Reviews of No. 89 (1950)
by Floris

If anyone wonders what the Floris house note is, smell no. 89. This is THE citrus house note. Nice eau de cologne. Kinda just there.

To say that "No. 89" "reeks" of funeral parlors is unfair; it is a quiet, dignified fragrance that doesn't reek in any way. But evocative of those unhappy places? Yes, maybe. Firstly it is a quintessential 1950s scent: although I typically hate the shorthand of the decade attribution as imprecise and overly impressionistic, I find it apt here. It very much reminds me of one of my mother's perfumes of years ago. As for the embalming vibe, maybe it's on account of the scent's passive quality: this is not a sporty fragrance. Indeed, it's hard imagining anyone having the energy to pilot a nuclear speed boat or dodge bullets or fight off Russian temptresses while wearing "No. 89." The floral notes are just too quiet, and too pretty--like a spray of pink roses on a simple pine box.

To my taste this is a slightly dated scent, one that does not appeal to my taste. Not too strong but with an odd lingering note. Definitely wearable but I would agree with some of the other comments in the sense that it is more likely to suit an older clientele. I heard that Floris was going to discontinue it before long.

I can appreciate its English sensibilities overall but the nutmeg note is too off-putting for me to wear. Its strongest asset is the unfortunately, short-lived but wonderful, citrus/floral melange. The nutmeg/orris/sandalwood connection is prominent throughout the entire course.

The clearly evident, earthy-dry, floral orris note definitely conjures up images of some kind of institutional stuffiness. No. 89 seems more likely a purchase for a mature person.

It opens with a sharp, rather aggressive citrus note, not a really a disagreeable note, but not especially attractive. I wonder why this particular citrus accord was chosen; perhaps to cover up the overt floral aggressiveness of the middle notes. I really don’t know what to make of what is happening with the top and middle. There are supposed to be rose and orris as the florals, but I have a difficult time determining the rose in this scent. The orris, however, is definitely there; it takes prominence but not in its usual way. I think the normal powdery aspect of orris has been reduced and the orris takes a strong white floral note—at any rate, to my nose, it’s a non-rose floral. Robyogi’s funeral home image is an especially appropriate one for this scent, particularly in the long lasting middle notes. To my nose it certainly does have that funeral parlor tang before it settles down to a much more subtle floral middle level and wood drydown. The base is well done, if a bit too soft, but I can’t find anything very endearing about it.

On the boards it seems No.89 is sometimes compared to C&S no.88. I think 89 is much closer to D’Orsay’s Etiquette Bleue than it is to no.88. It’s got the same light, white, herbal-floral topnotes that have an uplifting sort of quality. It’s not quite as uplifting as the D’Orsay scent is though, and the heavier basenotes further drag this one down. Finally, there is a mustiness in here akin to the mustiness of Floris’ Elite, which makes the scent smell old or dated. This mustiness, combined with the floral notes, reminds me of a funeral home…not exactly a positive image! I will say it smells better on my shirt, where it retains more of that Etiquette Bleue sparkle. But why not just get the much better Etiquette Bleue?