Reviews of Osmanthus (2001)
by Different Company

This is a very appealing peachy, milky osmanthus without the slightest trace of sugar. It is exactly what I thought Osmanthe Yunnan would be. (Jean Claude Ellena created both.) Here's the problem...it doesn't last and I can barely smell it even when first applied. It lasts even less time than Osmanthe Yunnan. So although this scent has a modest appeal, it is almost pointless. Maybe it would last a little longer on clothing.

A very appealing fruity floral scent with gentle animalic charachter. I would love to smell this one on a woman. It could be used by men too, I guess, but to me it leans clearly towards the feminine side. Smells very summery to me, and I get this picture of some lovely mature lady sitting by the beach, reading some novel by Nora Roberts wearing a dress with flower print, long hair flowing in the wind.....

....and I stand right there behind her, admiring her, and getting some lovely whifs of her Osmanthus that is dancing in the air.

The mere mention of castoreum and hay in a fragrance usually portends a wild ride. Imagine my surprise after applying Osmanthus and experiencing a light, fizzy peach accord that remained true throughout its development. Very pleasant; nothing uncivilized about it. Delicious and refreshing peach fragrance, neither strongly fruity nor strongly rosey. A nice skin fragrance.

This fragrance is a very quiet fragrance. When applied, the opening notes are airy and citrusy, however, the drydown is amazing. The drydown is a very soft floral and fruity; not too feminine nor is it strangely manly. I have come to love this fragrance as soon as I received it. Definitely unisex!!!!Just a side note: this fragrance is very reminscent of L'artisan The Pour Un Ete, yet, you get more out of this one!!

This one is quite light and unexpectedly pleasant, considering the punch that Rose Poivree and Bois d'iris pack. BUT, it isn't fleeting and it doesn't lack substance, but instead is very subtle and inviting, much in the same way that Creed Neroli Sauvage requires a lot of time and a lot of close sniffing really to get what's going on beyond the surface.

It's my least favorite of the Ellena TDC Trio (Bois d'iris, Osmanthus, Rose Poivree), but it is still a wonderful fragrance and worth the time of locating.

My reaction to this fragrance is pretty much the same as Gerald’s, especially in that I find very little osmanthus in it. I get primarily rose in the opening. To my nose the citrus is quite subordinate to the rose, and there are definitely osmanthus, green, and bergamot in the opening—but the rose prevails on my skin. It is not a strong, heady rose note, it is soft and demure, but it is the prominent note in proportion to the complete movement of the fragrance. I don’t really get much castoreum, but the hay note begins to stand out about a half hour into the scent, and it forms that earthy accord with the rose, pretty much as in Rose Poivrée, just as Gerald said. This one is weaker than Rose Poivrée, as well as quite a bit less interesting. Unlike Rose Poivrée, its earthiness seems more like an afterthought than the planned intention. Osmanthus has a weak sillage and its longevity leaves much to be desired. This scent had a lot of potential in its choice of notes, but the proportion and progression just do not match the quality of ingredients as far as I’m concerned.

Well put together; this one is different. Notes include: osmanthus, leaf green, bergamot, orange, tangerine, rose, rose bay, castoreum, hay and musk. The opening is sour and unpleasant to me. I don't get a true citrus at all. As this juice dries down, it's magic! The rose notes are soft and fresh. Not cloying whatsoever. I think the 'hay' gives a spring like breeziness to this mix. If it weren't for the disagreeable topnotes I'd probably dish out the dollars for this fragrance. I'm giving it a thumbs up because the drydown is truly magnificent!

Well, Osmanthus... without doubt a high quality fragrance with nothing else but the best natural ingredients. But this fruity, light floral is a bit too light for my taste. The Osmanthus aroma is hardly noticeable and after the topnotes of bergamote and tangerine have disappeared, all that remains are rose accords and castoreum; finally it turns to a Rose Poivrée - similar fragrance. Nice, but not too exciting. At least on my skin.