Reviews of Envy (1997)
by Gucci

The brief to Maurice Roucel must have been very brief indeed, probably just that single word: ENVY. For Roucel seems to have had pretty much a free hand in this undertaking, opting for the easier no-brainer option to draw upon the oft-quoted phrase, 'green with envy'. And that's what we got here, folks - a green floral. But unlike the fresh effervescence of Tommy Girl's spring morning, Envy is more about spring evenings with dusk approaching, flowers in late bloom, a peach ripening on a stem, mayhap a touch synthetic but still lactonic. I find the musky and powdery heart addictive and kept sniffing myself every few minutes. But far from being a happy scent, Envy's dusky yet seductive demeanour hints at darker secrets, of desires and longings and quite possibly, envy.

A wearable if somewhat seductive scent that comes across as 'young'. On a sultry beauty, I could imagine Envy as the embodiment of a third-party aka the 'husband-stealer'. Now if that isn't something that elicits envy, I don't know what is.

Gucci Envy

Notes: Hyacinth, Magnolia, Lily of the Valley, Jasmine, Violet, Iris (from sephora.com)

I have to be very honest. I do not smell anything like what is listed in the notes for Gucci Envy. When I first spray it, I smell something like waxed Granny Smith apples and plastic screechy florals. In the drydown I smell vestiges of the plastic top notes along with an extremely "perfumey" synthetic powder note and nondescript sweet musk. I can't say it is completely unpleasant, but here's what's really interesting about Envy...Envy smells like the fragrance counter at Macy's. In other words, it smells like a cloud of fragrance which is composed of countless spray-testing all the more recent fragrances available at a mid-level department store. This is the PURE ESSENCE OF MALL smell. I have to give some kudos for being able to bottle such a nebulous thing. It's definitely not for me, but I can understand the appeal.

I bought this for my wife when it came out, mainly because I was curious what Gucci, in the middle of a creative rebirth, was doing in the area of fragrance. Well, they created a classic. Such a beautiful fragrance and one that for once deserves the description “modern” (most of the time a word mistaken with “current fashion”, and most new fragrances don't deserve to be called modern.) This truly is a stylish fragrance for women that, once and for all, ends the tradition of musty, female perfume. This is crisp, green, sharp but unmistakably female. Undeniably great (too bad the male version wasn’t any good.)

I've only recently tried Gucci Envy and its made me realise how fabulous green florals can be. Love it and hope to purchase a bottle soon.

Wow! Fresh dazzling green! Envy is like a bracing, refreshing blast of water and greens! A cold rain on a hot day! Definitely unisex, definitely unique. Anyone who has trouble wearing the green, dry, chypre Chanel Cristalle should try Envy instead - gets you in the same zesty green place but with soft sweetness.

an_oud_girl is absolutely right about it smelling like Florida after the rain. Envy is gorgeous!

Envy is a massive sweet green floral scent with abundant sillage and powerful projection. It’s quick to fill a room, but the essential bitterness of its green notes keeps it from becoming crude or cloying. In other words, it’s a fine example of Maurice Roucel in his expansive mood – the same one in which he composed Insolence and Musc Ravageur.

Envy’s floral notes include bold jasmine and orange blossom which bear a hefty load of fleshy indoles. These give Envy a decadent, lascivious undertone that balances out it’s clean, green attributes. The tension between Envy’s green and animalic faces makes wearing it an enthralling experience. I find myself waiting expectantly for one of the two sides to take over and throw the balance, but the suspense does not subside until the entire composition retreats into its relatively simple, pastel green, coumarin-tinged drydown. An altogether pleasant scent, and one I’m comfortable wearing (in small doses) as a man.

I expected Envy to stomp into the room, cold and bossy, a conversation-stopper, an elbow-jabber, a party-spoiler, a bundle of sass and sillage with a bad perm. After a drink or two, she would skulk off and settle in the corner with a few peevish civets.

But no! Envy floats into the room fresh from a walk, a sunny personality bathed in cool spring air. On first meeting she sparkles and cajoles, leaving a soft trail of cut grass and flowers in bloom as she works the room. One-on-one, she leans in and listens, at once earnest and lighthearted, sweet but not needy, never clingy. She’s there for you but she gives you some space.

Envy may be green, but a deadly sin? More a heavenly virtue to me. She radiates serene energy, she is true to herself, she lives in the moment, she gets along with small children and animals, she performs random acts of kindness, her carbon footprint is small, she can bake bread, and she looks fabulous in a little black dress. She’s her best possible self, the envy of men and women alike; yet her grace, confidence and good breeding keep her from ever thinking, much less saying, “Envy Me.”

Great for everyday office wear- clean, fresh, impersonal, but interesting enough. Not for power presentations though; for that you need a Chanel.Women love it more than men.

This is a great unisex fragrance. Light, green and somewhat sweet. I like this in the summer. Like Light Blue (D and G for women), there isn't a real floral feminine vibe that would put a guy off. In fact, you (as a guy) could wear this in the spring and summer and then switch to Gucci for Men in the fall and winter. That'd be nice two scent wardrobe.

Green! Languid, limpid, sparkling, delightful green! Technically a green, fruity floral with all kinds of notes I thought I'd dislike-- peach, pineapple, freesa, lily of the valley, jasmine. But there's also bergamot, hyacinth, rose. A little on the sweet side for me, it is definitely gree-een. I don't quite understand how something without the usual accords like vetiver or oakmoss or lime can smell so clearly green. And wet! But not damp forest or aquatic. It reminds me of my mother's yard in Florida on a late June afternoon right after a hard rainstorm. Thick, springy St. Augustine grass, vibrant hibiscus bushes, glossy green jasmine vine in bloom, and tall royal palms making green punctuations in the sky, all still dappled and dripping with raindrops in the bright sun after the storm has passed. I wish I could turn down the sweetness, but I think that would sacrifice the sopping (but not soggy) quality. Sparkling like raindrops on the leaves and petals of flowers. Wet, but not oceanic or swampy. Long lasting, about six hours. I enjoy this most on warm, summer days.

