Secret Joly

How is it that I love all the fragrances from a single house? This is my third favourite Oriza fragrance, and I'm placing it on my favourites shelf. The most miraculous jasmine fragrance I’ve ever come across- potent yet soft, fresh, with the classic Oriza “clean” DNA. I would say that, next to jasmine, there’s quite a noticeable tuberose note in the opening. Somehow, if you close your eyes and keep smelling, all of the base notes are clearly there and distinguishable, yet seamlessly merged into a unified support system for the ethereal white florals to shine. I think the honey note is what gives it its twist, making it stand out even more from other jasmine-forward fragrances, becoming more and more pronounced in the dry-down. The post-dry-down mysteriously turns into something incense-churchy, mixed with honeyed warmth. It smells like a bar of white soap, like a warm spring day, like a woman with the brightest smile, the softest hands, and the kindest of hearts. When I wear it, it makes me feel so feminine- almost giving a sense of responsibility to embody and radiate all feminine virtues from within. Perfect for warm days in spring and summer- I would love to be peacefully wrapped in this all day, every day throughout these seasons. P.S. Somebody should show this to all Alien indulgers... I’d love to smell more (Secret) Joly on the streets. P.P.S. They changed the notes here and on the official website. An old description still remains: "Built around a heart of Jasmine Sambac, Secret Joly unfolds suave and animalic notes that meld together their honeyed and spicy accents."

I really love this scent, and have gotten several compliments for it (smelling cosy being one among them)! However, after a couple months of wearing it daily I've come to realise that the florals are a bit too clean and sharp smelling for me. Still good florals, but I prefer something more creamy and soft (hyacinth might just not be for me). The base notes however are amazing, a bit musky but in a very balanced way, and after a couple of hours the skin scent is very honey-like (even though it's not included in the official notes). So highly recommended if you like a musky, balanced, almost sweet and animalic base with clean-smelling white florals that open quite powdery (even though I don't mind it, I can see the comparison to cleaning supplies in the opening florals, so keep that in mind) On to the hunt for a new everyday scent! :))

Hyacinth - Jasmin heaven. Starts off with honeyed Jasmin, and settles down to chypre-ish hyacinth, very realistic. Like other Oriza L Legrand fragrances Secret Joly carries this charming retro vibe, which I find really fascinating and sort of like a time-travel to another era with its lavish statement. Late dry down is really clean soapy-musky florals. If you like their Jardins d'Armide it is very likely you will enjoy this one as well.

Bright and joyfull, this is one of the lighter and wearable, in nowdays, fragrances of this great house. Always bringing compliments because of the optimism it sends out. Classy and radiant can be compared with a sunny jasmin garden sattered with honey. Quality excellent.

If I was to unmarry this scent from its art deco styling, I would instead think of a witch's apothecary. Some hand-picked late spring blooms in a honeyed jar, on a dusty wooden shelf. Nearby, bunches of flowers are drying in a powdery haze. The atmosphere is black, green, violet but the gold shines through. It is a healing blend, but not without its bitter edge.

Smells like Little Stars by Olympic Orchids, but without the strength, complexity, or longevity. Sadly, the former is discontinued. Smells like a tame jungle.

Very disappointed. I thought this would be an animalic heady jasmine but its kind of the opposite. Its extremely clean, clean enough to the point where it smells like toilet freshener. The jasmine doesnt smell like a real jasmine. Its screechy and synthetic. I’ve noticed that hyacinth in perfumery smells nothing like real hyacinth. The moment it enters a bottle, it smells like toilet. Which is sad because the smell of hyacinth is really wonderful and amazing. 5/10

yesterday I sniffed my wrist all day long and respritzed. what I smelled was the heavenly scent of a powdered jasmine. it was yet such rich note I knew there must have been other ingredients. I thought (more than 'felt' or 'smelled') of peach, perhaps apricot. now that I see the listing of ingredients I immediately understand the richness of this enduring and certainly developing note of powdered soft jasmine. ylang-ylang, tuberose, gardenia, double jasmine, plus civet and several resins. this must certainly be a good maceration. with powdery, softened jasmine I mean if you compare it for instance with Serge Lutens' 'à la Nuit' where the jasmines are clear and crisp. I am a sucker for white flowers and love them to death. even if the gardenia gets the all-over as in the perfumes from J.A.R. or in Domique Ropion's intensifications. with cheese notes, withed notes etc. here the jasmine is just enshrouded in the also powdered other indolic powerhouses, ylang, gardenia, tuberose. and the civet gets a background buzz. when we again compare it then, with Orizas 'Marions-Nous', where lots of notes covariate, we immediately get mauled by the prominent civet, a very obvious hyacinth, and the almost like the 80s powerhouses present 'j'arrivée'. I love both perfumes and the oldfashioned vibe to me is a plus.

