Woman

I discovered Woman by Jovan some years back at the cosmetics counter at CVS. My mom had a couple Jovan fragrances in the 70's which sat in her powder room collecting dust. If she wore anything in those days, it would have been those musks. I never liked musks that Jovan and others began putting out during the seventies. To me they smelled animalistic to the point of turning my stomach, but they were the hot trend for quite some time, I recall. I am usually pretty broad minded concerning fragrances, but I simply couldnot see any redeeming qualites in these,they just smelled awful to me. I pretty much have seen Woman since it' release being displayed at CVS. It never was something you had to search out do discover. I remember thinking "Jovan, show me I can like one of your fragrances!!" I was surprised at how incongruous the scent and it's price. It's a beautiful woody, spicy and sweet mixture with a mossy, soft drydown with a hint of powder. It lasts as well. If I think only about this fragrance's scent, and block thinking about it's price and brand, my thoughts never wander to " cheap smelling ." Why, for's price, there is no comparison in quality. I agree with Fragrantica's reviewers who say consider a fragrance's effect, not it's price or it's designer.

I picked up Jovan Woman for twelve buck-a-rooos as practically an afterthought a number of years ago, at the already ailing KMart—for reference, of course, setting it aside for some time because towards Jovan at the time was ambivalent at best (man, has that changed). When I finally gave it the proper attention, I was shocked at how impressive Woman really is (now I have the John Lennon tune in my head (Oooooooooh, well, well...doo, doo, doo, doo, doo...). It's a fierce unisex-for-today 70s style chypre, equal parts green, spicy, amber, and...woody, obviously. Imagine the rose coriander haze of Jean Couturier Coriandre, the "take no prisoners" punch of Paloma Picasso, and floral-aldehydic-mossy twill of Miss Dior, and you could approximate Woman. Sadly, I recently discovered that this is no longer showing up in discount department stores and prices online are rather steep. I apologize in advance for any FOMO. I stress that this one is not essential, but it's still sensational, so if you do find it on the cheap, don't hesitate to snatch it up.

If you are one of those people looking for an inexpensive, sillage bomb with a strong oriental/spicy ground...this could add to your collection! I am reviewing the original vintage that comes in the bottle depicted above. This screams "Studio 54". It is sexy, mature, bold, and lasting. It reminds me of Opium, because it's got that warm spiciness mixed with an almost Victorian floral accord. It is opulent and sensual, with a full-blown, very warm, spicy floral opening and a face powder/woody/spicy drydown. The drydown is also a bit masculine and dirty, which makes it even more special. It's perfect for winter and holidays. It's even better for a hot date. It's "in your face" sexy, and sopisticated. I am loving this perfume. I was shocked at how long it lasts. The sillage is off the charts and it lasts hours! The price is unbelievable, considering what you get- A sensual, opulent, oriental, sillage bomb that smells like it stepped off of the showroom floor at Nordstrom. I dare you to try it!!

Love love Woman by Jovan. Wore it way back in the late 70's into the early 80's, and I think its one of the best fragrances ever made by Jovan. And that's a compliment to this brand, because back in the 70's Jovan came out with some FABULOUS fragrances that were off the charts. Seriously. Woman has a very exotic; unique scent that you just don't find everyday. You will definitely stand out in a crowd wearing this beautiful fragrance. I do agree with some of the other reviews, use this sparingly as it is a very strong cologne. But I do love this fragrance not only for its spiciness, warmth, and earthy/woodsy composition, but because it brings back some nice memories of a guy I went out with who gave me my first ride on his motorcycle and man was he ever good looking! Maybe I got that ride 'cuz he loved smelling "Woman" on me! Ha! I will always have a bottle of Woman by Jovan on hand...just in case I need a motorcycle ride from a good looking guy! :)

