Variations (2000)
by Carven

I have the original parfum in a huge bottle. It was a tester I bought for a song. I love the scent — which, like most great fragrances, has the ability to conjure memories of halcyon days. The top notes are a blast of fresh florals and fruit scents. The drydown is a warm woody floral, slightly leathery chypre. The drydown of Paco Rabanne's "Metal" (another favourite) smells very similar to Variation's end notes too.

I have the original Variations from the 50's and it is nothing like the re-issue, are they ever though?
So this is my take on the "original"
It opens with a burst of fresh white flowers and aldehydes, very bright and clean. The heart notes then shine forth and are exquisite, still floral yet not as bright, somewhat richer and more lush, yet not heavy. This scent never becomes heavy nor cloying, nor does it become overly sweet. By the time the basenotes arrive you are still ensconced in a lush floral bouquet, yet you can detect a few animalic notes, a warm soft muskiness, but still no heaviness. This has to be, in my opinion, one of the greatest and most elegant warm weather fragrances ever. It is not citrusy, it is not fruity, it is not sharp and oceanic, it is just a clean, fresh, soft floral bouquet warmed slightly yet gently.

Carven Variations comes on quite strongly fruity – sweet. The peach dominates to my nose and to my mind, dominant peach usually equals cheap and gaudy, and I’m afraid this one is no different. Then somehow the florals and tea of the mid notes don’t accomplish much of a change in the direction of the scent—the fruity sweet notes are not relieved by the tea and floral and the scent is quite linear in this respect. The dry down quiets down considerably and the scent loses almost all of its punch, which, I think, is a good thing, except that what’s left is very boring. Too loud. To fruity – sweet. I really like the male fragrances that Carven makes, but this one is a cliché.