Fleur de Chine

Someone below mentioned that this reminds them of Chanel No. 5, and Fleur de Chine, to me, is a more floral No. 5. I notice similarities with its vintage structure, aldehydic opening and floral heart, but especially in the top notes, most likely because I am familiar with this particular Chanel. At the very least, I strongly feel that this scent has been inspired by it. On the other hand, Arpege (which has also been suggested as similar) smells dated to me; whilst Fleur de Chine does not, and instead smells timeless, pure and hyper-feminine. This scent is all about some shimmering aldehydes that accompany a whole bouquet of flowers in bloom, the majority of which smell foreign and unfamiliar to me. The florals give their own unique hints of soapiness, spiciness, powder or freshness, all anchored upon a woody base, and sometimes I think I smell something slightly watery, too. I suppose all these exotic suggestions of mystery form part of the charm. I mostly pick up on the soft aldehydes, white florals and vetiver, although I think I will be able to decipher more of the flowers as I use this fragrance over the passing of time. It’s very well-blended. As the scent dries down, it develops a warmer and more intimate feel, whilst always remaining elegant. Whilst it is unfortunate that this beauty has been discontinued, I do understand why. Fleur de Chine has similarities to classical vintage scents of the French perfumery, yet does not smell dated, and gives the impression that it has been renewed for a more modern audience. I suppose Tom Ford thought that this would be an excellent seller, except rather unfortunately, there are only a small minority of people who wish to smell like this, those who are admirers of the classic scents, yet cannot wear many of them, and, at the same time, don’t want to smell like they just stepped out of [insert decade of your choice here]. I am basically one of them. As a result, Fleur de Chine is very “me”; vintage, yet modern. Fleur de Chine, in my opinion, performs at its best in the heat of a very hot day, because it allows all of the beautiful florals to blossom and release a stunning sillage, which was soft to moderate in strength; longevity was for about 5-6 hours :)

Oh, how I wish I had been "ready" to understand this sample when I first ordered it years ago. (If I had been, I would have purchased a bottle. Good luck with that now -- discontinued plus impossible to find equals expensive.) If you've lived through the maximalist decade that was the 1980s or sampled popular vintage perfumes of the era, you will recognize the " more is more" mentality that provides the foundation for this scent. Aldehydes? In abundance. An assortment of florals? Yes, we have that, too. Fruity notes? Sure, they're in here somewhere. Some woody aromas to provide a sturdy, lingering base? But, of course! The only thing missing is the kitchen sink -- but that's OK, because the kitchen sink could only *dream* of smelling this good. All those years ago, when I first smelled this, I recognized the 80s vibe and wrote it off as "not for me." Dear reader, I should not have done that. Because this isn't just a 2013 perfume trying to resurrect the decade of decadence. This is that decade if you photographed it from a distance in low light through a soft-focus filter with a telephoto lens. It somehow manages to be everything that made the greatest hits of that fragrance decade popular without straying too far into "we need to ban this from restaurants" territory. It's a fondly-recalled memory -- a nostalgia trip in which you've stripped away all of the less-than-perfect aspects of those years and kept all of the cozy, warm, invigorating, and joyful parts. It's your childhood or your youth, not *exactly* as it happened, but how you *want* and *choose* to remember it -- the golden glow without the darkness.

بخور هندی را بو کرده اید ؟ بخورهایی که اندازه یک مداد هست و هندی ها با بوی گلها میسازند انتخاب نام این عطر به درستی صورت گرفته است چین , گلهای شرق ,شرق و... عطری خوشبو و گلدار مطلق با بوی گلهای اسیای میانه و شرق اسیا بخورهای هندی را زیاد بو کرده بودم ولی روایح تشکیل دهنده اش را نمیشناختم تا اینکه این عطر را خریدم و فهمیدم که گل مگنولیا رایحه اصلی بخورهای هندی هست این عطر با پسوندی چین معرفی شده است حال انکه میتوانست با نام هند نیز معرفی شود عطر مطلقا گلدار و فلورال هست و دنبال رایحه ای دیگر در ان نباشید.گل مگنولیا در صدر این عطر قرار دارد و بوی رز گلاب مانند در کنارش خودنمایی میکنه و روایح زیرین شناسنامه برجسته ای ندارند بلکه همه انها یک بوی واحد شده اند و خود را با مگنولیا و رز قاطی نموده اند و با مرور زمان خود را شکار میکنن.بوی پودری نسبتا زیادی هم هست که سرچشمه اش نمیدونم از کجاست.ه رایحه هلو هم بدرستی معرفی شده اما بوی برجسته ای ندارد بوی هلو در هر حالت به بوهای گلی شبیه هست تا بوی های میوه ای و اینجا نیز گلی هست بر سر سایر گلها اما شیرینی عطر نتیجه بوی کهربا هست.بوی شیرین ملایم که در هر حالت با گلها همراه شده و تلخی انها را زدوده است عطر بویی چرب مانند با حسی پودری و لطیف مخملی دارد با گذشت زمان و فروکش کردن روایح اولیه یاس بالا میاد و خودنمایی میکنه , رز تقریبا کمرنگ میشود ماندگاری متوسط به اما پخش بویش فقط در یک ساعت اول نسبتا خوب هست و بعد یک ساعت نزدیک به پوست میشه هم کلاسیک و هم مدرن عطر خیلی خوبی هست و مخصوص لحظات با همسر بودن و لحظات عاشقانه از داشتنش راضی هستم ماندگاری : 2.5/5 پخش بو : 2/5 رایحه 4/5 ارزش خرید : 3.5/5 Eat Hindi + Rosewater + amber = Atelier d’Orient Fleur de Chine

