Florabotanica

The beauty of a subtly made, green, wonder. I am lost in a botanic garden, oozing vapor of delicate leafs and vegetation, of rare flowers of ephemeral beauty, and the warm breath of a stranger on my back. I have experienced this and more with Florabotanica. Opening is acquatic, aromatic, minty, leafy. Full of dew, in between refreshing and cold. If I take in to consideration the aesthetic of the brand when Florabotanica came out, it surely fits. It transports you in to a sort of tech forest, where vegetation is thin and wet, brilliant and reassuring. It calms the soul, the zen aspect is very present for me. You feel the modernity of the fragrance in the way the green notes are treated, their subtlety is their strength. In the midst of this thin veil of greenery there is a a distant echo of marijuana, the scent of the most tender cannabis when it is just starting to grow. And the flowers...they are suspended in those green vapors; the most breathtaking immature rose, its ephimeral and delicate scent almost unexpected. Now my imagination is flowing, I am really starting to picture a botanic greenhouse, the ones which in Victorian era aristocratic pepole used to visit for fun. If any of you has watched the TV show Penny Dreadful, inspired by Victorian gothic literature and starring Eva Green, well, there is a moving scene between Eva carachter, Vanessa, and a certain Dorian Gray! In that scene they were visiting a botanic garden, watching the most rare orchid on earth, fifteen years perfecting its flower only to bloom for a moment, and talking about the nature of beauty. This fragrance reminded me so much of that scene, but in my imagination this is a sort of Lovecraft-ian Victorian era, mixed with tech and steam punk elements. Maybe I am too imaginative but the green notes in Florabotanica appear to me as really treated with a modern, ultra tech, crystalline touch. The sense of intimacy of that particular scene (and the proximity of other people while observing in silence such wonders of nature in botanics garden) is rendered through the amber in the base. While a sort of minty sensation still lingers in the back, the fragrance has now reached an intimate warmth, this is almost a musky amber, it is clean yes...but it is more then that. It speaks of human skin, of human contact, of the warm vapor and subtle breath of the stranger behind you in a botanical garden visit, one maybe you whish to know. The clean part is consistent too, reminiscent of fabric softener, of clean clothes out in the sun. But I feel more warmth then that. Vetiver complements the composition perfectly, most well balanced, its light earthyness true to the modern and delicate nature of the scent. I really wish I could spray Florabotanica on myself with abandonment, I so want again to get lost in this imaginary, calming world, and its dry down is one of the most beautiful I have experienced in a while. Unfortunatelly the fragrance is so rare to find this days, if you do encounter it my advice is to give it a chance. It will surprise you. Now, why did they have to go and discontinue this one? And Rosabotanica. The brand seems to have abandoned completely the beauty world, and I am not sure how well they woukd do in light of recent unpleasent controversy. I have acquired samples of this designer wonders and I am completely smitten! I only have 2ml each, too little to judge a fragrance but decided to leave a few words anyway. Maybe, one day, destiny will spare a bottle for me!

Wonderful herby and unisex open. Top note is supposed to be mint but it's not particularly minty or spicy. It smells green but also aquatic - like water that's been infused with basil and mint and maybe even some cilantro or very aromatic herbs that's been dunked in crisp clean ice cold water. Equal parts masculine, women's shampoo-ey, watery and herb-y. I know there's supposed to be cannabis notes but as someone who's partaken in a toke or two in my rebellious younger years this smells like no cannabis I've ever smelled. This is too fresh and aromatic. It's got none of that sticky-icky stank. A note on the open: by "herb-y" I don't mean vegetal. Nothing about this smells like vegetables or chlorophyll. Also, elements of it remind me of the open of Hermès' Kelly Caleche. However it is not as well blended as the Hermès. Here you can easily distinguish notes from one another whereas in Kelly Caleche everything is just masterfully blended together into one gorgeous perfume scent. This makes Florabotanica skew younger while the Kelly skews more mature. >15 mins in I'm getting no florals. Just a lot of fresh lively aromatic greens. >30 mins in. No change. She's still going strong. > 45 mins in. The aromatic greens seem to be finally starting to ramp down. > Maybe I spoke too soon. 1 hr 45 mins in and it's still going strong. It's the projection that ramped down. It's now a skin scent but that's relative seeing as it's still projecting a good 3 inches between skin and nose. > Correction: Performance is stronger than I thought. I just had to run an errand and while walking I could smell the sillage and projection of this from at least an arm's length away. I also think maybe the flowers have already come out but they act more as bit players to help give the mint and cannabis some extra dimension. Anyway, this thing is a beast. > 3hrs in this seems like a pretty linear scent. Scent didn't change it just lessened in intensity and projection. > 15 mins later the greens appear to finally be dissipating. It smells soapy and it appears the flowers may finally be coming through. > A couple of minutes after the above entry I can finally smell flowers. The carnation and rose seem like they've been blended together. The flowers smell natural. > 3hrs 30 mins in the flowers have taken over. > 4 hrs in I'm still getting a citrusy rose. But intensity seem to be waning. Projection seem to be 2 inches out but judging by earlier, I'm guessing projection and sillage is stronger than what I think. The rose BTW is natural and dewy. Slightly powdery. Slightly. It's beautiful and not at all synthetic. It gives the frag a feminine lean but I think overall this is unisex. If you're a man unbothered by a slightly feminine rose, you can rock this. > 6hrs in the scent has faded considerably. It's now a proper skin scent. I have to be an inch away to get anything. Power has declined significantly. There some earthiness to the roses and carnation now. Like I can smell the soil on which they were planted. At this rate I expect longevity to be between 7-8 hrs. Not beast mode but a decent showing. 7 hrs in the rose has broken down into that sweet citrusy scent roses and some other florals break down into. I now have to push my nose up to my skin and inhale vigorously to get a whiff. 9 hrs in I can still smell it on me but very faint. I'm now thinking this is a 10 hr frag max.

