Gentlewoman

Gentlewoman is growing on me. The bold and slightly sharp citrussy opening contrasts well with the milky, creamy almond drydown. This, in my opinion, suits the name very well: At first it's classy in a traditionally masculine/cologney sort of way, then it becomes a gentle skin scent. Nice wordplay, JHAG! It's inoffensive, yes, but since when is that a bad thing? That said, YMMV, so while some reviewers point out bitter notes and lavender, I simply can't detect these when I spray Gentlewoman; on my skin it is all sorts of deliciously creamy, woody almond, which makes me want to bite my own arm ;) As for soapy, I'm starting to further appreciate the subjective associations of language (and smells) with regard to perfume. See, soapy for me means mainly the artificial, sharp rose smell of (cheap? another rather silly adjective in this context as it says much more about the reviewer's prejudice than the perfume itself) soaps of my childhood, the kind of heady, flowery smell that would always make me sneeze and give me a headache. So while Gentlewoman's drydown actually does smell like the (fun fact: more expensive) soaps that I use nowadays, I would never describe it as soapy, rather say that they're both creamy. tl;dr Language is polysemous, describing perfume is hard.

Gentle woman is a great gender bender , love those type of perfumes that really have no sex but just smell good, clean and freshly showered , this one is a great white t shirt scent , also a nice formal dress up scent , easily worn by both genders . Anytime ,anywhere. Starts off common with orange blossom and neroli , like a typical cologne in a way , soapy lavender and the above mentioned citrusy notes. But what's so special about this fragrance is that those notes lay on a bed of almonds and tonka , musk and JHAG famos ambroxan for the ones that are lucky enough to smell it. I have been wearing it all day and felt very clean and lovely smelling , I resprayed once through the day and just now I topped it up with "not a perfume ", and I am enjoying this combination very much. Update , wearing this a lot on days when I just want to smell good and clean. Oh is this ever smooth in its drydown. Smells like you just had a shower even hours after it's been sprayed. It gets better with each hour. Amazing fragrance. Compliment getter !!!

Maybe it's the weather (warm and a little humid), maybe it's my nose, but I'm only getting a sweet floral in Gentlewoman, with a hint of bergamot, and a warm musky amber. To my nose, this isn't masculine at all. It's a night garden in a bottle, redolent of the sweet nectars of tobacco flowers, honeysuckle (japonica), moon flowers, and jasmine. Likely the neroli is responsible for these notes. I also smell vanilla, though it's not in the scent profile. Whatever is going on, this is wonderful on me. Nowhere do I get citrus--one of my favorites--save for a hint of bergamot, and I have to concentrate to even detect it. I don't smell soapiness at all, either, and I'm into hour four. The dry down at this point is sweet, musky wood and amber. I really love this. It would be full-bottle worthy if it didn't become a skin scent after an hour. If I can successfully employ some of the tips in the recent longevity article, I'll definitely get one.

First things first: it smells real good. Unisex, fresh, clean, classy... like a perfectly ironed white shirt with a twist of orange peel. Not gonna lie, the name had me nervous. “Gentlewoman”? I was bracing for some ultra-powdery floral pink cloud situation. But nope this one kept it smooth, crisp, and totally wearable no matter what’s in your passport. :)) Now... the heartbreak: it disappears faster than my motivation on a Monday. It stays on your skin for a hot minute and then just *poof* gone. Like it never existed. (Well thats my experience, I hope you all have a different one) I was genuinely sad. It’s such a comforting, LOVELY scent... for a few minutes, maybe an hour or two... and then it vanishes :( If you can grab it for cheaper, 100% do it. Even just for those fleeting, blissful moments. 8/10 – would be a 10 if it didn’t ghost me like that. :/

Gentlewoman is a straight up love for me. I adore all the notes and they are put together beautifully to create a clean, soft, gently aromatic scent. Two other fragrances which are on a similar playing field, and are neroli heavy, are Tom Ford Neroli Portofino (more citrus fresh) and L'Artisan Parfumer Histoire D'Orangers (orange blossom heaven). I love and own them all. Gentlewoman to me is the most soft and fluffy of the 3. The lavender, almond and musk surround the neroli and create a 'put your face into a basket of warm clothes just out of the dryer' comfort and cosiness. Longevity is not too bad, 4-5 hours. Sillage is soft and pretty quickly a skin scent. The price is pretty good so I'm happy to overspray and keep applying. The extra alcohol in the air in the era of coronavirus probably helps to kill a few virus particles anyway ;)