Green, milky freesia and hyacinth. Envy is a classic scent, yet not my type. Smells like the ubiquitous department store of the 1990s. Ritzy, cool, and emotionally removed. Young women ready to go clubbing.

It's a lovely scent but I had to get rid of it because I always felt like I was smelling someone elses perfume. It just wasn't for me, yet it was pretty. I bought it because Luca Turin said it was one of 4 masterpieces (24 Faubough,Tocade and L'Instant). Just goes to show how we are all so unique and particular wehn it comes to scents.

I like it a lot. Seems most anyone could wear it. I suppose that would be bad for some people...but fresh, clean, crisp yet warm and feminine w/a hidden side. Good for everyday.

Envy is my new winter fragrance. I find it warm, spicy and extremely sensuous. I love it so much I wear it to bed! At last, an edt that has a reasonable staying power. I spray it early in the morning and a subtle aura is still noticeable 10 or 12 hours later. My friends and co-workers all love it too.

Very, very nice—Envy is an excellent green / fresh fragrance. The fruits of the opening are kept at a tasteful minimum, signifying that this will not be one of the many sweet fruity floral fragrances that can be found almost everywhere. This fragrance takes its own path. The florals, too, are restrained and subtle, and they, along with the iris from the base form a wonderfully neutral accord that I don’t know how to describe. It reminds me of the papyrus notes of some fragrances—or a premium bond paper or perhaps a dryer sheet that’s very high-end, if you can imagine such a thing. This deluxe neutral note serves as a platform for displaying the richness and depth of the muted fruit in the top and the discreet woods and musk in the base. This carries the inventive “transparent” floral accord of L’Eau d’Issey one step further by further neutralizing individual notes in order to gain these beautifully compelling translucent combination accords. The whole neutral floral / paper thing is very successfully accomplished in Envy, because it results in a progression that is both elegant and casual at the same time. Sophistication and ease in one and the same traditionally structured progression. Possible synthetics aside, I believe Envy was ground breaking when it was introduced, and it has remained a wonderful and special feminine fragrance.

I really like the ginger in this one. Wearing Envy always makes me feel good, and lots of people ask, "What is that cologne? It smells so good!

As a huge fan of green notes, I adore Envy! I want more of this sort fragrances.

A very feminine fragrance in a classic way, I bought it to my wife due to their similar notes with Elizabeth Arden's 5th Avenue.

It follows a classic schema, based on an orange-like/jasmine/rose/musk structure, with top notes of bergamot, fresia, pineapple and peach, middle notes of jacinth, lilies of the valley, roses and jasmine, and base notes of cedar, sandalwood, iris and musk. Smelling it now, it has similar notes with Molyneux's I Love You, due to the rose notes and the iris base, but in this case the iris is blended in a more subtle way.

Fruity notes gives a fresh start but the main note is the rose, that gives the romantic aspect in a young way (not granny style). The classic structure makes it suitable for office and romantic use, maybe an evening event but in warmer seasons. Don't seems to be restrictive to a specific range of age, believing to fit well in both younger and older women.

Currently my favorite fragrance - it's so deeply womanly somehow, and quite restrained - not too flowery, not too powdery, not too strong, not too sweet. It's elegant and gentle and it's one of the few fragrances that I can't smell any more 5 minutes after I put it on. The simple bottle really works to emphasize the essence of this scent.

Nice, i like it , it has a greenish aura but it is still a bit sweet and it's an overall nice dewy floral, easily recognized as many people wear this, the lasting power needs to be adressed cause it's not that longlasting. Might become a bit soapy to some on the drydown. I like it but i don't love it.

I tend to be attracted to the more green/fresh fragrances in general, and I adore Envy! It does smell green, but with a mysterious floral that reminds me of a dewy midnight garden. Very modern and fresh, not cloying, I tend to wear it in the evenings... A little goes a long way.

I love it - a beutiful, fresh, tangy green scent that actually works well on my masculine skin. I'm a hyge fan of green fragrances and find this great during summer. The drydown is wonderful - retaining the leafy green character while adding a touch of powdery iris and light musks.

I had to try this based on how much I loved Gucci Accenti. I thought I'd love this one as well. Sadly Envy did not work at all for me. The synthetic iris and musk combined to overpower every other note on my skin. Definitely not good! The lasting power is horrid as well. Not a scent I would envy on anyone I passed by.

Has probably launched a thousand headaches but I like it anyway. Gucci Envy is a green, vibrant floral with a definitive twist, something in the base that makes it a singular scent. Some say it's the smell of money - the literal smell of a paper bill - and in other places I've read that it's a "rare white wine flower that blooms only one week in June every year." Okay...it could be either, could be both, or else something else entirely different, but it's most definitely there among the earnest green sap of the hyacinth, the sweet timidity of the lily of the valley and the powdery cool earth of the iris, honest and unpretentious flowers all. It's almost like an inside joke, these modest, unobtrusive, non-showy garden variety flowers covering up this underlying reek of money, power, unnattainability, decadence. It's an interesting concept, a true parable told in fragrance notes, and given the remarkable talents of the perfumer who brought it to life, I'm not surprised it's as fascinating a fragranec as it is. Hats off, Maurice Roucel!

The best Gucci's male fragrance! This is my first love!

sweet and feminine. great if you like lily of the valley but not in an old fashioned type fragrance.