Goutal-o-rama - Page 2

I'm going to be like Ellis Island and welcome all the wee samples from all over.
Then, I'll repackage everything and ship it out with confirmation, as soon as I am done testing.

So far, I've tried Eau de Camille & Passion.

Eau de Camille smelled very "clean" on my skin. Little projection & lasted about 3 hours. Reminded me of a freshly washed child. Notes are: "Floral, green (Ivy, privet tree, honeysuckle, seringa, cut grass)"

My first reaction to Passion was "WOW!" I need to get this. As it dried down, I changed my mind and think a sample would be plenty. My favorite parts of this were the initial jasmine and the deep dry down of oakmoss/patchouli/vanilla. The tomato leaf & tuberose did weird nasty things on my skin. Ylang - ylang & I rarely get along on a good day. This was not a good day.
Notes: "Floral (Jasmine, ylang-ylang, tomato leaf, tuberose, patchouli, oakmoss, vanilla)".

Notes are from http://www.annickgoutal.com/en/ I correct obvious spelling mistakes, 'cause that's just how I roll.

On to more Goutals! Thank you all for this experience! I am loving it!

Whew! I got nervous when basenotes was down yesterday.

On to the impressions, a la Goutal. Les Nuits d'Hadrien Notes: "Citrus, amber (Bergamot, icy Sicilian lemon, green Mandarin, tangerine, cypress, basil, cumin, juniper bay, ylan-ylang, vanilla, sandalwood, patchouli, amber, white musk)"
I know this is pretty popular and I can see why but I do not think I need it in my collection. Not that it doesn't smell wonderful, it does. Just imagine Eau d'Hadrien edt having a love child with Ambre Fetiche, this is Ambre d'Hadrien lite. "Mama" & "Daddy" are already part of my collection, no need to encourage reproduction.

For sleeping, last night I tried Le Mimosa. Notes: "Floral, fruity (Mimosa absolute from Grasse, peach, anise, Florentine iris, white musk)" First impression, "Man, this is sweeeeet!" Teeth grindingly, nails on chalkboard, sugar rush sweet. Okay for once in a while but I'd never use up a whole bottle of this and I love mimosa scents. My skin amped up the peach and pushed it over the cliff, a la James and the Giant Peach.


Today a lovely surprise arrived, Kalli's package containing Folavril and some nice little goodies. Thank you, darlin'!

Now THIS is more like it! Why Folavril "works" on my skin and Le Mimosa doesn't when they are both listed as "Floral, fruity" who the heck knows? Different florals, different fruits and pure ambrosia on my skin. Notes: "Floral, fruity, exotic (Tomato leaf, mango, jasmine, Boronia flower)"

Well, I already know I love jasmine, the tomato leaf cuts the sweetness of the mango note and I haven't a clue what boronia flower smells like. All I know is, I LOVE this. Annick wore Folavril faithfully every Spring or so I have been told by someone who knew her. The individual notes are very difficult to pick out. The perfume is seamless.

So, I have quite a few more to try and I'm waiting for Eau de Charlotte to arrive. As always, I will keep everyone apprised of my progress.

Ya, that peach note was nice and big. A peach note I also like is in Tresor In Love. Though, the scent doesn't last long..too bad really. Too light.

Nice reviews coming in! I'm so disappointed you didn't get the Charlotte yet. Should arrive by tomorrow.

BTW Cestrum, a package I'm expecting from ebay has been listed as "missent" by the PO for 6 days now! What is happening with our mail these days!

GJ, it's here, it's here!

So, OF COURSE, I put it on immediately. First impression (for the first 3 seconds) this reminds me of Mure et Musc. Eau de Charlotte is not blackberry but blackcurrant buds, with just a whisper of cocoa. The juice is sweet, not Le Mimosa sweet but toothsome, nonetheless. (I wrote this before I looked at the notes and, sure enough, there is mimosa in it.)

I really like it and so does my daughter (she's the Princess of Sweet Perfume.)

So now I have TWO lemmings from this sample pass, Folavril and Eau de Charlotte and I'm not through all of the cute little bottles yet. Interesting *rubs chin* I probably would not have tried either of these based on the notes alone.

Notes for Eau de Charlotte: "Fruity, floral, sweet (Blackcurrant buds, mimosa, cocoa, vanilla base)"

Yay!! Glad the Charlotte finally found you, RHM & that you give it a thumbs up. It's probably my favorite AG from the few that I've sampled even though it's sweeter than I usually like. Something about it just makes me want to keep sniffing.

