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green fragrances: sharp, scary, mean, intimidating...oh, yeah...

post #1 of 69
5/16/08 at 11:33am
Thread Starter 
Okay, I need your opinions on this issue - I've been reading books and posts on perfume boards that categorize many green scents (among my favorite category) as "scary", "intimidating", "mean" (!!!), "sharp".

Not that those adjectives necessarily offend me.....(witchy smile)....but I'm curious....why are these perceptions so prevalent?

Does an absence of sweetness affect people so intensely?

Chanel 19 and Cristalle have been characterized this way, in addition to what I consider to be one of the most beautiful frags I've ever smelled - the original formula First.

I actually like having a little edginess to my hair or clothes or frags ....just to keep people on their toes. I like that uncomfortable tension it creates so I don't get categorized / stereotyped as easily as they'd like. Green frags feel both sporty and "lofty" to me. So, I guess it's working!

Do green frags scare or intimidate you? If so, which ones are the scariest and most intimidating? Which ones are the least scary?

TIA.
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post #2 of 69
5/16/08 at 12:11pm
Maybe those people have only experienced some of the really potent leathery & peppery, bitter and astringent green frags on people who have drenched themselves in fragrance. Good! (returns witchy smile) - more for us! Or perhaps it's that the green chypre style has been out of fashion for so long that most people don't relate to it. I adore the greenies, though not all. I can't wear Miss Balmain (extreme peppery coriander & raw hide leather), didn't care for Bandit (though may revisit to reassess), and especially hated Coriandre way back when. Greens I do love -Y, Fidji, Givenchy III, Jolie Madame, Miss Dior - are usually from a bygone era. Safari was really nice too. But I think the new Pucci Vivara is great (though I may be in the minority on this one), as a modern green, though still very green, and sweetly floral. I guess I like florals in my greenery.

Scary greens: Miss Balmain, Paloma Picasso, Bandit

Friendliest greens: Jolie Madame, Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca, Annick Goutal's Eau de Camille, probably some of the Demeter ones are nice, though I don't know them.
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post #3 of 69
5/16/08 at 12:38pm
Thread Starter 
Hi L. - I think you're right in that they are so incredibly out of fashion. Also agree that those who drench themselves in the potent bitterness are doing folks like us a favor; keeps us unique in the perfume wearing world! If greens suit the chemistry and are worn somewhat discreetly - oh, my goodness - no category of perfume smells better or classier to me. With all of those spray nozzles going at full blast directly on the body, I think the most popular application method just does not work for these green frags - they'll be overwhelming. The parfum (typically dab on) or a pour bottle is the best way to go for more control - or, spray into the palm and dab - a new method I've been using to great effect.

As to the specific frags: I also have not worn Miss Balmain very well. In minute quantities, she behaves for me, but otherwise, no; she's a finicky one. I remember liking Coriandre - but smelled it way, way back - over 10 years ago - and have never worn it or owned it. I have a small sample vial of Bandit - I quite like it but have only worn it at home or on the weekend relaxing at home. Like you, I need to explore this one further. I very much like all of the greens you subsequently mention - with the exception of Miss Dior because I've never sampled or sniffed it! Can you believe it? I'm a huge fan of greens and haven't seriously considered the divine Miss D. Also, have never sniffed Safari - I think that's tough to find now. The new Vivara was a bit of a surprise for me - very floral. That's also the issue I have with Sabi - it's really "nice".

Have you tried Vent Vert? I have the one from the 90's - sounds like you might like it as well. More floral than the older one and it is really beautiful on. It also falls into the "nice" category.

Now, for the scary ones. We've covered Miss Balmain and Bandit - I'm going to sample Bandit againa and I'm going to give Miss Balmain another chance as well. Paloma Picasso I've always liked and spray it whenever I'm at Macy's, but I've never owned it. I've been tempted to purchase many, many times. I think I want to venture into the scary territory.
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post #4 of 69
5/16/08 at 12:56pm
I never heard green scents were scary and intimidating or maybe I never paid attention, I know No 19 is often called austere. I like the original vintage version of Vent Vert, the discontinued Gobin Daude Sous le Buis and Seve Exquise and the new Chanel Exclusifs Bel Respiro.
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post #5 of 69
5/16/08 at 1:14pm
Maybe it is because we were forced to eat bad green vegetables when we were young, and all we were thinking of was having a creamy vanilla pudding for dessert

