California Réverie

For me this is strictly a summer perfume. I blind bought a bottle in the winter and wound up wishing I had just purchased a sample to try instead. At the time I thought it was an expensive mistake. I stuck it in the back of the perfume cabinet in frustration, not sure what I would do with it in the future. Today, while trying to decide what to wear, the medal hanging off the bottle caught my eye and I thought, what the hell, I'll give it another shot. And boy, am I glad I did. This is exquisite. The heat really brings out all the notes and makes this fragrance expand around you. I am surrounded by the softest cloud of flowers right now. While very simple in its execution, it manages to smell both rich and lush. After the fresh mandarin opening, which I love, two notes dominate, Neroli and Jasmine. The Neroli is beautifully showcased. It's not sharp, soapy, or excessively citric. Nor is it syrupy. The honey and vanilla are barely perceptible, and serve to bring out the natural sweetness and depth of the flowers. The end result is that the Neroli is soft and fresh, as if you are smelling actual blossoms. The jasmine is sublime, narcotic and languid. It adds a very dreamy quality. The frangi adds a hint of creaminess, and a sunny quality, but none of its tropical aspects as it does in some other blends. Aside from the mandarin, there is not even a hint of coconut or other fruit. Here, the focus is all about the white flowers, and Jasmine and Neroli rule. There is a subtle spiciness (orange blossom, perhaps?) that works wonderfully well. Almost imperceptible, adding a little pizzazz that prevents the notes from being flat or dull. It brightens the scent into a sunny composition and adds a lot of depth. The overall feeling this gives is that of an easy, breezy, lazy, summer day. Silage is close to the skin but perceptible. Longevity on the disappointing side of 4-5 hours. This is a good perfume to use when you don't want to announce your presence, but you still want to smell nice. People will be able to smell it when they get near you. At least, my family members could (without a mask). Despite it's shortcomings in the performance arena, I really like this golden scent. So perfect for wearing on this hot summer day.

Oh, my lord this is so beautiful! It’s bright, with a very natural neroli and orange citrus just at the top. When the citrus and neroli mix with the jasmine it’s a bit narcotic. The neroli in this is right up there with Neroli Portofino. It’s amazing! This is just as gorgeous as NP and might even be better. It definitely is at a better price then many of the fragrances in the NP line. In fact if you have the Tom Ford NP oil (I do along with the fragrance) and layer NP with this it’s insanely good. There is nothing sharp or cloying AT ALL. The neroli is used just enough. It’s so balanced because then the heart reveals the smooth creamy frangipani which is a little bit sweet and tropical. Of course you have a pretty little jasmine and beeswax and vanilla adding a smidgen of sweetness, a nice prominent bit of bee’s wax in the base with a touch of roundness. There is nothing overpowering at all in this it’s not TOO heady. But it is heady and narcotic it’s just not overkill.This isn’t a “perfumy fragrance.” What I mean by that is that certain fragrances just have that sophisticated, traditional “I’m wearing a serious woman perfume.” smell. Like say the french perfumery of Idole or J’adore for instance (which smell nothing like this as all). This is much more natural and modern than that. It’s a little bit quiet but also sunny, happy, smooth, fresh, and a little sweet. It’s stunning, effortless, not haughty because it’s just naturally pretty, refreshing, uplifting, a little dewy, innocent, and so CLEAN!. No powdery texture at all. It does conjure up a sunny place that has a lot of natural beauty like California. Very unisex. You just smell like the lovely outdoors. I love it. I just put this on before bed and I can’t believe how good it is and it’s like 3 days later.

I just saw California Reverie today in a department store completely unaware of this new release and had to try it right away. I have to say that the stated notes are spot on; nothing more, nothing less. It's like smelling a big basket full of freshly picked jasmine, frangipani and neroli with hints of citrus. Thankfully I didn't notice the beeswax which can make a beautiful perfume smelling like a nicely scented candle; just provides a subtle base for the florals to stick to. The overall impression is mildly sweet, doesn't step to the gourmand territory. The sillage is a solid moderate as the other fragrances of the Collection Extraordinaire, the same with longevity. While California Reverie is an elegant, substantial white floral - not too fleeting or ethereal - isn't uncomfortably bold either. Can be worn year round and fit casual or formal occasions, day or night. Comes in the new 45ml bottles too. Still not sure if it's full bottle worthy for me but gets thumbs up. Edit: Some interesting info from chemistinthebottle.wordpress.com ''For the celebration of their 70th anniversary of being present in America, Van Cleef & Arpels created a special jewellery collection which ‘a wealth of inspiration derived from the majestic scenery of California‘ – the collection was given a name of California Reverie. Along the collection the perfume of the same name was exclusively created. It wasn’t offered regularly but was given as a gift to those who bought the shiny jewellery pieces of California Reverie. In 2014 the brand decided to incorporate this scent to the other scents in Collection Extraordinaire and put it in wider distribution.''