So, the Goutal Expo continues. I am giving these a full wearing. Today's combo is Eau d'Hadrien and Eau de Sud

Notes for Eau d'Hadrien: Citrus (Sicilian lemon, citron, grapefruit, green mandarine, cypress, aldehyde notes, ylang-ylang)
and for Eau de Sud Citrus, Chypre, Green (Bergamot, Persian lime, grapefruit, mandarine, verbena, peppermint, basil, hint of jasmine and vetiver, patchouli, oakmoss)

This combination is very refreshing, adding Eau de Sud gives a longer life to the notoriously short lived Eau d'Hadrien. I find I use both of these in combination with other scents if I want to add citrus notes. Both are wonderful to have in the wardrobe.

Upon sniffing my little sample of Eau De Charlotte again, it really does remind me of Covet in the beginning. That damp, green/yellow forest smell. Don't know it I like that aspect after all. The dry down gets a bit better. But ya, a light version of Covet at first. And this Annick likes to disappear on my skin really quickly.

Sables.....WOW! Ms. Goutal liked her man to, well, "Smell like a man!"

So many of the women's fragrances are light and airy, especially the earlier ones. Sables is rich amber and woods.
Notes are: "Amber, Woody, Spicy (Everlasting flower, cinnamon, Mysore sandalwood, Indonesian pepper, smoked tea, amber)"

I am a fierce advocate of non-genderizing fragrances in general. However, Sables is the most masculine scent I've ever smelled. It was wonderful on me but I would much, much prefer to cosy up to fellow wearing this, instead of wearing it myself.

I agree it's the manliest of them all. Also Mon Parfum Cheri, Par Camille smells quite masculine to me. Too bad that after a long debate with myself I concluded that I don't see myself wearing Sables regularly.

I feel the same way, Lucasi. It's a shame too because I adore sandalwood. It's a tribute fragrance and fit the man it was made for to a "T", I'm sure. I can absolutely appreciate Sables, it's just not for me.

BTW, this sample pass has been a hazard to my nonexistent perfume budget. I've hit eBay up for Eau de Charlotte, Folavril and body creams in Eau de Charlotte, Eau de Sud and Eau d'Hadrien.

Been smelling fairly fabuloso.

I've added Grand Amour to the sample pass around. Mine is an older bottle, perhaps 8 to 9 years old, so please keep that in mind when you sniff. The latest version may not smell exactly the same.

Layering suggestions from my test o rama:
Eau d'Hadrien & Eau de Sud
Gardenia Passion & Grand Amour
Eau de Charlotte & Huere Exquise (OMG!)
Folvaril & a little bit of Eau de Sud

From my own stash, I always wear all three of the original "Orientalists" Collection: Ambre Fétiche, Myrrhe Ardente, and Encens Flamboyant.

I love all of these combos and hope you might try them and see what you think.

I've been feeling the need lately to try Musc Nomade, other Les Orientalistes didn't work for me.

You should try Le Chevrefeuille. It is gorgeous and I think it would also layer nicely with Eau d'Hadrien or Ea du Sud.

Hi everyone! I think I will jump in with the thoughts on the ones I have tried so far while waiting on my turn. Today:

Sables - this was the very first Annick Goutal I have tried and I was very impressed right of the bat. I agree with RHM that it leans more masculine. It is handsome, but not pretty. Also, very cozy...What I love about Sables's coziness is that it's not of suffocating vanilla variety. In Sables, all I can smell is immortelle, nothing else stands out. But it doesn't bother me as I am a big fan of immortelle and drink tea made from golden flowers quite often. Usually, I am not very keen on something I perceive as one note fragrance, but Sables has darkness, depth, and assurance about it that is very attractive. Mr. WF, on whom I imposed the full wear of Sables for the sake of experiment, took to it very kindly. To his nose, however, tobacco was more prominent than immortelle; he went so far as to say that he will consider Sables as a substitute to SL's Fumerie Turque. Strangely, he cared less about 1740 with which many compare both Sables and Fumerie Turque. Overall, definitely a contender - I will never get it for myself, but will be more than happy if Mr WF decides to add Sables to his wardrobe.

It's a coming gurl. Today was a postal holiday.

Oh no, RHM! I am not in a hurry at all! I am so sorry if I gave this impression. It's just I have a lot of homework for my school and I am trying to break up my sniffing and reporting on Goutals, to make sure that I dedicate quality time to this wonderful pass.

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Today Eau de Charlotte and Quel Amour. Thank you, CN, for sharing extra with me! You are such a sweetie! I hope you are enjoying your vacation.

Eau de Charlotte - it seems to my nose to be in the same camp as Roseberry from Parfums de Rosine and L'Ombre Dans L'Eau by Dyptique - black currant and flowers. As CN knows, black currant to me is the same as catnip to a cat. Some say that black currant smells like cat pee, so maybe not that faraway from truth.... I must say, however, that Eau de Charlotte is the weakest in this genre and while I agree that it sweet, it reads as rather flat and a bit too transparent. I Like them loud! I would go for L'Omber Dans L'Eau before I get Eau de Charlotte. It still is very pretty, and I can see why RHM's daughter was fascinated by it, but to me L'Ombre Dans L'Eau had more depth, more intrigue, and more mature seduction. But to each their own of course. The dry down on my skin was barely-above-whisper-vanilla, so a bit of letdown there as well. But I will have to wait for arrival of Heure Eqxuise to try layering them together per RHM suggestion and I will report further then.