Such a unique oriental scent, I love it. For the price it is quite the steal too. It has a very pretty musky scent with just enough sweet notes (amber, nutmeg, etc) to make it pleasing. I googled local areas for this charm, but came up with the nearest place being about 1hr away. You wouldn't believe my surprise, when I stepped into my local Walgreens looking at different perfumes and I happened to look to the bottom of their perfume case and see that brown cap sticking out from behind a bunch of other perfumes. Not only that, it was only $8.99! If you ever see it anywhere, one I would suggest you grab it and two enjoy! This is one of those scents that the perfume aficionado will appreciate, because it is such a beautifully mature olfactory experience. Update: No Longer a steal 😭

Purchased at my local Walgreen's for under $18.00 after seeing the ridiculous prices on Ebay (Ka-ching!!). I sprayed it as soon as I returned to my car and was immediately transported back to years ago when I first wore it. It evoked many good memories of youth and a carefree time in my life. The amber-woody note at the end lasts and lasts. Worth the high and low search. I used to wear this in the '80s - '90s and it is still as loooong lasting as I remembered back then. Perhaps my olfactory senses have changed since then because I am detecting a note that makes it nauseous at times. I can only think it may be the coriander, but I still love it and am glad I found a lost love.

To me Jovan Woman is a tradition leathery aldehydic mossy chypre, only a lite version. All of the notes blend into a woody mossy, ambery leathery accord with a small sparkle of aldehydes. The dry down is musky, woody, and quite soapy in a classic creamy bar soap way. The newer bottles don’t have a ton of projection so you can wear a couple sprays easily without fumigating your family or coworkers. I really love the understated vintage vibe Jovan Woman projects. It’s not a crowd pleaser per se but it’s an easy to wear scent for days of casual elegance.

This smelled A LOT like Paloma on first spray! The aldehydes! The coriander! You WILL find oakmoss/farnesol/eugenol in there, despite it being suspiciously absent from the pyramid here. (It's on the label.) Wow! It's a love! Jovan Woman definitely opens like Paloma with a chypre funk, but I also get lots of musk à la Jovan Musk, and powdery leather reminiscent of Halston or Cabochard. Take a 70's "best of" album and make it a fragrance. Great stuff. P.S. Rip off the cap and now you have a truly UNISEX scent by modern standards.

I find myself lightly spraying my elbow crease with this for the upteenth time since I got it about a year ago. The headache and vague nausea are par for the course and I will have to give this fragrance up and make due with Givenchy III which seems to share the overall impression of Jovan Woman without the sickly feeling that is unfortunately intertwined with a very enjoyable sense of instant gratification. What about this scent could be causing the headache and quesiness?

I cannot find a vender of "Woman" by Jovan online, except one! I am not going to pay over $14.00 (before shipping) and the only vender I have found is asking $54 per bottle! That person has lost his/her ever loving mind! In May of this year, I purchased 2 bottles of "Woman" by Jovan in a Walmart Superstore in Kansas. I paid $14 (before tax) per bottle. I have never paid more than $14 per bottle and I have been buying "Woman" by Jovan for many years!

Woman by the drugstore Jovan brand is a true beauty! The spices,wood and amber are perfectly blended into a oriental that smells better than many overpriced frags people (including me) drool over. I have been wearing this scent for years, but it unfortunately is getting harder to find. Guess I better start buying backups on ebay before the price gets out of hand! love this stuff

Is there still a retailer in the Dallas, TX area that sells "Woman" by Jovan? I love the way "Woman" smells. I am just about out of my last bottle of this sensational fragrance. "Woman" by Jovan smells so much better than any of the expensive frangrances! If Jovan has stopped producing "Woman", shame on them!!! Jovan, please bring back "Woman"!! Please?!!

Fell in love with this scent when it came in a bottle that mated with Man by Jovan back in the 70s. Was my signature scent through college. It's feminine without being flowery with a clean woody base. My first chypre and I still love it. Similar to Paloma Picasso, only for a woman who knows who she is and what she wants.

Imagine my surprise! When I sniffed this at K-mart,I thought it could pass for a Chanel.So I bought it..and every time I spray it on I am shocked at how wonderful this little $14 cologne is.The staying power is only a few hours,so I think I will try the cologne concentrate spray.Lovely stuff!

