Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Female Fragrance Discussion › Trying to isolate a note
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Trying to isolate a note

post #1 of 5
12/11/08 at 9:52am
Thread Starter 
I need a little help isolating a note present in three of my perfumes. I have L'Eclat d' Arpege by Lanvin, With Love by Guerlain, and Stella by Stella McCartney. When I first spray all three of these scents, I get the most pleasing, crisp scent (the top note) which I am trying to identify.
If it were a wine it would be a minerally sauvignon blanc. It almost is papery or dry smelling, yet it is crisp and sort of bracing in a green (but not earthy), lemon-y way (but not lemon smelling). The notes for each are:

Stella: Rose, Peony Flower, Mandarin, Rose Absolute, Amber;

L'Eclat:Top Notes Lemon Leaves, Lilac. Middle Notes Wisteria, Green Team Peach Flowers, Red Peony, Chinese Osmanthus. Base Notes White Cedar, Amber, Sweet Musk;

With Love: top notes of mandarin blossom, pink peppercorn and quince. Heart notes feature wild lily; freesia and eglantine. Base notes comprise white amber, musk, cedar and sandalwood.

What do you think that common top note is? I love the way it smells on me. It lasts longest with L'Eclat and second longest with With Love and fades fastest in the Stella. That isn't to say the whole fragrance fades, just that particular note.

Thank you!
Reply
Reply

Features on Basenotes

Basenotes Reader Awards 2013 - Finalists Announced.
Greatest Hits: Annick Menardo
Petals Falling From The Sky - A Report From The Cote d'Azur's Bataille De Fleurs
post #2 of 5
12/11/08 at 10:50am

:bounce: Hello, goldie! I'm so excited to find someone who knows/appreciates With Love.
I've worn With Love and Stella Rose Absolute in tandem, so I know there is some kind of crossover there. I don't know the Arpege scent, but I'll have to put that on the reexpanding to-test list.

Boy, oh, boy. This is a head scratcher. They never list peony for With Love, but I've long thought it seemed like it could be in there. Do you think it could be the combined effect of the citrus and floral notes that's making for a sparkling opening?

I just looked up my October 2006 review for Gres Cabaret. It says: "Initially, during Cabaret's topnotes phase, I experience flashbacks to two frags from my wardrobe: Guerlain With Love and Stella Rose Absolute. It's the fresh peony/rose combination talking. But With Love sustains the freshness with quince and adds continuing interest with a hint of pepper feathering into powdery amber. Cabaret just flat-lines for me. Stella RA, on the other hand, expands on the peony/rose theme and dives to the darkest depths with its sweet amber."

Do you know the Cabaret fragrance? Here are its notes:
Rose, lily-of-the-valley, peony, and pink bay; incense and blue orris; sandalwood, amber, and musk

WE NEED UBUANDIBEME TO WEIGH IN ON THIS! Yooo-hooo, ubu!
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 5
12/11/08 at 11:23am
I get citrus when I spray these, esp. Mandarin notes. Maybe it's a combo of peony and citrus?
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 5
12/11/08 at 2:03pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the thoughts!
Quarry, I must try the Cabaret- it sounds right up my alley.
I think the peony might be it. But that doesn't seem dry citrus- enough. But I don't have any in bloom so I can't check.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 5
12/11/08 at 7:26pm
I love CABARET, too! That opening is beautiful.

Other fragrances that may have the quality you're talking about (and which contain peony): MISSONI and Keiko Mecheri's UME.

Taolady is a big peony fan, I think. Where are you, Taolady???
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Female Fragrance Discussion

Features on Basenotes

Basenotes Reader Awards 2013 - Finalists Announced.
Greatest Hits: Annick Menardo
Petals Falling From The Sky - A Report From The Cote d'Azur's Bataille De Fleurs
Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Female Fragrance Discussion › Trying to isolate a note