Quel Amour - very pretty as well, but not my cup of tea. I think that just like Eau de Charlotte, Quel Amour possesses an air of innocence. Nothing wrong with it of course, but I prefer sultry, heady scents that have potential to kill anything alive in close proximity. Quel Amour is surprisingly light for having so much fruit stuffed in it; and on a right person I think it will be ultra feminine and absolutely charming. I couldn't pick up red currant in Quel Amour, however.

The package is on it's way. Check your mail, Whitefluffy for the tracking number.

This was so much fun but very bad for my wallet. I had a blast layering the different Goutals; one on one wrist, one on the other & rub lightly. (Yes, I do rub my wrists!)

Quel Amour isn't my cup of tea either, a bit too floral for my tastes.
Le Violette was very sweet on me but I think my sister would adore it. She wears violet scents very well but hasn't had great luck with Goutal.

Huere Exquise, Eau d'Hadrien edt & edp, Grand Amour, Gardenia Passion (I know it's very floral but I layer it with Grand Amour and it's magnificent),all three of the original Les Orientalists and Eau d'Sud were already part of my collection.

A lovely basenoter gave me a partial bottle of Mandragore, which I adore!

As a result of this pass around, I now have Eau de Charlotte (for Sofie), Folvaril (I'm nuts about this one), and Un Matin d'Orage body cream.

Songes has a prominent ylang-ylang note that sours on my skin and Petite Cherie just plain smells odd. Pear notes + Christine = ODD Dissonance.

Thank you for this pass around. I LOVED it!

Quel Amour isn't my cup of tea either.

lol at "heady scents that have potential to kill anything alive in close proximity." Lol..WF, funny. I like those kind of scents too sometimes! Lust by Lush...that's a bomb, dig it.

It's interesting how you learn over time which notes you can (usually) wear well, and those you don't. Peony, yang-ylang, plumeria (take it away now, please), cinnamon bark (makes my skin bright red), pear, and some peach notes either smell nasty, give me a headache or a skin reaction. I've learned to avoid scents with these notes BUT....there's always the exception (such as VISA & her lovely white peach note). Bottom line, I try whatever I want at least once but can usually tell which scents will really "sing" on my skin.
Annick Goutal O Rama has been a real eye opener.

Yes, Lush is a bomb and exactly what I like. It is on my wish list too

And I agree, we learn what works on us and what doesn't! But even if it's a note we can't pull of, it doesn't always mean that we can't find some other way too appreciate it. I never thought I could wear gourmands, but I am slowly turning around or maybe it's just a question of finding something that works. Still have very little hope for gardenia...

I am a white floral snob, I admit it. I only like it if it smells as close to the real flower as possible and I prefer magnolia over both gardenia and tuberose.
The only tuberose scent I adore is FRACAS.
The only gardenia perfume I adore is Annick Goutal Gardenia Passion but layered with Eau d'Hadrien or Eau de Sud.
I've yet to find a magnolia scent that just "does it" for me. One came close, Eau d'Italie's Magnolia Romana but the pocket book wasn't fat enough to spring for a purchase.

I don't think I have ever tried magnolia in a perfume. Although we lived in Florida and I had ample opportunity to sniff magnolias on the tree (which I did) I don't remember how it smells like

So careful of the author!

Wooznib here on BN makes a magnolia..I need to re-sniff it. Not too familiar with magnolia but Gucci does a bad one, I can tell you that! That Gucci Flora line..blech. I probably need to sniff more magnolia scents. Heard Adp has Mag Nobile..heard that one is ok.

Hello everyone! I received Goutals from the lovely RHM and will be diving in into this intriguing house. Thank you so much CN for this opportunity, I was curious about Goutal for ages! Today:

Songes - my first impression that it's a white floral. Duh! I thought...tuberose, gardenia? Nope, nope, nope! Jasmine and two others I am unfamiliar with - frangipani and tiare - plus my second favorite white flower after jasmine, ylang ylang. And vanilla making it's presence known. I must say, for such white flower bouquet with vanilla added, it's light and transparent which certainly gets brownie points from me. In style of Quel Amour, Songes is very girly, but not in a sugary sweet way. I actually kind of like it, but my complain that it's too light and transparent and seems to disappear rather fast. But I am very glad that I tried Songes as an example of flowers I have never encountered before.