Beautiful, realistic flowers. I get the sweet, juicy orange and then equal parts orange blossom with jasmine. Maybe frangipani? It smells like the flowers have been sweetened by the sun. And that's about it! I don't smell beeswax or vanilla especially, which I hoped together would make CR more full bodied. After having Gardenia Petale a while and now adding this to my collection, to me CR pales a little bit in comparison. Best way I can describe is it smells thin, having no defining texture or fullness. Still very beautiful. I've wanted CR a long time, but when I decided I was ready to buy it was out of stock on fragrancenet, so I went for Gardenia Petal instead. I probably would have stopped at CR otherwise and never discovered GP (I do wish they still made Lys Carmin). Anyway, I enjoy CR but Gardenia Petale so far is my favorite of the two. It's richer, though subjectively still a lighter scent, has more golden juice, and creates a better cloud around me. Gardenia Petale actually lasts quite long on skin, which took me a bit to realize. Goes a couple of days in fabric, too. Maybe CR will become a love like GP did, but either way it's a beautiful summer fragrance and I like it. Stays very very close to the body, with a soft cloud lasting about an hour and is detectable to my nose about 2 hours when smelled up close. For comparison, Gardenia Petale keeps its soft cloud about 3 hours and is detectable up close about 5 or 6 - a couple of days on shirts like I said. Haven't tested CR on fabric yet.

The perfect spring-summer jasmine... Star jasmine which is less indolic and has a honey note, is the most popular jasmine in California (although the notes state jasmine sambac), and according to AI, "Star jasmine flowers have a sweet, slightly vanilla-like fragrance...the scent is often described as pleasant, honeyed, and can perfume an entire yard, especially in the early mornings." I just have a travel sample of this, but it's a gorgeous summery jasmine, refined enough for a summer wedding but understated enough to be worn everyday. Jasmine is clean, fresh and green-leaning, backed up by a milky sweetness from frangipani and beeswax, and some clean facets from neroli. Neroli isn't as forward here as compared scents, (such as Love Story Chloe), and this is really all about jasmine imho. I was looking forward to testing this for awhile now, and I'm not disappointed. Some reminders for me of Jasmine Oscar de la Renta, although this lasts longer and has more milkiness underneath. I can't wait to try this in warmer weather, and I'll update my review then. Definitely signature scent worthy, especially for spring & summer. It's a love. Enjoy! Update 04/13/25: Wearing this today and really enjoying it in warmer weather where it really shines. Clean, light, fresh with good diffusion at first. Good projection for 2-3 hours after which it becomes a skin scent, although I may have become noseblind as I got a compliment 8 hours later. Love it still.

I'm always on the lookout for good jasmine-centred fragrances, and this one is exquisite. California Réverie is predominantly aimed at those perfumistas who love the scent of jasmine flower, but can not tolerate its indolic components, or perhaps they get a headache if the scent is too overpowering. Fortunately, this is one tamed shrew: the indolic components have been mostly removed, and the heady floralness has been sacrificed in favour of something pleasant and office-friendly. What's left is a soft, not too sweet, almost soapy jasmine, initially paired with neroli and tangerine. Normally I can't stand fragrances with prominent neroli, petitgrain and/or orange blossom, because they smell incredibly sharp and piercing to me; but here, neroli is very subtle and only serves to freshen up this jasmine and add a cologne-like component. While frangipani is listed as one of the central notes in the pyramid, it is actually quite subdued and its presence is barely felt. All in all, this is a natural-smelling, pretty, pleasant, soapy, refreshing and inoffensive jasmine, ideal for very hot weather. Although it is not strong, it lasts a fair bit and creates a beautiful feminine aura. I have never been to California, so can't testify whether this is a realistic reproduction of the smell of Cali gardens at night; but the scent is certainly evocative and dreamy, and it almost makes me feel nostalgic for the places I've never even visited!

