Floral Recs for those who usually don't like florals

[filigree_shadow]

I also don't usually like florals -- jasmine, gardenia, violet, and rose are just way too strong on my skin. There might be some that you do like, though. I've tried a lot of different ones trying to narrow down which floral notes I like. Turns out I like heliotrope and tuberose, and lily and orchid are usually pretty good too.

 

Heliotrope is in Tamora and Fae, and tuberose is in Dreamland, which is probably my favorite floral. Also I like Midnight... I think the night-blooming florals are nice. I'm still surprised when I find a floral that I like, but it definitely has happened.

 

Also there are quite a few BPAL oils that have floral notes in them and I can't tell there's any floral in there at all, like Sed Non Satiata. Are there any ones in particular that you're thinking of trying but are scared of the floral notes?

[spark]

Hmmm. I take it you have swapped away your floral frimps without trying them? That might have been a good starting point... imps in hand, as it were.

 

I don't think of Alice or Antique Lace as really being floral at all. (Alice maybe, but AL is mostly vanilla.)

 

Hmmm. Have you tried Othello? It is my One True Love and, while it has a gorgeous deep rich rose, it's really more sweet musk than anything. I also adore Kali, which also has some rose, but is mostly honey and wine and chocolate. Blood Countess is terrific; deep berry more than floral.

 

Also: What DO you like? Musk? Resin? Vanilla? Fruit? That might help with the "targeting.

 

ETA: filigree_shadow's post reminded me of a good point. If you are "afraid" of floral you may wish to avoid jasmine, tuberose (sorry f_s!), and gardenia. Those are all incredibly heavy on my skin, and I know others have the same problem (at least with jasmine). Orchid can also be heavy, but I adore it and don't care. Other florals tend to be somewhat lighter.

Edited August 18, 2006 by spark

[midnight_aeval]

Heliotrope is in Tamora and Fae, and tuberose is in Dreamland, which is probably my favorite floral. Also I like Midnight... I think the night-blooming florals are nice. I'm still surprised when I find a floral that I like, but it definitely has happened.

 

See I love both Tamora & Fae.. hmmm..

[Clementine]

Mmm, you may want to give Belle Epoque a try (imp, of course). I cannot guarantee that you will like it, but it's a floral very much tempered by spiciness/oriental notes. I love it!

[midnight_aeval]

Hmmm. I take it you have swapped away your floral frimps without trying them? That might have been a good starting point... imps in hand, as it were.

 

I don't think of Alice or Antique Lace as really being floral at all. (Alice maybe, but AL is mostly vanilla.)

 

Hmmm. Have you tried Othello? It is my One True Love and, while it has a gorgeous deep rich rose, it's really more sweet musk than anything. I also adore Kali, which also has some rose, but is mostly honey and wine and chocolate. Blood Countess is terrific; deep berry more than floral.

 

Also: What DO you like? Musk? Resin? Vanilla? Fruit? That might help with the "targeting.

 

ETA: filigree_shadow's post reminded me of a good point. If you are "afraid" of floral you may wish to avoid jasmine, tuberose (sorry f_s!), and gardenia. Those are all incredibly heavy on my skin, and I know others have the same problem (at least with jasmine). Orchid can also be heavy, but I adore it and don't care. Other florals tend to be somewhat lighter.

 

I try to try every imp that comes my way, but if it has a heavy floral smell, no I won't test it. I did try Othello... but I remember swapping it away lol not sure why.

 

I love musks, vanilla, incensey, and some fruity scents.

 

I know I'm not a fan of Gardenia.. way too strong. I think I like Juniper (is that a floral?)

 

ETA: But I love the smell of fresh Gardenias, Tuberose, and Jasmine!.. the oils are just too sharp and heady for me to enjoy wearing.

Edited August 18, 2006 by Midnight Aeval

[spark]

I try to try every imp that comes my way, but if it has a heavy floral smell, no I won't test it. I did try Othello... but I remember swapping it away lol not sure why.

