Héliotrope

First impressions: this is so much like Guerlain LHB, but somewhat stripped. It’s like the base of LHB-the guerlinade. Usually I leave very long winded reviews and to be fair I might end up coming back to do just that, but for now I really don’t have a whole lot more to say because that really is it. Performance is similar to but slightly better than the bottle of LHB I had back around 2013. I blind bought this because I am basically guaranteed to love any perfume that centers on heliotrope, almond, vanilla, and tonka. These are some of my favorite notes ever. I also LOVE rice notes on the rare occasions a perfume includes them. And honestly I love every single note this perfume has: iris, mimosa, violet leaf, benzoin, musk, and orange blossom. There was no way this perfume was going to be anything other than a love with those notes and a love it is. I’m not sure if this is discontinued, but I got a 40% full bottle on eBay for both a fair penny (considering it was only 40% full) and a great deal because this seems very hard to find-there was not a single BNIB bottle of this on eBay, and you can still often find BNIB bottles of long discontinued perfumes on eBay. I had to have it because a) I currently don’t have a heliotrope perfume in my collection, b) the rarity of it and not knowing when/if I’ll get a chance to snatch this up again, c) I’ve wanted to explore this house for years and this is my first perfume from them, and c) it’s just so beautiful and collectible. Oh and because it just sounded delicious! Lol. Very successful blind buy. Love it. If you’re lucky enough to come across this beauty and you love heliotrope and LHB snatch it up! I won’t be wearing this too often precisely because of the rarity of this but I’m thrilled to have this in my collection! I can’t wait to try more from this house. Also if you’ve ever tried JAR Jarling or Lush snow...something. I forgot the name 😭 snowflake maybe? Also long discontinued and the JAR one is actually way harder to find then this but if you happen to know either, they are quite similar except that those two lean more into almond/marzipan whereas this leans more into pure heliotrope. It is somewhat comparable to Etro Heliotrope but the Etro one is much more stuffy and would get cloying on me, it seemed to have a sort of cherry-almond accord which was just too much with everything else, even though cherry-almond is an accord that I normally love. This one never goes sickly sweet and instead of a syrupy cherry-almond accord and stuffy musk, this surrounds its absolutely bombastic heliotrope with drier, airier notes like rice and iris. Or to put it another way, Etro goes in the direction of SL Rahat Loukhoum, whereas this goes in the direction of something like Prada infusion d’iris especially the one in the gold bottle. Along with Guerlain l’heure de nuit (which actually now that I think about it this bears a good share of relation to as well. It’s kind of in between LHB and LDN) this is probably my favorite heliotrope so far. Well, JAR Jarling as well, but I don’t have high hopes of ever getting my hands on that one lol

As Keldur pointed out before, Héliotrope (the Oriza fragrance I know doesn’t have “Blanc” in its name and as far as I remember never had) resembles L'Heure Bleue by Guerlain. Because I adore both and find comparisons of that kind useful, I’m going to write about some similarities and differences of these two fragrances. Both share the same core qualities; the powder, the tonka, the iris-mimosa-heliotrope combo which make them feel so unique. However, L'Heure Bleue is overall sweeter. To my nose, it has an almost pungent sweetness, which can be a bit much. With Héliotrope on the other hand, the sweetness is just as present, but more covert. Not as prominent. Both scents don’t change drastically over the time. They are complex but remain rather linear in what they express. However, the the drydown is different. While L'Heure Bleue leaves soft traces of vanilla lingering on your skin for hours, with Héliotrope there is a strong emphasis on the iris. Personally, I prefer L'Heure Bleue in this respect. If L'Heure Bleue were a person, it would be a chic lady in a sleeveless black dress lounging on the veranda of an expensive hotel by the sea in the early evening. Héliotrope, however, is an ethereal, genderless being bathing in rays of cool sunlight. Speaking in colours, with L'Heure Bleue you can FEEL the deep hazy blue of the twilight when applying it. Héliotrope, on the other hand, gives me the vibe of a light sky-coloured purple. Relaxing and without any hint of danger. L'Heure Bleue might be the bigger masterpiece, yet Héliotrope is the fragrance I end up returning to again and again. It smells like comfort: warm rice pudding with tonka and orange water, decorated with violets. And it is high-quality, without the slightest hint of sex appeal. A very pure, very vintage scent. Héliotrope leans feminine, but there are certain types of men who can wear it effortlessly; men, who are comfortable with their soft, cuddly side. Also, very dandy-like characters. And: men, who don't have much toxicity in them and don't care if they smell "different". Héliotrope is more of an eccentric fragrance. It is one of my personal favourites and I truly recommend it, but I would not advise a blind-buy. Yet, people who enjoy L'Heure Bleue will quite possibly like it.