Wowza!!! I think this is it for me! Love at first sniff! Rosy, green, sharp, soft, strange... Everything all at once. It starts out riotous, sharp, pungent and very green. I smell the cannabis clearly, but it's not dried and skunky. It's like the time I visited Jamaica and we went on a tour into the Blue Mountains. Our guide wandered into a clearing and cut down several tall cannabis stalks with a machete. He brought them back to us to smell. Wow, I will never forget that green, pungent aroma! Then he made us tea from the green stalks and leaves. This is how it smells at first, with almost a bit of citrus like someone squeezed a lemon into that fresh cannabis tea. I think this may be the effect of the mint which I don't smell as a separate note, but I understand how it adds to the composition and I know it's there. After about 10-15 mins, this initial green punch mellows and I get a big whiff of unusual rose. Like a big dense heirloom rose that just opened, against a very green background of vetiver. This lasts for a few minutes and then the spiciness of the carnation kicks in and at the same time, it gets just a bit powdery. So interesting!. This is the point where I cant take my nose away from my wrist. When I do, it projects like crazy too and I get constant wafts of this gorgeous continuously shifting scent. It's fresh, it's clean, it's floral, it's green and forever young. This lasts for several hours. Then it mellows down and you can start smelling the amber base which makes it just a tad bit warm like the sun came out in the garden after a rain shower. The cannabis kicks back in just a bit again making it a tiny bit pungent against the pleasing rose, carnation and green leaves. This is the final stage that lasts, and lasts and lasts. I smelled it clearly on my skin when I woke this morning. Every time I move around and my skin warms up, it renews itself, but it's never, ever overpowering and it doesn't morph into something unpleasant which is a problem I have had with several scents after combining with my chemistry. I'm so impressed and so in love with this complex, unusual but incredibly lovable fragrance. I never want to be without it!

*FIRST IMPRESSIONS AND HOW ITS CHANGED OVERTIME:* NOT A SAFE BLIND BUY! I'm 21 and cannot tolerate very strong perfumes, specially because I live in a tropical and very hot country, so I'm a citrus, fresh, aquatic, fruity fragrances type of girl. This is the strongest fragrance I own and it's become my favorite so far (I'm just starting my collection). First few times I wore this I really thought this was a feminine perfume, but more mature and classy, you wouldn't expect a girl to wear this, but don't get me wrong, it doesn't smell old at all. My boyfriend loves it, his first impression was that it literally smells like a woman should smell, but after wearing it more and more... this is definitely UNISEX, I even told my boyfriend I would love it if he wore it because I find this fragrance so sexy for both women and men. I find myself smelling it when I'm stressed, I think the mint gives aromatherapy vibes to the fragrance, and I'm a sucker for aromatherapy. *NOTES:* As soon as I spray the first thing I smell is mint. The cannabis is a little noticeable (almost faint) if you've smelled it before, but its overpowered by the mint. I'm confident that the combination of both of these notes is what makes Florabotanica so magical and unique. Then the rose mixed with the mint makes a perfectly balanced herbal scent. The rose is aquatic, not soapy, which was the main reason I was afraid to blind buy because I can't stand soapy rose, so it's a win. All of these notes are present in the drydown but the vetiver gets stronger, so overall the fragrance stays beautiful in all of its stages.