 

I love musks, vanilla, incensey, and some fruity scents.

 

I know I'm not a fan of Gardenia.. way too strong. I think I like Juniper (is that a floral?)

 

ETA: But I love the smell of fresh Gardenias, Tuberose, and Jasmine!.. the oils are just too sharp and heady for me to enjoy wearing.

 

Well, I'll still talk to you even if you DID swap Othello. Hmph. It must have been too rosy for you, 'cause the musk really is nice in it.

 

Juniper is actually an evergreen plant. So that's more resiny.

 

I'll repeat my rec for Blood Countess, then. It actually DOES have gardenia but doesn't go too heavy. It's a very rich sexy fruity scent. And Kali... I think it would be up your alley. It's not a floral by really any definition.

 

Gotta run now but I will keep thinking.

[parrot_suspect]

*raising hand* Floral hater reporting in. I don't mind floral notes in fragrances if they're blended in well enough so the overall effect of the scent is not "oh! a floral!" Alice and Antique Lace are two that I like, so perhaps we have similar tastes.

 

Here are some that I like. All of these blends contain florals but don't smell like a garden.

 

-French Love

-Zorya

-Vechernyaya

-Lucretia

-Aeval

-Mouse's Long and Sad Tale

-Ozymandias

-The Raven

-Fallen

-Le Serpent Qui Danse

-Bordello

-Spellbound

-Morella

-Baghdad

-Tarot: The Devil

-Eclipse

-Dove's Heart

-Morocco

-Florence

[Taniwha]

I'm learning that with the exception. of rose, I don't like florals so much either - the gardenia and jasmine blends I've tried have been too much. I seem to always be recommending Maiden, but it's not overpoweringly flowery. It's tea with rose and carnation, so it's not too sweet. It's crisper, lighter. Similarly, The Dormouse is tea and peony, and not too sweet either.

 

I'd also second the Belle Epoque. It's a pretty heavy floral at first, but then on me turns to almost complete opium.

 

You might try Rakshasa as well. It's rose, but warmed by sandalwood and patchouli. Not a girly rose at all.

[ayelienne]

I'd highly recommend Peitho; it's a warm and cozy jasmine that I really like, and I generally don't consider florals to be my thing.

[darklorelei]

You should totally try Eternal. Don't look at the notes. Based on you're liking Fae and something else, you should just trust me and try it. It's solid flowers, but I'm almost positive you'd like it.

[Buddha Mama]

I strongly dislike florals too but there are a couple of them that I like. I usually go for musks, incense, patchouli, amber or smokey scents but I've found that these florals are rather yummy.

 

Hunger: Black narcissus, orange blossoms, and vanilla. It's VERY strong, almost a tiny bit bitter at first (neroli?) but it quickly calms down and becomes a beautiful dark, sinister and a smokey flower scent. It doesn't scream out floral to me. It's

 

Mouse's Long and Sad Tale: Vanilla, two ambers, sweet pea and white sandalwood. If you like Antique Lace then I think you will like this too. While they are different they def. reminded me of one another. It's a really pretty scent.

 

The Raven: Sleek, dark, and ominous. Violet and neroli mingled with iris, white sandalwood and dark musk. It's a nice soft floral with a strong musky base. There's just enough floral there to accentuate the musk.

 

Hope that helps.

Edited August 19, 2006 by Buddha Mama

[juniperus]

I recently had an enabling session with my sister who was in visiting from out-of-state. She doesn't care for florals, preferring fresh, light, and maybe a little fruity. THese have a limited presence in my collection, unfortunately - what wears well on me she doesn't like, and vice-versa. (my floral loves are here and there - a lot of florals don't work with me either.. especially the sweet, cloying, and tropical)

 

She did like Amsterdam and Glasgow, and really likes Phantom Queen. Amsterdam is the most florally of them, but it's still pretty understated.

[m13]

Another floral antifan checking in.

