Fresh, sweet recommendation?

[Butterscotching]

I'm looking for something that is fresh and pretty, with a sweet, heliotrope/vanilla base. I recently tried Kenzo Flower and loved the sparkly, fresh and sweet but not at all sharp opening (I'm very sensitive to sharp), and I loved the soft vanilla base. And, laugh all you want, I wore Daisy Marc Jacobs for quite a while and loved, it, until I started to smell it everywhere on everyone. I am not a fan of smelling like everyone around me, so I lost interest in it. Still love the scent of it, though. I also wore Gap Grass for a bit, and loved the sweet interpretation of grass, rather than a sharp crushed-leaf smell a la Annick Goutal Neroli. Love Jo Malone Orange Blossom, but it is fleeting. So you can see that I'm coming to terms with the fact that I do not have sophisticated taste.

I know I'm one of those people many Basenoters hate - I want a perfume that doesn't smell like perfume. I'm looking for something very delicate, utterly un-perfumey. Case in point: I enjoy Prada Infusion D'Iris, but i fear that it may actually be too sophisticated for me. I'm 18, and when I let my father smell D'Iris, he said it smelled "classy." Which it certainly does, but it to my nose it feels a little beyond my years. I also liked Gucci Flora, but it's sharp on my skin for the first three hours - three hours too long, if you ask me. I tried and - don't wet yourself - quite liked Chance Eau Tendre. I toyed with getting a bottle, but I'm sure that Chance and all it's flankers are everywhere, on everyone, very common. I also tried Guerlain Mandarin Basilic and Pamplemousse and both were SHARP - Pamplemousse verging on cat pee. Sharp is a no-no, for sure.
I tried Narciso Rodriguez for her (both) and they were almost entirely sharp musk on me. NR Essence was too soapy.

So what I'm essentially asking for is a slightly less well-known frag in the same vein as Kenzo Flower or Marc Jacobs Daisy, or Eau Tendre. Something un-perfumey, fresh and sweet. It doesn't have to be niche or exclusive, can be mainstream/designer, inexpensive is a plus (<$100) but I'm looking for something that isn't extremely popular, like Daisy and Flower are. Something that not every 20-something or teen would have. Really, just let me know if you know of anything at all that is similar to these. Light, fresh, vanillic sweet and gently sparkling, like a spring breeze. Definitely an abstract and bright floral.

If you respond, let me know which one your recommendation is similar to and why.
Thank you very much!

[teardrop]

Hi Butterscotching, welcome to basenotes! The first scent that comes to my mind as being a "delicate, fresh & gently sparkling" floral with a touch of vanilla is Chanel Allure. l would also recommend Un Matin d'Orage by Annick Goutal, Ophelia by Heeley or perhaps even Carnal Flower by Frederick Malle. These all evoke rain-soaked, fresh flowers to me. l don't know much about heliotrope, but l believe Apres l'Ondee by Guerlain contains this note? On me it's a very fleeting but quite beautiful, delicate floral.

Do report back if you try any of these or other's suggestions! We are all here to learn & share & we won't laugh at you for loving what you love.

[Butterscotching]

Thanks for the recs and the welcome! I'm just sort of worried that I'm going to be judged for my definitely pedestrian taste. I was reading a thread about Eau Tendre here, and the consensus was definitely "mediocre to terrible." I was just like "oh... no." Took me down a notch, heh. I've never considered Chanel Allure, hmph. I'll have to check that one out. Un Matin D'Orage sound very interesting. The gardenia aspect sounds promising, as well as the "dewiness." Ophelia sounds good - italian orange and green flower stems, om nom nom. Though the review on Perfume Posse says it is a bit of a white floral powerhouse, which may not end well :P From what I've heard of Carnal Flower, it may be a little too much. But it sounds like one of those things that everyone should try, right? A modern classic. I do enjoy En Passant very much, but the price is prohibitive for me. It's so savory without sweetness, very unusual. Hmm. I have much to smell.

Is La Violette by Annick Goutal anything like Kenzo Flower? And can anyone provide a description of Kenzo Amour, is it anything like what I'm looking for? Ha ha, I'm so inquisitive.

[coopmom]

Welcome, Butterscotching, and don't worry about what you like or don't like. Most here say, "If you like it, wear it!" There are those who like Hilary Duff's With Love, those who like the old school scents like Tabu and Emeraude, those who buy and love Avon scents, and those like me who like age-inappropriate everybody-wears-them scents like the new Peace, Love and Juicy. So don't worry about how others will view you. Worry more about if you have enough time left in your life to smell everything that you hear about on this board! And most of all, learn and have fun.

[Butterscotching]

Thank you for the advice, coopmom. Think I'm just paranoid.
I may just end up getting the mini-spray of Flower. I've never smelled it on anyone I know - they're all too busy wearing Daisy, Lola and Stella I mean, if I can't find something better and the frag really is awesome on me, OH WELL if it's popular in Europe. Eventually some new likeable floral will replace it on the bestseller lists. Eventually.
My quest isn't stopping, though.