Un Matin d'Orage - opened up very promisingly, but...yes, gardenia this time for sure! Whyyyyy??? To be fair it's not the obnoxious kind that many gardenia perfumes have, but rather watery and cool. Still, it's a gardenia...I don't know, I kind of like the coolness and dewiness but for how long I can have it on my skin before nausea sets in...we will see.

Isn't tiare a gardenia? Or is it jasmine..lol I got gardenia in Songes, I think. Yes, Whyyy is right on the Orage, lol. Why??

Oh, well, I will continue with the white-flowers-gardenia-athon :

Gardenia Passion - oh boy, does Ms. Goutal likes her white florals and gardenias in particular. Strangely, from Gardenia Passion I get more tuberose than gardenia, and for that reason it's a little more tolerable. Genie Jenie I confuse the two sometimes too, as they both loud, buttery, and obnoxious. Example: from Nasomatto's Narcotic Venus all I get is gardenia though to most people it's all about tuberose. And so is with Gardenia Passion for me - I get mostly tuberose, not gardenia. What surprising though about Ms. Goutals white florals is that she manages to keep them polite, and as a consequence more tolerable. I seriously doubt I will ever get Gardenia Passion or Un Matin d'Orage but at least they didn't make me sick.

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Le Mimosa - Unfortunately, I don't know how mimosa smells like, but like RHM I get lot's of peach. To my nose it's all about peach and nothing else really. I wouldn't say that it overly sweet, just like others it's light and transparent. I like it, but more as a room scent than perfume. Once again, I get that girly, pretty, innocent vibe. No, not something I can wear.

Passion - another white floral. (Really? Nooooo). This one should be about tuberose, ylang ylang and tomatoes, but all I get is synthetic orange blossom. To borrow a phrase from Kalli...Pass...pass...pass

Eau de Camille - I was looking forward to this one - grassy, herbal..what's not to like? Unfortunately, though the opening was promising the development was chemical, harsh, and headache inducing. It reminded me of Parfumerie Generale Papyrus de Ciane, but PdC was more natural smelling than EdC. At this point I am rather disappointed in the house of Annick Goutal.

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Today, citrusy ones. Not big fan of citruses, I had to wait for the right mood.

Eau d'Hadrien - at first sniff, it seems that there is little else other than lemons. But there is something enchanting about this scent, some extra dimension lurking under deceptive simplicity. It draws nose to my wrist again and again. I think if I had to have a citrus fragrance in my wardrobe (which I don't) I would go for Eau d'Hadrien. I am seriosly considering Eau d'Hadrien for the next summer. It also made me realize why I don't like citrus in fragrances - it's not the citruses that I don't like, but any hint of sweetness that might accompany.

Eau de Sud - another nice citrus with Old World chypre-ish vibe. It reminded me of PdE Azemour Les Orangers, but more manly and subdued. I think i would enjoy that on Mr. WF. I will have to impose it on him later and see what he thinks. He seems to have more appreciation for chypres than I do.

Les Nuits d'Hadrien - more complex and warmer than previous two, but least favorite of the bunch. I do admire the composition but it didn't grab me. Also, disappeared much faster than previous two. I did like the opening - herbal, bitter, citrusy, but once it warms up, it's nothing to write home about. I guess my skin took kinder to Eau d'Hadrien.

I must say I am thoroughly impressed with Goutal citruses, this house is a winner when it comes to citrus!

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Today La Violette and Heure Exquise. I test them together because they smell so much like two other perfumes I love: Chanel 19 and Iris de Nuit. And so I applied all four: La Violette and Heure Eqxuise on one arm and Iris de Nuit and Chanel 19 on another. I will try to contrast and compare.

Heure Exquise and Chanel 19 are very much alike; only as Ms. Sanchez noted, Heure Exquise is more relaxed than Chanel 19. In the heart and drydown is where the big difference is evident: Heure Exquise projects the makeup and powder aspects of iris which are soft, feminine, and pretty; whereas Chanel 19 veers off in a completely different direction.

The similarity between La Violette and Iris de Nuit is of course due to violets. But they are extremely similar to my nose. I am not big fan of violets but I do like them in both La Violette and Iris de Nuit. In both of these fragrances they are reserved, but not linear.

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Des Lys - a bit old fashioned, dewy, lady-like lilies. Pretty...but I prefer FM Lys Mediterrannee. There is some signature house note in Goutals that smells both old fashioned and too prim and proper for me. The signature note for very nice girls, who never ever do anything even remotely naughty in their lives. But I do admire Des Lys - there is some fragility and vulnerability about this scent that go well together with huge doe eyes and spotless integrity.

