Parfum d'Ete 2002

I thought I had already reviewed this but I don't see it here. This is for the vintage formulation with the adorable etched bottle. When I was little my Mom planted a few lily of the valley bulbs outside our kitchen window. As the years passed those sweet little bells multiplied profusely. During their peak season, usually May, you could open the kitchen window and be filled with that sunny, springy sweet smell. I often clipped a few sprigs to keep in a little bud vase by my bed. Now I live on the opposite coast where l.o.vs. are harder to grow. Fortunately I got this beauty in a blind swap, mainly for the cute bottle. I'm in springtime heaven when I wear this one. This is the truest, most natural lily of the valley I've yet to experience, with a second act of hyacinth and peony, no jasmine, not much musk or sandalwood on me, but sassy, sparkly and sexy. Good longevity, incredible ambiance, taking me back to warm memories of my sweet departed Mama who gave me my first love in the flower family; Lilly of the Valley. Bless you Mom and those who wear this.

This has been my favorite fragrance since I was introduced to it by one of my best friends in high school. Her older sister introduced it to her, and had she not done the same for me I never would have discovered this gem. It's hard to find now, which is both good and not so good for me. I always come back to it and I've never been able to replace it. It evokes memories and aspirations, and instills me with a confidence that I learned from her. Upon application, it begins as a mix of soapy lily of the valley, green notes, and a touch of something spicy or herbal. Lily-of-the-valley stays dominant throughout the stages of wear. Something wonderful happens once it settles and all the way into the dry down. The dewy floral sweetens and smooths out, almost as though honey has been poured over the floral notes. It stays like that and projects a lovely honeyed lily-of-the-valley. It is very much a dewy, sweet, slightly soapy, floral scent, not at all spicy or herbal. For me, this is the ultimate in feminine fragrances.

Me and this fragrance have a sort of love/hate relationship. I discovered D'ete while in France and perusing that global perfume shop that begins with the letter S. I tested all the classics, Chanel No. 5, Rive Gauche, everything, and this is the one fragrance that I liked. It's fresh and crisp. The green notes are pleasant although very ambiguous. It was love at first smell. I also sampled Kenzo Flower. Great packaging, but I couldn't take that the floral sweetness. To me, D'ete smells, young, fresh and crisp, but there's a downside, the fragrance barely lasts more than an hour, and it's not cheap. I still love it, but wish it would last longer. I also discovered that there is a classic version of this fragrance that was released in the 90's. It has a different bottle and a much more complex fragrance profile. You can find that in the "people like this also like..." panel. I'll definitely be trying that one.

Personality: Serene, sunny, innocent, pure, gentle. Age: 18-45 Scent: Green, watery and pure, it's a joyful fragrance with just the right amount of sweet, innocent florals to give it a feminine touch. I definitely sense the lily of the valley, green notes, a watery hyacinth and a sunny peach note. It's such a natural scent, like a green field, drenched in dew and full of flowers on a sunny spring morning. No sharpness, no acidic notes here...just clean, gentle and subtly sweet. When/Where: For spring and summer days. Perfect for hot weather. A great scent for the office/college or casual days. Sillage/Longevity: Low Sillage, Weak-Average Longevity (3-5 hours)...this would've been the perfect summer scent if it wasn't for the longevity, but try it out on your skin, it may be different on you. JUST FOR FUN: A summer scent for Virgo, Pisces and Aquarius.

It's beautiful, sparkling and very clean. True to a summer scent though, it ONLY comes to life on bare skin. She is completely dead on fabrics, don't spray onto your shirt. I love d'Ete already and can't wait to wear her when the weather permits bare skin again. Comparison for fellow lily-of-the-valley fanatics: I will stick to my dear Diorissimo in these cold months. Diorissimo and d'Ete share a similar cast of LOTV & green notes, but are easily different enough to enjoy both in a collection. Diorissimo = VERY strong, creamy, sparkly gold. The ylang ylang almost turns into a banana note in warm conditions. Marketed as a spring scent but ideal for any crisp weather. d'Ete = Greener, dewier, cool to the touch, sparkly silver. Polished chrome vibes if that makes sense. Great in any temperature but only radiates from skin.