Year: 2006
Notes: bergamot, geranium, gillyflower, violet, ylang-ylang, jasmine, amber, styrax, precious woods, musk
Comment: Carnation is part of the Signature Collection
Inspired by "the carnation that blooms not in a flower bed but on a maiden's cheek", Carnation isn't a carnation fragrance per se. To complicate things even more, the name gillyflower isn't exclusively attributed to carnations but to various fragrant plants of the Dianthus genus (wallflowers being one of them). So, just don't go expecting a spicy extravaganza.
Comprising of indolic florals, one initially detects a floral moisturising cream aroma with a faint leather accord in the background. Beyond that, it's powdery and slightly bitter with an old-fashioned aura. As for the drydown, an ambery musk base provides some extra sweetness, exuding a tender fruity finale (but with the animalic aspect kept firmly in check).
Conceptually, it somehow works but that doesn't prevent it from veering dangerously close to floral air freshener territory. Like many of this house's earlier offerings, it's most definitely an acquired taste.
Comprising of indolic florals, one initially detects a floral moisturising cream aroma with a faint leather accord in the background. Beyond that, it's powdery and slightly bitter with an old-fashioned aura. As for the drydown, an ambery musk base provides some extra sweetness, exuding a tender fruity finale (but with the animalic aspect kept firmly in check).
Conceptually, it somehow works but that doesn't prevent it from veering dangerously close to floral air freshener territory. Like many of this house's earlier offerings, it's most definitely an acquired taste.
