Jicky (1889)
by Guerlain

It is harsh to nose. It goes from that old bitter mandarin oil to amber incense directly; not playfull with many notes in. thinking the year it launched i can guess how impressing it should have been. But today i should not have worn it.
But i did. I mean i put some one me.
Now i have two regrets. I would not drink bolls red orange anymore. They remind me each other.

There is no overwhelming note in this melange of scents.

The opening features the citrus and lavendar,while the second act brings forth the rose and vetiver.

Eventually the solid closing notes emerge.

This is not a signature scent,but rather one for any moment. Truly a classic.

I'll make this simple:

edt = citrus, lavender, oopoponax/tonka with vanilla.
I enjoy it very much. My husband hates it.
Fleeting in longevity.

This review is under revision.

There have been a lot of very good reviews of Jicky here. I just want to add two things. First, the different strengths of Jicky vary widely in their feel and are very nice layered together. The extrait is dense, citrusy, and has more prominent civet. It also develops beautifully on the skin. The PDT is a bit harsh for my taste, but dries down very nicely. The EDT has an abundance of lavender that makes it vaguely sweeter, but I'm not impressed by the staying power. I haven't sampled the EDC in a while, but my recollection was that it resembled the EDT. Second, this scent smells wonderful on both men and women - it has a "naughty" feel too it that is suitable for almost any occasion. You can't go wrong with Jicky, it is one of the few scents I would wear day or night, formal or casual, intimate or buttoned down - basically any time at all.

Created in 1889 by Aimé Guerlain, Jicky is one of the greatest of all the classic perfumes and yet probably the first of the modern 'abstract' fragrances at the same time, a semi-oriental fougère. It used what were considered to be very modern notes for the time - coumarin was only isolated from the tonka bean in 1868 - and is the antidote to all the earlier scented waters that consisted of easily defined flower essences. In Jicky, the formulation is complex and difficult to strip down. It marks the beginning of modern art where the work must display hidden meanings and impressions rather than just pure imitation. When it first appeared, many women did not accept or understand it. The hint of animal scent was too brutal and unexpected for women in 1889. In fact, men were the first to appreciate it, and it wasn't until 1912 that women's magazines finally began to sing its praises. Today, Jicky is considered by many as being the 'ultimate' fougère. The perfume bottle is inspired by medicine jars but with a surprising 'champagne bottle stopper', symbolizing joy and celebration. Now sold in the standard 'quadrilobe' bottle. Its name has been told to be that of an English girl Aimé once proposed - but it's most of all also the nickname of Aimé's nephew Jacques.