My second fragrance sample from this brand. Again first of all big props for offering an affordable freely customizable sample set. I really wish all brands did this. So, to cut to the chase right away, WHAT A DARLING this fragrance is. The most retro phase is clearly the opening that first hits you with a blast of powdery soapy notes intermingled with hints of iris and violet, on a strong base of fresh sweet almonds. Like the smell that would spread if a society lady of 100-150 years ago just did her morning routine and just powdered herself up as a final touch at her gorgeous dressing table. The dry down, however, turns a bit more modern as a delicious milky gourmand. It smells like a lightly sweetened almond rice pudding, topped with delicate small petaled florals that add some lightness to the composition. This phase is just beautiful, innocent, and to me, very feminine. There are those 19th-century paintings of picnic scenes, where a mother and/or a few young girls all dressed in white old-style summer dresses or blouses will sit in a summer field with a picnic basket near them. I feel that's how those young, fresh-faced, innocent-looking girls in their starched blouses would smell like. This scent may not have the strongest sillage or longevity. I would say after 3 hrs it's more or less a skin scent of innocent soft powdery vanilla. Nevertheless, despite me currently being on a self-imposed purchase-stop, I am 95% sure I will get myself a bottle of this sooner or later. I would love to visit the Paris boutique. Let's see. But eventually, I'll own this little delicious treasure.

This is a heavenly, fluffy heliotrope and almond scent. This is suuuper powdery and thick-smelling, if that makes sense, and a bit sweet, but not too much. I love it. It smells exactly how I’ve always imagined antique deodorant powders and face powders to smell. I’m imagining an 18th-century aristocrat or courtesan dusting powder scented like this on their chest with an enormous powder puff. Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette (2006) would smell like this. This was initially my favorite out of the Oriza samples I ordered, but after much testing, I might have to give that title to Jardins d’Armide. They’re quite similar in my opinion (ultra powdery, feminine, similar drydown), but they have a couple of differences. Jardins d’Armide is rose-heavy and slightly sweeter with a prominent honey note. Héliotrope smells a bit plasticky like an old doll, and there’s something anisic and almost lactonic about it. Longevity also differs – Héliotrope is quite weak, whereas Jardins d’Armide’s is much better. Héliotrope is wonderful while it lasts, but the longevity is not good enough for me; I get about 4 hours of wear out of it. Although I love it, it’s not full-bottle worthy for me. I’d buy it in a heartbeat if it lasted longer

Recently I smelled for the first time heliotrope flowers and my first thought was: "Oh, this really does smell like that heliotrope fragrance by Oriza L. Legrand! Wow!" They have a lovely almond-y, vanillic, powdery, marshmellow-like smell. This is also the most realistic baby power scent I ever smelled but in a good way. Honestly, I never got the baby powder as a pejorative term. I like how's it smells... A lot of perfumes are labeled as smelling like baby power but I never got it, until this one. It smells like creamy sweet powder with a slight floral aspect to it. Utterly innocent and soothing. Heliotrope had become one of my favorites notes, I can't get enough. Basically it smells like creamy baby powder + marshmellows or conversational hearts (like another reviewer mentioned), but the sweetness is very natural, nothing artificial. Oh, it also smells like you caught a whiff of a pastry shop where they make marzipan or almond cookies, or something else with almonds and powdered sugar!

