Coeur de Fleur

Ooee this is fine! Thanks to MrsLetterO for the sample. Lovely on my hand so today I'm wearing it properly. On proper wear, at first I got that slightly 'spittely' (as in spittle, I know horrible) quality from it that I've got from most of the Jo Malone's I've tried. But you know what, it may be there a bit but it's in the background and this frag has enough about it for me to overlook it. I think Coeur de Fleur is what many perfumes would like to be - I'm thinking of things like Fleurs D'Orlane here - but just aren't. CDF IS purely floral and that is not usually territory I can go into (have a look at top line of my profile), but it's SO well done, with that prominent sweet pea note and that overall feeling of 'lightness' (no sickliness or overbearing floral 'warmth' here) that I'm absolutely loving this, it feels 'me' and comfortable, and that's saying something for such a fix-ed creature of habit as me! As it dries down, I'm s l i g h t l y reminded, in smell and feel, of my old beloved Fleur de Fleurs by Nina Ricci. I'm not getting any violet, on very first sniff on my hand, I would have said 'geranium' almost - almost because I didn't exactly get geranium but an overall quality that kind of reminded me of geranium. Don't get any raspberry or fruit from it at any stage, which suits me fine. Quality blend. Actually, the more I sniff it, the more like Fleur de Fleurs it becomes. Looking at the classification pyramid thing at the top of the page, I should hate this but it is so the opposite. Ooooh, want a big bottle now, love the work of Lyn Harris! 03/06/13 - I now have a 200ml bottle of the 'eau parfumee' limited edition of this. It's quite different from the normal edition and not for me. I am offering it for sale - along with all my other 'not for me's' - as a joblot within the UK. Further details are on my recent post on the 'Exchange' thread.

Miller Harris COEUR DE FLEUR seems rather violet-like to me: sweet and clean in just the way that violet-centric perfumes tend to be. Here it is only the illusion of violet, which is created through the combination of iris, jasmine, and mimosa flanked by a good dose of fruits: raspberry and peach. The overall effect is bright and shiny, in some ways similar to the fragrances which I have come to refer to as SSRI, including Salvatore Ferragamo INCANTO BLISS, Ellen Tracy TRACY, and to some extent Moschino TOUJOURS GLAMOUR. Balenciaga PARIS may fit into that category as well. They all shimmer in the manner of a mirage which one can never quite reach. The difference is that COEUR DE FLEUR, while sweet and clean, also smells very natural and has a touch of amber mixed in with the fruits and the flowers. There is a sense in which this composition falls into the fruity-floral category, but what is missing altogether is the synthetic feeling of the vast majority of mainstream and designer vat-produced fruity-floral frags, which tend to be rather linear and produce a sort of zapping effect. It is not that often that one encounters fruity-floral perfumes at niche houses, but COEUR DE FLEUR, like the rest of the Miller Harris collection I've tried, is on a much higher level in terms of overall quality than the usual suspects. It changes as it dries down, eventually becoming more peach dominant, but never becomes sugary or gooey. No plastic raspberries here, either--thankfully! If INCANTO BLISS, TRACY and TOUJOURS GLAMOUR can be likened to Prozac in their effect upon the wearer's mind, then perhaps COEUR DE FLEUR could be compared to how one feels after running to the top of a mountain. It's a type of high, to be sure, but endogenously, not exogenously produced.

The opening of Coeur de Fleur on my skin, is a fairly realistic mimosa. Not only does it has the puffy, golden sweetness of mimosa, but also the weird vegetal oil-like aspect. What a wonderful surprise! The sweet pea and peach soon blend in. The sweet pea that I encountered in perfumes, usually smells like a mix of aldehydic powdery floral and fruity (mostly peach) notes, exuding a cheerful yet romantic feeling. In Coeur de Fleur, it's no exception. The fragrance continues to become more powdery, as the iris also joins the choir. After about 2 hours, like Sherapop, I too start to perceive violet in this idyllic bouquet, probably due to the violet tonality of mimosa and iris, combined with fruits. And because of the vegetal oil/fatty aspect of mimosa and the waxy facet of iris, Coeur de Fleur smells like violet lipstick for the most part of its dry down, and it becomes sweeter and more balmy, reminiscent of violet candy, as raspberry and amber hum in the background. The sillage of Coeur de Fleur is moderate, and the longevity is around 9 hours on my skin. Realistic mimosa, romantic sweet pea and girly violet lipstick/candy, Coeur de Fleur is an irresistibly charming bouquet, a blissful, carefree fruity floral with a graceful demeanour. Having a very low tolerance of sweet raspberry, I have a bit of struggle during the late dry down, but personal preference aside, I'd definitely recommend giving Coeur de Fleur if you'd like an elegant, idyllic fruity floral or a lipstick fragrance.

I am surprised aldehydes are not listed as a note on this one because I find it to be very aldehydic. Floral fragrances usually are because there are natural aldehydes in flowers but this one reminds me of those green aldehydic fragrances of yesteryear. This is very floral. The sweet pea is strong in the opening and dominate throughout the fragrance. There is a slight honey note in the dry down, but I never smell the vanilla. The jasmine and mimosa along w/ the fruits are nuances to my nose. This perfume is all about the green notes, iris and the sweet pea. I think this is a great perfume for daytime wear, especially in the springtime. It makes me think of weddings.

I owned a bottle many years ago and i recall being it very airy. To me is was all about iris and a fluffy, not so sweet mimosa. It had green and wet notes like when it rains, but was cuddly at the same time. It's a perfume you could relate to a mother's hug. It was a peculiar scent, with limited sillage and modest longevity but very nice to wear. I loved it in spring/summer, i found it cosy and refreshing (although by no means this is a fresh cologne). Sadly it's been discontinued but i could still recognise it nowadays even blindfolded. Wonderful bottle by the way.