Monyette Paris

I adore this and have worn it for many years -- this review is for the perfume oil, as pictured above. It has the most remarkable hard-to-place fragrance that is at once tantalisingly exotic but deliciously comfortable. I think the formulation has changed slightly from when it was first released, as I now find the sillage quite reduced. I also don't get the scent of white tropical flowers quite as strongly as I did from that first bottle. However it is still a beautiful subtle scent that gets me compliments on a regular basis from people who lean in for a hug. I don't get any coconut (and never have done even with previous bottles). I also don't get nag champa strongly. I also don't clearly differentiate the gardenia and lily of the valley that others seem to get here; I smell a more general tropical blossom smell, more like honeysuckle than anything else -- in fact, my attempts to find a replacement for this beautiful scent have led me to conclude that it's definitely not a 'typical' gardenia or lily of the valley that I'm lusting for... What is it then? Tahitian gardenia - the source of monoi oil. The sweetness of blossoms warmed in the sunshine. The sharpness of verdant greenery in the first morning sun, fresh from the dew. A creamy smoothness that isn't exactly vanilla, to my mind, but isn't a million miles away. Btw, although it's similar to the Yves Rocher Monoi de Tahiti because they both have some Tahitian gardenia, that's definitely not a dupe for it. That has a sort of heavy, coconutty, overly sweet vibe. It doesn't replicate the light, blossomy, and more nuanced tropical fragrance I find here.

I'm back with a P.S. to my first review. Prone to impulsiveness as I can be, I purchased the perfume oil when a gift certificate came my way, even though I originally tested the EDP. The oil was cheaper and I didn't have an oil in my collection yet, so I went for it. Testing them side by side, here's what I found... EDP: Lighter and creamier, as to be expected from a lower concentration of oil. I have a much harder time detecting lily-of-the-valley in this. It lasts about 5-6 hours on me, not projecting much if at all towards the end. Oil: This is greener than the EDP, with a more prominent lily-of-the-valley note. At first that disappointed me a bit, but it fades into the drydown. When the EDP is winding down, this is just getting started. It's not as pleasant to sniff up close as the EDP, but it wafts a gorgeous, creamy gardenia for a good foot even 6 hours into wear. Both of these seem to come alive in the heat. Wearing them outdoors in nearly 90 degree weather is a very different experience than wearing them indoors. Not to sound cheesy, but that's when they bloom into something beautiful. Now, if we could just get two separate entries for the database...

This is just gorgeous! I feel as though I am surrounded by gardenia bushes. A bit heady at first, but it soon softens into a wonderful gardenia, tinged with lily of the valley and I get a hint of incensey nag champa combining to make this fragrance the lovely thing that it is. And that thing is a totally gorgeous, lush and creamy gardenia. It doesn't smell like coconut or suntan oil to me, though it does smell hot summer night sexy...I barely made it half-way through the sample before I'd ordered the full 1/8oz roll-on from Luckyscent! I find this quite similar to Kai, which I also have a sample of. Kai is lovely, though too green for me to begin with. Though it ends up smelling very similar to Monyette, except not as creamy and doesn’t last anywhere near as long on me. PS: Discovered that a tiny dab of Dragonfly Blue Nag Champa underneath Monyette makes it last much longer on me! At first the Nag Champa overpowers the Monyette, but soon the gardenia comes into full bloom and it’s just lovely!

this is so elegant! lily of the valley can be very screechy for me, but here its beauty is captured perfectly, mixed so well. On me this was also extremely long-lasting, and was as captivating hours later as it was right away, with very little of the impact lost. I had that wonderful feeling with a perfume where you keep getting whiffs and thinking, "that smells so good!" before happily remembering it's you and your new discovery! i have a sample and I love how long it's going to last- this oil really does go a long way. I am definitely buying myself a bottle of this. I've been looking for a white floral that doesn't break the bank, doesn't disappear too quickly, is elegant but also just a little unique- and this fits the bill for me!

Creamy, white floral that radiates simplicity and elegance. The gardenia is beautiful, strong, long lasting and reminiscent of perfumes that are much more expensive. The lily of the valley and the vanilla are also wonderful additions. This perfume layers wonderfully with others friends: + Kayali Vanilla for a fall, cozy vibe, + any coconut, beachy fragrance for a fun summer twist (I get so many compliments with this and Creed Virgin Island Water), or + another soft floral fragrance (eg lanvin eclat) for a "welcome to spring" stunner. Either layered or by itself, this is a great office friendly, softie, for days when you want to feel extra feminine.