This ONE is my Ultimate Favourite this suits me like my natural skin use the cologne concentrate WOW been using this for the last 30 years and get compliments every single time I am wearing this.

I don't wear this personally. This is my mother's scent, exactly what she's worn since the 70's. I have to grab a bottle and smell it every time I see it. It's a beautiful deep warm scent.

I wore Woman on my 1st wedding day in 1979. It is a lovely scent; very feminine and warm and sexy. Unfortunately, my love of this scent lasted longer than my love of the husband ; )

This was my absolute favorite perfume ever. I received so many compliments when wearing this. I fail to understand why this was discontinued (in Southern Africa).

One of the best classic chypres, with prominent leather and patchouli in addition to the notes above. Reminds me a lot of vintage Cabochard.

Very spicy and deep. This fragrance is unlike anything else I have encountered before. To some it may smell dated, to others classic as it does to me. Classic fragrances such as this one are superbly blended and one note does not trump another, magically smelling like a mysterious concoction. This fragrance does not have leather as a note, but I smell it anyway, along with the spices and the light florals. There's no oakmoss in there either, but this is clearly a chypre and I can smell oakmoss also. For a bargain buy, this is exclusively elegant and well done from Jovan. They should re-market this one without changing the formula. Great lasting power, although I am unsure of the sillage. I get the impression that this stays close to the skin but I may be wrong. This fragrance requires business casual dress.

I've developed a mini addiction to this one. Me, someone who never cared much for "masculine" leaning fragrances, and this one definitely does lean that way. It's the proverbial "too good for the brand" type thing. (yes, I know there are lots of lovely Jovan's, but I feel like this one could be sold at a higher price is I guess what I'm saying. Anyway, I have a question: What is the Jovan closest to this that doesn't have "woman" or anything similar in the name? I want to send a big decant of this to a friend to give to her husband but not tell either of them it's marketed to women, HOWEVER, if Jovan did make something almost the same that comes in a manly bottle (lol), I want to explore that. Your expertise would be much appreciated. :-)

Someone might kill me for saying this: The very classy and very expensive Bottega Veneta is like the grown up daughter of Jovan Woman. I was born in the 80s, Jovan Woman was created in the 70s--but my memories from childhood include tooled leather belt fashion, 70s Rock, and the smell of spicy, leathery musk!!! So Bottega Veneta is like the balsamic, woody, leathery Jovan Woman. But Bottega Veneta says, "Hey, mom, I appreciate what you were trying to do with women's lib in the 70s, but it is ok to wear a blazer without shoulder pads as long as you carry a leather whip." Bottega Veneta was launch by Coty in 2011. Is Jovan owned by Coty? The notes are similar!

Someone might kill me for saying this: The very classy and very expensive Bottega Veneta is like the grown up daughter of Jovan Woman. I was born in the 80s, Jovan Woman was created in the 70s--but my memories from childhood include tooled leather belt fashion, 70s Rock, and the smell of spicy, leathery musk!!! So Bottega Veneta is like the balsamic, woody, leathery Jovan Woman. But Bottega Veneta says, "Hey, mom, I appreciate what you were trying to do with women's lib in the 70s, but it is ok to wear a blazer without shoulder pads as long as you carry a leather whip." Bottega Veneta was launch by Coty in 2011. Is Jovan owned by Coty? The notes are similar!

Mejames, I stumbled across Jovan Woman again last summer in the health and beauty department at H.E.B. grocery store, of all places! They had it in the locked glass case. This is a perfect example of a mostly forgotten and very overlooked drugstore perfume that costs quite little but smells like a million bucks. The sillage and longevity are very, very good. In no way does it smell cheap. Very well blended, I love the opening, middle and the dry down is wonderful. A keeper.

I would rename this "Jovan Person." So many people these days are wearing whatever they want, despite the marketing target, but lots of other people will likely pass this up because it has "woman" in the name. For those men and women who shy away from "feminine" scents, this here is an extremely affordable, high quality, mossy, woody, musky, warm AND fresh, soapy little thing with a tiny bit of spice that could easily be sold as men's cologne.