The nature in the movie Avatar captured in a bottle... remember all those incredible plants and flowers? the pulsating jungle? I bought today, I couldn't resist... Really unique, don't believe the negative reviews until you try for yourself. Needs a distinguishing nose and subtlety to be appreciated fully. A matter of nuance and more than anything else. Beautiful in a natural kind of way. Flowers at their best, dewy, fresh, green, a garden after rain, full of life, squirming with creatures and plants... Very raw yet refined. ... haven't smelled anything like this recently. It could easily fit into the Jardin series from Hermes, it has a very similar character. Although clean and fresh, I smell absolutely no soap here. I hate soapy scents and luckily I cannot detect any... I wonder if this is skin chemistry, because I see many people saying that it's soapy. Well, not on me. The bottle is very modern, a little too urban for my taste; the box pretty, and I find that the scent matches the box design more than the bottle. The silage is average with average to good lasting power. Addictive and enchanting, it's like a fairytale that a child has heard for the first time and cannot get enough of it, there are little mysteries behind everything that happens. Definitely makes me think of innocence and a dreamy world.... it's a calm perfume and despite the fact that it lacks the "wow" factor, still manages to surprise in a delicate ways. Roses, orange blossoms, green spices and fresh herbs (mint, sage, basil maybe) , wet dirt and wet woods, fresh air, serenity. Total love for me!

First of all, I want to mention that the bottle is amazing, very modern and minimalist, I adore it. The perfume itself is a flower bomb where the rose is very well present (smells exactly like those Bulgarian roses cultivated especially for jam) anyway, the point is: it's a super sweet flower scent. Smelling this makes me think of a late spring day, late May or even the beginning of June, when the days are getting longer and longer and the temperatures are going up, the nights are warmer and early mornings don't feel so insufferable anymore. There's a certain calmness about it, I don't know how to explain it, but it puts me in a good mood and makes me focus on the fact that better days are coming. Very well blend, though I don't smell the mint at all, there's a certain raspiness at some point which I believe to be caused by the cannabis, but it's not unpleasant at all. The name sums up exactly what this fragrance is about, I love that. I can't speak about longevity yet, but I sprayed it 1-2 hours ago on my wrist and it's still projecting strong. Overall, I think I will purchase the whole 100ml bottle, but I want to test it out in warmer weather as well. Glad I got a good deal on ebay, cause I couldn't find any samples for this and I really wanted to try it. :) so far so good, 10/10 for the smell, concept and bottle.

I held off trying this because of the reviews speaking about how green and herbacious it is. I do like green and herbacious, but I already have a few such as Philosykos, B. Balenciaga, and Hugo Boss in my collection. However, I spotted this the other day at Winners (Marshalls) for a pretty decent price so decided to blind buy it. I absolutely love this fragrance, and I'm really excited to see how it will perform and bloom in warmer weather. It's far less green and crisp than I believed, with a fair balance of sweet floral notes. I found B. Balenciaga to be far more crisp and herbacious if I was to compare them. Of the other greenies in my collection, I find this the least green. Personally, this is a modern take on the 90's white florals and I can really pick up that DNA, but this is much softer and smoother. Rather than the loud aldehydes, grass, lily of the valley, and cedar notes, it's replaced with much more subtle alternatives that is pleasing to today's noses; giving this a very contemporary profile. It has enough of a resemblance for people like me who wore those powerhouses, but modern and fresh enough that younger generations will love. I only have a 30mL bottle and contemplating on purchasing a larger size.

This is a true masterpiece of a scent. Its so very unique in character I simply don't know anything like it. The mint gives it a rainy cold character which is energizing and fresh and icy, and the cannabis note gives it an herbal earthy quality, while the rose emanates throughout from beneath and the vetiver leaves it somewhat unisex. This is not your ordinary rose scent, its a holistic rose and somewhat alien: all the dewy petals, thorns and stems and leaves are encapsulated. It does not evolve over time, retaining its first impression as its last (and its perfect here). I get many compliments on it and it projects very well and leaves a lovely unique trail that makes people remember your presence. For someone who likes cold, fresh florals, this is a perfume that evokes a profound emotional and sensory experience for me. It reminds me of the therapeutic bliss of heavy rain on a garden: the grassy soil is wet and you are smelling the thorny pink roses among the invading mint foliage, if you come closer both these scents intertwine with the waft of icy air and petrichor and imprints on memory forever. It is artistic, daring and truly elevates the personality of the wearer. A must have while it lives.