I absolutely adore this fragrance...sweet soft comforting beautiful powdery heliotrope. I cant for the life of me understand why this is marketed towards men, though. This is as feminine as it gets. It's the color of the lightest lilac lavender fine silk chiffon taffeta lace lingerie. Fine silk pantyhose. The feeling you get after you just got out of a luxurious bubblebath, powdered and dusted, and wearing your best fine chiffon silk peignoir. Heliotrope Blanc is a perfume to pamper yourself for sure, like a fine box of chocolates, everything about it spells luxury, and it is so much more than just a 'baby powder scent' It's the most luxurious purple heliotrope dusting powder scent I've come across, all boxed up in a beautiful ethereal purple bow... Oh this could be the darling pola Negri in The Wildcat ;)

I agree with previous reviews - it's vintage and has an authentic 'old world' scent and there is a note which some people, myself included, may struggle with. It reminds me of some old Guerlain scents which have that almost medical scent like L'Heure Bleue, though it is weaker here and is more blended in with the rest of the notes, hiding and lurking behind the marzipan or rice :) Apart from that, it certainly does have its charm and I am glad I have a sample to enjoy. There's nothing synthetic about it and well worth a try. The house has an interesting history. This was launched in 2014 and yet it could easily have been created a century earlier, they're honouring their heritage and I like that a lot.

Oh wow this smells like someone in the time of Bridgerton would wear this. It’s not only a mens cologne I bought it and it smells a touch more feminie due to the powdery almond it gives off. This is all because of the heliotrope in the top of the note pyramid. Such a lovely sweet and soft floral. I love it! Unfortunately the longevity is not great but it’s ok and sillage is close to skin. The bottle is beautiful also with a tassel hanging from the top. The label is very old world and everything about this screams renaissance in my eyes! Highly recommended and a great house 9/10 only because for longevity. Try this you will love it for spring and summer. I also get violets which is my favorite flower.

I received this as one of a number of Oriza samples, gave it a sniff and thought - oh no, not my sort of thing at ALL.Too powdery, too much violet, though I did enjoy the marzipany almond. And then I kept getting an urge to sniff it and returning to it. I ended up buying a bottle. It’s so comforting to me, I tend to spray as an winter evening fragrance, it’s soft, gentle, like a warm blanket of almond, violet and rice powder. I think it may smell of bedtime in some pre-memory part of my brain when my mother would tuck me into bed after my milk and bath, smelling of Shalimar and cosmetics. It’s a mood for me rather than a fragrance!

Almonds, baby powder and violets. My favourite smells into one! This is addictive and from another time. If you love vintage makeup, rice powder, old dolls and marzipan, you will absolutely love Heliotrope. I would say this is very, very sweet but not artificial and so divine. It goes perfectly with my 1930s clothes. The vintage makeup fragrances are right up my alley and this one is by far my favourite as it is so delicate... and the bottle, oh does it look pretty on a vintage dresser. Longevity is moderate, lasts about 5 hours on me (I wish it lasted longer, but oh well, nobody's perfect!). Sillage is moderate too.

This opens with the combination of extremely powdery violets and heliotrope that reminds me of baby powder and conversational hearts. It smells like sweet violet scented baby powder dusted over a garden of heliotropes which I personally enjoy. As this dries down you get a lot of sweet almond, a warm tonka bean, and some dusty benzoin that adds some depth to the scent. It still maintains that pastel purple aura all throughout, powdery, dusty, light, and coquette adjacent. The final result is a powdery scent with sweet facets and warm undertones. This scent feels really simple but in an undeniably enjoyable way.

IMHO, not bad on me it sits close to skin. I agree it can titter on Baby Wipes but calms down after the initial first spray it evolves into an almond powdery scent. Not a bad choice for spring and early summer. Not one to wear in 90 degrees it can get spicy from the high heat! I do get heliotrope right from the start and it stays through out always. The note break down lists all of my favorite notes. As for longevity and sillage, it’s pretty good on both. 8/10 overall

a beautiful, romantic parma violet scent. the powdery, floral sweetness settles around you in a cloud - i love it.