Of the ones mentioned, I have tried Chanel No. 19, Cristalle, Bel Respiro, Guerlain AA Herba Fresca, Bandit, Givenchy III...but the "scariest" one to me is actually Hermes Jardin Mediteranee. Bandit on me is more of a leather scent, and GIII is more like an aldehyde floral. The most approachable I think is probably Bel Respiro, although I would like it to be Cristalle since I think it is a better fragrance

Estee Lauder Private Collection is a great "green" scent. Today I finally smelled EL Aliage for the first time--it is also fresh and green, and less floral than Private Collection. I only smelled it on the paper strip, but so far it reminds me of a cross between Azuree and Private Collection.

Anyway, I do get the sense of something more distant or cool with the green scents. But, they also seem more calm and quiet to me--perhaps in the same way that green foliage is a backdrop for the flowers.
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post #6 of 69
5/16/08 at 2:09pm
S - I had Miss Dior a million years ago, so I'm hesitant to to try today's version. It was a signature for me and I've moved on. I find I can't go back to signatures. It never seems to work for me. I'm sure Miss Dior is still nice, though. I've never tried Vent Vert. I've read that it's wonderful and, of course, everyone says that vintage is better - but who has the time/energy/resources to track down intact vintage fragrances? Well, I don't anyway. Not having known the original, I'd probably be just as happy with the new version. I love Paloma Picasso but my husband loathes it. :/ One I've been meaning to try and have read is very nice is Jacomo Silences.

A - Aliage is nice. I like that one. I've never tried Private Collection but it's now on my to try list. Just from sniffing the bottle, Azuree seems a bit scary (dry as the desert, or I suppose it's the leather), but to be fair I really should try it on skin. Agent Provocateur was scary sniffing the bottle, but it becomes something else again on skin.

Yes, I'm ready to venture into scary green territory with you. Let's!
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post #7 of 69
5/16/08 at 2:33pm
Ladies, in case you haven't seen this from the men's forum...if you scroll down in the thread, there is a message with 2 links to men's and women's fragrance maps. We probably could just go down the line with all the "green" ones, lol.

http://community.basenotes.net/showthread.php?t=210241
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post #8 of 69
5/16/08 at 2:41pm
Thread Starter 
Azuree reminds me of (a more wearable) Miss Balmain.

I had a Silences mini a few years back, but it smelled of pepper - had gone off.

Scary and green - let's do it! We don't really want vanilla pudding, do we?

I can't get the thread to come up
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post #9 of 69
5/16/08 at 2:44pm
Hmm, the link works for me, so in case there is a glitch, here is the title:

"Anyone tried both Kouros and Vermiel ?"

And the post is by the user named Advocate
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post #10 of 69
5/16/08 at 4:06pm
Scary- Chanel No 5. I think because I don't really know how to wear it. However, it smells exquisite on my co-worker. Not as scary- Bond Eau de New York. Pleasantly surprised by this one. It goes on smooth and dries down to an easy, likable vetiver.
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post #11 of 69
5/16/08 at 6:44pm
Chanel's No.19 was a favorite of mine for many years, and I never really thought about it being green - but it is. When I used to wear it, I never got any compliments. I think soft greens are particularly friendly, and one of the nicest I've smelled recently is Demeter's Wet Garden. Suprisingly enjoyable, could easily be layered with a floral to create a fresh effect, without being extremely green.

I also get a bite of green in Lutens A La Nuit (the jasmine monster) and I love it!
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post #12 of 69
5/17/08 at 2:19am
On my skin EdP of No 19 is green during the very first minute, but then the roses developes, and the frag becomes almost sweet and poudery. I don´t find it refreshing... But my skin turns everything sweet... I actually have got severale compliments for No 19!

Hermes Un Jardin en Mediterranee is something I do find really scary, too, wich vas a great dissapointment for me. It even turned out smokey during a part of its develoupment!
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post #13 of 69
5/17/08 at 2:55am
I love many green scents, for example Balmain Vent Vert, Gobin Daudé Sève Exquise & Sous le Buis, Annick Goutal Eau de Camille, CdG Leaves Series Calamus, Lily, Mint, Tea... I like Greens that are lush, chlorophyllic and full of life.