California Reverie was a great discovery for me, during a recent trip to Greece. I haven’t had the chance to explore any Van Cleef &Arpels perfumes until recently, and California Reverie is my first purchase from the brand. I quite liked a few of them (only tested the ones in clear bottles, the more summery ones) but this one was instant love and the stand out for me. As a white+yellow floral lover, California Reverie is a dream of perfume. Bright and crisp in the opening from neroli and mandarin, without being too green and sharp, transforms as it settles on the skin in a moderately sweet, light, airy and creamy jasmine, frangipani, vanilla, beeswax concoction. This is the type of perfume that might work very well for wedding parties, office or formal events during summertime because of its natural smell and lightness. What sets California Reverie apart from other sweet, white/tropical dominant perfumes is the perfect balance of the notes. Nothing too dominant as far as the notes go, it’s long lasting (especially on clothing lasts for days) without being overwhelming and it’s rather a close to the skin scent, so it won’t offend anyone around. Elegant, classic and feminine! For me personally, it’s a strong like because I would love it to be stronger/have a bigger sillage. But the juice itself is perfectly done! I am eyeing next The Amara and Gardenia Petale! All are absolutely gorgeous scents but on the lighter side.

An amazing amazing scent! Yesterday i had Jasmine flowers in the home and this smelled exactly like them. Very natural smelling jasmine with some other white florals, can pick out frangipani as well which is called 'Champa' here in India. Both are very common smells used very widely in Hindu rituals since the ancient times. Being an Indian, needless to say i have lived among these flowers since my childhood. That is why when i first smelled California Reverie i got nostalgic and so many memories popped in my mind. I bought a bottle immediately and now having both Neroli Amara and this in my collection i can say these are some of the best interpretations of white florals in modern French perfumery. I own some original Indian attars of Jasmine and white florals which are so deep, thick and longer lasting(unlike these perfumes). But California Reverie has a place in my collection, this is a frag i wear for myself. At times when i do not wish to apply those natural thick attar oils in hot Indian summers, i reach for my Van Cleef and Arpels. The projection on this is nothing and longevity is almost non existent, but this is a type of scent that i wear for myself. This is very uplifting, airy and have that feel of nostalgia for me. This is a must have for someone who connects with white florals and believe that every scent doesn't have to be a beast performer in order to be perfect 10.

I have had a travel spray of California Reverie for quite some time now - one of those that Fragrancenet decants and sells in a small spray bottle. I received as a gift from a fellow Fragrantician included in a swap we had made who knew I was very fond of Gardenia Petale. I really fell in love with CR. I have recently developed a newfound love for the freshness of neroli, especially in combination with jasmine sambac. About 10 minutes ago, I decided to purchase a bottle at a really great price - an unused tester from Fragrancenet. I didn't think twice as I have NEVER had an issue with them. I allow my purchases to settle down for a week or so before I try them to give them time to "freshen up" after their journey, which really helps all shipped fragrances. I provide this info because I read through a few of the newer reviews here and found that several people questioned the authenticity and/or freshness of the product they received. I am hoping that this is a fluke and that in some cases just a matter of skin chemistry, because even discounted, this line isn't particularly inexpensive. I'm willing to take the chance because I REALLY love the scent, but now I have doubts. I will update after my bottle arrives and has time to rest. To those of you who have had bad experiences, I feel awful for you, but I'm hoping for the best. EDIT - no need to worry. Bottle is in good shape.

Absolutely beautiful. I love neroli, and in 2017 was longing for a new spring scent Fact is, it was a blind buy (I did not have access to this line where I live) - but I read before all the possible reviews on this frag. So, I splurged... and well I did! This is a pure gem. Soft, fresh and joyful like a Sunday morning in a vacation place. The white flowers are elegant but not overpowering. You enter into this frag with a small lot of citruses, and then comes the neroli... the jasmine is balanced, not indolic at all - forget Fleurs d'Oranger, that is another country!. Clean and uplifting. It is tremendously well balanced with tuberose, that is often too strong and powerful and overcasts other notes. Not here. Here it is just where it has to be. If you like Jardins de Bagatelle, you'll love this (like it was Jardin's daughter), if you like La Chasse aux Papillons, you'll adore California Reverie, as if it was its summer sister. Sillage is average and it will not last all day - about 4-6 hrs on my skin, but this is a lighter frag for the warmer months or climates (=California) and I guess it is not designed to be overpowering. Simply fantastic! By now I have finished up a full sized bottle and bought 4 backups, that is much but tells you the love I have for this gem.

