Before we get to the subject on wrist, I posted earlier a fabulous giveaway of Monsillage Aviation Club full bottle, so go enter it. I'll wait.
Ormonde Woman was the first perfume released by London-based house Ormonde Jayne in 2002. It has since established itself as modern classic, earning an entry into the Turin-Sanchez curated Little Book Of Perfumes: The Hundred Classics. In her review of Ormonde Woman, Tania Sanchez references Bois des Isles and L'Heure Bleue; while this Ormonde Jayne fragrance smells nothing like either (just as these iconic Chanel and Guerlain perfumes don't resemble each other), it is related to them in more than just the interpretation of sandalwood.
Ormonde Woman tells a story and creates a certain image. The striking and very recognizable combination of violet-cedar-sandalwood feels like a peaceful clearing in a sacred forest. Sunlight is filtered as it hits the untouched ground where wild violets grow uninterrupted by anyone but forest creatures, magical and not. If Bois des Isles is cozy interiors and L'Heure Bleue is urban melancholia, Ormonde Woman is a romatic fairy-tale, a bit otherworldly but still accessible thanks to the slight sweetness and the familiarity of the soft woods.
Some of the magic in Woman comes from the green veins that run quietly between the spice and wood notes. They're neither leafy nor sharp, just softly illuminated mossy forest floor. I find Ormonde Woman a not-so-distant-cousin to Amethyst by Olivier Durbano. If you replace Amethyst's pencil shavings and incense with grassy vetiver and evergreen black hemlock you will get very close to Ormonde Woman.
Notes: cardamom, coriander, grass oil, black hemlock, violet, jasmine absolute, vetiver, cedar wood, amber, and sandalwood.
Ormonde Woman by Ormonde Jayne (£64.00 for the 4x10ml travel spray edition, though I admit that in this case I'm dearly coveting the £184.00 parfum, with or without my initials engraved on the stopper) is available from Ormonde Jayne boutiques and ormondejayne.com.
Photo: Forest Nymph by Kamila Chwołka (featuring model Paulina Kluska)
Oh, how I love Ormonde Woman! I got myself a full bottle last year and have worn it frequently. It is really like no other scent I can think of - like a deep green forest with rays of sunlight coming through the trees. I find the opening rather challenging - it reminds me of the bath oils you use when you're having a cold - but the heart and the drydown are so gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI just bought my first decant of OJ Woman a couple of weeks ago--it's heavenly, and certainly full-bottle worthy IMHO. Now I'm curious about Olivier Durbano Amethyst. Ah, the hunt never seems to end...
ReplyDeleteI love Ormonde Woman - I've been impressed with all of the Ormonde Jayne scents, actually, and wish I could have every single one, but my only full bottle is Woman. It's sparkling.
ReplyDeleteI love Ormonde Woman too! I have only a decant and have been sparingly using it for years since a FB is quite expensive. But if/when I am in a position to buy, it's high up on my list. It's probably one of my top five perfumes; a very unique green scent, ranking with (but completely different from) Seve Exquise.
ReplyDeleteKristina, the drydown is breathtaking. My husband seems to really appreciate it, too.
ReplyDeleteQueen Cupcake, you're 100% right. The hunt continues forever. I'm always excited about the next thing.
ReplyDeleteLisa, Woman will probably be my next full bottle (I have Ta'if and Orris Noir, also planning on Tolu once my decant is gone). I'm seriously considering spring for a parfum. There's something so magical about the idea.
ReplyDeleteMim, I hope you will get your bottle eventually. Do take note that the travel edition is considerably more affordable.
ReplyDeleteI have been meaning to explore Ormonde Jayne for a long time and the way you have described Woman has drawn me in again. It sounds fascinating!
ReplyDeleteIt's my favorite scent, hands down, and has been for many years. My OJ scents seem to improve with age.
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