I can't, however, stand Chanel no 19 and Gucci Envy, which I find the meanest scents in existence.
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post #14 of 69
5/17/08 at 4:15am
Guccy Envy is a not yet mentioned green, until Tig named it, who is adorabel on the right skin. I don´t like the namne, otherwise I would own it! I must reconsider if I should get it or not... To let a name stop me is quite stupid...
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post #15 of 69
5/17/08 at 6:39am
Started replying to this thread two times yesterday, but thought better of it...

This is one of my favorite categories, I like them all -- with Coriandre, Chanel #19 and Balmain de Balmain being my Numero Uno during different times of my life -- with a few exceptions. The whole CDG "Leaves" leaves me cold -- metallic stems drenched in sticky sap on my skin, "eats, shoots and leaves". Can't do any of Penhaligon's -- meanest means, ironic, backtalking and backstabbing (Bluebell, Artemisia, Ellenisia). Not very fond of green tea, be it a drink or a fragrance, especially paired with musk.

Here are the others that I am keen on:
-- Henri Dunnay Sabi -- love it!
-- Sisley Eau de Soir -- was so disappointed to read Dr.Turin review in The Book, totally not sharing his vewpoint.
-- Sisley Eau de Campaigne -- sun lit meadow, needs more longevity though.
-- Nanadebary Green -- wait till Miss Q. comes and tells it all!
-- Miller Harris Eau de Vert -- complex yet simple green, a shady pond with waterlilies and weeping willows.
-- Miller Harris Terre du Bois -- sitting under the fir tree and looking at the world around through the whimsical ornament of its fuzzy paws.
-- Miller et Bertaux # 3 Green, Green, Green and Green -- minty citrus on a nice green vetiver base, slightly boring, but refreshing nontheless.
-- Guerlain Vetiver Elle -- I wish it were more available and less expensive.
-- L'Artisan Jaicinthe des Bois -- green and blue, fresh stems, leaves and roots, harmonius fragrance.
-- Isabella Rossellini Manifesto -- she admittedly likes things simple. That basil note in the clearly citrucy scent is well executed, even the musk in the drydown does not go flat.
-- ST Dupont pour Elle -- stronger concentrations are better in this scent, although EdT lasts and lasts as well.

For more greens, please check the previous posts (usually around St.Patrick's Day) on the both forums.
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post #16 of 69
5/17/08 at 6:49am
My very preferred green with a playful nature - Cabotine Gres. IMHO - very underrated and cheap scent, here in Switzerland you can get it at very low cost. LOVE!
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post #17 of 69
5/17/08 at 8:39am
Diptyques Virgillio should be the official fragrance of Green Peace. Love it!
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post #18 of 69
5/17/08 at 9:09am
Thread Starter 
Is Virgillio being discontinued? It's mentioned a lot - and always in a positive manner.

Twolf - re: Eau de Soir, I like its distinctiveness. I was walking by an outdoor restaurant seating area the other night and smelled it as I walked past - it's unappologetic, crisp, and definitive - and I think that's what some folks don't like about it. It doesn't succomb to the sickly sweet, patchoulli, ambery, vanilla, warm, cloying and sloppy poorly defined concoctions that so many folks prefer these days. Wear one of those things and no one will understand who or what you are. That's not an issue with Eau de Soir - it's straightforward. That could make some people people uncomfortable. Oh, well....

Forgot to add - I remember liking Cabotine as well, but never owned it. It's another one that is tough to find now.
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post #19 of 69
5/17/08 at 9:23am
How about some of the Fig scents that came out over the past year or so? I tried Diptyque, L'Artisan and Heely (among others, but those seemed to be the best). All had the fruit, but also the green, leafy, stemmy scent from the plant and unripe fruit.

