Florentyna

More than twelve years ago, on my wedding day, my mother-in-law gifted me the Florentyna talcum powder as part of my wedding gift (we Assamese have this ritual where a bride gets not just clothes but make-up, jewellery, toiletries - the whole deal) I remember thinking it was a pretty bottle with the frosted rose cap but I didn’t remember it making much of an impression from the cute little dab on my nose. Cut to last year, when I smelled a perfume (not this one) that reminded me of that same talcum powder, and I was suddenly spiraling down memory lane, trying to recapture that heady newly wed feeling I had come to associate with that scent. I hadn’t even known about the existence of this perfume until then! I was so thrilled that I got the entire set - the shower gel, the body lotion and this pretty bottle. See now this goes to show how subjective perfume is. Had this not been part of a very core memory of mine, maybe I wouldn’t be so impressed with this scent. It’s a heady floral, and it has the tendency to be sharp, but I love that this is clean - almost squeaky clean. It reminds me of an old style vanity table with bottles of lotion and powder puffs and other bits and bobs and a little girl sitting on the stool playing around with her mom’s stuff while mom’s away. She dabs a little bit of this and a little bit of that and giggles away. This scent truly smells of innocence and white frilly socks and tulle dresses and white satin ribbons and pink ballet shoes. And to me, of a bride decked in white silk and glittery gold. Sigh, good times.

My best friend at university wore this perfume, some 25 years ago now. I loved it on her - she always smelled so feminine, clean and just goooood. I came across it today shopping in M&S and bought 30mls on a whim. I’ve been wearing it all day and it’s just how I remembered it - absolutely gorgeous! It is VERY strong. I’m usually a 4-6 sprays kind of gal, but one spray of this is enough. The initial white floral blast dries down quite quickly to a beautiful, floral musk. I smell lily of the valley and candied violets most prominently. Ridiculously good quality for the price. It could be an Annick Goutal fragrance - it’s that type of classy, unapologetically feminine explosion of flowers vibe.

This was the very first fragrance I got when I was 7 years old (my auntie gave it to me) I star buying it when I got pocket money at 11. All the notes are very well blended together. I don't smell any of the notes listed and nor does anyone that complimented me for smelling like fresh roses, it is quite potent for what it's worth and people can even smell you during heavy London rain. The only 'rude' feedback I got was that I smell "like nanny" (but that girl's grandmother probably had more class than she) and that I smell "very middle class" (but as some who was working class this does not bother me)

its strong. its overpowering. so always handle carefully. i am sure many of the reviewres who disliked this perfume cuz they sprayed alot, else why would marks and Spenser still produce this perfume line for years and years. i am sure it has a solid base of buyers . i have a hate love relationship with this perfume actually. i think it doesnt suit hot weather. so i wear this sometimes in winter after a hot bath. i spray on air and step forward cuz i dont want it to overwhelm me. it smells wonderful that way.

I may almost be addicted to this although my sister thinks it smells like toilet cleaner! It reminds me of sunshine after the rain in a sunny woodland glade,surrounded by the wild flowers exuding their perfume into the warm wind. It is very long lasting with clean sparkling sillage just as if a Wood Nymph has passed your way. Delightfully fresh for warm days - I just feel fabulous when I wear it.

This is a good, long lasting perfume and excellent value for the price. Some have compared it to Florissa, others to EL Beautiful. I haven't smelled the latter recently, so don't know. BTW, can we get out of the habit of calling classic floral fragrances 'old lady' or 'old woman'? My late mother smelled of lavender and that's a very good, clean smell to me.

The only perfume that had many people telling me, I smell nice. The only fragrance I would use day or night. Been using it for over 20 years. Till today, people still compliment that I smell nice. I guess my body reacts very well with this perfume. 🥰

Tired of paying "through the nose"for fragrances that just fade away. Caleche my favourite too expensive. Me and Florentyna go back a long way. Hello classic floral retro. You certainly get bang for your buck. Love it.

I adore this fragrance. When it first came out in 1993 it was the first perfume i bought for my now late mum. This is my go to and i never tire of it. On a flight last year someone asked if i was wearing Miss Dior edt.