The combination of neroli and almond works wonderfully for me - this is crisp, refreshing, clean, like a spritz of pure spring/summer energy. Just smells heavenly; the notes of almond and maybe a few white flowers round off all the edges and prevent this from ever smelling like a cleaning product to me. It's truly genderless as well, to my mind - sweet enough for girly girls to enjoy, but with more than enough dignity and character to work on anyone. But alas! as with all JHAGs on me ... it's completely gone after 90minutes, tops. If this lasted it would be my signature summer scent. As it doesn't, it just convinces me more than ever that JHAG simply doesn't work with my chemistry, no matter how much their wacky fruit-themed experiments intrigue and delight me.

One of the very few citrus-category fragrances that work for me. Normally they are too sharp and too short-lived, but this one works exceptionally well. Typically, I like wearing woody-orientals and sweet patchouli-based fragrances, but this take on citrus is just...WOW. Orange blossom, candied almonds, lavender, and ambroxan. Overall it's a very sweet fragrance. The lavender is more apparent in the opening, and the candied almond note becomes more pronounced in the dry down along with the ambroxan and subtle woody notes, which gives the fragrance depth. I feel it's so well done for a skin chemistry like mine, just perfect! There is something about this that makes me want to wear it in rainy weather, as well.

This one took me by surprise: I was expecting something closer to cologne or fougère based on the name, but this smells like expensive soap. Just like those big white high-quality soaps my Grandma used in her bathroom. Utterly lovely and nostalgic - I actually love this very very much. I can't stop spelling my wrist. If I try to pick out the notes instead of just interpreting them as soap, I get neroli, almond and mask. Projection and longevity are good for a clean fragrance. Zara Fleur d'Oranger is my "clean laundry" scent of choice, but I could see myself getting a bottle of this at some point. It definitely smells more refined, although it remains a simple, familiar scent.

Really nice! Gentlewoman for me is a gentle fragrance, sweet and enveloping! The neroli is the note that dominates the scent. In the middle notes when love comes in almond and orange blossom... the note ambroxan is in the background. Modern and complex parfum.. I tried it only today and now I love it. In my list will surely❣ Sillage: 6./10 Longevity: 7./10 Scent: 8.5/10 Overall: 8.5/10

An initially bright and bursting, clean smelling androgynous scent. Mellows out into cool, metallic tones. Continues to melt into something warmer, with the almond coming through and a sweeter citrus. Very stiff upper back and nose to the air, tight and sharp. Fit for winter and late fall. I wore this to my grandfather's funeral, so now it has a nostalgic soft spot in my heart. 8/10

This is a very pretty perfume. I was gifted a sample from a friend. I wasn't expecting to like it due to its simple fragrance pyramid; but it surprised me. It fits the feminine frame with its powdery neroli slash orange blossom touch. Yes, it has that clean essence to it; but I do not find it harsh. I applied it with a light hand, so maybe that's why.

Very strong neroli opening that makes me a bit uncomfortable, however, when the neroli settles down, the lovely lavender and almond gets to share the stage, it's a pleasant blend. I actually very much enjoy this dry down, perfect when you are in the mood for something non-sweet, fresh, and little masculine.

A powerful citrus neroli explosion in the beginning, followed by a lovely musky almond drydown. It has a distinct, almost fashionable scent. The perfume is fresh, with a sense of tenderness. This is a fresh almond fragrance that is unique. It smells so clean, fresh, and herbal. Lovely!

This turns out to be one of my favorite summer fragrances. I am in love with the almond and neroli. When I need more oompf I like to layer this with the tard neroli from Chopard Bigaradia. The scent is nothing like Tom Ford Neroli Portofino, as Gentlewoman is more soft and powdery.

