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.

Oh my goodness, this is awful. I got it as a Christmas present from my mother in law, and thusly felt obliged to give it a good spritz upon receiving it. One spritz and, good lord, it's like you've doused yourself in airwick. It is so strong, so industrial-strength air freshener that I immediately got up and tried to wash it off. Sadly, that didn't work. Oddly, my husband said he didn't mind it, but my daughters said that I smelled like the bathroom (thanks). I tried again to wash it off, but to no effect. I had no choice but to try and ignore it the rest of the night, hoping it would fade. The next morning, in my bleary-eyed state, I sat up and thought to myself 'I don't remember putting air freshener in here. Huh.' Despite 12+ hours and two spot washes, it was still there. It only came off after a very long, very hot shower.

The start on the first spritz is terrifying. I came straight away to write that I did not like it one bit. It was screechy, sharp far too flowery as in a air freshener type of way and made me feel sick. I had sprayed my forearm and I quickly covered it with my sleeve. As I went reading the other reviews (about 10 min.) I went back to smell it again and to my surprise it had evolved into a much creamier, calm and lovely smell. I can detect the orange blossom which is soapy and creamy and I am waiting for the dry down, although it is fading fairly quickly. So all in all, not as bad as the first impression, but I don't think I could go through that first phase again.

This smells like pure soap which I don't like, it's not a nice 'clean' scent, just obnoxious and overpowering. Very screechy, the notes don't blend well together, it feels like a bad mix. One review said that prim and proper girls would wear it, but it's most certainly not elegant and polished enough for that. It's a fragrance a 13 year old would wear

I don't dislike it but my skin just don't work with this perfume. Maybe i am not old enought to wear it so with my chemestry is just not working, the fact is that i don't mind smelling it around me but i don't like it on me after 10 minutes of wearing it.

I was given this for my birthday, and I dont really like it very much. As an 18 year old teenage girl, it isnt what you'd really expect me to smell like! Suitable for older women I suppose, but i like the bottle, its quite sweet...:/

I don't know what the hell I was thinking of when I bought it! This perfume seems like what my grandmother wears ... yeah perhaps it's good but not for a teenager nor a young adult :S

Increadibly strong and long lasting fragrance that I had to give away after the first use as it was sickly. Certainly aimed at more mature women totally unsuitable for under 35.

This scent is very, very overwhelming. I barely got past taking off the cap, and barely escaped being swallowed alive. Far too heady and indolic for me.

I just remembered, it also reminds me of Floris Florissa, maybe that was what the maker had in mind when formulating it...

Very heavy and grandmother style scent. It gives me a serious headache. I don't like it.

absolutely horrible..if there was a choice of just wearing this or fermented cat pee ...It would be the cat's pee hands down.

love love love this perfume!!! i have so many good childhood memories connected to it i remember my aunt using it religiously as a kid and to this day she still uses it! loved it on her then and still do so it basically smells like you're in a garden full of flowers on a cold rainny day thats exactly what it smells like idk how to explain it but it has a cool watery feel to it the same feel i detect in chanel No 5 a fresh quality that makes it addictive anyways very fresh very floral very airy and feminine i personally think its a must have if you love classic some what unique floral scents i give it a 5 out of 5!

reborn, if you're looking for pure violet (or pure gardenia or orange blossom, as listed in the notes above), I wouldn't bother. Florentyna is a bit of a cheapy 'drugstore' blur. I'd even use the dreaded 'granny' word. To my nose anyway . . I've had Florentyna - seduced by some of the lovely packaging M&S used to do for it - and swiftly got rid. Looking at your profile, I'm guessing you wouldn't like Florentyna but hey, you're only going to know when it hits your nose! It's quite cheap so maybe go for it and you can always swap or give away if not for you.

Absolutely heavenly fragrance. Maybe it's just that I adore these vintage-style florals, but to me they have a hundred times more depth and character than the sickly, vanilla-strawberry 'teen' scents that the market is flooded with at the moment. Personally, I'd prefer to smell like flowers than a cake or packet of sweeties, thank you very much. And I am NOT old. Perhaps some of the 'old-lady' commentators below might like to revisit some of the perfumes they showered hatred on once they have grown up a little. Wisdom comes with maturity, you know.