With its opening, I was teleported to late winter in northern India. Maybe my nose isn't trained enough to distinguish a multitude of floral notes from one another, but I smell canola flowers. During this time of the year in north India, you see intense yellow fields everywhere in villages against haziness from fog and dusty rundown structures. After the intensive blast and subsequent small trip to north India, the fragrance quickly settles down to fresh powdery white floral. The closest to this perfume I have smelt as of now is the original Chamade in a bottle resemblant of the arrowhead of Cupid. Then again, I wouldn't say they are that similar. Some dose of hyacinth and greens at the backdrop of powdery white flowers and the vintage vibe must have given me that impression. For some bizarre reason, Anita Berber came to my mind. Secret Joly might be too tame and conventionally pretty for such a personality, but I imagine her rocking this fragrance casually during the day when she goes about the mundaneness of everyday life, lounging about at home, making tea for herself, and the like. As for myself, neither my personality nor my agegroup allows me to pull off this fragrance, I might give it another try when I'm in my 60s.

There are indeed many white floral notes listed for Oriza L. Legrand's Secret Joly (spelled on bottle and box as Secret 'Jol'y), ...but despite, ...or perhaps because of, the combined power of their intensity, they are here relegated to forming a 'blanc' canvas for the bright blue of that very noticeable hyacinth note. Indeed, it surprises me to say, but this may actually be one of the more strong and distinct hyacinth note that I've encountered in awhile. Presumably an unusual and authentically vintage hyacinth accord was constructed for this recreation. The base of Secret Joly is a classical assemblage of honey, vanillics, musk, and moderate civet. Yet compared to many vintage compositions, the base notes here stay fairly subtle, relative to the complex and heavy-handed florality above them. Of course, some of that may be due to the fact that top notes often decline more with time in many vintage fragrances. Secret Joly is delicate in detail, but strong in intensity, and even though this style of polyfloral is not currently in fashion, I think it should be a fully enjoyable scent for those that care nothing for following trends.

this is a scintillating Jasmine perfume. Jasmine isn't the only star. Gardenia soon follows. perhaps it is the Bubble-gum effect people are naming linked to Tuberose but I detect a kind of Marzipan aroma which I think accompanies the Jasmine and Gardenia. the Ylang-Ylang and Tuberose somehow take care for a full Bouquet of (White) Flowers but they are not especially discernable. notwithstanding the Allure of this perfume is fantastic. it is a kind of Dance, Joy, Play of initial Floral Brilliance. the Hyacinth also disperses itself through all these Ladies. in Oriza L. Legrands Marions-Nous (1928) we find a more prominent (still more) Hyacinth together with a more expansive Civet. here all is held insubordinate to the Flashing Florals of the Opening. to be finally microgranulary diffused on a 'Forestrial' Ambery Bed of Peru Balsem & Musk. the Civet gives a full aspect to the perfume. this is another sophisticated and refined Floral scent of the Famed House of Oriza.

powdery floral that reminds me of a discontinued Yves Rocher fragrance: Vie Privée. Hallucination or genuine resemblance? (Of course, I’d never call it a copy—some note combinations inevitably evoke others.) It’s the complete opposite of what I usually wear. This one is quite opulent, powdery, mature. It’s like a huge bouquet of lily of the valley, jasmine, and hyacinth sitting on the table of a wealthy widow, filling the entire room with its scent. A woman in my family could easily fall for it... To be continued! 🤭

A lightly indolic white floral with girly, pink powder dusted all over it. Hint of ylang creaminess. Some sort of tart note I can't properly identify along with an earthy, vegetal ruh-khus like note. Behind all this there's a golden hue of (non-dirty) civet that brings elegance to the composition without any funk. Leans heavily feminine to my nose. 2 hours in - Lots of fruitiness shares the space. Peach, redcurrant, raspberry. But unfortunately still going strong with this overly young, girly, powdery aura.

Bought a sample purely by the notes listed and I love it ! It reminds me of my favourite late teens / early 20s perfume - Joy by Jean Patou . I bought a bottle last year just for memories sake and how our nose changed over the years ! It was too heavy and potent for me now in my 50s. 😱 However , Secret Joly is a lovely alternative without the heaviness .