Calyx

As a longtime admirer of Grojsman's work, I'd known for a while that I'd probably add this to my collection someday. So when I found a new bottle at a good price, my dastardly clicking finger didn't hesitate to push "Complete Order." I was not disappointed. As with all of her creations, Calyx has this strange, magnificent property of presenting itself simultaneously as a collection of very well-defined notes and as an impossibly well blended amalgamation greater than the sum of its parts. It's a bit like the olfactory equivalent of pointing your index fingers at one another in front of your face then allowing your eyes to unfocus just enough to create the illusion of a little cocktail sausage floating in the air: the perception of seamlessness that can nevertheless be decomposed, at will, into its constituent parts. Of course, what Grojsman achieves is both more complex and more elegant than a phantom cocktail sausage. xD When I try to discern the individual notes, I come away with syrupy tropical fruits (especially the guava and passionfruit), breezy-dewy white florals, powdery rose, all poised upon a creamy orris-sandalwood dais dusted with a bit of austerely green moss and vetiver. When I allow them all to snap into the miracle of olfactory unity, I'm left with a glowing, smooth, diffuse ember of tropical sunrise falling on freshly bathed skin, the glory of a carefree summer day only just breaking. It's lovely, easy, and welcoming. In the drydown, it does become a bit more insipid, perhaps a little shampooey (which is probably the reason for so many dislikes), but still quite pleasant. I don't know if anybody else can relate to this sentiment, but Calyx just feels so friendly to me, so fun and sincere. In any case, this will certainly be in my rotation during the warmer months. It's better during day, and amazingly unisex. The longevity is good, but not stellar, and it projects well without choking you out (something that can't be said for some of Grojsman's other fragrances). If you haven't tried this yet, I'd certainly recommend it!

This is certainly not a scent I expected to love but I was very pleasantly surprised! To me it reads as: Grapefruit, guava, green leaves and rose, in order of intensity. This sweet/sour/bitter accord quenches a thirst I didn't even know I had. I wear mostly heavy, darker, smoky frags and this is the perfect antidote to all that. Smelling Calyx is like taking off your glasses, stepping away from the computer, and going for a walk outside in the fresh spring air. To me there is nothing loud or over the top to this scent, I find it perfectly balanced and elegant in a natural and innocent way. The weird, scratchy texture of the scent of guava is presented superbly here and this really has me thinking that we are long overdue for a big guava-inspired blockbuster scent, maybe a masculine this time? I think green scents are inherently kind of cerebral and not conventionally 'sexy' and I'm fine with that. Calyx is like that person who's always quick and witty, but never at the expense of anyone's feelings. There's a warmth of spirit (not literally, Calyx is all cool tones) that gives a sense of cheerfulness and good humour. 100% deserving of its 5 star status, especially when you consider that it smells like it could have been released yesterday AND its the only green scent that's upbeat and positive (okay maybe not after fig scents became a thing) that I can think of. So not just good but totally unique and timeless. Also guys should try this its not a sweet cupcake scent by any means despite all those sweet sounding notes listed. A little hissy and high pitched at first but let it calm down. This has given me such respect for Ms. Grojsman that I think I'm going to have to go revisit Outrageous.

Finally received my order online as they don't sell it in my country of residence. Been wearing it for almost two months, and here goes nothing: Opens up with a zingy and insect repellent-esque blast of grapefruit and freshly-cut stems, and quickly dries down into a masterful blend of tropical fruit juices (with no added sugars) against a photorealistic backdrop of lily-of-the-valley and green notes. The fruit notes in Calyx feel rather 'niche', bearing no semblance to the candied and shampoo-like fruit notes popular in more marketable fragrances. True to its name, this scent really blooms under a humid tropical weather and scorching sunlight, veiling you in a cloud of fruity floral greatness. Unfortunately, Calyx does wither away in cold or rainy weather, at least for me (perfume-eating skin, sigh). 6-8 sprays is ideal for Calyx. Calyx does not feel dated at all and is rather unisex! Fragrances like this raise my appreciation for perfumers who emphasise the artful blending of notes instead of hastily putting A and B together. I did hear that Calyx is a juice which turns after a while, but I guess that's motivation to regularly use it and partake in fragrance overconsumption! Insanely wearable and mood boosting. Needs to be applied on well-moisturised skin to ensure it performs, but an exhilarating scent nonetheless. Believe it or not, this is the proclaimed signature scent of Ramona from RHONY; say what you want, you can't deny she's got great taste in fragrances. Clinique, please don't ever discontinue this beauty. And make it available worldwide; I've blitzed through nearly half the bottle!

I just purchased this through Fragrancenet, so I don't have it yet, but I did so after carefully reading the reviews, comparing the notes, and deciding that if it brings me half the joy the Prescriptives version did way back when, then it will be worth it. I recall how when I first experienced Calyx, it was really unlike anything I had ever tried before. Back then, I neither knew nor cared about notes or anything else. My only criteria with fragrance was "Do I like it?", and while in the end, that's still the deciding factor, I realize that had this come out today, I likely would have skipped it because I would just assume that I wouldn't like all of those tropical fruit notes. That would have been tragic, because the Calyx I knew and loved was extraordinary! I lacked the words to describe what I was smelling. All I knew was that my mouth LITERALLY watered from the juiciness of the fragrance, and that I needed it. It was so different than the Chanels and Diors and every other fragragrance I loved and wore at the time. So I bought a bottle, wore it, and got on with my life. I have every reason to expect to enjoy the Clinique version just as much. After all, both Clinique and the late Prescriptive line are/were both part of Estee Lauder, so it's all in the family. I am going to try my best just to simply spray and let it be, without trying to deconstruct it seeking out specific notes. After all, that's how I fell in love in the first place! We shall see if lightning strikes a second time...

(re-adding this here now that the new version was added to the DB) Calyx is a fruity floral that's anything but typical, and it was a favourite of mine this summer. It has a lot going on, too much to be expected to be good really, and it's not subtle at all, but somehow it works, and very well too. The opening is extremely green, very soapy and quite sharp (although I don't think it dips over into harsh territory). It catches the attention at once, because it's not what you'd expect from a fruity floral at all. Later it mellows down, it becomes more and more fruity sweet as time goes by, really delicious. Still, that unique soapy accord stays (more subtly) present throughout, preserving the interesting and instantly recognizable character of Calyx. I've always thought of this as a grapefruit scent, but I don't really know why. After all, there are about a hundred notes, and although the ones listed here are still for the Prescriptives version I suspect it's about the same for the current Clinique version. So it's difficult to pick out anything distinctly; you get an impression of the mix, which contributes to the fragrance's charm that is a little old-fashioned in character.