Ill start this review by saying I am not an aldehydes fan. Not a all. My dislike boarders on hatred. I just can't take to scents like Chanel No. 5, No. 22, First, Arpege, White Linen, the classic Guerlain fragrances, etc. There is something about aldehydes that coats the back of my throat and makes me sneeze. I hate the term "old lady", I think it's a derogatory phrase, but when when it comes to aldehydes and someones mentions "old lady", I know what they mean. So when I first tried Fleur de Chine, I thought "What!? Aldehydes?! Ugh! Well we are talking about Tom Ford here, and I always respect his take on scents. This is kind of a throw back to the aldehydic scents of the seventies and its like nothing else in his collection. In spite of the strong aldehydes opening, I rather like Chine. This one is a shape shifter, Its starts powdery, then goes white floral, then at times it seems tutti fruity sweet, then it gives off a clean and modern edge. This one is multifaceted, complex and interesting. Any woman who wears Dune or Oscar would go bonkers over this, its too bad its discontinued. Maybe it didn't appeal to the typical Tom Ford clientel, but this would smell very sophisticated and professional on a younger woman. While this is 100% feminine, and not unisex in the least, I still really it. Nice job Tom.

Fleur de Chine is Very classy, very grown up , ladylike and a tat old fashioned. Think 1930 s chanel and the elegant but fashion forward , Sophia Loren ,Grace Kelly ,and Audry Hepburn. Fleur de Chine opens with a fresh soapy blast of aldehydes ( fragrantica fails to mention ) soapy orangey ,warm peachy, plumy and powdery. Goes through stages of different flowers like magnolia,hyacinth,and lilac all touched by warm woody oriental glamorous aldehyde cloud, the feel of a Hollywood movie star. The image of bright red lips. :) love it. Great for day and night! Balsamic , Fruity ,floral with a woody dry down. Update , Fleur de Chine is an adehydic fresh fluffy cloud of classy elegance ,yet it has a very modern feel to it. I am so in love and I would call this my favourite besides Bois de Iles. I agree with the comment above me, chanel creation. Personally similar to Bois de Iles. Chanel les exclusifs .

Beautiful, big but not loud floral opening. Blended wonderfully; I'd have to be deliberately thinking about it to determine what particular flower is where. Juicy, delicate, elegant, lovely. Unfortunately my skin eats it and a half an hour in I can't find it at all. Others can smell it if they sniff my wrist. (or in the case of dear husband bury their nose in my neck) Two hours from spraying it's completely gone for both myself and my sniff testing assistants. Quel dommage. I think it's one of Ford's most beautiful fragrances, really something to try if gorgeous florals make you shiver.

I think Fleur de Chine is one of the most underrated Private Blends. You rarely hear it mentioned and it is actually one of my very favorites. It has a classic throw back feel but made modern. I think this could be a wonderful way to transition into the discovery of classics for those who can't quite warm up to stuff like Arpege and the like. It is like a happy medium. Beautifully floral with an aldehydic feel....with fruity peach and plum and a woody base that grounds it and keeps it from going too girly or "formal ball". It is elegant without being stuffy.

Loud florals with aldehydic tendencies, retro powder, come hither ambers dark pitted fruits, and soft wood. Fleur De Chine is not shy with making impressions but it's still ladylike. This is my "Oriental Chanel no.5". This smells old fashioned with an Asian flair, very feminine, powdery soapy and confident with a spicy twist. Beautiful and gorgeous fragrance!

This is easily my favorite of his Orient collection and has fast become one of his best in general, on par with his Oud Wood or the highly underrated Champaca Absolute.

TF really messed up when they discontinued this masterpiece.

Are you ready for this? Deep breath now. Top notes of hualan flower, star magnolia, clementine, bergamot, hyacinth, and jasmine tea. Heart notes of lilac, syringa, plum, tea rose, wisteria, white peach, and peony. Base notes of hinoki, Chinese cedarwood, amber, Laotian benzoin, styrax, and vetiver. Phew! My fingers are tired from typing. I'm not sure why I bothered because, as with more than a couple of Rodrigo Flores-Roux's creations for Tom Ford, the notes the brand says you should be smelling are largely absent. That list is excessive; you can whittle it down to about a quarter of those accords. It's pleasantly sparkling floral for most of its life, then it dries down to ambers. However, don't take this to mean that it is easily dismissible, or should be. It is really quite good. Though most of those notes are not present, there is a soft-spoken and elegant complexity to this perfume that is really attractive. I cannot call it thought provoking, but it is beautiful and uniquely gentle. The latter descriptor is so un-Tom Ford that I couldn't help but be surprised by this perfume. Tom Ford elegance and opulence but with gentle, beautiful complexity instead of loud trashiness? Yes, please!