I also tried (and bought) Guerlain's AA Figue et Iris--it has sweet ripe fig, and also some of the green stemmy scent, but not as dry as the ones mentioned above. And while I'm on a roll, probably all of the Hermes Jardin scents would qualify as green or herbal (not just Mediteranee).
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post #20 of 69
5/17/08 at 1:19pm
Many of those mentioned here I don't know (I wouldn't unless they're very accessible), some I do know from my past. I think my first assignment to myself will be to revisit Bandit. That one was pretty scary and I want to see if my scary-tolerance level has risen. I should try Envy too before it disappears. I tried a sample of Envy II, which was a nice friendly pretty green.
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post #21 of 69
5/17/08 at 8:56pm
I LOVE Gres, Miss Dior, most of the fig fragrances. I think I would count Mure et Musc and Mure et Musc extreme as green scents, also my beloved 4711, which my husband thinks of as barbershop aftershave water. I have worn 4711 since I was quite young, 4711 and Jean Nate in the summertime. I don't have a bottle of either one here in Oz, I need to get some!
Anyway, I think some people might not like green scents because they do not immediately scream SEXY or pretty. I think many of them are either an acquired taste or something many people come to appreciate with age. I don't think I would have enjoyed many of these when I was much younger, especially the Gres. I am not even sure why I like the green scents I do like, except that they don't yell perfume!!
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post #22 of 69
5/18/08 at 2:03pm
I recently tried Gucci Envy for the first time and, although it's a little on the sweet side for me, it is definitely green. I don't quite understand how something without the usual accords like vetiver or oakmoss or lime can smell so clearly green. And wet! But not damp forest or aquatic. It reminds me of my mother's yard in Florida on a late June afternoon right after a hard rainstorm. Thick, springy St. Augustine grass, vibrant hibiscus bushes, glossy green orange trees, and tall royal palms making green punctuations in the sky, all still dappled and dripping with raindrops in the bright sun after the storm has passed. I wish I could turn down the sweetness, but I'm otherwise enjoying this during our current heat wave here in the Bay area.

I've said in another thread that chypres are seductive in that they make me feel confident and powerful (sexy qualities, imo), but understood perfectly Roja Dove's description that they are about "absolutely no compromise." Not so much intimidating, but assertive. In warm weather, I like Safari for women a lot. Otherwise, I think chypres in warm weather (like Paloma Picasso, my fave winter chypre) can be very scary!

Vetiver has a pungent, clean edge on me, which is not unpleasant; it's just not creamy or fruity or floral. The masculine associations make me feel invigorated and strong. I just put on some of DH's 1902 Vetiver by Berdoues (seems I wear it more than he does!), and I'm feeling like I really need to take care of the broken sprinkler head in the front yard. Off I go!
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post #23 of 69
5/18/08 at 3:11pm
Thread Starter 
Great comments -

an oud girl - "uncompromising" vs "compromising" - new scent categories. Along with the chypres, probably greens fall into the former category.

Compromise is so over-rated.
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post #24 of 69
5/18/08 at 3:57pm
Do people really find them intimidating?
On the whole they seem sporty to me, which I think is the primary reason they just don't feel me, but they don't strike me as mean, or scary. I'm not really 'into' chypres for a similar reason.
Both green and chypre strike me as the right scents for the daring type of girls of the 1920s; off bobbing their hair, wearing trousers and staying out late.

I have got Jardins de Kerylos on my shopping list, but that's as green as I seem to get.
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post #25 of 69
5/18/08 at 7:26pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by chaoskitty View Post

Do people really find them intimidating?
On the whole they seem sporty to me, which I think is the primary reason they just don't feel me, but they don't strike me as mean, or scary. I'm not really 'into' chypres for a similar reason.
Both green and chypre strike me as the right scents for the daring type of girls of the 1920s; off bobbing their hair, wearing trousers and staying out late.

I have got Jardins de Kerylos on my shopping list, but that's as green as I seem to get.

Apparently they do. And here I was, like you, thinking "hey, sporty and unpretentious with a nod to nature (trees, grass, leaves) - perfect!"

But, yes, apparently many folks out there think that if you're not all ambery patchoulli sweetness or wearing the floral olfactory equivalent of nails on a chalkboard, you're mean, scary, and intimidating. Must admit, there is something about that effect I kind of like. Might it have something to do with the fact that I'm a petite 5'2" and don't seem particularly scary or intimidating otherwise? I wonder...
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post #26 of 69
5/18/08 at 10:33pm
If you don't mind me contributing, Gobin Daude Sous le Buis was a good recommendation and I would like to add Yerbamate.
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post #27 of 69
5/19/08 at 12:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scentologist View Post

If you don't mind me contributing, Gobin Daude Sous le Buis was a good recommendation and I would like to add Yerbamate.

