Osmanthus (2006)
by Ormonde Jayne

I'm not sure how much this has to do with osmanthus - at least with the osmanthus that grows in profusion in my neighborhood. On me, Ormonde Jayne's Osmanthus is a thick, heady, indolic white flower composition in the same raunchy vein as Mona di Orio's Nuit Noir and Etat Libre d'Orange's Charogne, if not quite as overtly erotic as either. Nonetheless, Osmanthus makes a strong statement, and that statement is suggestive. I attribute the hard-hitting indoles to the jasmine sambac in the pyramid, and I'm sure the leathery labdanum contributes to the scent's animalic nature. The drydown, which comes surprisingly soon on my skin, is mostly about cedar, complimented by a warm animalic musk.

I've begun to wonder if scents like Nuit Noir, Charogne, and Osmanthus represent a manifesto of rebellion against the spare, minimalist compositions that populate so many niche perfume lines. At any rate I see Osmanthus as a nice, lush "bedroom scent," but not something I'd wear to the office.

Not your garden variety Osmanthus! The pimento adds sharp notes and the cedar and the vetiver keep the osmanthus from being too sweet. The water lilly may be unnecessary in this one - the osmanthus alone is enough to keep the one from being too heavy. I like it. It is not my favorite of the OJ collection, but the use of the osmanthus is different than most of perfumes with the same note.

Definitely the most boring and insignificant of the collection.
It is a citrus woody with hints of florals that are hard to detect. I cannot find the osmanthus notes there at all but than again it could be my body chemistry playing tricks on me.
It is very similar to the Creeds in my opinion - something metallic in there. The base is woods with light musk.
My favourite part of the perfume is the beginning -though I wished the Pomelo note was more true to the real fruit. I found this one quite anemic in comparison to the rest of the Ormonde Jayne line.

Top notes: Pomelo, Davana, Pimento
Heart notes: Osmanthus absolute, Water Lily, Jasmine Sambac
Base notes: Cedar Wood, Labdanum Resin, Musk, Vetiver

What an incredible fragrance! I have the Eau de Parfum & can only imagine what the Parfum must be like. Sorry....got distracted there just thinking about this.

Osmanthus is one of those notes you'll see popping up in newish fragrances. However, the flower of the olive tree has been used in perfumery for quite a long time. It smells "fresh", a little sweet but unlike anything you've ever smelled before. It's easily overdone & can be headache inducing but NOT in JO's Osmanthus.
Her's is a light but unforgetable fragrance with terrific sillage & structure.