I am so happy that I ́ve bought it 1 year ago, when it was available for 50 USD for 100 ml bottle. Now I am reading there that it was discontinued and prices are crazy. For women whom their skin chemistry let use contemporary mainstream floral fruity without terrible developing... it doesn ́t worth money. But for me it ́s a miracle, because this perfume is the first rose smell which develops on my skin better than on blotter. It is rose, fresh, with a hint of mint and something sour. It is not overly sweet, only little bit. I hate sweet scents, but this is pleasure. Pretty, feminine, elegant without being snob, office friendly. Good both for younger and elder women... . Longevity is great, it lasts whole day. 2 or 3 sprays are enough. Bottle is beautiful, heavy and futuristic. Sprayer is of high quality giving soft mist of perfume. It ́s pleasure to use it. I don ́t recommend it for blind buy based on fact that it ́s discontinued. You should rather go to stone perfume shop to sniff contemporary mainstream fruit floral stuff like Chloe Rose Tangerine. It is guite similar and it ́s not discontinued.

Wow, what a unique perfume! To me this is the scent of small fresh rose buds, right before they pop, equally green and rosy smelling. The mint gives it an even more unique vibe. I've tried it in winter, spring/autumn or summer, it's slightly different in each season: in cold temperature you can smell the roses more prominently, I like rose scents but sometimes they are too boring, but not FB; in warm temperature you can smell it at its best, in all its complexity. I don't smell the cannabis and thank God I don't because I normally hate it. FB has become my year-round rose perfume, I rotate perfumes between season and find that this one always remains within reach. I don't know why they would discontinue such a gem, although it's definitely not a crowd-pleaser. I'm trying to get my hands on a new bottle as my 30 ml bottle is almost gone :) LE: If you can find an F96 from the brand Martin Lion, it's a pretty good dupe, not as complex as the original but close enough and it's super inexpensive.

🗣Florabotanica By BALENCIAGA PARIS: Firstly, Why Oh Why Has Balenciaga Paris, Decided To "DISCONTINUE" This Absolutely Magnificent Perfume Creation? Is Beyond My Normal Thinking!! This Firmly Remains As One Of My ALL Time, Most Unusual Favourite Fragrances EVER!! From It's Most Unusual But Eye Catching Beautiful Heavy Glass Inner Test Tube Bottle Design, Till The Magic Juice It's Bottle Contains Inside It, A Few Light Sprays Of This Magic Potion, Is Enough To Transport It's Wearer To The Most Intriguing Magical Land One Can Ever Imagine!! (Think Of Return To Oz) Where The Vintage Magical Balloon Transports The Young Guy Back To A Very Different Oz!! Lush Tropical Greenery, Large Over Grown Flowers, Magical Crystal Waterfalls, Bright Blue Skies,Clear Crisp Fresh Air!! This Is What Florabotanica Brings To My Immediate Thoughts!! Everytime I Wear This Fragrance I Get The Most Beautiful Compliments You Could Ever Wish To Receive!! 😍😘💕💞💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

Anyone else getting a tea note from this? It must be the combo of herbs. I love it; it’s very clean and fresh. I also think this fragrance is perfectly unisex. If you like fresh, aromatic scents, try to get your hands on a bottle before it completely disappears from the discount sites! Update: I tried Florabotanica alongside Nest Indigo, Elizabeth Arden Green Tea, and L’Occitane Herbae. Florabotanica is most similar to Herbae, from beginning to end. Herbae lacks a mint note. Green Tea is much more citrusy and lacks the performance of Florabotanica. Indigo is the least similar, with Indigo being sweeter and spicier and Florabotanica being, well, more floral and fresh. However, if you like one, you’ll like the other. To me, Indigo and Florabotanica scratch the same itch for an unusual aromatic fragrance that’s sure to get some attention. I'm just trying to find some alternatives for anyone who loved this fragrance.

It's a warm but quiet Sunday in late summer. You've just paid the rent, happy but broke you decide a stroll through Richmond Park is just the ticket. On the way there from the tube station you pass high brick walls with ivy growing wildly. A breeze flutters the leaves of the oaks, your inner teenager wants to jump that wall, so... 'heck yeah!' You land in a wet berm of ligularias and callas, skip over severly trimmed boxwood hedges into a grove of roses in bloom. It hits you that you've just trespassed when you see a little mutt burst out of the villas french doors onto a patio some distance away. You hear chatty voices, you panic and run towards the driveway through a line of freshly hung laundry, you just make it back onto the footpath outside, unwitnessed but by the tiny yelping terrier. This moment wafts back into your mind at your insurance company desk job, as you smile.

