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Jicky is not icky.

post #1 of 15
9/12/05 at 2:31pm
Thread Starter 
After hearing about the dangers of wearing Jicky, I recently had an opportunity to get this in a trade.

I got the EDT and was shocked when I was not appalled when I tried it. In fact, this could be my signature scent. My expectations were that to run to the sink and scrub away, or prepare myself for self-flaying.

It is a clean lavender scent, with vanilla undertones very reminiscent of Shalimar. Lots of lavender. You can tell Guerlain cannibalized Jicky to make the prominent lavender notes in Heritage. Nevertheless, the family tree is clear to me in this regard. Still, the lavender in Heritage seems to be a touch sharper. The lavender is not the sharp, piercing lavender you might find in, say, Agua Lavanda; nor is it a calmer English Lavender. I can't quite pin it down. It is a relaxing lavender but at the same time not a bumbling aromatheraputic lavender content to make you rest.

I know it allegedly has civet in it, however, my nose is either ignorant or inured to civet as a base. Duration of the EDT is not that great but the Shalimar-like base lasts for a few more hours once the clean top notes disappear.

I think when a lot of people bemoan the "fecal" smell, they are really associating the clean lavender notes with baby powder and other smells from baby products. I think it is a mental association game going on in peoples heads rather than "oh my god that smells like shit!" That is just my feeling from wearing it. On me, it is very nice scent, and I wouldn't shirk from getting into an elevator when wearing it.

However, more than other scents it may punish you for wearing too much. The lavender notes (perhaps the "guerlinade&quot are potent at first and slowly die down. Eventually the scent dies to the Shalimar-skin scent, but it takes a while.

Fiancee really liked it on me. I am not sure whether this is due to her loving Shalimar (which I dislike) and also liking lavender.

I would feel comfortable wearing it to work, and plan on getting the EDP. It is a good, comfortable scent for me.
K
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post #2 of 15
9/12/05 at 2:35pm
I am quiet curious about Jicky never put my nose on it yet but yu have done a good critic.
It has been said in the past that at first Jicky is "weird" and just confirmed that.

Must give it a go I think

A big respect for Guerlain but nerver been attached to it this name.



laurent
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post #3 of 15
9/13/05 at 5:46am
Good review. I agree with you about the civet note and the common idea about it. I think civet may be a slightly animal subtle note I can detect in the drydown which make it close to the skin and more longlasting.
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post #4 of 15
9/13/05 at 5:54am
The civet is more prevalent in the PdT. The PdT also solves the longevity problem but it does remain close to the skin after the first couple of hours. I gotta wonder what the extrait is like...?!
K you have to try Jicky's little brother, Mouchoir de Monsieur.


Eric
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post #5 of 15
9/13/05 at 6:55am
The extrait is marvellous. Much, much richer than the edt, which I also love. Haven't had the chance to try the pdt I'm afraid.
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post #6 of 15
9/13/05 at 3:40pm
I can testify that the PdT is of a very different character than the EdT. I tried the EdT at Macy's a few weeks ago and immediately fell in love with it. I ordered the PdT online soon thereafter, thinking that it would simply more of a good thing. In fact, it reads like a different scent. The civet note, which I expected to resemble feces or skunk (I wouldn't mind seeing a skunk note in a scent, by the way.) Instead, there is a strong white flower note, very much like the opening to Mouchoir de Monsieur, but amplified to the point of being quite urinal. And the scent is more sweet and feminine than the EdT, and much stronger.

The lavender that is so prominent in the EdT is more obscured by florals in the PdT. The comparison to Mouchoir is apt. Jicky PdT smells very much like a concentrated version of MdM (not a bad thing.) Still, I wish I had just bought the EdT, which I was blew me away upon first sniff. It may not last, but it was so fresh and bright and lovely. It was the kind of scent I could imagine wearing every day, whereas the PdT is more formal and less appropriate for hot weather. There's probably a place for both in most collections.
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post #7 of 15
9/13/05 at 8:24pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by baron

I can testify that the PdT is of a very different character than the EdT. I tried the EdT at Macy's a few weeks ago and immediately fell in love with it. I ordered the PdT online soon thereafter, thinking that it would simply more of a good thing. In fact, it reads like a different scent. The civet note, which I expected to resemble feces or skunk (I wouldn't mind seeing a skunk note in a scent, by the way.) Instead, there is a strong white flower note, very much like the opening to Mouchoir de Monsieur, but amplified to the point of being quite urinal. And the scent is more sweet and feminine than the EdT, and much stronger.

The lavender that is so prominent in the EdT is more obscured by florals in the PdT. The comparison to Mouchoir is apt. Jicky PdT smells very much like a concentrated version of MdM (not a bad thing.) Still, I wish I had just bought the EdT, which I was blew me away upon first sniff. It may not last, but it was so fresh and bright and lovely. It was the kind of scent I could imagine wearing every day, whereas the PdT is more formal and less appropriate for hot weather. There's probably a place for both in most collections.

Baron & Evogel-
Thanks for the info on the EDP. I had a decant of Mouchoir de Monsieur, and basically got it from all the positive comments received on the boards. I was nonplussed. Short lived, and kinda nyeah to me. Not bad, but not something warranting me purchasing the bottle.

