Ellenisia

A very special scent given to me by a very special woman who is, sadly, no longer in my life. This scent is extremely gorgeous and though "marketed" to women is warm and just fruity enough to work on my skin. For Mother's Day this year, I got my Mother the antique Penhaligons hat box (complete with green velvet bow) filled with three shower gels and three lotions, for all the wonderful things SHE buys me throughout the year. Upon inspecting her collection, we discovered she had NO Ellenisisa perfume, so my 10 ml mini is now safe and secure in her Hat Box with the coordinating body products. Though I no longer "Have" it (much like the wonderful gal who gave it to me) it continues to haunt me with its beauty and grace... Upon applying this perfume, my mind wanders to sunny days, long walks in a flower dotted meadow and lovely green leaves all around me; a warm glow of happiness and that feeling that somehow, despite all life's little tricks and drama, everything is going to be okay. As "she" opens up to me, I get the pure rapturous florals of rose (mmmm!), jasmine (creamy and dreamy) and swirls of whipped gardenias...an elegant portrait of floral beauty, obviously inspired by Mother Nature herself. Tuberose, normally so "dirty" and powdery, here is well-behaved and adds a subtle sensuality as opposed to an overtly sexual (or "naughty") vibe; although she is somewhat carnal, albeit in an innocent and playful way. Although the listed notes say the drydown is but plum and vanilla, the beauteous chorus of flowers continue to sing even after some time (which is a true wonder, on my flower eating skin) and this finishes in a haze of fruity vanillic sweet, almost gourmand, bliss; without being too sickeningly fruity or extract-y. She is elegant, poised, not afraid to taste life's forbidden fruits and, make no mistake, she IS every inch a lady! Sillage: very good Longevity: above average Overall: 4.25/5 It is better to have loved (and sniffed) and lost...than to have never experienced such joy and rapture at all! The brief time I was with both Ellenisia and the one who gave it with unconditional love are fond memories I shall not soon forget. A brief "soul dance" is better than having never danced at all... ;)

I LOVE this perfume! Where has this been all my life?! This may even replace or equal Fracas in my heart. If I ever was to become a one-scent woman, this may be it. If! ;) This scent is so well made. Stunning, really. The separate notes are clean, pure & high quality; there is NOTHING fake about this scent. It makes me think antique - NOT old fashioned but the way high quality things used to be made. It's not full of freaky, teenager, chasing-every-fad notes. This scent is classic & classy! So ladylike. The Jasmine, gardenia & tuberose all seem equal but they come out a bit stronger at different times - genius. The rose is more background to my nose & so pretty. And that mandarin orange & violet leaf hold it all together. I barely notice the plum & vanilla but I think they are holding those white flowers in check & keep any of them from going screechy & over-the-top. There are no dirty notes, no musk, no decaying scent, and it stays that way until the next day. This is one of the very rare scents that I could happily drench myself in & float on a cloud of loveliness. The jasmine is that lush, opulent jasmine I get in the Arabian oil scents (similar to "Full" by Al-Rehab ). The tuberose is not the Fracas, buttery/carnal type but a gorgeous sweet floral; so pretty. This gardenia is perfect on my skin. I often have trouble with gardenia going sour/screechy but not this one. This gardenia is pure, flowery, green gardenia. I do think if you dislike white floral scents, you may like this one. It has a fresher, more real flower scent; more like a garden of flowers. Get a sample though, this EDP is EXPENSIVE! This lasts until I wash it off the next day. Even standing in the steam of the shower, I get gorgeous floral notes. The sillage is very good but not room filling unless you really overspray.

I was searching for a feminine white floral scent that is lady-like, feminine and beautiful. Ellenisia fits all my requirement. This perfume was originally inspired from a bouquet of a perfect wedding flower. Penhaligon’s tried to recreate the beauty (with added airy sweetness), and it's wonderful. Ellenisia is a popular wedding fragrance that is so British and kinda vintage(ish), but not old. More like something a princess would wear on her wedding day. The scent is complex and heavenly, soft but powerful, a little bit sweet (because of the plum & vanilla) and airy. It is not sharp and smells sooo royal. Is starts with a soft flowery green with a tiny hint of citrus, then I can smell jasmine, tuberose and beautiful soft gardenia with a little hint of rose. They all blended so well. The dry down is more like soft plum-vanilla-gardenia on my skin. It is really smooth. On me it stays all day on clothes, 5-6 hours on skin, the longevity isn't best but I don't mind reapply. Silage is decent but not overpowering. My husband could smell it in the room, but I'm not sure outside. This heavenly scent is favored by my husband too. He immediately said "mmm this is beautiful and lovely" before I even say anything. This is so me. Totally a FBW if you like sweet floral rich and feminine scent. I can see why people say this kinda similar to Chanel Gardenia. But to me, it is a different scent from the opening to the dry down. Chanel Gardenia is more modern(ish)-sharp-fresh and Ellenisia is a bit vintage(ish)-smooth-sweet. I love both of them tho.

EDIT: I wrote the below review on first acquaintance with Ellenisia... and I was WRONG. I could not have got something similar somewhere else for less (or not easily.) I have a huge appreciation for this perfume after living with it for a while. Also, although I may not always smell it on myself, when my 23 year old daughter wears it, I'm in perfume heaven everytime I go near her, so perhaps projection is more than I realized... It is a downright classy, superb quality perfume, made with skill and grace. I LOVE IT. (Also, I will definitely repurchase, lol.) Previous review: A blind buy - this is a pretty, floral, soft & lovely scent. It really reminds me of The Bodyshop's Moringa - I have the shower gel of that, and I keep thinking of it when I smell this. Also, in the drydown reminds me of Guerlain's Champs Elysees Eau de Toilette, which I have and really enjoy. I love every note in this fragrance, but I find the sillage a little on the low side for me... longevity is great, but it is a skin scent on me, where I was looking for a cloud of loveliness to surround me. :P I feel like I could have got something similar somewhere for less. Happy to have it, though, and will enjoy my bottle to the end, just won't repurchase.

This is what Princesses smell like, I’m sure of it. Your classic European Princess Diaries type of princess, with the castle and all This is no heady white floral. No bubblegum jasmine or tuberose. This is an elegant floating creamy but clear white floral. Clean, sweet, Slightly soapy, a slight tang with raw green undertones. My absolute favorite white floral. So much quality and what a story it tells. It lingers and lasts and retains it beauty from the first spray to the last hour. A maternal smell, non offensive but not homely- it is elegant and mature, although a young lady can wear this perfectly with the right outfit. You can wear this with an elegant dress or a casual pair of well tailored pants, a little to heavy for work however. Perfect for outdoor spring and summer outings and events, and a perfect bridal fragrance. I will be buying a bottle of this classic and will wear it for years to come. Edit: very Similar to Chloe Narcisus but Elenisia has an ethereal quality, and lighter, more green.