How could I forget my dear Yerb?!

Also missing from my list is the stunning Ma Griffe.
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post #28 of 69
5/19/08 at 7:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by seattlelight View Post

Okay, I need your opinions on this issue - I've been reading books and posts on perfume boards that categorize many green scents (among my favorite category) as "scary", "intimidating", "mean" (!!!), "sharp".

Not that those adjectives necessarily offend me.....(witchy smile)....but I'm curious....why are these perceptions so prevalent?

Does an absence of sweetness affect people so intensely?

Chanel 19 and Cristalle have been characterized this way, in addition to what I consider to be one of the most beautiful frags I've ever smelled - the original formula First.

I actually like having a little edginess to my hair or clothes or frags ....just to keep people on their toes. I like that uncomfortable tension it creates so I don't get categorized / stereotyped as easily as they'd like. Green frags feel both sporty and "lofty" to me. So, I guess it's working!

Do green frags scare or intimidate you? If so, which ones are the scariest and most intimidating? Which ones are the least scary?

TIA.

If you were a guy asking this question I would suggest Yatagan, not the reformulated, emasculated, version with the silver sprayer but the older version from about 2+ years ago with the black sprayer. Not sure how this particular man's fragrance would work for a woman but it may be worth a try.
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post #29 of 69
5/19/08 at 9:25am
Greens have never scared me the way overly sweet things do!

Longtime favorite greens of mine are Balmain de Balmain, Coriandre, Chanel No 19 (my signature for a decade).

I've never smelled Eau de Soir, but had always heard it praised until LT/TS came along and made it seem the paragon of green gone wrong. Interestingly they didn't review it outright in the book, merely referred to it multiple times in other reviews. In any case they've made me madly curious and more than half convinced I'll love it. NowSmellThis classified it as a fierce chypre which sounds just all right with me.
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post #30 of 69
5/19/08 at 6:51pm
Thread Starter 
Caribou - I found the review of Eau de Soir on page 156 of The Guide, under the subcategory of "cheap chypre".

Oolong - I've only had the chance to try the new Yatagan.

Oh, yes, Sous le Buis! That is a beautiful one.
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post #31 of 69
5/19/08 at 7:56pm
I wonder whether the intimidating aspect of green fragrances comes from the fact that their wearers are generally not trying to please or seduce with their choice of fragrance.
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post #32 of 69
5/19/08 at 9:00pm
More "tough and uncompromising" Greens I love

Etro Palais Jamais
Etro, Annick Goutal and Carven Vétivers
The Different Company Sel de Vétiver
Frédéric Malle Vétiver Extraordinaire
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post #33 of 69
5/20/08 at 4:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Minou2 View Post

I wonder whether the intimidating aspect of green fragrances comes from the fact that their wearers are generally not trying to please or seduce with their choice of fragrance.

I think you have a point there, Minou. Also, that might apply to lovers of leather. I've noticed that many of the fragrances in this thread are green/chypre + leather. Perhaps it is the leather that is most intimidating when added to a green.
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post #34 of 69
5/20/08 at 6:29am
A few:

No. 19 (vintage edt)
Jules (pref. vintage)
Aromatics Elixir
Cristalle (vintage edt)
Bois d'Orage
Metal
Envy
Futur
 Nino Cerruti pour Homme (original 1979 formulation, the only great fragrance from that house)
Loewe pour Homme (vintage)
Miss Dior (vintage edt)
Y
Fidji (vintage)
Sous le Vent
L'Eau Trois

Vetivers are are usually more woody than green. I also don't think of Yatagan as all that green, but it is a paragon of herbal, spicy and woody, and it's better than most anything out there.

Edit: I agree with LT/TS on Eau du Soir. It's as boney as they come, but it's good if you aren't lucid or really just don't know any better.