Maybe I'll hold off on getting the EDP of Jicky or waiting for a sample of the EDP/Parfum before I do my usual "buy it blind" thing.

Baron- If you wanna smell like a skunk , take a look at my comments in the thread for "sour" notes; the closest I can get to sour are pungeant notes: Quorum, Z-14, Cuiron. I think Boss No. 1 would take the cake with its longetivity of the pungency note. Oddly, I like the pungeant notes.
K
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post #8 of 15
10/13/05 at 8:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by baron

I can testify that the PdT is of a very different character than the EdT. I tried the EdT at Macy's a few weeks ago and immediately fell in love with it. I ordered the PdT online soon thereafter, thinking that it would simply more of a good thing. In fact, it reads like a different scent. The civet note, which I expected to resemble feces or skunk (I wouldn't mind seeing a skunk note in a scent, by the way.) Instead, there is a strong white flower note, very much like the opening to Mouchoir de Monsieur, but amplified to the point of being quite urinal. And the scent is more sweet and feminine than the EdT, and much stronger.

The lavender that is so prominent in the EdT is more obscured by florals in the PdT. The comparison to Mouchoir is apt. Jicky PdT smells very much like a concentrated version of MdM (not a bad thing.) Still, I wish I had just bought the EdT, which I was blew me away upon first sniff. It may not last, but it was so fresh and bright and lovely. It was the kind of scent I could imagine wearing every day, whereas the PdT is more formal and less appropriate for hot weather. There's probably a place for both in most collections.


Indeed, civet is fecal-acidic-honeyed only if it is 100% raw/pure. In perfumery it is highly dilluted to achieve a sensual white floral note reminescent of Muguet/lilly-of-the-valley. It is known that all white flowers have indol/scatol which are very fecal. Thus, it is easy to smell animal/fecal notes in nérolis, jasmines, lillies... if you concentrate these smells very much, surely you will obtain an unpleasant smell. I use to make homemade perfumes for personal wear so I use scatol as a fixative for my florals. It must be extremely dilluted, so I get a white floral bouquet with its tincture.
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post #9 of 15
10/13/05 at 8:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vicomte de K

I think when a lot of people bemoan the "fecal" smell, they are really associating the clean lavender notes with baby powder and other smells from baby products. I think it is a mental association game going on in peoples heads rather than "oh my god that smells like shit!" That is just my feeling from wearing it...

As already mentioned, I think the Edt might really be lighter on civet than the perfume. I wish you could smell the perfume: it is really animal.
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post #10 of 15
10/13/05 at 9:21am
Well, as Jicky is my signature scent, I think it is time to get the extrait! Where can I find it? Are there any stores which have it in stock in USA and ship it to Brazil?
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post #11 of 15
10/13/05 at 10:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sanzio

Well, as Jicky is my signature scent, I think it is time to get the extrait! Where can I find it? Are there any stores which have it in stock in USA and ship it to Brazil?

Not much help here, but Jicky extrait is now only available in 1 oz./30 ml bottles so it's very $$$. If you're lucky you can still find .25 oz./7.5 ml bottles or 8 ml. sprays for a reasonable price.

Can anyone else help? :-/
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post #12 of 15
10/14/05 at 12:50am
I was all over this one in a decant, even with the above-noted urinal tincture, and then bought a bottle (PdT) which is worn infrequently. Sprayed, there is a barn aroma that is especially perverse under humid conditions. This is not unpleasant but does take some getting used to. The entire experience is actually quite brief. As with Shalimar, this particular branch of the Guerlain roster does not last on my skin. If it did I would make greater use of it.

The EdT is tinny and sharp compared, and didn't last ten minutes, totally lacking in the thick horse sweat of the PdT. There isn't all that much to relate the EdT to the PdT as it is so much thinner that those who carry the thicker versions may be dissatisfied.

It is quite hard to find this one and expect to pay a premium for the higher concentrations.
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post #13 of 15
10/14/05 at 3:49am
I loved the extrait , it's marvellous and so chic !
What dangers were you referring to? (the civet connection , I guess? )
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post #14 of 15
10/14/05 at 6:38pm
For me, Jicky is an ongoing love and hate relationship.
On some days it smells like magic on me -- a very happy scent. While on others, the civet kicks in and reacts horridly with my skin. It probably has to do with the different types of food that I'm eating (I'll nail this down one of these days). Anyway, one thing for sure though, is that I'll always keep a cold bottle of Jicky handy.

By the way, Mouchoir de Monsieur (the masculine version of Jicky) does not seem to suffer from this occasional morbid smell, and it's also very similar in its makeup. But, unfortunately I don't get that occasional 'happy' note of Jicky from it.

So life continues...
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post #15 of 15
1/5/13 at 12:02am
I dont know what you were smelling, but I get no lavender in Jicky (edp)reformulated version. All I know is that it starts off wonderful with the florals (don't know what they are) and then it turns nasty on me (the civiet note is unbearable to me). Before rerading your post, I had no idea lavender was even in this perfume. It sure doesnt smell like the lavender that I know and love in Caron Pour Un Homme which by contrast is a fresher, purer verison of the note.
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