Hi, CN, so glad to hear that you are back safely from your trip!!! HUGS!!! And thank you for breaking up my huge post . Wow, it's fascinating that Annick didn't like gardenias either. Now it makes sense! Her gardenias, are not as offensive and obnoxious as some others and I really admired Un Matin d'Orage. If gardenias didn't bother me so much I would have purchased the bottle already. Growing your own gardenias and tuberoses? Lucky you! I smelled gardenias on a bush and love them there, but never had the chance to smell tuberoses. As for Goutal signature note, the overall impression was polite and well behaved. I agree it would be appropriate to wear to work: Songes and Eau d'Hadrien are on my wish list.

Whitefluffy, I absolutely agree with you that Annick Goutal does great job with citrus scents. I'm owner of a bottle of Eau d'Hadrien but I'm thinking of reselling it - I've got an EdT version which disappears from my skin after 30 minutes and I wish it lasted longer on me. EdP version is out of reach in Poland which is too bad because I would like to try it and see if it does better than EdT.

Very interesting that Annick didn't care for gardenia. Props. Obviously Goutal liked the citrus though! I read that Passion was her own personal perfume? So..looks like she liked the tuberose.

Oh, Lucas, it's too bad that Eau d'Hadrien doesn't last on you. It lasted good 3-4 hours on me. It must be the difference between male and female chemistry. My husband's skin burns off citruses fast too.

Kalli, do you like tuberose? I do

Oh goodie, more gardenia and tuberose coming my way soon! Just kidding. I like RHM's suggestion of layering these. That's something I've never done & will try some experimenting.

Good reviews Whitefluffy! Sounds like there's something for everybody in this pass. I'm looking forward to trying out the citrus scents. Eau d'Hadrien seems to be a popular choice!

Not really. Not in most cases. I think as an accent note and not as a main note maybe idk. I am saying that cause I notice Jo Malone's Vanilla and Anise has tuberose in there and I like that one..I don't smell a lot of tuberose though. Though, last time I wore V&A..I found something annoying about it..probably the tuberose! So now, idk about that one. Ugh. I'd have to wear it more to see. Fracas I could never do. I do kind of like Poison(sort of!)..I mostly like it cause I used to wear it all the time back in the day. I think also I can smell many notes with Poison...like honey, cinnamon..so it makes it better. A tuberose soliflore? Blech. Pass. Not really a fan..I have no scents with that note except for Poison...which in the end I may have gotten it mainly cause I used to wear it all the time and it's just such a classic. The tuberose, yes, I find annoying in Poison, makes it hard to wear. Last time I wore it..it was just too much, probably the tuberose. I wanted to fully like it as I used to wear it all the time. But tastes change and I really can't do tuberose. I appreciate that scent a lot..I just may not be able to wear it anymore or very often. I will try again in very cold weather...my guess it will wear much better. I noticed I dabbed on some Juicy C a couple times last winter..and I don't know why! Maybe cause it was colder..idk. I was trying to have an open mind I think and try something different. But in the end..Juicy C. scents are the worst. I still have no idea why I dabbed some on..cause ya..it was annoying to wear a bit but wanted to wear something different. At least I tried.

And I made you try the Fracas!! I like your idea of trying the tuberose scents in the winter to see how they wear. Of course, it never gets cold here like it did when I lived in D.C. & used to appreciate that note. Maybe that's key. Worth a try!

Sorry for the hijack!!!

I opted to try the Fracas! You didn't make me! LOL. Again, I was trying to have an open mind and make sure I really disliked tuberose. Fracas closed the deal for me. I tried several tuberose..and yep..I know I don't like it! Thanks for letting me try it though!

My apologies to CN for continuation of tuberose hijacking, but I wanted to add my two cents. I find tuberose cloying and annoying too, but I don't dislike it as much as I dislike gardenia. I, too, like the tuberose blended with other things to keep things interesting. I found three tuberoses from Histoires de Parfums that fit the bill. They are complex and have other things going on. Maybe, I need to do mini-pass of HdP Tuberoses, if there is interest...? Kalli, I think you might like Tubereuse - 2 Virginale.

I probably won't like it, lol. If I can't smell tuberose..that's when I like it! LOL. Way far back there, like gone.

I don't know...I still have a feeling that you might like it

Well, I am not done wit the pass yet, sorry Genie Jeanie, it will be a little while yet...It's a monster pass and my sniffer is getting major workout. Goutal-o-rama, indeed

Folavril - First, let me say - I LOVE the smell of tomato plants, but Folavril? EEEKKK!!! My skin no likey, no likey at all. Even jasmine is weird and ugly. Scrubber....

Grand Amour - Now this is a perfume for ladies! Ultra feminine and grand (In comparison with other feminine Goutals). Still, a bit too proper. I do like the hyacinth and lilies, but something in there is just not me...

No rush Whitefluffy!! There are a lot of scents to test in this pass. Have you tried layering any of them like RHM suggested?

No, I haven't yet. But I worry that there won't be enough left for the rest of the testers. I might try one combination or two.