Yet another question: L'Eau Par Kenzo? Maybe?

[volley2]

Apres L'ondee by Guerlain
Dan Tes Bras by Frederic Malle
Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker

[Weimar27]

What about
Tumulte by Christian Lacroix
Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel

[teardrop]

l just thought of some more; if you like gardenia you may like Estee Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia; a radiant, luminous, true gardenia with no sharp edges & not at all cloying. Less expensive is Yves Rocher Pur Desir de Gardenia; also a very true, fresh gardenia. Do you like honeysuckle? Annick Goutal Le Chevrefeuille is a lovely, spring-garden scent.

Carnal Flower is indeed a modern classic; l don't think you would regret giving it a try.

By the way, an example to prove that all of us like something others don't; Stella is one of my favourite go-to scents! But l don't take it personally if it's not your thing, neither am l embaressed about it, & neither should you be!

[knit at nite]

If you would like the smell of a lilac bush in a spring wind sample: After My Own Heart by Ineke.

Other suggestions:
Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Flora Nymphea
Fleur de Corail by Lolita Lempicka
Giselle Carla Fracci

[kewart]

Hi there and welcome!
Flower by Kenzo is in the Floriental category of perfumes.
Others in that genre which include vanilla and heiotrope notes
are Vintage by Kate Moss and Baby in the Harajuka Lovers (Gwen Stefani)
series.
You might also like Bond No.9 Chinatown (quite pricey!) Alien by
Thierry Mugler or L'Instant de Guerlain. Also Fleur Oriental by Miller
Harris.

[jacona]

Hmmm, this isn't usually the type i go for, but I rec sniffing Shisedo Relaxing, Gendarme Carriere, Yves Rocher Ming Shu and anything in their Pur Desir line.

[Kiliwia]

Hi Butterscotching! I'm glad to hear there is another fan of Chance Tendre out there, it was one of my favorites this summer. I see you are getting alot of good recommendations, but I'll add a couple more. I agree with knit_at_night, I think you'ld love Fleur de Corail by Lolita Lempicka it's so soft and beautiful with a great vanilla base note. Also, there is Parisenne and Elle both by Yves Saint Laurent, both very feminine floral scents. Petite Cherie by Annick Goutal and Miss Dior Cherie by Christian Dior are both soft floral scents that aren't as easily found on "everyone" as Daisy is. Two others I love are Idylle by Guerlain and Kenzo Amour by Kenzo. I hope this gives you a couple of possibilities to check out.

[Mon-Petit]

Apres l'ondée by Guerlain
Fleurs d'oranger by Lutens
Check out the Annick Goutal line they are what you are looking for.

[Nevena]

Try Narcisse Chloe - very similar to Kenzo flower and very cheap nowadays. The firs time I smelled Kenzo flower I thought of Narcisse

Only Givenchy and Le de by Givenchy are worth exploring as woody musks like Daisy.

Happy sniffing and come back to tell us what You chose.

[Butterscotching]

Whoa, you guys are all so helpful, thank you! I'm a bit overwhelmed right now. I'm going to Sephora this weekend, so I'll try Fleur De Corail (that bottle!), and Kenzo Amour if they have them. Though they may not, as that particular Sephora doesn't have the best selection. I do think I may get the Flower mini for kicks.

[coopmom]

I also really like the Fleurs de Corail. Found mine at TJ Maxx!

[ChickenFreak]

Issey Miyake A Scent. Fresh, sweet, but not, IMO, boring. And sniffable at department stores.

While you're at that department store, try Estee Lauder Jasmine White Moss. There's a fair chance that you may read it as too "perfumey" or too old-fashioned, but it's worth a sniff.

If you send off for samples as part of the question, try Hermessence Osmanthe Yunnan. Very soft florals and a little bit of tea.

Jo Malone in general. My favorite is White Jasmine & Mint, but I'd suggest hunting down a department store display and trying a bunch.

In the unlikely event that you run into an Elizabeth W display, try all the florals, plus Sweet Tea. Actually, you could go to the Elizabeth W website and send off for a travel size of Sweet Tea.

[catnip_too]

I second the new Chanel Chance Tendre. It's very fresh and fairly powdery in the drydown.

I wonder if you might like something with tonka bean, instead of the traditional vanilla. I've been wearing recently The Different Company Oriental Lounge. Despite its name, it is not a heavy or even typical oriental. I like the spices with which it opens, and I've found the base, with its smooth tonka bean very wearable, even for an office setting.

[Butterscotching]

Yeah, I'm realizing that powdery is generally fine with me, despite initially thinking that I'd hate it. Is Fresh Violette sweet at all? I bought Sake blind and returned it because it was so murky (like potpourri, my boyfriend said), so I'm wary of Fresh right now.

[Siifter]

Allure Sensuelle. It's a kinda fresh a sweet right?