This was an early birthday gift that I received before the Balenciaga scandal was widely publicized. I wore it on Saturday on an excursion out of town-- to see a play. Upon first sniffs, I was not at all impressed--all I smelled was green and flowers. But, when I applied it to my skin--it was magical! I, literally, smelled each note listed above as Florabotanica went from its initial sprays, to its exquisite dry down. My son, who is 20, said that I smelled really good--and he is not a huge compliment-giver, to say the least. He mentioned the scandal, when I told him what I was wearing. I will be removing it from my display--no longer wearing it because of the ad--but, it smells lovely. My husband loved it too. The longevity and projection are great for many hours. It is feminine and smells like a very luxurious soapy-floral once it drys down. Not a safe blind buy, at all.

This is not a sniff and walk away perfume. It has to be worn to be appreciated, it needs to warm up, to settle. It is a perfume of contradictions, subtle and powerful. Intially the mint and the rose overlap, let it settle. Breathe again. The rose doesn't dominate, it teases and opens itself showing an edge of mint. Breathe again. Go deeper, and a warm spicy heart awaits. The carnation adds a fresh note while dipped in amber and vetiver. There is something else but it is like a ghost. I travelled all the way from Sydney to Madrid wearing this and the only comments I received were of a, 'don't you smell wonderful' variety. Maybe not for everyone, certainly not a youthful fragrance. But it isn't old. Be bold, smell wonderful. Be a contradiction. It is flowery but it isn't. It subtle but bold. I love it.

They should bring this back. Now. We have a very beautiful, tiny flower store on the corner here and Florabotanica always reminds me of it. The rose is so lush, yet fresh, which I'm sure comes from the Vetivier and Carnation, that I definitely notice. The Cannabis and Mint aren't that prominent, I don't notice the amber at all but without those, Florabotanica wouldn't be what it is. The notes are very well blended and create something very unique and magical. I'd make this my signature but as it's discontinued I'm saving my 100ml for those very special spring days. The frag fills a room easily, so one spray is quite enough and it lingers long after you've left the room. This one always gets me compliments. An actual masterpiece taken from the market long before it's time.

First impression in 2012, "What is that funky green note?!" (hollaback cannabis). Cut to 2018, buying this at TJ Maxx for dirt cheap, & promptly falling in love. Bohemian rose. Worlds apart from the Perfumer's Workshop Tea Rose emanating from my mother's room during childhood. Vetiver & I struggle, but with this one, we're lovers. Florabotanica isn't mass appealing. The mint & cannabis combo rocket to scrub-worthy levels when oversprayed. Been there, done that, regretted it hard. Rose remains present through the drydown & melds with the vetiver, cannabis, & amber to trick the mind into believing your skin just naturally smells this beautiful. If only. Gorgeous scent contained in an Andy Warhol-esque bottle that's worthy of a spot in a fragrance museum.

This was my signature scent for my 20’s. The day I learned it was discontinued is the day my youth died. Imagine you’ve decided to have a walk through the botanical gardens in the middle of a summers day during a heatwave. The sun is blinding, the bees are swarming, sweat is dripping down the back of your legs, the smell of the flowers are somehow both fresh and nauseating, maybe you’ve smoked a dank joint and the smell of cannabis clings to your damp clothes, the weed and heat are hitting your head like a fever dream. You drink some cool water, that’s the mint in florabotanica, the rest is everything else I described. I’m still holding onto the last quarter of a bottle just like I’m holding onto the last days of the summer of my life.

I was a bit hesitant at first to get this perfume so I bought the 50ml bottle. But when I sprayed it on my skin, I immediately wished I got the bigger size!! It's true that this is a scent that not everyone will like, but it definitely makes you stand out in the crowd of sweet smelling people. The mint note blends so well with the floral and the cannabis note is barely there. It gives a hint of green that is suitable for spring and summer - warmer seasons. It's very refreshing! An overall stunning perfume. The vetiver and amber really does well with making sure this isn't a wet grass smell.. but more of a well rounded scent. I'll be reaching for this when those hot days come👍🏻👍🏻

This scent is like crisp garden air, a botanical garden. There are only three scents I’ve ever smelled that give me chills each time I first smell them, literal goosebumps everywhere. Jlo Miami glow, Deseo is very close second to that also by Jlo, Ellise Brooklyn Myth and this gem right here! It’s so refreshing, I’m going to cry when my bottle is gone. However I’ve managed to make my 3.4 oz last nearly 10 years now and it’s more than half full. Little goes a long way. A FOREVER love. Btw I got this for a steal at Ross for like $55 and it came with its matching shower gel and lotion. As soon as I looked it up on fragrantica I knew I would love it. Best blind buy of my life. 😍