Wearing this today. It's definitely the beast mode version of 4711, HOWEVER. I love it. It's so fresh, clean and herbal. Completely unisex IMO. A man or non-binary person could wear this without coming off as very femme or very masculine. IT JUST SMELLS SO GOOD!

A super nice combination of neroli (which I usually dislike) and fluffy lavender. Quite nice and fresh-smelling. It's super fresh, clean, and soft. The lavender makes me think this is a right out of the dryer, laundry fresh scent.

I don't usually like neroli or almond, but this one is lovely. Slightly bitter, slightly citrusy, yet sweet, creamy, clean and fresh. Alluring for spring and summer. Reminds me of Ange ou Demon for some reason.

Neroli, lavender and almond- androgynous, sexy and very modern and cool! This is clean and work safe, but still interesting and original. I wear it when I'm in a tailored jacket and Oxford shoes. Love it!

Soap. Smells very clean, like you’re fresh from the shower. It’s a very squeaky, fresh scent. I like it for that reason but I don’t reach for it as much as I do others in my collection.

A beautiful scent the citrus is amazing and lovely to just sit and smell, if you aren't too on citrus and musky type smells maybe test before full buy but it's true to the name.

I quite like this perfume, I definately get warm spicy, and bitter citrus-y notes. Feminine but not too feminine. I do not get a clear season from it either.

I like it. Lovely citrusy Neroli. Guys can wear this no issue. Good for day and bed time too.

I love this one - it's a less expensive version of Neroli 36 with a softer skin scent.

I'm not surprised that there are so many negative comments about this perfume.The brand communication part at JHAG is disastrous, I have a feeling that they, don't know what they want either. When the brand was launched, I remember very well how someone from the Ricci family came to the feminist European lodge center and asked for Marketing advertising processing in the building saying that Romano Ricci wants to revive the feminist spirit that Nina Ricci had before it was destroyed by 80-year-old male ogres, who bought the brand at a time of family weakness. And everyone was very excited, especially since the name promised a revision of the old Ricci formulas with a modern twist.The first perfume "Lady Vengeance" wasn't bad, it was not the most feminist perfume, but it was approaching the original Ricci so I said go ahead. From the second one it seemed to me that he had given free hand to F.K. , who does not know how to create for feminists, I rarely saw anything successful from his hand in this category, sue me if the truth doesn't suit you, but first make sure you know what a feminist perfume means before comment against this idea. So, out of the hands of this brand came out some perfumes which not only were not feminists but they were in antithesis, and I clearly could imagine a botox "lady" at the beach, on the roof of a block in Dubai with the "gentleman" with illegal business next to her, with the most expensive drink on the menu in hand even if it was just water with sugar, looking on Instagram and counting the likes and having the impression in their little minds that they are someone in this world.... Of course, the career women quickly gave up on this brand, and it became botox at the third power. Now, after so many years, JHAG returns with a feminist scent.... please decide once and for all, what do you want, you can't be Louis Vuitton and St Dupont-Patou at the intersection with Rochas at the same time. Of course the perfume is not appreciated, it is a harsh perfume, nonsugary, tough, cold, imposing, vertical, made for a strong woman in a suit. Who do you want to appreciate it, the Botox or the Botox walkers? This is what happens when you play with a brand image without a head.

Nothing about the write up here really makes any degree of sense to me. I don't feel that this is decidedly tomboyish or "dandy", or any of that really. It smells like a French milled soap...a high quality one, and that's exactly how neroli is sometimes. You combine that with some fresh bergamot, obvious lavender, and almondy milkiness...and BOOM! You've got yourself a friendly little soap fragrance 🧼 It's not bad in the least, but it isn't an impressive perfume at all. It's quite soft to my nose, and holds onto a cushy muskiness the entire time, even the opening feels very musky. This reminds me of Burberry Brit Rhythm quite a lot (if you've happened to smell that). And actually...people really complained about that one too, but I thought it was 'dang nice', and I think precisely the same thing about this - dang nice, but nothing unexpected or trail blazing. The difference is of course, that Rhythm is exceptionally affordable, and this isn't, yet they feel like sisters. Because I don't truly feel that lavender or neroli are decidedly masculine, I personally perceive this as slightly femme (wear whatever you want, the gender thing is unimportant), because of that soft musk and sweet coumarin. However, I realize I'm weird about that (there's a lot of lavender in my area, and I own neroli essential oil) because of my exposure the constituents this feels quite safe and familiar, but most folks would find this more masculine. I also think this is very summery, which is not at all congruent with the presentation. I really like this, but I don't think it should cost what it does. It's like a 7.5.