Haha seriously young partying girls wouldn't appreciate this. Young prim-and-proper women do. It's a classic white musk floral that gives out an airy luxurious vibe. This doesn't have strong leather nor spicy saffron so how could this smell like your grandmother? Lol. I can't believe bathing in white classic soap could make you old. Anyway, this smells more like a fresh crisp linen scent that lasts for 12 hours and possibly more. Perfect for early spring formal events and light officewear with simple gold necklace and earrings.

Just a little review to share that FLORENTYNA, to my nose, smells very similar to LALIQUE for women. They are both a very feminine floral perfume with a very fruity bubbly pear accord as the centerpiece that projects strongly. If you enjoy bubbly pear scented perfumes on a background of white florals, you may enjoy Florentyna. Last but not least, Florentyna is also very similar to SPLENDOR by Elizabeth Arden, in my opinion.

What an amazing find for such a price! Florentyna smells just like a vintage floral. Something which my grandmother would have worn when she was young... If you are into white florals definitely reccommended. Applied with an easy hand it's not heavy at all. It's soft and creamy yet still quite detectable with a pleasant sillage and good longevity. The body cream also smells just as good.

So strange reviews On me it is floral, powdery and clean ... no alcohol at all Because i suffer migraines all my perfumes i spray just a little bit This one is stronger so i spray and “pass through the cloud” Yes it is not modern or minimalsit, niche but it is nice one I have many and mainly niche but this one i keep because it is something different

I'm not normally a fan of florals but this is the exception that proves the rule! It's one of my go to perfumes for daily use and just smelling it boosts my mood. It's a bit overpowering when first applied but soon settles down and lasts all day making it excellent value for money

This may be a love it or hate it perfume, but used with a light hand it is a budget marvel. Very feminine, very floral, a little old-fashioned in character ... not like the dreaded old-lady, rather as if one was dressed up for an historical recreation or period drama.

That perfumes will make you smell like you are fresh out from the shower amd wear new, clean, freshly washed clothes, nothing more, nothing less and for some reason THAT IS GREAT. For the price they are absolutely kill it in the group of "clean girl" perfumes!!!!!!

very very sweet and romantic creation, i bought it today from marks&spenser is one of my favourite and its only 17 euros but the smell is very rich and classic and gives the sense of ''something old'' like chanel 5. it reminds me pictures of 40s spring

My friend in high school back in the 90's used to wear it, it smelled heavenly on her. i bought it a few years ago, still smelled exactly like that. To me it's a mixture of white and pink florals with a soft musk base. so lovely!

يحوم التسبد شرته جويز بنت عمتي وشميته انا في المحل بغى ينطش راسي على الرف جويز كنه طيب مغاسل الله يصلحتس مره ثانيه اشتري الابيض بلاه زينه هو وغطاه اللي كنه ابجوره روحي اشتري سواروفسكي ابرك بلا بربسه قال بارد قال

can someone tell me in fact does it smell like violets or like white flowers,because i am looking for white flowers fragrance and i am wondering to buy this blind or not?I will appreciate your help!

I won this fragrance in a raffle, and im glad i did because I would NEVER buy this perfume. The only good feature is the bottle, i especially love the lid. Over all i would give this perfume a 4/10.

I have this in my work locker for a Quick fresh me up. It smells strong of soap and fabric softener. Great for my purpose so I spray it on my clothes not my skin. I wouldn’t like it as a perfume.

This fragrance would most likely appeal to old people... its very heavy in floral and thats it. Sometimes its really overpowering but the lasting power is fantastic.. it stays on almost all day!

This perfume is a classic. The fragrance itself is so recognizable and unique. It brings out the feminine side of a matured women. The smell is very lasting and its really worth it.

This perfume is a classic. The fragrance itself is so recognizable and unique. It brings out the feminine side of a matured women. The smell is very lasting and its really worth it.