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Also I wanted to add that RHM is generously adding extra Goutals to the pass and I am waiting for the package from her to arrive. Meanwhile, I will be adding some too and as my package arrived today I tested all three today. (Mr. WF is hogging the TV with all the football games).

Duel - another nice citrus. Notes are: holly, musk, petit grain, leather, iris, gaiac wood. It's all about citrus, really, despite the nice line up of notes. I can't detect leather in there for the life of me. It's well done, but not for me. To my nose it smells exactly like lemon iced tea.

Mandragore - this one is a limefest! Minty limefest! It's too bad the summer is over, it would have been great refreshing mojito inspred scent .

Ce Soir Ou Jamais - a complex name for what is basically a rose soliflore with some amber thrown in. Old fashioned, prim, and proper - exactly in Goutal's style. I heard many refer to some rose heavy smells as possessing a smell of urea. Well, smelling is believing - I see now how rose can turn to urea on people. Will NOT be on my wish list.

So funny and so interesting. On my skin Duel smelled mainly of hay and wheat and I didn't like it at all, unfortunately, as I was expecting to love it.

I wish it smelled like hay and wheat, at least it would be interesting.

Skin changes everything.

Thank god we both LOVE Iris Pallida

Yes we are lucky (or not so lucky) that it works on both of us.

I received a package with another Goutal goodies from RHM! Extremely, wonderfully generous of her!!! Thank you so much!!! I tested all five yesterday and today I am giving them another go:

Rose Absolu - much more pleasant rose than the one in Ce Soir Ou Jamais. But sill, it's quite straightforward and not unlike one in Tea Rose. It's lighter than Tea Rose but unfortunately I can smell a whisper of urea on my skin. I guess Goutal roses and I don't mix very well.

Le Chevrefeuille - another citrus, but quite romantic. Polite honeysuckle and jasmine take lemons on a walk through spring meadows where gnomes and fairies live and nothing bad ever happens.

Neroli - Starts out exactly like neroli essential oil I use in my face lotions. But it's more delicate and flowery than the real deal. The orange blossom comes eventually to forefront, but it also delicate and pretty. I don't know if I could consider having something like this, but I can see this appealing to fans of neroli and orange blossom.

Le Muguet - I don't have much experience with LOTV perfumes other than one Russian one I smelled long time ago. All I can say it smelles almost exactly like it, and it does smell like real flowers. Unfortunately it's a bit strong and a bit chemical. All I can think of is soap, soap, soap. Pretty, once again, but not as a perfume.

Vanille Exquise - this one I was waiting to smell for a long, long time. For something that has "Vanille" in it's name it's quite tame. I had to hunt for vanilla in this perfume. I don't care for the woods and musk combo, but I can see Vanille Exquise appeal to many. It's truly is the sheerest vanilla fragrance I have ever came across.

Well, I believe it was all of them. Whew! Thank you so much CN, RHM, 30 Roses, Genie Jeanie, cacio for sharing your favorites with us. I always was curious about the house of Goutal, and now I got my wish .

The overall impression I got was well mannered, but not stiff. Light not just in style, but also in spirit. There is no darkness, no pain, no anguish in Annick's perfumes and I like that. If I had one word to describe her line, it would be "precious." Not in the sense of being extra valuable but in the sense of cute little girl with pink ribbons in her hair squishing most adorable yellow lab puppy. The men fragrances have that feel of "true gentleman" who will always do what is morally right. Annick Goutal's line is infinitely romantic but in a quiet, most endearing way. I must have something from this line, to remind myself from time to time that beauty and light and good people are not an exception, but norm.

Most likely I will get a couple of her citrus ones, my faves being: Eau d'Hadrien, Mandragore, Le Chevrefeuille. Also, Songes from white flower category. Sables for Mr. WF.

Love your rescription as well as the scent.

Thanks for the write up WF. I was really interested in trying that Vanille until I saw it had muskiness to it.

You are all very, very welcome. I have learned a new appreciation for Annick Goutal fragrances. There are some I like, some I love, some that I love layered with other scents and some I dislike altogether.

This exploration of Annick Goutal fragrances has allowed me a wonderful overview of the line. I am delighted to pay it forward.

Thank you, Kalli, CN, and Lucas for your kind words. Goutals were absolute blast! I just shipped the package to Genie Jeanie. Sorry, it took me a while to pack everything up. Once again, many thanks for this pass, it was a great adventure!!!

Thank you, Whitefluffy! The Goutals are here with me & I'll start the testing tonight. What a huge lot of samples!! I hardly know where to begin, so I'll just grab one of the packages & dab away. Impressions to follow...

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Sorry for the hold-up here. As they say, life got in the way for a few days. But things are back on track & the sampling has begun! I had to create a Word doc to keep all of this straight, as we've grown to 23 scents to test!! So, not to waste any more time... Let's roll!!