 

Cobra Lily (first arrived as a frimp from the lab) is one of the few florals I wear. It's a spicy, blood orange blend, with just a hit of floral. Of course that's on me, and obviously, YMMV. But I tend to amp florals and I'm not whacked over the head with the usual floral fiesta when wearing Cobra Lily. I also really like Lotus Moon, the resins offset the floral.

[midnight_aeval]

Wow, thanks for all the recs everyone! I'll be writing them down & searching

[Buddha Mama]

Here's another favorite of mine that I forgot.

 

Yerevan: Brimming with native fruits and flowers, but also imbued with the power of native earth magicks: apricot and pomegranate with deep plum, wild roses, two Middle Eastern pale musks, white orchid, iris and sweet roots. It's a lovely soft and beautiful fruity/floral.

[smallvoice]

I'm still not a huge floral fan, but I do love Alice and now I think I need to try Antique Lace.

 

Euphrosyne: Rose and Gardenia are listed first, and I almost didn't try it. Somehow it works on me! It's gorgeous!

 

Manila: Tropical, more than floral.

 

Shadow Witch Orchid: I found that orchids work well for me, where most other flowers overpower. It has a sweeter scent, or something.

 

Whitechapel: Lilacs and citrus. It's a thing. A thing.

 

I love lilacs and apparently honeysuckle as well. Eos, Dragon's Eye, and Seduction (panacea) worked nicely on me. Villain smells awful and floral in the imp (to my nose) but given a bit to calm down on my skin, it is a really beautiful floral. Zorya was a soft, pretty floral. Nocturne was surprisingly good on me.

 

Test as much as you can, and swap dilligently.

 

Hope this helps! Seriously: Euphrosyne. Everyone should try Euphrosyne.

[joseybird]

Sooo...

 

Nearly every BPAL floral note goes horribly soapy on me, which makes most of the catalogue unwearable on me =(

 

However, some blends with floral notes work nicely on me: Alice, Bagdad, Dracul, Snow White, Bearded Lady, Victoria, just to mention a few.

 

Also, stargazer lily, lavender, and carnation are fine on me, thank goodness.

 

Can anyone rec any blends with floral notes that I might be able to wear, based on the ones I listed above? Especially blends in which the florals seem to have been "infused" into another oil instead of being added as their own note (like the rose in Baghdad).

 

Thanks!

[smallvoice]

I tend to like sweeter florals, so I immediately thought of Hope and Faith for you. I have to recommend Euphrosyne, because they look like the notes of utter doom, but it worked on my skin, somehow.

 

A lot of people put Regan in the same category as Alice (and Euphrosyne), but I don't like it nearly as much.

 

I really love fruit paired with florals, like Katharina. Whitechapel is another one I love.

 

Grandmother of Ghosts and Peitho seem like they might be good candidates- they're paired with some darker elements, as with Dracul. Have you tried Lyonesse? I've heard excellent things about it, but haven't managed to try it yet.

 

The Tavern of Hell sounds promising, and have you tried Nephilim? It looks like it has a lot going on, but could be good. Unless there's a note of DOOM in there.

 

Hmm, now I'm giving advice based on speculation. Up to Whitechapel, it's personal experience though.

 

 

Hope that helps some!

[Seraphine]

hrmmm.... have you tried Morocco? Desdemona? Maiden?

 

I admit I don't much care for florals. I even will try them... and they turn to chaotic pungent noise on my skin. However, I find Tamora to be fairly pleasant. Also, La Vague is florals tempered by a juicy peach. These two *almost* work for me, the floral-hater. (However, when dry Tamora is almost identical to Dorian on me.)

 

Oh, and I just got to try Pink Moon. I must say, if I had the money I'd buy a bottle of it. It's just sugared carnation and phlox. Simple but pretty. If hope (sugared rose) or faith (sugared violet) approach this one for simplicity and softness, they'd be worth trying.

