Reviews of Jil Sander No. 4 (1990)
by Jil Sander

Ah.... I used to wear this years ago. I loved it. I so wanted to go back to it now, as I was recently on a mission to find a new signature fragrance. Sadly, it is quite expensive, and hard to find in the larger size. I refuse to buy 1.7 ounce bottles of any fragrance, when I can pay on average about ten dollars more to get the 3.4 ouncers. Ever place I searched on line, it was out of stock. I still hope that one day, I will find it available in the larger size, and then I can snatch up a few bottles of this. It is wonderfully refreshing. It is great for romantic wear, but also a great office scent, as it screams "POWER" with a "I'm in charge" sort of scent. This is a fragrance with confidence.

I find myself thinking often, "how can something so great, so flawless and classic be discontinued?! I cannot bear it!" And I always mean it, but this time I mean it the most.

In my top three faves.

Jil Sander is:
Swank
Classic
Elegant
Alluring
Perfect
Haunting

I seem to be a sucker for plum an peach in the same chypre, and this one does it in a really dark-as-night manner.

I agree its closest relative is Knowing (also great), but I think it's the finer fragrance. Knowing is a stately tudor-revival mansion graced by an impeccable woman's respect for tradition. Jil Sander is the real, kept-up Tudor manor, inhabited by eccentric, stylish gentry.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis supposedly wore this; perfect match. Rose and geranium make it a little soapy to start, but the fruits help out. Soon it melts into a classy white flower with rich herbs and resins to round it into a warm, sophisticated floral-oriental. Not to modern, not to old school. Good lasting properties. Nice to wear with a cocktail dress.

Top note: galbanum, geranium, peach, plum, rose
Heart note: carnation, heliotrope, jasmine, myrrh, rose, tarragon, tuberose, violet, ylang-ylang
dry down: ambergris, moss, musk, patchouli, sandalwood, vanilla

It smells of jasmine + plum + nice coniferous note + honey, very elegant scent, comfortable, soothing, deep, there is something aromatherapeutic in it, dark and soft, like a black velveteen, has a little in common with Poison and Romeo di Romeo Gigli (EDP!)

Jil Sander #4 is like a softer-edged version of Estee Lauder Knowing. It has the same woodiness, the same tuberose, moss, patchouli, and musk. But it starts with a fabulous green opening note, and then introductrs a beautiful peach or plum fruit, while Knowing is more orangey.
The vanilla in the drydown is the main difference between the two. Knowing is clearer, with emphasis on the patchouli, while #4 is creamy and much more vanillic. Both of them have a nice, soft finish, with Knowing being more powdery and long-lasting.
I have loved Knowing for a long time. It is strong, though. If I overapply, I get a bit of a pushy, overdone, chemical smell. #4 smells similar, but without the danger of overdose. Very nice.

This is difficult for me to rate, because it's not my "type" of fragrance - it's too heavy on the floral notes for my taste. If you like that sort of fragrance, this would be a winner, but I'll pass on this one...though I will try it again sometime simply because I think it's destined to become a classic.

Unlike some of the more challenging fine fragrances (including some of the vintage classics), this is gorgeous from the moment you apply it. I've been so disappointed by designer scents (Vera Wang, et al.) that I wasn't expecting much from this one. But the warm floral top notes are stunning, underscored by woods, moss, and something faintly animalic. It manages to be both sophisticated and voluptuous somehow -- an elusive combination, in my experience. I'm trying this for the first time on a rainy spring day, and the sensation is of stepping into an exotic garden at the edge of a dense wood.

Each time I experience this aroma, it always leaves my senses wanting more. I find myself inhaling deeper to prolong the subtle enjoyment of this fragrance. This is a perfume I never get tired of smelling. Jil Sander N ° 4 is a perfect balance of sweetness and warmth, strength and softness, subtlety and distinctiveness... It begins with a burst of sweet carnations and ambery notes. Ylang Ylang then takes over without breaking any rhythm and blends into musky vanilla. Like the taste of honey melting in your mouth, the smell lingers softly with tonka bean and sandalwood, without loosing any substance. Finally the last note, rose, combines together a perfect harmony and chemistry.

Rich and sensual yet somehow very comfortable. I sprayed this on my coat while walking through TJ Maxx today and I couldn't get enough of this heady classic.

On me I smell jasmine, tuberose and moss amongst others. Very nice, especially in cooler weather.

This is a lovely classic smelling perfume, at least to my nose. I've adored it since I was a very little girl, being spoiled by my great-aunt with the tiny bottles of it. A friend of mine finally bought me a big bottle for me a little over a year ago. Its strong, and to some it might seem better suited to the evening, but I wear it anytime I feel like having something sensual, but not sweet or overly girly.

i just discovered this, walking through a store. I put it on my wrists, and after drying it smelled fantastic! I was really pleased with the subtle jasmine, and peering moss. On me it smelled spicy and exotic.

I TOLD MY SON ONE OF MY FAVORITE PERFUMES AND FOR THE HOLIDAYS ONE YEAR, I GOT THIS WITH HAND LOTION. EVERYBODY STOPS ME TO ASK WHAT I'M WEARING, PEOPLE WANT TO BUY IT FOR SOMEONE THEY LOVE. (INCLUDING 75+ YO MOMS!) FEEL VERY SENSUOUS AND SEXY. ANOTHER MUST-HAVE FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS.

Jil Sander No 4 is one of the most unusual fragrances I feel I own. It has such a range of moods and while I don't wear it all the time I've worn it successfully in every season feeling that it's probably best in autumn and winter. It's also lovely on a rainy day when the humidity accentuates the "bloom" of the
floral heart. I think of it as a very bold, strong fragrance. The EdP and parfum are similar enough with the parfum being richer and closer to the body. Just a few drops is really all you need. I find it romantic and elegant and plenty bewitching.

I've seen it classed as a Floral Fruity and it does have fruit in the top notes, however, it's not the watery-light fruit of summer-time but the fruit of mulled ciders, red wines, peach cobblers and plumy puddings. As it moves into the heart it gets a bit brighter and begins to show its floralcy. Indeed, it is a riot of flowers with violet, rose, tuberose, jasmine, heliotrope, ylang-ylang, carnation, and orange
blossom. On me I tend to notice the orange blossom and jasmine, yet the overall effect is more like sitting in a temperate climate garden on a languidly humid evening. The notes are clear with not a hint of muting or powder and they pop out at you like jewel-toned roses against a dark, leafy backdrop. Then, No 4 softens and starts to darken. The moss begins to come out against the sandalwood. It
gets drier, less flamboyantly floral and the spice of the carnation and pimento begin their exotic dance. Into the finale, the roses, jasmine and other flowers move to the background and settle into the skin, leaving a flowered base for the rest of the elegant dryout.

You have to be a floral lover to truly appreciate this one. It also doesn't hurt to have a bit of an open mind as this one has been described as "avant-garde." While I'm not sure I'd go that far I feel it pushes the nose a bit and creates a very dramatic entrance.

Notes I have for it:

Top Notes: Light rose, geranium, peach, plum, galbanum. Heart Notes: Violets, jasmine, rose,
tuberose, heliotrope, ylang-ylang, carnation, tarragon, myrrh, pimento. Base Notes: Grey ambergris, moss, sandalwood, patchouli, vanilla, musk.