Properly speaking, this perfume is no longer called "Heliotrope Blanc," and it also no longer has the same bottle pictured above: Oriza L. Legrand reintroduced it in 2014 just as "Heliotrope," although this fragrance is so old-fashioned that it is likely the same formulation as it was in the past. This is really a celebration of heliotrope, that potent almond-vanilla note that is for some reason not often so prominently featured in modern perfumery as it once was. Although this floral note dominates the entirety (the note pyramid above shows it used at the top, heart, and base), there are still enough other elements to mitigate against its over-sweetness. The mimosa, in particular, allows for a medicinal note that allows the perfume to be a little more bitter than it would otherwise be, while the rice and the orange blossom make it a little more powdery. It's a lovely scent although it's certainly not going to make anyone think of contemporary perfumery practices or ingredients. Originally made for men, this probably leans a little more feminine today because of the powderiness, though of course anyone could wear it.

Heliotrope Blanc opens with a cloud of smooth powdery violet, orris and heliotrope. I smell almond as well. The scent turns a bit darker and gets a more resinous feel. The tonka and heliotrope form a soft and powdery layer on the resinal base. Something citrusy is lingering on top, but it is never prominent, it just gives a bit of freshness. The drydown is a soft and sweet powdery resin scent on me with a touch of almonds and the heliotrope binds it all together. Sillage and longevity are moderate on me. The violet and iris notes combined with the powder make this a scent with a classic feel, it reminds me of the older Guerlain scents minus a load of aldehydes. This scent is very comforting and calming to me. I would wear this in spring or winter, this kind of scent works well on my skin when it's cold and crisp.

I have a sample from Lucky Scent- Heliotrope by Oriza Legrand. I’m not sure if this is the same thing, and they changed the name? I think it is. The notes are the same. In any case, it’s good. Smells exactly like heliotrope that you’d find in the garden. It’s such a distinctive odor and this is a very faithful recreation. It has a soft green and cushy musky background that perfectly suits it, and the addition of almond echoes and reinforces the heliotrope cherry - almond- vanilla odor. Everything here is in perfect order and balance. Soft and lovely. Definitely smells a bit old fashioned but in the best way. Doesn’t last a super long time or project much but I think that’s totally in keeping with the type of scent it is.

The violet leaf, iris and mimosa overpower the heliotrope if I over apply this, but if sprayed sparingly this is a lovely heliotrope scent. It is a lot less sweet, almondy and fluffy than Etro or even L.T. Pivier Heliotrope. It has a slight aldehyde/ozonic tang which makes it almost savoury/masculine. I'm going to enjoy my sample but probably won't pursue a full bottle. Just a note that the Oriza sample sets really are worth the money, you can choose any of their perfumes and you get a generous 2.5ml sample which is enough to decide whether or not the scent suits.

On first spray I was overwhelmed by the floral sweetness which settles quickly. This is simple and beautiful very true heliotrope, I only slightly get the almond reference in the notes as this is floral and sweet with some greenery deep in it. It’s way too much for me to wear, a headache, possibly but as a test I can vouch for its beauty. If you are ok with heliotrope and there’s no headache risk, it’s a classic. It’s incredibly feminine to my nose but elegant for the right chap. It does not shout, wears well and damn I wish it didn’t give me a headache.

UPDATE: Name change: Heliotrope (formerly Heliotrope Blanc) * * * The call of heliotrope greets you, as if wind-swept to your door from subtropical gardens, and never departs—amped to the max, satisfiying the desire for more of this flower so often hidden in the background of perfumes. Here it is center stage, accompanied by orange blossoms and sweet almonds. This old-fashioned eau de parfum launched in 2014 hints at the same bygone era evoked in Guerlain’s more-powdery L’Heure Bleue.✿ Scent family: Floral Longevity on me: moderate

Very dreamy. Like if you had a dream you're a fairy in a field full of candy flowers and powdered sugar pollen, the spring sun beaming down on you and the light breeze gently blowing you around from flower to flower. It smells like young girls fantasy land. It's nostalgic and innocent. Perhaps something you wear to feel like a princess.