---------------------

For clarity to something I read above: It's the EDP concentration of No. 19 that was made by Jacques Polge.
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post #35 of 69
5/20/08 at 6:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by seattlelight View Post

Okay, I need your opinions on this issue - I've been reading books and posts on perfume boards that categorize many green scents (among my favorite category) as "scary", "intimidating", "mean" (!!!), "sharp".

Not that those adjectives necessarily offend me.....(witchy smile)....but I'm curious....why are these perceptions so prevalent?

Does an absence of sweetness affect people so intensely?

Chanel 19 and Cristalle have been characterized this way, in addition to what I consider to be one of the most beautiful frags I've ever smelled - the original formula First.

I actually like having a little edginess to my hair or clothes or frags ....just to keep people on their toes. I like that uncomfortable tension it creates so I don't get categorized / stereotyped as easily as they'd like. Green frags feel both sporty and "lofty" to me. So, I guess it's working!

Do green frags scare or intimidate you? If so, which ones are the scariest and most intimidating? Which ones are the least scary?

TIA.

Tia, I absolutely LOVE green fragrances. But I can guess why people are scary about them: it's the coldness emitted. Usually when people think "perfume" and "woman" they picture a warm bouquet of flowers. So when they smell something different, they are quite surprised.
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post #36 of 69
5/20/08 at 7:21am
My most favourite greens are Chanel No19 and Guerlain Sous le Vent. I particularly like the drydown. Yes, they are sharp, crisp and slightly herbal -- there is a time and place for wearing them.
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post #37 of 69
5/20/08 at 4:28pm
Green notes have all sorts of different sub-categories: galbanum (a category by itself, strong, bittersweet and resinous), herbal (rosemary, thyme, basil, terragon, anise), camphorous (eucalyptus, pine, fir), minty (spearmint, peppermint), leafy/stemmy (cyclamen, fig, hyacinth, violet leaves), grassy (vetiver, cut-grass accord), mossy (oakmoss, treemoss), vegetable (celery).

People will argue about how each note smells, but that is the way I percieve them.

Most of them are not sweet, except for mint, and possibly terragon, anise, and hyacinth. Therefore, they must be mixed with other, sweeter accords to achieve wearability.

No. 19 is probably one of the most universally wearable green perfumes around. I love it.

But I can see why people are afraid of greens. They often include aromas that are more challenging than the mindbending conformism that usually dominates popular taste. For example:

Miss Dior (a personal favorite, and I might add, still popular in Europe) is very sweet, but musty.
Aromatics Elixer (with a nod toward popular taste, a bestseller worldwide) is herbal and bittersweet.
Premier Figuier, Aliage, Private Collection -- the topnotes can make people sneeze, like when the lawnmower cuts down plants.
Dyptique Virgilio smells like a spice cabinet at an Italian restaurant, delicious, but the herbs can get soapy if they are mixed with too much sweetness.
Yatagan is one of the most off-putting fragrances out there, with leather, tobacco, and pine, yet I like this one, too.

I think it is a matter of sophistication that eventually draws people to greens. I've heard that women come to terms with them as they grow older, but I don't think it is so much an issue of age as experience and dignity. How long is a person going to want to smell like bubblegum?
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post #38 of 69
5/20/08 at 11:44pm
serious green: hussein chalayan as four/bless I'm not even sure which is the real name of this fragrance as both names appear on the box, anyway it's vetiver and iris and nothing else... it is da plant life
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post #39 of 69
5/21/08 at 6:51am
Thread Starter 
For some a preference for greens might be one of age and experience. However, when we would go to a mall- as a preteen- I'm thinking age 11 or 12 - I would find the Chanel counter and spray Cristalle. I loved it. It smelled of green apples to me - we had apple trees, that may have prompted the nice association. It doesn't quite have that effervescence (sp?) today, but it really stood out to me as fresh and fun back then.

No. 19 is good - not sure it's my favorite green, though. There are so many mentioned here I want to try.