[Primrose]

I recently tried Miss Boucheron. It is both fresh/floral and sweet. Perhaps not as sweet as you would like, but this may fit your bill:

http://www.nstperfume.com/2007/05/24...grance-review/

[Butterscotching]

The Boucheron looks interesting. I'm not into super sweet, you know, just not sharp.

[ineespenes]

The first scent that hit me when you said sweet and fresh was Diamonds by Armani.

[RosieJ]

Though they are not the easiest to find I would recommend Comme des Garcons Calamus and Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Viridian. Both are fresh green scents that are also very soft and delicate, slightly sweet and totally free of any sharpness. The chances that somebody else around you will wear then are minimal.
Annick Goutal Le Chevrefeuille is also a good suggestion.

Good luck in finding a new scent!

[Primrose]

I also thought of MaDame by Jean-Peal Gaultier.

A sweet, fruity scent in a bright bottle with the signature JPG dress form.

[Thalia]

I also got Coral Flower at Marshalls at a ridiculous price -- it's very nice, but on me it's the opposite of fresh. It's sweet and smokey and heavy, sort of incense-y. I like it quite a bit, it's a great winter comfort scent, but this is definitely one to sample before you buy!

[Butterscotching]

I'll at least try out Fleur De Corail. RosieJ, Calamus sounds awesome! Going to Sephora tomorrow, here's some of the stuff I'm trying (if available):

Gucci EDP II
Pucci Sabbia (saw this described as a sweeter Infusion D'Iris, so perhaps)
A Scent By Issey Miyake
Kenzo L'Eau Par Kenzo, Flower and Amour
Hane Mori Butterfly (not likely - sweeet)
Guerlain L'Instant, Insolence, My Insolence
Missoni (doubt they have it)
Lolita Lempicka Fleur De Corail
Nina Ricci
Stella Nude (saw someone compare it to Flora)
Bunch of Tocca frags (especially Giulietta)
Versace Bright Crystal, Versus (ehh)
Bulgari Amethyste
D&G La Roue De La Fortune
Fresh Violette and Pacifica French Lilac - don't think they have these, maybe some others in those lines (Pink Jasmine?)

Wish me luck! I'll let you guys know how it went when I get back.

[Butterscotching]

I'm back! Hopefully no one minds that I'm resurrecting this thread one last time.

So i tried quite a few things at Sephora - my boyfriend told me multiple times that we were in the mall for three hours. He wasn't happy.

Kenzo Flower: Seems to have turned into pure baby powder on me! Shame, I liked it so much before.
Gucci EDP II: Unmemorable, though it seemed nice. I don't actually remember much about it. Fruity floral.
Tocca Giulietta: Warm and sweet, almost too much so.
Tocca Stella: Rich orange, still as nice as I remember it. But not what i want.
Hanae Mori No. 1: Raspberry and vanilla baked goods. BF liked it, unsurprisingly, but it was a bit too sweet for me.
L'Eau Par Kenzo: I quite liked this one! I was trying to think of what it reminded me of and then it hit me: En Passant. A more aquatic version, a little lighter too, but it had that airy, savory-without-sweetness feel that makes me hungry. Yum. A great "fresh."
Pucci Sabbia: Sort of like Infusion D'Iris. Nice but not memorable.

Tried a ton more on paper, too:
A Scent by Issey Miyake: Crisp green. Very nice for what it is.
L'Instant de Guerlain: No.
Guerlian Insolence/My Insolence: I always forget that violet smells like grape soda to me. Great in Bois de Violette, which to me is gourmet grape soda poured over a cedar plank, which is strangely lovely. Not as captivating in either of these.
Hanae Mori Butterfly: SUGAR. No. 1 is much more tolerable, too bad it's LE.
Stella Nude: Lighter version of Stella. I do love Stella, but I think Nude is maybe a little silly. It's not pointless - "lighter" versions of classics sell well, I assume.
LL Fleur De Corail: I think I like it. More on the spicy side of what I'm looking for, but it could work.
D&G Roue: Very bland. Fruity floral, you know the drill. Actually liked a couple of the others in the line.
Fresh Sugar: Lemonade! Crisp, fresh lemons and sugar. Nice.

I'm going to try The Body Shop Vanilla and Neroli Jasmin EDTs and oils sometime this week or weekend. Who knows?

[jules1]

Hi Butterscotching! Have you ever tried any of the Agent Provocateur scents? They are not at all "fresh" but they are powdery without being sweet.

[Dani California]

Was just reading through the thread, as I like Kenzo flower too. I wondered if you'd tried Miss dior cherie? this is a one I like in the fresh sweet category. Actually, if you want to try a cheap dupe of it , try Next Diamonds, I wear it all the time. Its very much like miss dior cherie and is fresh and sweet.

I also like :
Stella nude
one of the stella sheers
ricci ricci
beckham night for her- has the oriental type thing that flowers has
beckham story for her- has the orange blossom fresh thing

Hope these are of some help or just to give a few ideas x