Fleur d'Osmanthus

This is an eau fraiche or "fresh (fragrant) water" which is really meant as a refresher so it's not really meant to last, for those complaining about longevity and maybe don't understand fragrance concentrations in perfumery. That aside, I think it's a lovely, sheer, simple osmanthus tea-like scent. None of the leathery or smoky aspects of more complex osmanthus scents like Auphorie Miyako or Perris Monte Carlo Absolute d'Osmanthe. Citrusy up top, then settles to a sheer peachy/apricot. I don't like sweet and didn't find this too sweet for me. It also lasted pretty well on me-like 6 hours- albeit with little projection. I love having some perfumes that form a sheer veil of scent, rather than a brick wall, in-your-face scent that demands my attention all day. Especially when it's hot out(I keep it in the fridge in summer)or after an evening shower. Just really calming. I also have The Different Company Osmanthus but I actually prefer this much cheaper fragrance and reach for it more often! The TDC version is the same in feel-like a light, citrusy osmanthus tea. It is decidedly more floral and is more complex in comparison , but still pretty minimalist in style. The citrus smells more synthetic to me and there's this sharp, almost ammonia-like, cleaning product quality in the TDC that actually grates on me at times and the drydown sometimes registers as clean laundry to me-not a big fan of that smell. TDC is a proper perfume so does project a little more and lasts a little longer. A little being the operative phrase. I'm a fan of R &G and often find them in pharmacies deeply discounted so I don't feel guilty dousing myself.

After years of hesitation, I got myself a bottle at the end of a frustrating day. My first, or second, encounter with it was in the swimming pool locker room, a good friend of mine was using a body lotion that smelled divine. I still mostly associate it with her, but she is so nice that I'll eventually get over it. It's also quite sweet but not obnoxiously so, or even gourmand. Sweet yellow floral with hints of jammy apricot. Joyful, sunny and sparkling. I should not have waited this long to get it. Sometimes its behaviour reminds me of N°5 Eau Première, big love of mine, it's a great mood lifter. I can't help myself, I like my perfumes sunny and happy. For simple "perfumed water", its performance is outstanding. We currently enjoy mild late summer weather and I love wearing it in the evenings. I can only hope to continue enjoying it when the weather glooms. It's December and I still enjoy it as much as I did three months ago. Jammy texture with suede undertone, one of the osmanthus caracteristics with sunny yellow-ness, is simply delightful. There is also touch of acidity and bitter zestiness like in those expensive artisanal marmelades that smell and taste like sunshine. It's a real treat to wear. And body care is just as good. It's a winner all year long. Genious behind it is Nathalie Lorson. That explains things.

My aunt and cousin went on a trip to France and they bought a bottle of Fleur d'Osmanthus as a gift for me. It was the first time I heard of Roger & Gallet. Upon the first spritz, I was meh on it. I used it a few more times and then suddenly it became heavenly to me. A lady stood by me and she even complimented telling me "ooh you smell so good." The osmanthus scent got so addicting; clear, crisp, juicy and fresh. I ended up using the whole bottle. A few years later, I missed the scent so much, I had to stalk and scour online just to find another bottle and let me tell you, it was very hard! Eventually, I came upon a site called Perfume Premium (DO NOT use this site unless you live in Europe which I don't. I'm a Vietnamese living in the U.S.) I thought I was scammed after paying so much money for another bottle of this but after going through pains, they finally delivered a bottle of Fleur d'Osmanthus to my house two days ago. It smelled just as heavenly and amazing as a few years back and I will be using it sparingly.

Just impulsively sprayed this on in a pharmacy in a very small farm town in the south of France. I was in a terrible mood - didn't get much sleep last night, unexpectedly started my period early and was cramping bad, the sun was out and very hot, I was dehydrated, and I needed to stop at the pharmacy to pick up paracetemol because I'd accidently ran out. So when I tell you this was a mood lifter, I mean it. It's very pretty, sweet and floral and light with a soft brightness that I think is the citrus, simple, noticeable enough that I don't have to literally press my wrist to my face but not strong enough to be intrusive at all, I could probably ignore it if I wanted too. I absolutely fell in love with it. I have a rule against buying perfumes the first time I smell them, and I was in a rush, so I kept moving. But definitely going back and grabbing it. Tried a couple others in the pharmacy but this stood out to me. Lovely. Extremely reminisicent of French summers too, with the freshness, brightness, and sweet floral.

Smells exactly like peachy shower gel in the opening, but why not? It's not literal, it's your peach-washed skin in a summer day. Minutes later, the neroli kicks in, filling the exact half of the space with its Mediterranean soapiness/happiness. I have a story here. I had a very stressful working month, lots of anxiety and not enough sleep, when I found Fleur d'Osmanthus. It helped me transcend. I needed this reapplied through the whole day, regardless of weather conditions or its limited projection and short life. It becomes slightly sweeter and woodier in the base, but remains balanced and light, talking about sunshine and simple life, as opposed to the complications one might be going through in this very moment. I speak rarely about the therapeutic qualities of a fragrance and I don't take them for granted (lavender, for example, makes me nervous most of the time). In this case though, therapeutic it is indeed, speaking from my own experience.