EAU D'HADRIEN - This one opens with a strong, juicy burst of fresh-cut lemons. There is also a hint of grapefruit, but the lemon definitely takes center stage. Very bright & uplifting. As the scent transitions I detect ylang, which softens it considerably. (I love ylang! Yum!) The drydown is just gorgeous. The citruses & ylang meld into the most wonderful, soothing scent. Though it lasts a good 4 hours on my skin, I just wish the sillage was stronger. The body cream may give it the boost it needs. A definite thumbs on Eau D'Hadrien!!

LES NUITS D'HADRIEN - Les Nuit opens with a fresh lemon scent, but is more subdued than the zing of Eau D'Hadrien. It develops quickly as it transitions to a mix of citrus notes, with amber, wood & spice evident in the final drydown. Though very fleeting, Les Nuit is a pleasant, warm scent. 2 hour max & it's all but gone. Nice, but unremarkable.

MANDRAGORE - Annick Goutal seems to love her strong citrus openings & Mandragore is no exception. This one is quickly joined by a strong, camphorous blast of mint. I couldn't help but think of toothpaste here. (Pepsodent anyone?) As it settled on my skin it lost it's citrus notes & turned into an unsettling mix of mint, spice & wood. While I love the smell of fresh mint, it's not a note that I enjoy on my skin. This one is not for me.

EAU DU SUD - My notes on Eau Du Sud are short & sweet. "Basil! Lots of lime & basil!!" BTW, I like both of those notes quite a bit. It evolves into a pleasant, aromatic scent with dry earthy qualities. Very nice, but one that I would prefer to smell on a male counterpart.

FOLAVRIL - From my very first sniff I knew this was going to be something different! Fruit & flowers - yes. Jasmine - most certainly. But what the heck else am I smelling? (scratches head) I had to check Goutal's website for this one. The notes listed for Folavril are: Tomato leaf, mango, jasmine, Boronia flower. Yeah, that's different alright. I had to just forget about picking out the notes & let this one progress without my constant interference. At one point I detected a familiar smell. Is anyone familiar with Nivea skin cream? (Not a bad association, just unexpected here.) It dries down to a scent that's somewhere between intriguing & odd. I'm still totally undecided about this one. Think I need to withhold judgement & try it again later. It just might grow on me!

LE CHÈVREFEUILLE - Now here's something I like! The opening is lemony, but with the addition of floral notes. Goutal lists the notes as "Wild narcissus, lemon petitgrain, green notes, hint of jasmine", but (like Whitefluffy) I get the distinct scent of honeysuckle! We had a hedge of huge honeysuckle bushes at my childhood home & my friends & I would pluck the flowers at their base to suck out the sweet nectar. Heavenly! I also detect a note of tea, which rounds out the scent & creates a beautiful composition. Quite a refreshing scent for the warmer weather!

Well, it's time for a stretch break!! Sniffing will continue tomorrow so I can keep the ball rolling.

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Update:

After a longer wear the Folavril & Eau d'Hadrien are the only scents still standing, but ever so slightly. I've decided that Folavril also deserves cudos, but it's frustrating that the best part of the scent fades away so quickly!

Great reviews Genie!

I can't say I am a huge fan of honeysuckle, in smaller doses but not big doses probably.

Mandragore, I've sniffed it before, anyone get a chocolate type note? I thought I smelled something chocolate-y but not listed in the notes. Probably star anise+another note. I got something velvety cocoa like.

Anyway, good reviews!

Moving right along, I have a few more reviews to add.

SABLES - Whoa! Sables certainly wears the pants in the Goutal household! This powerhouse opens with a strong, peppery amber note & takes on the notes of curry & tea. The longevity & sillage are fierce. Testosterone required with this one. A very dry, dense & masculine scent indeed!

DUEL - Duel opens with a clean scent of citrus & tea. Lots of tea! As it evolves it takes on a smokey suede effect while the citrus notes fade out. At drydown the scent becomes rather flat, with nothing more than musty tea in evidence. A safe but boring scent.

VANILLE EXQUISE - I had high hopes for this one, as I'm searching for a warm, rich vanilla scent. It opens as a very sheer vanilla, which is quickly joined with a lovely almond note. There is definitely benzoin here, (I recognize the note from my Mauboussin) & wood. I don't find the musk that was evident to Whitefluffy, so kalli, you still might want to give this a try! In the end Vanille Exquise is a perfectly nice, cozy little scent, but the vanilla is too overpowered by the other notes to be a real winner for me.

More to come...