I got my bottle from my great grandmother. She stopped wearing perfume in the 90’s so there’s no telling how old the bottle is at this point. I love how it smells with the maceration. It’s almost like a resinous, boozy, baked banana scent? The amber and ylang ylang work together so well. I like to layer it with gardenia to enhance the floral notes that have blended into the spice of the fragrance, gives it a little more life and light.

I was hoping to sniff out the African orange flowers. I smell the spices first and then something luscious I'm not sure yet what. But it caught my husband's attention. That's what matters a lot to me. We spend much time together, now we're retired. No moss is listed, which I love in fragrances, but for $14 the longevity is fantastic. I don't know how I overlooked this gem available at Walgreen's where it sells out quickly.

Testing an original perfume splash. A wash of floral musk appears. It opens almost like a man ́s cologne, then quickly changes into a crisp sweet herbacious woody lovliness. Coriander? To me the House of Jovan is very good and this perfume could easily go into a finer bottle. I think many would like this scent. Yes coriander. For anyone who likes Coriandre perfume, this can be in that club.

Yes, it is available. I bought a bottle 10 days ago (February 2015) at Kmart in Colorado. Walgreens website says they have it in certain stores too. I like it more than I expected. Definitely makes you think of the 1970s. It kind of fulfills my craving for Givenchy III, not that they are the same, but they "feel" very similar to me if that makes any sense.

I am wearing the vintage. It goes on a strong musk but I also have the pure parfum, which is more chypre and woody with a little spice. I would classify this as a spicy, woody, chypre. I hate chypres but like this due to the spice and wood that is deeper and richer than an oakmoss.

I too remember the soap and the curved bottle...Anyway, if you use this one, keep in mind that it's *strong* to the point where it can be offensive. Apply it lightly, and I'd consider it a cold weather scent.

I used to wear this back in the 90's and had lots of compliments on it. Was eager to try it again, but whoa. So so so green. I love green but there is a note in this that I cannot wear. Had to return it.

Another jewel that I wore while in grade school. Upon first smells--I did not like Woman, but it grew on me. I would love to have this in my collection again, for it is a powerhouse!

This fragrance won a couple of FiFi Awards in 1978 Most Successful Women's Fragrance (Popular) WOMAN • Jovan Best National Advertising Campaign for a Women's Fragrance WOMAN • Jovan

This goes on very strong. I generally like the woody spicy scents but this seems to have an underlying chemical smell (a bit like hairspray) that I don't like at all.As it dries down it does turn quite subtle and is very powdery. Not one for me i'm afraid.

Hello I'm new to the boards and I'm from Chicago USA. Just thought I'd share in the thoughts posted here on the forum. As a teenage girl in the 70s, there were many different scents on the market, and Jivan Woman was among my favorites. To me, it could have been Aromatics Elixir's love child because the woody notes are very similar IMO. The chypre effect is definitely there and there is good sillage of Woman. Now, my nose isn't as sharp as you guys' but I can definitely remember a scent from long ago. I recently saw on EBay the set with the soap and good-sized bottle of the cologne concentrate, which, being that it is vintage, they want $65 for it, and I'm planning in getting it. I also plan to stop by my local Walgreen's to see if I can scoop up a bottle of Woman. I loved it then and still love it today. I can't tell u why, I just do. Sidebar: I also loved Tigress, Emeraude, Avon Timeless, Tabu and Jovan Sex Appeal for Women, which also very hard to find and EBay should be shame of themselves for asking such outrageous prices for one little nitty bottle, but, c'est la vie.

I've been on a vintage perfume roll for about a year now and just had to give Jovan Woman a try after the great reviews. So glad I did! This takes me right back to my early teen years of the mid 70's (the age of innocence). Though I didn't wear perfume at the time this scent was every where on the women in my life and it is such a fabulous memory scent from that era. Opens with a brisk clean aromatic woodsy scent that literally comforts me & brings a smile to my face & heart, I find myself reaching for it fresh from the shower, especially comforting at night before curling up into bed. After about an hour the scent settles into a softer musky yet sofiticated beauty, while still retaining it's spicy aromatic aurora. Though this is a woman's cologne, it does lean masculine in the best possible way with it's aromatic herbaceous offering, this could definitely be a unisex cologne, something about this scent reminds me of my dad's aftershave colognes, luv it! Classic & timeless @ a an amazingly affordable price! Hope you give it a try & enjpy it as much as I do.

