Vert Pivoine
by Histoire de Parfums

In my humble opinion, this line has three stand out creations: Colette, Casanova, and this one, Vert Pivoine.

I am rarely captured by simple floral scents, but this one is just right. A very mature, clean and meticulous, clear, peppery-floral scent, which smells to me like it would fit better alongside Delrae's prim and gorgeous line-up than here alongside the other, more plush and daring Histoire scents.

Extremely wearable and oddly versatile; I'd never feel too girlish or too flouncy in this one. Its sophistication is really astounding.

I get a bit of a poppy vibe off this one; if it were called "Poppy Fields", I might like it better than I do, trying to 'find' the likeness to the ephemeral peony reality.

Nonetheless, one of the few-on-earth clear, linear florals I wil ever drop 180USD on. To me, it's that good.

14th July, 2010.

VERT PIVOINE or 'peony green' in English. It opens with a confident mimosa before settling into something leafy-green but no less floral, a touch of vanilla giving it a slight powdery texture. Rather Kenzo-like in structure. I don't have the faintest idea to how a peony should smell but if this is it, then I'm sold. Just apply this potent juice lightly.

26th November, 2009.

In Stalking the Perfect Peony I find this a winner. On me the peony has a comfortable "bottom" that's rounded and almost powdery, full bodied without the usual rose. I get a bit of a spark but I wouldn't call it peppery and the woodiness is warm too.

The marvels of body chemistry!

2nd July, 2009.

Yet another failure at recreating the wonderful, luscious scent of peonies. Like most peony scents, it smells more like an ordinary rose fragrance, with added geranium (I really hate geranium and especially the rose/geranium combo!) and some other, quite harsh and sharp, "green floral" type notes. I'm sad and still looking for a peony perfume that works...

23rd May, 2009.

Very peppery floral, with a green character, but also a bit 'perfumey' -- has a tendency to be blowsy in its notes. Would be something if it was more minimalistic.

19th February, 2009.

Peony and green leaves make this a refreshing floral, and I think I also smell a lot of pepper, to give it a woody finish. Interesting, but not my genre.

10th January, 2009.