Like most everyone else, I am pining for spring. I’m ready for crocuses and daffodils and bright skies. Obviously, none of this is going to happen anytime soon so, other than hopping a flight to Australia, my best bet for a mood change is perfume. I’ve been on a patchouli kick recently and loved every minute of it, but right now I want to wear a fragrance that brings me a breath of green leaves and spring blossoms. Of the two fragrances I’m reviewing this month, one is a new release that’s all about renewal and the other is a classic, as fresh and romantic today as it was over fifty years ago.
Ageless by Harvey Prince
Released in 2008, Ageless was developed as an “anti-age” perfume. According to the research done at Harvey Prince, the smell of pink grapefruit and tropical fruits is associated with younger women in the male mind and wearing a combination of these scents will help you appear younger.
Additionally (this piece of information made me yelp and reach for my deodorant) as we enter our forties, the body produces an “ageing” smell that is a result of the breakdown in fatty acids in the skin. While my granny smelled wonderful, all face powder and lovely perfume, I know the smell they’re talking about, and Ageless will supposedly neutralize that odor.
Ageless has top notes of pink grapefruit, pineapple, mango, apple, leafy green, and pomegranate; middle notes are jasmine, Lily of the Valley, cherry blossom, and peony. Base notes are soft musk, precious woods, and vanilla.
I approached Ageless with some caution because most fruity florals give me a huge headache and I have a long and not always happy relationship with grapefruit. Luckily for me, Ageless opens with an effervescent burst of citrus and melon that quickly gives way to a light, mellow floral, with woody vanilla undertones. Ageless is pretty and easy to wear—a good scent to wear anytime and any season. The lasting power is not that long, but I think it’s meant to be that way and as this only comes in a 3.4 ounce size, you’re not going to run out soon.
I didn’t have the nerve to ask my male friends if I suddenly looked younger when I wore Ageless, but I did ask them what they thought and the reaction was universally positive, even from the men who generally prefer a heavier, more sophisticated fragrance. I don’t know if any fragrance can really make you appear younger, but this is a nice, lively fragrance to wear. It’s becoming more and more popular, and I have to give Harvey Prince full marks for some of the most inventive marketing I’ve seen.
The bottle is reminiscent of Chanel bottles—a tall glass cylinder with a square black cap.
Available at QVC for $93.50 (3.4 ounces) and at Harvey Prince for $120. QVC tends to run out fairly quickly, so keep a lookout on the Ageless site for buying locations as more will be added in February.
Diorissimo by Dior
When I want to smell like spring, I wear Diorissimo. Lily of the Valley is the flower of my childhood, and my delight whenever I found a clump of it growing wild next to a tree in the middle of town remains one of my most vivid memories.
Christian Dior also loved Lily of the Valley and considered it to be his lucky flower. Diorissimo was inspired by the little bell-shaped white flower and it’s been a beloved fragrance ever since. Lily of the Valley is one of those flowers with a fragrance that can’t be extracted, so any fragrance created is a reconstruction of how the perfumer thinks it smells. I love the idea that this simple little flower can keep its secrets so well, and Diorissimo has that same quality. It’s absolutely simple and beautiful, yet there’s something a bit mysterious to it, too.
Notes are greens, bergamot, Lily of the Valley, ylang ylang, rosewood, amaryllis, boronia, jasmine, sandalwood, and civet.
There are two versions of Diorissimo, the eau de toilette and the parfum, and they smell somewhat different. The EDT opens with a sharp green-y tang and the perfect smell of Lily of the Valley. The smell is clear and spiky and without a doubt the best Lily of the Valley fragrance you will ever find. Some perfumes show their era after a period of time, but Diorissimo is as fresh and elegant now as it was in the 1950s. The lasting power is not that long, perhaps a couple of hours, but I get around that by totally disregarding the “two spray” rule and spraying myself with abandon.
The parfum is just as beautiful, just as timeless, but the green opening is gone. This is a smoother, creamier Diorissimo, a Lily of the Valley smelled in the twilight rather than first thing in the morning. It lasts quite a bit longer and you will get little wafts of the fragrance throughout the day.
The bottle is as deceptively simple as the fragrance—an elegant oval with a clear cap.
Available at Saks. Eau de toilette, $66–$86; eau de parfum, $130/0.5 ounce
Neiman Marcus also stocks Diorissimo at its stores, but not online. I haven’t seen the EDP there, either.
Parting Note: “Nature gives you the face you have at twenty; it is up to you to merit the face you have at fifty.”—Coco Chanel
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