On my skin I've never liked the musky Jovan's , so this scent came as a delightful surprise. It's like a lightly spiced non-sweet, sparkling soft drink, just made to pick you up on a wilting summer day. Or, Pellegrino with something added. Yes, the fizz and slightly bitter edge is there. When I originally tried this the greenness came through and makes me think of someone else. Giving it time I've become more comfortable with it and aware that Coriander is something you must get used to to appreciate. It took me a whole year of testing to stretch my nose. Try, try again! It's quality has always been apparent. This belongs among the best classics, and sometimes the most misunderstood. I wear this just to freshen up through out the day, as it layers well with a variety of other scents. Oakmoss and wood add a touch of earthy dimension, making this an obvious chypre. Fair longevity and better sillage than you realize while wearing it.

I decided to give this a try and blind buy it based on the reviews plus I always wanted to try this one but had never smelled it. This one screams JOVAN upon first spray. If I were blindfolded I would have known it was a Jovan fragrance. For starters let me say if you like this one stock up now. It is discontinued from what I hear and what is still left in stores and vendors will be sold and not brought back. Let me preface by saying this is definitely a late 70's 80's era fragrance. It also is a powerhouse. I spritzed it in the kitchen sink and it's going strong even after I wiped it down and washed it. I did not test this on the skin. All the notes on the sidebar are pretty spot on. Also I am in agreement this can easily be worn by a male. It's a very dry fragrance. I cannot pull it off. It also to me has somewhat of a dated smell. Again this is not a bad thing just not for me.

One of my grandmas wore this scent in the 80s, and I would always compliment her on it when I'd visit her. It smelled like a musky, soapy rose scent. I asked her what it was once, and she just said "Woman." Many years later at a K-Mart, I saw Jovan Woman on the shelf, spritzed some, and I immediately knew that that had been the "Woman" perfume she'd worn when she was alive. I am always startled and disappointed when I see the "official notes" listed for this fragrance, because they are clearly incomplete. This is primarily a rose/geranium fragrance IMO. When I see orange blossom and nutmeg, I'm like, "Um......what?" What I mostly smell is rose + amber + musk. It's lovely and quite unique smelling. There's nothing out there that smells the same, which can't be said for many fragrances.

i just found this wonderful beauty at a walgreens drug store on clearance for $10....and nowthat i am home i am kicking myself for not getting another one! what a gem this is....and the memories that it envokes....having a crush on shaun cassidy from'hardy boys' wearing tiered flowing peasant skirt and lace up denim vests. rollerskating and disco balls on friday nights in the summer...just thinking about it brings such a smile to my face. i smell leather...but not new leather....leather that has been broken in by frequent wear-has a hint of sexy man's body odor...just a hint...the type of man who wore patchouli oil and a wink and a sexy smile. i am so grateful to have found this beautiful scent if for no other reason than the smile it brings to my face as i recall those memories.

I've been having a very strong experience with Jovan Woman. I think I have a created not just a signature scent, but a signature routine. I'll share it with you all because I think you are all beautiful. SHOWER TIME....add hot tea of choice....add good music of choice... Use Aveda (or original Herbal Essences) Chamomile Shampoo Use Aveda (or H.E) Chamomile Conditioner ...really lather it up and breathe deeply... Use Neutrogena RAINBATH (the brown stuff) body wash gel Breathe deeply....stretch out neck and back. Get out of shower...dry off. Use either Jovan Woman perfume spray or Clinique Aromatics Elixir Perfume spray (tiny bit!) or body smoother. This is what I've been doing with my Jovan Woman. I don't actually have the Clinique yet, but the notes and sillage are similar.