The "worst" green is still better than 90% of anything else out there, IMO!
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post #40 of 69
5/22/08 at 6:56am
Jean Louis Scherrer Edt - cool green
Lorenzo Villoresi- Yerbamate - herbal green
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post #41 of 69
5/22/08 at 8:16am
Green scents are one of the latest years discovery having my olfactorial palate become less sweet than the past yet still not too much into citrus and marine juices, so green has been a natural evolution towards drier scents I guess. Some that I find interesting:
Yerbamate
No. 19 edp (I agree pluran)
Quercus
Coriolan
Philosykos
CDG Series 1: TEA
Palais Jamais
Le 3me Homme
L'Ombre dans L'eau

P.S. to my dear sista, I never liked green tea myself in any form, and the only one I can drink is jasmine green tea
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post #42 of 69
5/22/08 at 8:30am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Minou2 View Post

I wonder whether the intimidating aspect of green fragrances comes from the fact that their wearers are generally not trying to please or seduce with their choice of fragrance.

Ah, yes, also the expectation of the "warm bouquet of flowers" comment from Valnum.

Perfume is supposed to add allure and seduction and greens contradict all of that. Makes most folk's heads spin. Confusion. Dislike. Uncertainty. Fear.

Also, interesting comment re: leather. Hadn't thought of leather tipping the balance of a green into the scary category.
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post #43 of 69
5/22/08 at 9:56am
I really want to mention my favorite green note: galbanum.
Supposedly a top note, but it tends to permeate everything in a lovely way from top to bottom.
Miss Dior. Ayala Moriel Ayalitta and Grin. Bandit. Vent Vert. Chamade. Ivoire. Aliage. Private Collection.
Yesterday I smelled Giorgio, and it was in there, too. I remember Norell as having it.
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post #44 of 69
7/20/08 at 7:43pm
Greens tend to smell murkey and bitter on me. I love them often on other people and in the bottle, just not on my skin.
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post #45 of 69
7/21/08 at 3:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by lilybelle

I think you have a point there, Minou. Also, that might apply to lovers of leather. I've noticed that many of the fragrances in this thread are green/chypre + leather. Perhaps it is the leather that is most intimidating when added to a green.

Hm, interesting. That would indicate I need to try me some leathers! I love green scents (although I tend to think of them as "easy", "fresh 'n' sporty" rather than austere and uninviting) but my chemistry turns most of them into chlorine/bleach monsters. Blegh. So onto the leather, then.
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post #46 of 69
7/21/08 at 5:53am
Scary? Intimidating? Bring it on...Yatagan is the champ, so far, in my cabinet, with vintage Jolie Madame (a chiffon party dress, leather underwear) coming in second. Ma Griffe (vintage) third -- that was the first scent that ever scared me.
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post #47 of 69
7/26/08 at 12:51am
I'd second Virgilio. And caution that while I like it sometimes, it's the closest thing I know to being thrown over the handlebars into green: facedivot green, weed whacker in star thistle green.
Givenchy Insense, listed as a masculine but clearly unisex for the purposes of Basenoters. Here missing an accent because I am.
And as long as people have suggested Yatagan, let me whisper Parfum d'Habit, which has been described as being like green wool. Or it's like a Chia Pet that came to life briefly and has now been discovered at a gruesome and tragic crime scene. Some hybrid of animal and vegetable. But, you know, pleasantly weird.
Cool thread.
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post #48 of 69
7/26/08 at 8:26am
Just want to mention Paco Rabanne Métal, which I hadn't smelled in years, but a friend recently sent me a sample. It's still very GREEN, and very nice. I highly recommend it to green lovers.
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post #49 of 69
7/27/08 at 2:49am
Greens, scary?

How odd.

OK, each to their own, in terms of description, but I always think of greens as enlivening. They're 'wake-you-up' fragrances. They get noticed - usually in a good way (at least, in my experience). I love greens.

Except for sprouts. And over-cooked spinach.
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post #50 of 69
9/15/08 at 1:43pm
What a lovely discussion of a favorite style of scent -- green.
Here are two suggestions that I don't think have been mentioned. Each could be terrific on a woman.
Ayala Moriel's Rainforest. What a powerful, assertive green opening blast of galbanum! Then it just gets lovely with various elements.
Guerlain's Sous les Vent. A bracing, hauntingly dry green chypre.