Lovely floral everyday fragrance. Might be a bit old fashioned for some but that suits my tastes

This is surprisingly good! I feel like I've smelled it before in my childhood. I agree it smells mature and classic, but it's also very sensuous, lush, heavy, romantic and nostalgic... unapologetically FLORAL, sweet and wet, with that vintage soap nuance that I adore...it transports me to another time and place...I get images in my mind of waking up in a majestic all-white bedroom in a mansion in Versailles...I get up and pull open the heavy luxuriant drapes to let the sunshine in, and I'm greeted with a glorious view of vast lush gardens blooming with flowers at sunrise. Ah! A must try for die-hard floral lovers or those craving for big vintage florals. I honestly don't know if I would be comfortable wearing it out in public because it's so heavy, but I'll give it a shot one of these days.

Got this 1st bottle Florentyna by M&S from my aunt. At first spritz, it was too strong for me.. but just hold on a moment and the heavy scent starting to fading away and my nose get used to smell it. It has smelled nice. Im kinda like the vintage floral and also white floral scents. Even though the top notes says it is Gardenia, but when I put this on my body, I can smell bunch of roses on me. I love roses!! :) I also can smell lily of the valley, it's sheer noticeable frequently. And the powdery smells intensive. Sometimes its really overpowering but the dry down smells nice and staying power is WOW:) This is not "old lady" scent, this is "classy" Dare to be classy? try vintage floral fragrance :) PS: I'm still 25yo btw *wink*

This is my 'occasional' go-to. It's very much a comforting scent. It would be more comforting if it wasn't quite so bright and shouty. I have to really be in the right mood to wear it. But when I do, I can't stop sniffing my wrists. I adore soapy perfumes (not all the time, hence occasional wear) and this is the soap queen. It's Pat Phoenix herself. It's exactly how I imagine her to have smelled, back in the 1960's. Vintage, youthful, comforting, bright, lively. I really enjoy wearing this perfume and what a great price point! Marks & Spencers are a byword for quality and this doesn't disappoint. I want the White Flowers version next.

When I first smelt this, I disliked it. I found it over powering and too powdery. However, the dry down is much nicer. One spray is plenty and I layer it with the matching shower gel and body cream. My favourite time to wear it is in the evening after a shower, with fresh nightwear on. It makes me feel feminine, clean and “wifely” 🤣 Is that even a thing?! It’s pretty and gentle. I wouldn’t wear it on a night out, to the theatre, or to work but I like it for bed time and church.

Cheap and easy scent to pack in a bag when you want to smell fresh and floral without breaking out the pricy stuff. It's extremely soapy, but I don't mind that for the cost. I could tell you immediately this was likely the talcum powder first and the fragrance later. A generic white floral mishmash that smells more expensive than it is. If you like your scents to be a little vintage, you could do much worse for £10

Vintage style white floral fragrance, the combination of gardenia, musk and jasmine isn’t a new fragrance profile but it is timeless and elegant with a powdery note that evokes clean soapy bubble baths and spring sunshine on a country garden. It’s not for a night out but a lovely spritz to put on after a shower before getting into bed, or for an early morning cup of tea on a veranda (if I had a veranda, that is)

My mom bought this for me and so it'll always be special to me 💖 it's my first grown up classy feminine fragrance if I may say so! Beautifully rich florals and clean vibes in a classic way like a vintage soap maybe? Lasts all through the daytime on your skin even in warm weather.. trust me I'm in India Panned it and now moved on to newer more bful perfume gifts by mom :)

This did not give me the impression of white (or purple) flowers at all. It smelled of pink flowers (peonies? roses?) and prominent alcohol. Not exactly my cup of tea, not too bad either. On the other hand, the bottle looks lovely.

I don't detect any musk. It's a creamy and slightly sweet floral. I like it. I would love it if I could detect musk.

This MIGHT have been reformulated since I bought my bottle, but this is my review of the one I have. At first the alcohol is pretty overwhelming, but then... The musk comes on strong here..from topnotes through to drydown. It's a very warm floral,and, although not listed in the notes, a heavy, dark red rose is the most dominant of the florals. Orange blossom and slightly spicy lily topnotes quickly dissipate, then its dark red rose and musk and dusty powder all the way down. There is something almost musty here, if you remember trying to make perfume from rose petals and water when you were a child, the smell of the petals as they start to go rotten and brown..that's what I am getting. This is a fragrance that lasts and lasts and lasts. 24 hours later the rose and musk is still most definately lingering in a powdery way. This is a VERY strong eau de toilette, and at a bargain basement price. Also availaible is a good range of bath and body products if you like to layer your fragrance. As a fragrance in itself, this isn't really special enough to warrant a place on my dresser, but it's very evocative for me and reminds me of a certain time in my life, so for now, I will keep it at the back of the drawer. Might be of interest if you like Creed's Spring Flower, but are on a tighter budget.