Osmanthus Interdite (2007)
by Parfum d'Empire

Not bad but rather pale tea-floral. Watery, weak and really nothing special.

9th December, 2011.

One of my highest moment of bliss in September arrives when I catch a sudden osmanthus scent in the air during a walk in the city streets. Since I discovered this tiny orange flower not many years ago- I often wonder how has it been possible to ignore it previously!- it has become one of my favourite floral fragrances, with its tea and apricot shades.
Osmanthus Interdite is by now my favourite take on the beloved flower: it starts citrussy effervescent, with hints of other summer flowers, then mellows in black tea and apricot notes (that succeed in staying away from jam or cheap shampoo effects!), to end in the softest and sweetest musky leather. Now, the basenotes are, for my taste, a bit too fruity musky, making the fragrance dangerously getting close to a certain banality… But, as the longevity is great, I can enjoy the top and middle notes for a long time! In short, it’s a very warm and serene fragrance, perfect for an end of summer- early autumn day

3rd September, 2011. (Last Edited: 4th September, 2011.)

Pretty weak fruity/floral, quite disappointing actually as I was really looking forward to trying this osmanthus..

Way too faint for me, with very poor projection, sillage and longevity..

Unremarkable, unfortunately..

16th June, 2011.

This is a boozy, fruited osmanthus with a rich musky drydown. Although there are rose & jasmine notes, osmanthus is the star. I really don't care for osmanthus, so I appreciate the supporting cast. All of the bells & whistles help with the longevity, too.

10th October, 2009.

Gorgeous, simply gorgeous.

This is my favorite osmanthus scent. It smells fruity and floral and tea-like with a citrusy apricot undertone. A musky leathery base adds dimension and it's overall very smooth, creamy and refreshingly joyous.

Just beautiful.

16th May, 2009.

Comparing Osmanthus by Ormonde Jayne and Osmanthus Interdite by Parfum d'Empire.

Impressions: OJ goes on very crisp, citrucy and candied at the same time, while PdE is soft, almost suede-like with earthy undertones (somehow it makes me think that this is how osmanthus pollen may smell like -- soft and dusky). OJ comes across as a light fragrance, almost a cologne, with osmanthus. Not being a fan of 'refreshing cologne' type of perfume, I have to say I prefer Parfum d'Empire's version.

After about 30 minutes OJ has calmed down and is not as "in your face" as earlier. It's now pleasantly sweet and fresh. PdE is still going strong with the leather undertones; I'm not detecting much progression.

Overall, I perceive PdE as more "substantial" and it's still my favorite of the two.

14th April, 2009.