5 samples for €15, or sample sets divided by type (i.e,, fresh, or powdery). I would definitely give the site a look: http://www.parfumaria.com/en/samples There are also one or two Discovery Sets for specific houses. The owner of ParfuMaria is very nice, and she has a massive selection of all sorts of niche brands. She carries everything from Andy Tauer to Teo Cabanel (which makes my beloved Alahine) to LM Parfums, Neela Vermeire, Viktoria Minya, Jardins d’Ecrivains, Oriza L. Legrand, and so many other lines that I’ve covered or really like. No Tom Ford, but much more interesting stuff. So, maybe her sample program will help.

25. That does it, I’ll get a sample of Moon Bloom. I am a little concerned about the “tuberose for tuberose haters” concept, though, because I find it hard to *completely* dislike a tuberose of any stripe, no matter how obviously synthetic it is. (Michael is one; I have an older mini. Clearly lab-created, but not awful.) Even Tubby Criminal turns gorgeous after two hours – I just cannot deal with the rotting raw chicken of death up top. Fracas? on me, as much concerned with orange blossom as with tuberose, and as such, the experience of wearing it is a little like wearing cold cream. Very fatty-soapy, the way orange blossom often goes for me. The Lutens FLeurs d’Oranger though, at least in refo, is less opaque, and is tubey-influenced enough that it is really wonderful. I don’t know why I don’t own a bottle.

    Iris is never a favorite note for me, and I suspect it’s because iris in perfume is root, not flower. Earthy = Not My Thang. Oh well. (Favorite iris? Hands down, No. 19. Which is not about the iris, if you get my drift.)

    My rose list is considerably longer than yours, probably because I really like rose, but three on your list would be on mine too – Lyric, URC, Mohur (haven’t tried the extrait). We have some overlap in terms of florals, as we discussed before, but I’m noticing that where we do, it’s generally either mixed white florals or things that I would consider to be floral orientals rather than straight-up florals.

    I’m going to join everyone else in chorusing for more Favorites lists from you, please. This was fun.

    • Oh, I’d love to see what you thought of Mohur Extrait if you really like the EDP! In terms of our overlap, I agree with how it usually involves florientals or something involving white florals. For iris, one of my big problems is that it oftens smells like “cold stone,” as one of my friends put it. It’s such a cold note for me, whether it’s rooty or powdery, and it keeps me at a sharp distance. I suppose I can’t relate to all that cool aloofness. As for Moon Bloom, I can’t wait to hear what you think about it. Fingers crossed that it works for you!

26. After reading this the other day I doused myself liberally in Fracas and swanned around feeling as fabulous as Isabella Blow. (Yes, I know that Fracas and liberal quantities are rarely a good idea, but it was *just* what I needed.)

    I wish I liked ISM. When I tried it (and I did give it a second go) it felt like someone hammering iced silver skewers into my sinuses.

    One day I will find a lily scent that makes me swoon and I will be full of delight. Not found it yet…

    • Isabella Blow…. hilarious! 😀 As for ISM, I know *exactly* what you mean by iced silver skewers. There was a definite frozen vodka iciness on my skin, too. The end result was almost a futuristic iris. Very difficult, at least for someone who isn’t a hardcore iris fan. Perhaps even for some of them, too.

      In terms of Lily scents, I plan to include that on the next list, whenever I get around to it, but have you ever tried Le Labo’s Lys 41? It has a very pretty Stargazer lily note that I loved. Unfortunately, there were a few problems with the rest of the scent on my skin, including very iffy longevity, but maybe you’ll be luckier. It’s definitely worth a sniff, if you haven’t tried it yet. Oh, I almost forgot, Tom Ford’s Shanghai Lily has some nice bits to it, too.

      • Thank you for the pointer to the Le Labo! I hope to be able to sneak a side trip to Liberty next week when I’m down in London on a work trip, so will have a sniff then. Shanghai Lily *vanishes* on my skin. There’s a pale hint of promise, and then it’s just gone. Like thinking someone is about to kiss you, then realising they are just leaning in a bit to tell you quietly that you have lipstick on your teeth. Lys Fume does the same vanishing act. The Malle lily smells too green on me. The Guerlain Aqua Allegoria one has a taste of the lily I’m after, but is too wrapped up in fresh sunlight to be the real deal.

        In my magic fantasy world there’s a lily out there that is drowsily narcotic and fabulously overblown like walking through the city with a bunch of two dozen lilies, but undercut with snuffed-out candles and cold stone.