Gentlewoman opens with this cold slap of neroli, soapy and definitely a tad piercing. Like a citrus-scrubbed marble floor in a Milanese hotel lobby, it's gleaming, sterile, it is too clean. This high-pitched, green neroli buzzes with sharp aldehydes and bitter petitgrain facets, almost the sort that makes you recoil. But give her a moment! The neroli quickly deflates like a pressed shirt unwinding after a long day, and in creeps this nose-clearing lavender: dusky, powder-dry, but also crisp. It isn't just cool, no, there's warmth too, a whisper of raw almond skin. Barely milky. Bittersweet. Polished! Gentlewoman indeed. I'm quite fond of this fougère-like structure hiding under our gentlewoman's blazer: aromatic herbs and woods and musks, the kind you’d expect in a barbershop classic, only smoothed out, de-sweetened, chic. The sweetness is restrained. The femininity is intelligent. A hesperidic dandy of a perfume, she is genderless in feel, but undeniably in touch, poised. No sugary fluff, no florals fawning for attention. Just clarity, contrasted with the composed softness of skin. And masculine only in the way a woman can be when she knows she doesn’t need permission to borrow what was never theirs to begin with. A woman that walks in crisp trousers, tailored just so. Her cologne is armour, and god does she smell immaculate.

I went to Sephora to buy Clean Acqua Neroli (see my review of it) early Saturday afternoon and the associate recommended this to me, trying to persuade me to buy it instead of C.A.N. He sprayed both my arms with it and told me it was warmer than C.A.N., oil-based, and hence longer-lasting. I definitely liked the scent; I love neroli and almond and they come through with the amber and lavender. I prefer cool scents to warm ones though, so my mind stayed fixed on buying Clean Acqua Neroli- and I'm glad it did. Although he showered my arms in it, it was gone before I went home for the night. Clean Acqua Neroli lasts much longer as it pleases my nose and reflects my personality much more! This is definitely a unisex scent; I didn't even know it was marketed towards women only. It didn't smell feminine on me at all, and even if it did, I didn't care! But my love of neroli led me to purchase what I came there for in the first place. Overall rating: 8/10 Scent: 9/10 Sillage: 7/10 Longevity: 7/10

I blind bought this because the notes sounded so lovely. And I was right - they are beautiful! It opens with a blast of neroli, and pretty soon a freshly-cut grass note shows up. The pairing of the grass & neroli is unique.. puzzling at first, but I quickly grew to like it. It settles down to clean tonka and almond scent. However, despite how much I enjoyed this fragrance, the longevity makes it a deal-breaker for me. After an hour, I could barely smell it on my wrist; by hour two, it was gone completely. I don't feel comfortable reapplying at work because the neroli/grass scent is strong at first, and unusual enough to be controversial - I don't think everyone would like it. So, I'll enjoy it as a scent to wear when I am hanging out at home and can easily reapply.

Tested last time on paper and this time on skin.The hate for Gentlewoman baffles me! To me this shares a very similar style with Thierry Mugler Alien in that both are very sharp soapy fragrances with big sillage. The difference is that in Alien it is the jasmine that's gone soapy and here it is the orange blossom and lavender. I find the soapy jasmine note in Alien too similar to laundry detergent and it repels me, but here petitgrain and almond add moisture and warmth to make Gentlewoman smell like freshly-ironed clothes. It smells sharp, organized, and prepares you to take on the world. Longevity and projection is like Alien -- superb. I really really like it!

A strong blast of neroli citrus in the opening, with a beautiful musky almond drydown. It’s a unique, almost trendy smell. Something an urbanite would wear. Clean, with a hint of softness in the scent. There is definitely a gentleness in the notes, but with an edge. It’s not the scent of a fairytale princess or a magical garden, but rather the city dweller wearing tight black jeans and white t-shirt with sneakers. Ponytail. And from the back it could be a guy or girl, and their fragrance stays unisex too. I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I do, but I do. I think it’s because I love almond scents and this is a clean almond fragrance, something different.