Several years ago I had two bottles of Woman and although I really loved the smell of this fragrance I didn't wear it very often. It just really isn't in my wheelhouse, and I've *tried.* I sold one bottle and kept one. This one bottle will be enough for me. It goes on very soapy, which I really love and it has a masculine edge to it. I think it would be great on a guy as well. Smelling Woman nearby is my preference because then it is AWESOME. Awesome. I am glad I kept one of the bottles since it appeals to me *every once in a while.* Edit: I think I've finally realized that me and JW just aren't meant to be. I'm keeping this bottle because one's opinions and tastes can change but for now, it just remains a perfume I love to smell on other people but just not on me.

Yikes. I love Jovan Musk for Women, Jovan White Musk for Women, and Jovan Secret Amber. I like the smell of Jovan Woman from the bottle. I have a recently purchased 2.0 oz spray cologne concentrate. But something in this doesn't agree with me. It feels like my body is allergic to it. Maybe it's the benzophenone load listed right at the top of the ingredients. (Benzophenone is used to prevent light from damaging scents and colors in products such as perfumes and soaps). I can see why people like this. It is a very strong, warm, and woody yet feminine blend that does smell more expensive than it really is. Jovan Woman changes/evolves as it dries down. It gets softer. But I am still feeling like I have no future with this one.

Woman is a cologne that I've been wearing since the 70's. Not on and off, literally since the 70's. I cannot wear it on any given day with out someone giving me a compliment or asking "what are you wearing?" My local Walgreens shot up in price to over $17.50...I then went to Walmart, all out, 3 different Walmarts, all out... this is getting scary, what are those that love this cologne going to do? I have purchased 6 bottles today online for a little over $14.59 per bottle , I went to several sites that were sold out!! Coty that is the parent company for Jovan did not have Woman listed as a product....curious. As long as I can get it I will be pacified, when it is no longer available, I will be crushed.

Move over "Realm", move over Athena and your pheromones....here comes "Jovan Woman". Although not listed, I get a huge sensation/whiff of nicely camouflaged body odor. This is a unisex Chypre structure, sweet citrus in the top, with dusty orange blossoms and ylang in the heart, and a smoky, mossy base. Really very 70s/80s, and well done. I had the good luck to sample a vintage new bottle of the cologne concentrate spray, with no evaporation or discoloration. Just alight spritz is enough; more will knock your admirers out. I can see this as Holy Grail scent for lots of women; the pheromones will keep the compliments coming ;)

So wonderfully opposite to today's light apologetic scents. Big, rich, boozy, smokey, like the parties grownups had in the seventies. Watch Johnnie Taylor on Soul Train singing Disco Lady if you want a context for this. Or listen to the theme from Shaft. Jovan Woman is a comfort scent. Oddly, it opens a with a soapy chord, kind of like the much stronger smelling deodorant soaps in those days, specifically the way Safeguard smelled back then. Dries down to a woody ancient musk. Projects like lights off a disco ball. I don't know whether I enjoy the smell or the childhood nostalgia more.

Jovan Woman is miles better than most fragrances out there today. It smells woody, dark, spicy, and bitter in a beautiful way. They don't make aromatics like this anymore. I know I already reviewed it, but every time I remember to wear this I get so excited because it is like a TIME MACHINE back to my preteen days. It's the smell of Gen-X coming of age. Make me want to feather my hair and wear my Famolares. (Of course I have multiple pairs of Famolares.)

Jovan Woman smells like super-concentrated Dove soap: no more, no less. It's basically the latest incarnation of Emeraude, minus vanilla and eleven or twelve other notes. There's a screeching blast of one-dimensional white flowers, followed by a clean and nondescript drydown. JW's chemical character finds no love with me, although it's a good choice for travelers wanting to project an aura of "just showered" when coming off the plane.

One of my all time favorite scents, difficult to find which I like as I don't like to smell like everyone else. Unusual, sexy, spicy and warm. Lovely scent, exotic, sensual and intoxicating. Always get compliments and it lingers quite a long time. It's getting harder to find, so I will purchase backups so I can continue to enjoy this wonderfully feminine fragrance.