I like these and wear them too.
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post #51 of 69
9/15/08 at 5:43pm
I spent the spring looking for the perfect green chypre. I discovered crispy 'O de Lancome' and rediscovered sultry, mossy 'Azuree'. I reguard them as tangy and refreshing. Sweet smells become overbearing to my nose. Herbals tend to blend better with other things while sweet ones seem to blare on top. I also like lemon in my tea, no sugar.
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post #52 of 69
9/15/08 at 7:09pm
I can't believe noone's mentioned Calyx by Prescriptives. Grosjman did this fruity little number, which has quite a green kick in the middle notes/ dry down.
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post #53 of 69
9/16/08 at 10:59am
Most green fragrances turn rather ghastly on me...except Ivoire de Balmain - on me it's kind of Nahema eau fraiche rose and freshly cut grass, like a rosebush cut by a lawn mower (and I know, I know - there is no rose in Ivoire). So, go figure!
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post #54 of 69
9/16/08 at 3:15pm
have always loved greens, and am loving them more lately. the more dark complex scents i sniff, the more green i crave.
i know i will repeat some already noted, but here are my faves:

Balmain Vent Vert (HG)
Balmain Ivoire (HG)
Sisley Eau de Campange (HG)
Jean Couturier Coriandre
Niki De Saint Phalle edt (HG)
L'Artisan's L'Ete en Douce
Carven Ma Griffe
Anthousa Fig et Vetivier
Guerlain Vetivier Pour Elle
Guy Laroche Fidji (while not officially green, i sure get green from this & crave it on a hot day))
O de Lancome
Elizabeth Arden Blue Grass (memories of cottaging with my aunt, another summertime green)

it's not easy being green
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post #55 of 69
9/16/08 at 3:44pm
I'm a green girl to the bitter end -- and proud of it!

No surprises here, but to reiterate:

No. 1 green: A tie between the sumptuous Eau du Soir (pah! to LT) and the dashing No. 19 EdP
No. 2 green: A tie between the dazzling Cristalle and the intellectual Philosykos
No. 3 green: A tie between the thirst-slaking O de Lancome and the virtuous Miss Dior
No. 4 green: A tie between the mischievous Cabotine and the jungly Private Collection

Yes! A green can be all these things and more! What I do know is that on me they are rarely mean and sharp. Rather, they summon up intelligence and restrained sensuality, playfulness combined with seriousness, and above all ... ineffable chic.
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post #56 of 69
9/16/08 at 5:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by soirdelune View Post

I'm a green girl to the bitter end -- and proud of it!

No surprises here, but to reiterate:

No. 1 green: A tie between the sumptuous Eau du Soir (pah! to LT) and the dashing No. 19 EdP
No. 2 green: A tie between the dazzling Cristalle and the intellectual Philosykos
No. 3 green: A tie between the thirst-slaking O de Lancome and the virtuous Miss Dior
No. 4 green: A tie between the mischievous Cabotine and the jungly Private Collection

Yes! A green can be all these things and more! What I do know is that on me they are rarely mean and sharp. Rather, they summon up intelligence and restrained sensuality, playfulness combined with seriousness, and above all ... ineffable chic.

ITA with Eau du Soir, i noted Eau de Campagne, EdS is the sexy nighttime sister green! and how could i forget Private Collection.
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post #57 of 69
9/16/08 at 5:17pm
Oh and Thierry Mugler Cologne is another brilliant clean green imho
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post #58 of 69
9/17/08 at 4:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by 3xasif View Post

Oh and Thierry Mugler Cologne is another brilliant clean green imho

Hear, hear! A little beauty!

Let's hear it for greens!
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post #59 of 69
9/17/08 at 4:56am
Mike, I love Calyx. Good call. It's been a long time since I sniffed that one.

I bought Silences earlier this month and I've been enjoying it. It's an old fashioned & cozy green, dries down soft and powdery. I've also been sampling Pecksniffs' Chypre, Green, which is a fresh happy green. Did anyone mention Ralph Lauren's Safari? I wore that one in the early 90's, it's a sweetish, spicy green. I've been getting interested in that one again. The bottles and jars were so nice too.
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post #60 of 69
9/21/08 at 12:55pm
I'm wearing Miller & Bertaux Green, Green, Green today. It is excellent. Herbal notes, green chords and light florals and light woods. I am enjoying it a lot. Veddy good.
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