Whoever doesn't afraid the gender marketing thing in scents should try this. It feels unisex in a modern/classic way. There is the classic colonia vibe (neroli/petitgrain/citruses/lavender) mixed with modern smoothness and delicate mild to faint powder (delicate almonds, musk, orange blossom). I could wear it, very pleasant scent. There's also a mild soapy vibe. Its philosophy is similar to Christian Dior Cruise Collection Escale a Parati only Gentlewoman feels a little more modern from this Dior. These scents ARE NOT similar. I used this Dior for example. Sillage/projection are moderate. Longevity is also average.

Lavender, neroli and orange blossom. Fresh soap contrasting with an almost leathery musk and ambrosia that seems fleshy and salty. Honestly, this is much more soapy than I typically like, but I think I'm going to enjoy having it around. It has all the makings of a perfect healing/comfort scent and I love the boyish floral fun. Wore this again today on a 75 degree day I got in the car and this bloomed beautifully in the heat. I get a definate fig note, similar to the salty fig in Jardin Mediterranean that I love contrasted with a sweet floral orange blossom and creamy almond. This may be a new summer favorite.

This is a lovely fragrant citrus juicy sweet neroli on my skin, very pretty. Too bad it comes off as a rather industrial or clinical scent on my clothes. Any reviewer who describes this as a cleaning product type of smell is correct. Btw This is a new thing for me. I've never really known a scent that performs better when in contact with my skin. It's rather flattering but it last for less time than most. It would hold better to fabric but what's the point? I tried it beside Guerlains Neroli Bianca and Gentlewoman looked like a cad. Go online and find neroli Bianca if you want neroli done right.

It's such a weird scent and since I had a chance to first hear the story, then smell the perfume, I imagined it quite different than what it turned out to be. I was expecting more pepper and sharpness, with a subtle warmth that developed throughout the day. What it really does come to is that this perfume, at first, smells of bitter orange peel with a powdery background. It does develop a certain amount of muskiness, but I like it most at its drydown. It becomes very sweet, soft and subtle. It does become a very womanly perfume.

It's like a lemon soap, not sweet, but like dish soap or laundry detergent. It is so soapy my first thoughts were that it smelled like licking soap, or like being elbows deep in a just filled sink of dishwasher and suds. It's weirdly compelling, but that might be associated with the nostalgia of smelling lemon soap. Dries down to a greenish citrus soapy smell that is unisex if not slightly masculine due to the lack of sweetness. Average longevity.

This was my scentbird sample pick for august. I love the orange scent in all it's forms, so it's not surprising that I like Gentlewoman. The orange blossom presents strongly in the opening, along with the bergamot. Lavender appears next with a grassy coumarin, and I love the way these notes blend. I don't like the drydown as much as the opening because I don't care for the almond note, but it's not overpowering here.

Blind bought this bottle as well as Lady Vengeance. I saw the reviews saying this perfume is androgynous, but it actually smells quite feminine to me. It's sweet and powdery, almost like baby powders. I agree with some reviews that the scent is not complex, and that it doesn't smell super niche. I'll probably layer it with other perfumes.

I am a huge fan of JHAG, I absolutely love Midnight Oud, Citizen Queen, Lady Vengeance and well, most of them.This one is okay.This smells very clean, as in freshly done laundry clean.This reminds me of a laundry detergent but I cannot remember which one.It's great if you're into that kind of thing.

This perfume would strongly appeal to those who love bergamot-based scents like Caudalie Eau des Vignes. It’s as if Tom Ford Soleil Blanc and Caudalie had a child born in the summer. Incredibly high quality, light, fresh, and—just like its name—slightly masculine with a cologne-like nuance.

Used the gentle woman sample from the variety today. On me it was kind of heavy and warm almost like an incense smell with some sweetness. I totally get its kinda gender neutral and while it grew on me and my family liked it, I'm hoping for something to love out of that little box!