It's funny I don't find this to be like Aprege at all but more like Givenchy Ysatis instead. But like if my bottle of vintage Grand Amour by Goutal and Ysatis had a baby. When I spray this, I get a peppery hyacinth right up front w/ narcissus, jonquil. Like the blooms of these spring flowers are popping up and there is still a light snow on the ground, a spring snow came, and the flowers are a bit overcome by it. Like there is a cold tonality here in the beginning that makes me think of spring flowers fighting against the cold of a late spring snow. As it goes along it becomes creamier like Ysatis but the white florals are not as heavy as they are in Ysatis it is more about yellow florals and purple hyacinth, at least for me. What bugs me about TF perfumes that I like is they don't last as long as they should. This is another one like Jonquil Nuit where the lasting power doesn't jive w/ the high price tag. I have to say though this is very beautiful. A very womanly, grown up spring bouquet type of floral. One that has been caught in a bit of snow.

This is very nice when blended with just about anything by Tom Ford Private Blends. It also seems to work well with most Guerlains. It is very pleasing mixed with another perfume. More so then worn alone. I have noticed that the aroma that is left in the air after applying this particular parfum is very pleasant. Top few minutes its give or take if worn alone. But after about 10-15 minutes just lovely. Sillage medium Old Fashioned floral but with a twist. Longivity fair about 4 hours for me maybe more. Rating all in all 7/10. Café rose is the best for me then Champaca absolute Edit: Fluer De Chine is wonderful if sprayed before or after most Tom Fords or even Amouage parfums, for an original unique elegant scent. I find this puppy to be most delicate and is at its prettiest when mixed with others. It is unique.

This is easily my favorite of his Orient collection and has fast become one of his best in general, on par with his Oud Wood or the highly underrated Champaca Absolute. It is an intense white floral mixed with a sweet mimosa-like scent (now I see magnolia is the likely culprit). It soon became a wonderful green and spicy hyacinth. I lingered in this moment that was like a sunny spring day with a refreshing breeze, as the hyacinth mixed with the scent of newly plucked tea leaves. An hour later the drydown caught me by surprise. It was quite powdery and maybe rosy, as it reminded me very much of the classic Ombre Rose mixed with a dollop of golden honey. This is an exquisite creation, ever-mutating and captivating me with every beautiful inhalation.

Smelling this I totally get why it was discontinued. Not that that means it smells bad. I actually quite like it, but it's nothing like any of the other Tom Fords I've smelled. It's quite vintage smelling in feel. Very floral, powdery, aldehydic for sure. It definitely has a dressy, old-school, classy feel to it. I like it a lot, but I was quite shocked when I smelled it to realize it's part of the Atelier d'Orient line. It's quite unique! I think it would great for spring as it smells like blooming florals to me. Also, I would think this leans way more feminine than masculine. I am quite surprised this is a unisex! Pops off my skin a good 12 inches or so and lasts quite a long time. Lovely and sad it's discontinued.

really nice perfume, very hard to describe what exactly is going on there as the scents are so nicely blended. I can smell plums and labdanum, plus a bouquet of flowers that im not very familiar with. longevity is about 8-10 hours and projection is medium. It is not generic like other private blend perfumes from TF. I notice a bit of skanky smell smell to this one, very mild but its there. It gets thumbs up from me because it smells nice and somehow different to others on the market, but I am not a specialist in women fragrances so its only my personal opinion

Vintage in structure, opens with a blast of aldehydes and I can't help but think of Arpege and No5 in the first minutes; vintage in feel but not dated. But then the white flowers are blooming and they're creamy and intoxicating. A nice addition are the fruits which are not intrusive, but just an extra flavor and the woods provide a solid structure in the background. In the end, it's an aldehydic/musky/floral/fruity oriental, a sort of a contemporary interpretation of a vintage perfume. 7.5/10

The opening of Fleur de Chine is magnificent, the most wonderful Tom Ford I've encountered since Velvet Gardenia. I was very much hoping that FdC would do for magnolia what VG did for gardenia, but it was not to be. After that gorgeous, breathtaking, rich opening, FdC goes nowhere, and in fact disappears in about two hours' time, having already faded into the scent of nothing much. So damn sad.

I'm still amazed how beautiful Fleur de Chine is. It's soft in the opening, with the most wonderful delicate floral breeze, somewhat old fashioned and elegant, but in a good way. It's very feminine and it lingers around with the warmth of amber and the sweetness of plums. I think this gorgeous scent just made it to the top of my favorites. I imagine wearing Fleur de Chine to my wedding.

@archivist I'm glad you gave it a try and loved it! You pretty much pointed out why this reminded me of Fate: floriental + light aldehydic & animalic vibe; reminiscent of the classics yet modern. I also I have to point out the "lukewarm" feel they both have, which is a special balance between the cool fresh floral and the warm oriental.