I've been hankering for greens in fragrances lately, so I thought I'd do a comparison of 3 that I particularly love. I wore one on each wrist and the third on my forearm. I wanted to see how they wore throughout the day, how other people perceived them, which lasted the longest, and which was my favorite among them.
Chanel # 19 was introduced in 1970. (I have a mini bottle from one of the sets, so this was dabbed.) It's notes include (and I don't smell the tuberose):
bergamot, neroli and tuberose, vetiver, leather and musk.
or
* With floral and green notes of Neroli from Grasse and Galbanum from Iran
* Combines with May Roses and Irises from Florence
* A cypress tone with a subtle and woody note of Vetiver
Vent Vert by Balmain was created in 1947. I have both the vintage version and the more modern version, but for this comparison I used the vintage. It is a spray.
Original:
Top Notes: Galbanum, Citrus, Gardenia, Peach
Middle Notes: Rose, Muguet, Hyacinth, Orrs, Jasmin
Base Notes: Oakmoss, Vetiver, Styrax, Musk
Top Notes: Greens, orange blossom, lemon, lime, basil
Heart Notes: Rose, galbanum, lily of the valley, freesia, hyacinth, tagetes, ylang-ylang, violet
Base Notes: Oakmoss, sandalwood, sage, iris, amber, musk
Ma Griffe by Carven was introduced in 1946, but to me, it still is timeless. At one time it was close to a signature fragrance for me. The gardenia and other florals in it are not particularly strong. In many ways it reminds me of Guerlain's Chamade, perhaps because of all the galbanum. This bottle is also vintage and a spray.
Top Notes: Gardenia, greens, galbanum, aldehydes, clary sage
Heart Notes: Jasmine, rose, sandalwood, vetiver, orris, ylang-ylang
Base Notes: Styrax, oakmoss, cinnamon, musk, benzoin, labdanum
Over the course of several days, I applied the fragrances in the same manner and refreshed throughout the day.
My take
They sure are similar!
Which lasted the longest?
Between Vent Vert and Chanel No 19, the Chanel was longer lasting. I tried to apply the same amount to each wrist, though they were in different formats. Both started out essentially the same, equally strong, and both had odd top notes, because both are vintage. But that burned off quickly. I was surprised that even in the beginning they were alike.
I applied more of the Ma Griffe because I applied that to my forearm and transferred it to the other forearm. It lasted about as long as the Vent Vert, maybe a tad longer.
What do they smell like?
Vent Vert and Chanel No 19 are both crisp greens. Ma Griffe is a bit softer.
I brought some fresh flowers into the house this week and cut their stems before putting them in water. I had all 3 of my girls smell the cut edges of the stems because that is the scent that most fragrance houses are trying to put into their fragrances to capture the real essence of cut flowers. Honestly, I could have worn the stems, they were so fragrant, though I bet people would have wondered about me!
Who liked what?
Book Girl didn't like Ma Griffe. She felt it smelled 'old.' I told her it wouldn't as soon as it settled down. It is grownup, though. By contrast, Cathy's favorite was Ma Griffe, which is also mine. None that I asked could smell a lot of difference between the Vent Vert or Chanel No 19.
So there you have it! If you are looking for greens in a fragrance, you can look into these, and you won't go wrong with any of them. It all depends on what you like best on you and the price point.
Have you worn any of these?
Is one your favorite?
Karin
www.savvythinker.com
Originally posted 2010-05-03 06:12:23.
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