Absolutely beautiful. My Spring top-three-most-worn scent. I love neroli, and back in 2017 was longing for a new spring scent Fact is, it was a blind buy although reading beforehand all the possible reviews on this frag. So, I splurged... and well I did. This is a pure gem. Soft, fresh and joyful like a Sunday morning in a vacation place. The white flowers are elegant but not overpowering. You enter into this frag with a small lot of citruses, and then comes the neroli... the jasmine is balanced, not indolic at all - forget Fleurs d'Oranger, that is another country!. Clean and uplifting. It is tremendously well balanced with tuberose, that is often too strong and powerful and overcasts other notes. Not here. Here it is just where it has to be. If you like Jardins de Bagatelle, you'll love this (like it was Jardin's daughter), if you like La Chasse aux Papillons, you'll adore California Reverie, as if it was its summer sister. Sillage is average and it will not last all day - about 4-6 hrs on my skin, but this is a lighter frag for the warmer months or climates (=California) and I guess it is not designed to be overpowering. Simply fantastic! By now I have finished up 3 full sized bottle and have backups, that is much but tells you the love I have for this gem.

California Reverie is for one of those days when the sun finally begins to shine after an entire week of rain. Inspiring, uplifting and simply beautiful. She will charm you with her nectarous white floral composition. The jasmine and neroli are dominant and they are clean, fresh and light, not animalic to my nose. The slight sweetness from the white florals are supported by citrus - mandarin orange, which adds that sparkle in the beginning. The beeswax is only peeking through to add a rounded feel and golden smoothness to the entirety. I do not discern a definite frangipani or vanilla note in California Reverie. They are certainly not showcasing the pink variety which are creamy, buttery and tropical sweet, but to an undeniable extent, the yellow frangipani flowers are present, which have a lemony, fresh white floral scent. However I would say the frangipani acts as an accent in California Reverie and it is a predominantly a jasmine + neroli scent. I really like California Reverie as an uncomplicated and natural beauty. She flutters shyly in her sillage and stays around you with average longevity. I can imagine if you liked Chanel Beige and its parfum version, you would positively enjoy Van Cleef & Arpel's California Reverie.

Love love LOVE! I've worn this basically every day since I got it. A juicy citrussy jasmine, which dries down to a gorgeous almost musky honey, but never loses that citrussy floral note. This is different enough from other summer staple fragrances that it's signature-worthy. Worth noting you definitely have to like jasmine to like this smell, but especially on the dry-down the honey/citrus/frangipani notes make this really accessible to all. It's still quite cold where I am so I'm so excited to try this as it warms up! EDIT: it's warmer here now and I still wear this quite often, but this fragrance is so different in the different temps. In the cooler months, this is a jasmine/neroli-forward fragrance. It's a white flower bomb, which settles into a creamy skin scent. In the warmer months, I'm finding this is a honey-ed citrus fragrance most of all, with the white flowers acting more as a supporting act. It's like the notes have reversed for me. It's a wee bit on the sweet side for me (reminds me almost of a honeysuckle sweetness) but I still wear it a lot more than a lot of other fragrances in my collection. Still a firm favourite, but very different personalities to this fragrance depending on the temperature!

California Reverie is a beautiful summer perfume. At the first spray it is a bit sour because of the neroli and orange, but that sour note disappears a minute later and is replaced by the jasmine and frangipani notes. These two floral notes stay for the whole course of the perfume, making California Reverie a very light and bright scent, which is perfect for summer, the vanilla is not heavy in this at all. I put this on in the morning when I wake up and I feel more awake and ready for the day. It actually reminds me of Guerlain Terracotta Le Parfum, except Terracotta is a bit sweeter with the coconut, and California Reverie is fresher. The longevity of California Reverie is about 4 hours, so it's not very great for the steep price, but because this perfume is supposed to be very light and summery, maybe that's why it is a bit fleeting. Overall, I think this is a great addition to the Collection Extraordinaire line of Van Cleef & Arpels, and it is a very pleasing scent. It would make a safe blind buy for someone who enjoys fresh floral scents. P.S. I layered this with Allure eau de Parfum today and it's amazing. The two scents compliment each other really well, and makes California Reverie more long lasting.

I bought Van Cleef’s Gardenia Petale and fell in love with the quality composition and the chic , sophisticated white floral scent. So I blind bought California Reverie based on its reviews and notes . I do admit , honey and beeswax aren’t my thing as I’m not into sweet , waxy scents . However, I found VC’s fragrances have a soft projection on my skin so I thought I could overlook it . Initial spray was all about citrus. But that lasted a few minutes . Then the Jasmine and Frangipani came through with the honey and vanilla. I would call this a honey , floral . Not waxy at all but the honey is evident all the way through . It’s not as loud as Ilha Do Mel by Memo which I have but all other notes in CR are in the background with honey as the main performer . I’m definitely not disappointed with my purchase . It’s a gentle , understated , clean floral that reminds me of summer . A happy scent . I prefer Gardenia Petale but found it’s silage and longevity quite poor . Now that I work from home , my day scents are just for me , totally for my enjoyment . So be it if I have to spray again 🥰 This however , is a stronger formulation on my skin and I look forward to wearing it lots over summer 💓💓💓

