Reviews of Quelques Fleurs L'Original (1912)
by Houbigant

Too often this is called simply 'QUELQUES FLEURS' and is retailed as such but it isn't! This perfume 'QUELQUES FLEURS L'ORIGINAL' bears little resemblence to Quelques Fleurs which was created a couple of years after L'Original. Both are by Houbigant but whilst L'original has been resurrected (reformulated?) and is available retail, Quelques Fleurs is only available in the 'vintage' market! L'original is quite a heady floral perfume but there is something not quite right about it - whether this is the reformulation I don't know as I have never smelled the REAL L'Original. It improves greatly after a few minutes so if testing it WAIT and don't rub it!!! BUT believe me it doesn't even come close to Quelques Fleurs! That is just scentsational! It is like falling asleep in a flower garden on a hot summers day - a died and gone to heaven fragrance - youthful but not young - it is a perfume that any woman can wear at any time of the day. L'Original just doesn't have the same qualities. They stopped making Quelques Fleurs back in the 70's I think - or at least they retailed it in UK only in Harrods in an attempt to raise its profile to where it originally was - I think they made it for the USA market for a little longer. My mother introduced me to it in the late 60's - it had been one of her favourites. I have both Quelques Fleurs and Quelques Fleurs L'Original - I have given it the thumbs up as L'Original is lovely ....BUT...........

Dense describes it perfectly -- a dense multi-floral from another era altogether. Don't think for a moment, though, that "dense" here implies sodden or heavy. No, this is dense complexity -- the French perfumer's art at its best.

What starts out as tuberose overdose with lily and jasmine galore soon dries down into a green floral delight and then onward into a warm and inviting muskiness.

Very, VERY old school opulence -- not for the faint of heart, nor for the die-hard fan of Tommy Girl and other relentless, watery clone frags. Appropriate for any age if worn with confidence. A must-try for any frag aficionado, too.

Quelque Fleurs translates literally into "some flowers" but figuratively into "whatever flowers" with the implication that this is a casual assortment, not a formal arrangement. As the story goes, there are supposed to be 313 flowers in this fragrance. Indeed there are many; and this is a perfume for floral lovers. The ones that stand out most to me are lily, orange blossom, carnation, and tuberose, but none of them drown out the others. Each accepts its space graciously, and allows infringment by the others, resulting in a big but surprisingly light and elegant bouquet. I like this, but I don't love it, as I wear mostly woody scents. If you love multi-florals, though, this is a good one.

Wow, NEZ is right! This begins much like Chanel's Cristalle! Quelques Fleurs harbors the potentially cloying triple threat of rose-jasmine-tuberose, yet thankfully manages to keep that fragrant bouquet fresh and in tact. For me, the musk used here smells a bit "fleshy". For lilies I prefer the refined notes found in Lutens Un Lys, but considering the era of this creation and it's unwavering popularity I must give credit where it is due - thumbs up!

At the beginning, a couple of minutes, it reminds me Chanel Cristalle. It is a fresh ,green, floral, juicy(a little bit at the end), but not too sweet and heady scent. Very feminen and wearable during the day.
It lasts whole day on my skin. One of my all time favorite classics.

Quelques Fleurs is a lovely, soft floral from Houbigant. Demi-Jour, also from Houbigant, is very reminiscent of QF and is my favorite of the two, though QF is very nice in its own right. My box of Quelques Fleurs says L’Original on it; however, I’m sure the juice has been reformulated since its first release in 1912 and its re-introduction in 1987. What sets Quelques Fleurs apart from many of the florals on today’s market is that the green note floats in the foreground without being obnoxious and without being overbearing; the way the green is formulated here, it keeps the whole juice light and cheery, not heavy or cloying. Another difference from all the cookie cutter floral frags is that QF comes without that heavy peach Jell-O note or heavy watery freesia note I smell in all too many fragrances. The drydown of Quelques Fleurs is softly musky with a nice touch of amber. On my skin, QF can become a bit brassy towards the end, but on others it stays very soft and enticing. A nice classic for any floral lover’s perfume collection and easily worn by a 12 year old or a 112 year old. This one beautifully bridges the generation gap.