[Lethran]

Oh, and I just got to try Pink Moon. I must say, if I had the money I'd buy a bottle of it. It's just sugared carnation and phlox. Simple but pretty. If hope (sugared rose) or faith (sugared violet) approach this one for simplicity and softness, they'd be worth trying.

 

i don't much like florals either, but i do test most things that I'm not allergic to just to see, and keep track of good ones for my sister.

 

I second Peitho and morocco. May I suggest Moscow? (Company says: A rich, bold blend of imperial rose, carnation, lush jasmine, lily of the valley, dark musk, amber, bergamot and gilded tangerine.) How about saint-Germain? gilded amber, hypnotic lavender, brash carnation and deep mosses.)

[joseybird]

Of the ones mentioned, I've tried and disliked all of them (ie they went sour/soapy) except for Morocco (there's flowers in that? o_o), Dracul, Peitho, Desdemona, and Grandmother of Ghosts. I haven't tried Rose Moon or Lyonesse yet, but I'm now tempted too.

[Lethran]

Of the ones mentioned, I've tried and disliked all of them (ie they went sour/soapy) except for Morocco (there's flowers in that? o_o), Dracul, Peitho, Desdemona, and Grandmother of Ghosts. I haven't tried Rose Moon or Lyonesse yet, but I'm now tempted too.

 

Here: MOROCCO: (Lab says: The intoxicating perfume of exotic incenses wafting on warm desert breezes. Arabian spices wind through a blend of warm musk, carnation, red sandalwood and cassia.

 

In Morocco, the floral is subtle as it's carnation, which reads as vaguely spicey, especially with so much going on.

 

PEITHO: (Company says: The Goddess of Persuasion, Seduction and Sexual Wiles. A member of Aphrodite’s retinue, she is also Aphrodite’s daughter and sister to Tyche and Eunomia. Lusty myrtle and jasmine with red sandalwood, stargazer lily, and clove over an opulent, rich bed of warm musk and bourbon vanilla.)

[tartchef]

I think we're in much the same boat Joseybird - I have horrific luck with most florals. Carnation is a surefire success, though, so I've been slowly working my way through the GC catalog. Morocco is top, so far, but Bathsheba was really lovely (all cashmere sweaters & pearls), as were Masquerade (lots of patchouli but lightened by carnation & orange blossom) & Queen Alice (strangely fresh, despite the cider & wool).

 

How are you with violet? I find if it's blended with something green or resinous, it's lovely on me. The Darkling Thrush & Crow Moon are my top picks, and I know the Raven & Sybaris are forum favorites.

 

What else... Libertine (Rosewood and chamomile with bergamot, violet, red sandalwood, primrose and Arabian musk), Belle Epoque (Sweet opium, Lily of the Valley, vanilla, mandarin and red sandalwood), War (all honeysuckle & mild musk on me, alas), Pontarlier (went soapy, but it was a gorgeous lilac & fern soap), Pele (this almost worked on me...) & Xiuhtecuhtli (orange & cocoa, but the plumeria & "jungle blooms" come out at the end) all come to mind.

 

Finally, it's nigh impossible to find, but the Hermit broke every no-florals rule in the book. I get paperwhites & narcissus, with a touch of orange... it's not something I wear often, but it is gorgeous.

[semuelle77]

I, too, am part of the anti-floral ranks. That being said, I agree with the individual who mentioned Ozymandias. So lovely. It is on my "need a bottle" list. The only floral on the list.

 

You could also try Desdemona so long as tonka works on you. Fae is nice. Aeval.

[Molls]

I'm looking for some recommendations of florals.. I'm not really good at picking out notes yet, but

 

I usually wear: Bastet, O, Snake Oil, Mouse's Long & Sad Tale

 

I also like: Black Lotus, Hollywood Babylon

 

I'm looking for scents similar to : 51, Pele

 

I didn't like: Amsterdam, Belle Epoque, Xiutecuhtli

 

Anyone got any ideas?

Edited November 4, 2008 by Molls