Yes, great reviews, Genie Jeanie! I am so happy to see that you liked Eau d'Hadrien and Le Chevrefeuille! These two on my must buy list. And I am super happy to join honeysuckle anonymous club. Guilty!!! It's great childhood memories and it makes me want to find honeysuckle bush like right now and attack it mercilessly

Yes, vanilla is overpowered in Vanille Exquise which is almost oxymoron, nothing overpowers vanilla in my humble opinion, but something in Vanille Exquise did. The vanillas on my buy list right now (off topic, sorry) are Felanilla by PG and Myrrhiad by Huitieme Art. Come to think of it, they both done by the same guy - Pierre Guilleume (I probably, most likely, misspelled his name, hope he will forgive me). These two stole my heart, so if you are looking for good vanilla, Genie Jeanie, do check them out .

Hi kalli, CN & Whiteflully! Nice to have all of you join me while I make my way through this mountain of scents. This has to be the grand dame of all passes!

Will need to take a break from the sampling today. I woke up with a monstrous sore throat & stuffy nose. When I couldn't smell anything from a dab of Gardenia Passion, I knew that any attempts to review today would be pointless. Covers back over my head for now. Hope to get back to business tomorrow!

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Continuing onward....

UN MATIN D'ORAGE - I was expecting another nice citrus scent with this one, but after a brief wave of lemon it turned into a harsh, green gardenia. Ewww, not a good smell. I've learned to be more patient with the big white flowers & my perseverance was rewarded by a gentle taming from the sweetness of jasmine. A spicy touch of ginger rounds out the scent as it softens to a much more pleasant finish. Nice. Not for me, but a must try for gardenia lovers!

GARDENIA PASSION - Saccharine sweet opening & then it hits. Tuberose! Full-bodied tuberose in all of it's boisterous, stinking & decaying glory. Sorry but patience only runs so deep. This one got scrubbed.

EAU DE CHARLOTTE - At this point my nose needed refuge, so I turned to a comfort scent. Eau de Charlotte is in my collection & a scent I turn to when I'm looking for something soft & easy wear. The sweet jammy black current note is joined by a touch of lily, producing a very unique & beautiful opening. Hints of chocolate & vanilla complete the scent as it mellows into a scent as cozy as a big warm hug. This one I love!!

PASSION - Passion is a big-boned white floral that opens with the sweetness of jasmine & ylang. Tuberose is also in this big bouquet, but acts in more of a supporting role rather than being the leading lady. Oakmoss is evident in the drydown as well as a touch of patchouli, which tame the sweetness & add earthiness to the scent. After such a strong opening, Passion becomes a much smoother scent at drydown. I own & like this one. While it's not a scent I reach for often, it has a place in my wardrobe.

Just an additional note: My first sampling of this was a dab from the sample bottle & I didn't like the way it was progressing AT ALL. After spraying from my own bottle the scent behaved much differently. The scent was the same but just seemed too loud & concentrated in the dab. Idk...maybe I'm nuts.

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ROSE ABSOLUE - The name says it all. A very soft rose scent, like a beautifl flower kissed by the morning dew. Light and unassuming, this would an excellent scent for layering.

CE SOIR OU JAMAIS - This scent opens with a beautiful burst of fresh rose that is quickly joined by a sharp synthetic note. It’s like a fruit of some sort. Pear maybe? Not sure, because no fruit is listed in the notes, but I’ve smelled it somewhere before. It reminds me of a pear & apple candle that I burned once. (and only once) The scent takes on an ambery note in the drydown, but the fruity note is persistent & disturbing. Don't care for this one at all!

LE MUGUET - Do not sniff this one for a while unless you’re a true lover of aldehydes. Yikes! Once the scent settles down a bit very distinctive notes of lily of the valley & rose come shining through. I know I’ve smelled this somewhere before. Yep, it’s Coty’s Muguet de Bois that I wore when I was 16 years old! A nice, true LOTV scent, but for the price I'd stick with Coty.

GRAND AMOUR - Grand Amour opens very sparkling & green. Rose is the predominant floral note, but I also detect honeysuckle. There's a lot going on with this scent - lots of florals that form a bouquet rather than individual notes. Amber is present in the drydown as well as a touch of suede. Very different. I'm not sure how I feel about this one. Perhaps a little too busy & too green for me.

More great reviews, Genie Jeanie. I see, I am not the only one who was hit with the tuberose over the head in what supposed to be a Gardenia Passion . And I also agree with you that Un Matin D'Orage would be great for gardenia lovers. I was really impressed with that one, even considering a decant!

Great reviews! Lol, I didn't even sniff Gardenia Passion..tuber and gard? No thanks. I've been going back and forth on Eau de Charlotte. Now, I really like it again.

LOL. Whitefluffy & kalli, you two crack me up! We're definitely a tough group to convince when it comes to the gardenia/tuberose scents. I'm trying to give them a chance & some work better than others.

I really like Eau de Charlotte, but it's something I need to be in the mood for. A bit too powdery & sweet for everyday wear.

Well, I have 6 scents left to go before packing them up for Cacio. Hope to get it done tomorrow!!