Peony

This to me smells of a really good high quality incense. It brings back memories of Camden market shopping. I love the smell of this so much and it layers so well with other scents from Demeter/Library of Fragrance as they're called in the UK. I wear it with Daisy, Fig Leaves and Honeysuckle.

I received a free sample of this with my Demeter order, and ended up liking it a lot. It's soft, dewy, and floral with a powdery feel. It smells green and white to me. Like a beautiful garden you wouldn't mind spending an afternoon in, sipping tea. There's a subtle earthiness behind the florals, and I even pick up a slightly peppery smell that keeps it from being too sweet. Overall it feels light, feminine, and pretty. It's not loud or attention grabbing but it is pleasant and nice to wear. The only thing I can't comment on is its realism. IDK what peonies actually smell like so I can't say if this is a realistic scent or more of an interpretation of Peonies. Either way, I like it and will enjoy wearing this!

This bottle came free with a Demeter order. I absolutely love the smell of a peony in bloom, so I was looking forward to trying this Demeter scent. I don't dislike it, but there's something sharp and a little "scratchy" in this perfume. I know that the scent can't be recreated perfectly, but I was hoping this would capture the freshness and lightness that I love when smelling the real thing. Nice free gift, but I would not re-purchase.

the worst fragrance I have ever smellt! ew

Peony is a vague and changeable note in perfumery, ...I must spend more time smelling real peonies in gardens. Next Spring for that. As for peony soliflore fragrances, they are often rose-adjacent and tend to vary between green and sweet, as well as between watery and fruity. Demeter Peony is certainly on the green and watery side. Some describe peony as a blend of rose and muguet, ... and that description makes sense here. In any case, it is an enjoyably lovely scent. Wea rit in Winter to both quell and prime one's longing for spring. I once glibly, but sincerely, described Demeter Hyacinth as having all the realistic nuances of a live flower market abundantly stocked with bouquets of fragrant stock (the flower). Now, I speak similar of their Peony scent. It smells like that same flower market after just receiving a large shipment of roses. I may be reaching a point of diminishing returns with sampling Demeter's floral recreations, ...but I do still enjoy them immensely for what they are, even if they often fall short of fully replicating their natural counterparts. Edit: It's early spring, but I just encountered my first fragrantly blooming peonies (at a 'garden center'). Now, comparing the fragrance of those flowers with that of Demeter's Peony, I will say, there is partial overlap. More specifically, they both possess a distinct spicy tang that overlays the underlying floral sweetness.Furhtermore they both also contain nuance of rose in their bouquets. However, the spiciness of the actual flower is lighter and finer than that of the Demeter product, which comes off as both rougher and more powdery. Ultimately, Demeter Peony still smells like what it is: a constructed floral accord that (as always) imperfectly tries to replicate an exquisite scent of nature. I can't fully fault it for that. ...Even if it is a semi-ersatz soliflore, I still have admiration for it as a powdery-spicy mixed floral. ...but all the same, always remember to also smell real flowers whenever you have the chance.