Remember the lady-like sweet girl of Mon Guerlain? Gentlewoman is her tomboy sister. Wonderful. This isn't citrus fresh, but musky-coumarin warm scent, without any sweetness. Different without being weird. Not a safe blind buy, but a definite love for me.

This one should have been called Not a Perfume. The opening is a bit bitter and masculine but it dries down to a clean scent reminiscent of a 4 or 5 star hotel bath soap. Neutral, almondy and pleasant.

it starts very zesty, but softens after a minute and after a few more, it fades to leave just a hint of scent - like a lotion i applied in the morning, and now it’s afternoon

Fresh, clean, soapy scent. The musk doesn’t stand out as much as in other perfumes by JHG. It works well as a morning or just-out-of-the-shower scent.

Nice, but a bit too citrusy for me to purchase. I like my perfumes a little dangerous, and this one won’t get you into any trouble at all. ;)

Everyone seems to hate this, but for simplistic and unisex category I'll give it 7/10. I like it. It does smell non-binary to me.

I wore Gentlewoman to work today and something about it reminded of a high end candle. I can also see why others describe it as soapy. Something about it is simultaneously clean and waxy (maybe the almond, I guess). Upon spraying, I immediately picked up on orange blossom and neroli. I did not detect the lavender. I experienced this same issue with YSL Libre, which is supposed to be another orange-lavender scent, so maybe it’s just a combo I’m anosmic to. Fortunately, this one stays away from the cloying sweetness of Libre. Here, the musk and the ambroxan are pretty subdued so as not to ruin the lighter, airier notes. I kind of get the company’s description of this as an androgynous feminine fragrance. While definitely floral, it’s not particularly girly. My biggest issue with Gentlewoman is that, on me, it is very, very light. I did two rounds of applying this, and it still sat pretty close to the skin within an hour or two. It did last all day, however.

Prepare yourself, it's a sharp opening. DEFINITELY more gentleman than gentlewoman during the first 30 minutes or so. BITTER orange and very little else. Fortunately for me, this doesn't last. After about an hour, it's soapy. A gentle public lavatory soap. You know the kind, white, pearlized, liquid, floral...placed next to hand towels instead of paper towels so you forget you're in a public john :) Gentlewoman does't feel like a JHaG fragrance. My nose feels as if I am at the wrong fragrance house, as if I confused the address. Where's the X-factor I typically find so dear from Romano Ricci offerings? I can't tell if I want this fragrance to be softer, but I think I would enjoy it a little deeper, bolder, more rich throughout. Do I need vetiver here? Creamier florals? I need something else. *scratches head* Now my review might sound like I don't like Gentlewoman. Not true. I do like it, but I don't love it....yet :) I've not given up on her.

Well, Ricci says it is a masculine cologne for women with neroli, almond and musk. He is a man of his word. On my skin, Gentlewoman is a linear, unisex scent with straight up neroli and musk. The references to TF Neroli Portifino and Bobbi Brown Beach are due to the neroli and orange blossom which are used to achieve the sunscreen scent. Gentlewoman reads very bitterly synthetic to my nose; somewhere between expired vintage sunscreen and the pearly-white cheap soap listed by others reviewers. This cologne is intriguing and I can see this for tomboys or women who appreciate things without so many frills. The scent is easily overwhelmed by strong lotions, so I think layering efforts should be made with sheer fragrances. I think of Elinor Dashwood when I think of a Gentlewoman. In this sense, I think the scent works. In days before running and easily heated water, if a gentlewoman smelled of soapy bitterness I can see this working.

Clean and relatively light citrus and neroli off the top. When it first came to my nose, I immediately thought of 4711; it has that eau de cologne feel, with a bit of a citrus cleaner/disinfectant smell. This chemical tone fades a away and the neroli comes back less fresh and in your face. As it dries down, it becomes more evened with some elegant and well blended woods/musky facets. I purchased a sample vial while perusing other neroli-dominant fragrances. I've enjoyed other fragrances from this house, but I wouldn't say Gentlewoman is for me. While I do think it is well done, I'm not liking the way the citrus is presented. On the right skin, It can shine on warmer weather during the daytime.