      • I tried Lys 41 this week–lovely stuff, but, like with you, it was a short lived pleasure. And possibly too determinedly cheerful for the mood I was in. I’ll probably order a sample and try it again though.

        I surprised myself with my restraint at Liberty, and waltzed out with just a single bottle… of Byredo’s m/mink instead of any of the things I had on my rather long list.

        • Have you ever tried Oriza L. Legrand’s Relique d’Amour? It’s a lily but with a church or monastery vibe: incense, beeswax, stony floors, dusty myrrh, etc. It has a lovely lily note, but the fragrance doesn’t really last on my skin and is very thin. That said, I know a few people who really love it, and it’s apparently a favorite of Isabelle Adjani, the actress, as well. Relique d’Amour is definitely NOT “determinedly cheerful” with that whole Church feel. (Also, a rather Serge Lutens’ vibe, if you ask me.)

          Perhaps that will work better for you? Oriza has a great sample pack set for very little, so you may want to give it a try. They have really classical, vintage-feeling fragrances, though some of them are rather subdued in projection/body, etc.

          • Kafka, you are a marvel. Thank you for taking the time to think about this for me. I have ordered a sample set to try (the chypre mousse sounds promising too…)

          • The Chypre Mousse was one of my favorite discoveries last year. I went rather nuts for it, and ended up buying a full bottle 15 minutes after I tested it. You can read my review once you get it, but I’m hugely excited for you to try that one, Katie!

27. I’ve come to realize I really adore Jasmine, and I’ve come also to realize I’ve never tried A La Nuit! I can’t wait to try it!

    • Oh, if you haven’t tried it, then you’re in for a treat! I can’t wait to hear what you think of it. Fingers crossed that your sillage-eating skin doesn’t go through it too quickly.

28. I’m glad you included an exotic flowers category! I recently had a sample of Black Orchid and it’s now on my wish list (much to my bank account’s dismay). I’m really not a fan of white florals which as I understand are a favorite of yours, but it’s always nice to have different points of view! I would really like to see posts like this in other “scent categories.” Maybe a favorite citrus or vanilla or something like that.
    (sorry if that sounds unsophisticated, I’m following you because I really enjoy fine fragrances but I don’t know the terminology well!)

    • Actually, florals are not really my main thing as a general rule, white or otherwise. I focus primarily on orientals, usually of a masculine nature, or ambers, incense, leathers, and the like. Chypres and Floral-orientals, as well. But pure florals tend to come in behind those categories. 🙂 Black Orchid, though, is a floriental and a lovely fragrance.

      Please don’t worry about sounding unsophisticated! We all start somewhere, and I’m just happy you’re interested in learning a little. Hopefully, I can help as time goes by, and I look forward to getting to know your perfume tastes. To let you know something about mine: I don’t like citruses, pure rose fragrances, iris, or things that are fresh and clean, soapy, green, too sweet or gourmand, too light, subdued or intimate. I also don’t like synthetics in fragrances, and they frequently give me a physical reaction or headaches. That is why I focus on niche perfumes at the higher or luxury end, and rarely cover any commercial, mainstream, or department store fragrances. (Clean, white musk and ISO E Super are deadly to me. lol)

      In terms of Vanillas, that’s a really hard one because I have been searching for the perfect vanilla for years now! I still don’t have a favorite. Part of it is that I don’t like extremely sweet scents or the Pink Sugar genre with sugar-icing vanillas. Somehow, it’s incredibly hard to find a good, dark, not excessively sweet but rich vanilla. As for a list of favorite citruses, no, I’m sorry, that is unlikely to happen. It is a genre I try to avoid, along with all the “fresh and clean” scents or soapy fresh ones. But a very intense, deep, citrus soliflore is Andy Tauer’s Cologne du Maghreb. You may want to look up that review to see if it sounds at all appealing to you. 🙂

      • Fair enough! I’m not a huge fan of the sugar sweet vanillas anymore either, although I did go through a bottle of Philosophy’s Unconditional Love a few years ago which I think definitely falls into that category. They smell nice but they’re not something I want to walk around wearing. I enjoy what are usually described as orientals as well, but I don’t like it when they smell too smoky and heavy. It makes me cough! I like it when they’re the littlest bit sweet, like Black Orchid. Chanel Coco Mademoiselle is another I really like (although I feel like so many people wear it!).

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