Lace Orange Flower

When I was nineteen, I bought myself this perfume as a consolation prize after dropping out of college. I had a couple hundred dollars in my bank account from my shifts at the school cafeteria, so I guess I felt like I could justify a little frivolous spending before trudging forth into my now-uncertain future. It couldn’t have been more than $50 at the time, but that was a lot of money to me back then! Lace was nothing like the sweet, ambery, vanillic scents that girls like me were wearing in the aughts (Curve Crush and Vera Wang Princess were my fragrances of choice in high school), so it’s anyone’s guess how this ended up in my basket. It was sharp, astringent, and brazenly feminine, yet self-contained. There was something almost austere about it. Very unlike me in every sense, but maybe that was the draw. I contemplated for the first time that I could channel an alternate version of myself using perfume–one where I was a serious, sophisticated woman rather than a directionless loser sleeping on a camping cot in my sister’s attic. Picture the ideal Fracas woman–this is how I imagined myself when I wore this. Delusional! It’s so goofy to say all of this about a Victoria’s Secret perfume, but I had never really thought about fragrance at all until I started wearing this! Predictably, it was discontinued within a year or so, and I eventually moved onto a long love affair with Alien (who also broke my heart after the reformulation, but that’s another story). I’ve been obsessed with finding something evocative of Lace ever since. None of the neroli or orange flower-forward perfumes I've tried over the years have quite scratched the itch for me, despite being, by all accounts, superior to the one I'm trying to replicate. The actual orange flower note in Fleurs d'Oranger by Serge Lutens is similar, but the spiciness throws off any further comparison. I can’t believe I’m suggesting that Carnal Flower remotely resembles a Victoria’s Secret perfume from 2009, but they do share that bracing quality, though the Frederic Malle is obviously richer, more narcotic and far more complex. Better? Yes, of course, but unfortunately the heart wants what it wants! I finally decided to just shell out forty bucks for a little vial of the original fragrance from eBay. First impression: I was knocked out by the initial blast of alcohol, but after I picked myself up off the floor, it settled into that damp orange flower note I’ve craved for the past decade. It was far more aquatic than I remembered, something that really comes out after a few hours. Almost like dousing yourself with actual orange flower water. I’ll have to resist sniffing this too much, because I’d hate for my scent memory to be replaced. I’m a little disappointed that the chase is over now that the real deal is in front of me again. Is it as sophisticated as I remember? No, it actually smells a little clumsy to me now. Like a young woman changing her hairstyle and clothing in order to appear wiser and more worldly, but not actually doing the requisite reading. But also lovesickness, first apartments, and carousing around town with my best friend. I can’t really extricate any of these experiences from the others, I guess. At the very least, this exercise has taught me that I should be a little more discerning with my perfume usage, because I'd hate for my serial sampling to get in the way of developing new olfactory memories linked to the current chapter of my life.

My friend and I did a trade for Christmas, I bought her the Rose de Mai of the Intimates collection, and in turn she got Lace Orange Flower for me. When I first tested this scent it seemed to smell so much like honeysuckle that it didn't strike me that much. Given that this was in the fragrance section of Victoria's Secret with a million different scents in the air - so that might have clouded the actual scent. When I tested it again, this time spraying it and then walking out the store - I couldn't help but keep catching the scent. It clings so nicely to the skin and reminds you that it is there from time to time. It doesn't overwhelm the wearer or the people around them. And it doesn't fade away after a few minutes. It's like a perfect shadow that warms up throughout the day and lets you get a waft from time to time. As far as the scent goes: Think of a hazy day laying in the grass with the sun keeping you warm. The orange isn't a burst screaming for attention like some other scents - it's a graceful citrus giving a chance for the 'green' scent to show up. I suppose it was the way that they captured the live ingredients that keeps this scent shifting from warm and sleepy to green and alive - but the way that they made the two work so well for a single scent is wonderful. The packaging of all of the Intimate collection is rather inspired. The boxes are sturdy and the personalization through color makes choosing a scent something much more interesting. The little sachet that each one comes in reiterates the inspiration for each one. This particular one is black lace with the black top to the box. I do agree with a lot of other reviews here: the black is rather misleading. It is mysterious and shifting, but definitely not heavy and woodsy like the black color might lead you to believe. A more appropriate color might be a lighter green color or a tan brown color - something to show it's ties to nature (it's definitely not a bright orange like some citrus scents might use) And finally the lasting power of this scent is incredible. I can put it on at around 4 when I go into work, do all kinds of things throughout my day (even wash my hands) and when I get home at 11 it is still there, a little less strong than when I sprayed it on earlier - but still it goes on Lovely on all counts ^-^

Back when I was dating my husband in my early 20s, I asked him to buy me a bottle of Victoria's Secret Lace Orange Flower because I thought it smelled like a real sophisticated perfume (we both worked in retail back then and didn't have very much money, and I didn't have very much perfume). This was when it was still in the stores. It's now my oldest living perfume that I own (lol). I'm amazed now at how much the bottles are going for on ebay! It certainly didn't cost more than $35 or $40 at the time, and I can't imagine having asked him to pay that much for it either! I haven't actually worn it more than a few times in all these years because it's such a nostalgia piece but I keep it in its lace bag stored away nice and safe (box thrown out years ago, ironically because it took up a lot of space). My point is it still smells the way it did that day he bought it for me, just lovely and sophisticated, like a real grown woman's perfume. Perfect for spring and summer! I'll have to bring it out this year and let the delicate orange flowers surround me.

I just want to go ahead and say this but if you love this scent but can't get your hands on it since it's hard to find, I found dupes! I have been on a CAMPAIGN to find this but the dupes work well: -The Sun by Bath and Body WORKS (a PERFECT dupe that another commenter agrees on too but also retired) -Sunkissed Hibiscus by NEST (near perfect and being currently sold today at places like Sephora)- when I first smelled this, I got an instant flashback to Lace. You could honestly put either of these in the Lace bottle and tell me it's the original orange flower and I'd believe you. I got this when I was in middle school. It's a warm citrusy floral scent. Like powdery sunshine. Some say it smells kinda like sunscreen but I don't detect that personally. I picture this is what a sun bathing goddess would smell like.

I love this one! It opens up screeching LOOK AT ME I'M A WHITE FLORAL, but then settles down into a sweet, still-bright-but-soft flowery scent. The first time I sprayed it on I almost fainted from floral shock, and scrubbed it immediately. Then I tried it again with tiny amounts, and that made all the difference. It's very spring-like and to my nose it has a lot of honeysuckle note (which I just luuurrrrve), although it's not listed in the notes. I agree that there is nothing "dark" about it--definitely white and light. I think it is much nicer than most VS scents, which I usually find very generic. To me it is very reminiscent of a lush garden on a hot day, with a border of thick honeysuckle surrounding it. Fall has just started and this has me longing for summer already!