Alas, California Reverie breaks my heart. I truly love it and I have one of those Fragrancenet travel spray decants courtesy of a lovely fellow perfumista. Actually, I have many of the perfumes in the "Reminds me of..." section already, but there is something different here, a "zing" of sorts, courtesy of the mandarin that enhances the neroli. It is clean and fresh, and not at all as heavy as some of the notes might suggest. But... Tha ABYSMAL performance, particularly the longevity, make this a no for me, especially at the price. I find I have the same issue with their Gardenia Petal, which smells creamy and like true gardenia rather than tuberose doctored up with jasmine. I love it, and CR even more, but they both seem to vanish completely from my skin in less than 30 minutes, which is simply unacceptable. I suppose it's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all, but I'll miss you, baby! 😉 EDIT 3/12/22 - I just impulse purchased a fb tester from Fragrancenet at a good price. Now I'm second guessing myself. See newer review for reasons.

A beautiful Jasmine fragrance, dipped in honey and complemented by a blast of sweet citrus on the opening. This is a FRESH pure jasmine. There is nothing indolic and heavy about it and I'm relieved to see it's free of other white florals that I personally don't enjoy as much like gardenia and tuberose. Sure there's other florals and I do get a dash on honey sweetness but this is all about jasmine. Compared to TF Jasmins Rogue (another super popular jasmine-forward scent), this is lighter, fresher, and less obscured by other notes like ylang-ylang which adds a heavy sweet smell that I don't love and takes away from the beauty of jasmine IMO. However. I wish the sillage and performance was a little better. I can hardly smell it on me after an hour, that's not a promising sign...I'm going to buy a full bottle regardless but I will probably have to overspray or continuously spray to actually be able to smell this on myself, much less have anyone else appreciate my smell! 7/10 considering poor performance but 9/10 otherwise

Beautiful clean jasmine! I really enjoy California Reverie. This really has that outdoor happy vibe of sunshine and laughter while still having the feeling of natural elegance. The jasmine is tinged with green -- fresh jasmine sambac and bright, sunny neroli with nuances of orange. The frangipani is soft and velvety, cheery like a Hawaiian vacation but not overly tropical. I do detect a touch of dirty green indole, but not much. The base is not dominant with vanilla or beeswax, but gives this fragrance a wonderful base of richness that projects solar warmth. Nuda is my signature and night time jasmine soliflor or for layering with darker scents. California Reverie serves perfectly as a daytime jasmine or for hot summer nights. After being disappointed with how Songes' tropical flowers fell flat with powdery vanilla on my skin, California Reverie is one that delights me much with its clarity and clean finish. Mood lifting and it makes me yearn for a coastal road trip every time I wear this.

California Reverie is one of the most beautiuful neroli scents ever in my opinion. I love it even more now that I have bought a full bottle of this glorious juice. Cali Reverie opens very citrusy to my nose. I smell lemon more than orange, but it's a citrus heavy opening, a bit sweet, with no bitterness at all, just a perception of brightness and sunlight. The neroli hits your nose next, followed by very non-indolic jasmine and frangipani. The frangipani stands out for me as the scent develops. Since this is one of my favorite floral notes I am very happy with this fragrance. California Reverie is not a complex scent and the development introduces each note and then they combine in a lovely bouquet with the beeswax note slipping in during the drydown. This is not a big sillage fragrance but if you spray generously it will last all day. It's perfect for summer, and I have also been enjoying it very much on gloomy fall days. It gives a bright happy lift to any day.

YES YES YES!! This is truly California in a bottle, holy crikes! This instantly transports me back to my youth: lazy summers frolicking by the ocean, seaside barbecues, midnight drives up and down highway 1, and the scent of jasmine ever present on every coastline along the way. If you live in CA (especially socal or even norcal) you have to know this smell...it is divine. Every time I head out to the beach, i would notice the scent of jasmine....it was never truly there but made itself present throughout my life. This is the smell i've been looking for, thank you so much fragrantica for helping me find my nostalgia! Edit: This perfume would have been my signature but it doesn't last at all, Plus the sillage is quite non-existent. For $150 a bottle it needs to last at least 3 hours minimum. I will continue to buy it though simply because it is nostalgic and i will wear it until my old age just to recapture my memories of those warm california summers <3