Givenchy ~ Organza and Organza Harvest Collection (Millesime 2005)
Imagine if honeysuckle was Napoleon, leading a powerful army of vanilla behind it. That all sounds well and good at first,
it tries to take everything over.
That, unfortunately, is how I wear Givenchy Organza. (Organza is credited to Sophie Labbe, via Basenotes, because Givenchy’s website is useless.) No matter how many chances I give Organza, it ends up meeting its Waterloo, in the loo, under running water from the faucet. I am sick with envy over those who carry it off well. On some folks, it smells airy and sweet - divine, even. A touch of incense is present on my skin, which would possibly provide some relief, but it’s buried under a pile of sugary florals, vanilla, and ambery woods. On others this touch of spicy incense smells seductive. On me? About as happy as cannon wheels stuck and sinking in mud. Sure, it technically can go off, but it doesn’t work so well when it encounters my skin.
I was encouraged by Givenchy’s earlier limited edition release of their Amarige Millesime 2005 (an excellent blend of extra mimosa into original Amarige) that I might fare better with the new Organza Millesime. Perhaps this Millesime version, a blend of a specific jasmine crop from India into the original formula, might win me over.
The Organza Millesime sadly is not nearly as successful as the Amarige 2005. The promised jasmine is indeed featured prominently, and quite loudly so in the first half hour of wear. To me, many jasmine notes begin (and end, too) clean like laundry detergent. In this fragrance, I have to wait until the laundry’s done before I can perceive the other notes. Ahhh, there it is, Organza, lurking in the dry down finally, but it’s ligher and certainly less sugary than the original. Perhaps the addition of jasmine is Organza’s land war in Russia: it’s not defeated, but weakened and thinned out by the effort. As a result, I think the Millesime version would be a nice choice for those who would like Organza original if only it didn’t wear so heavy and oppressive on them. It also might prove interesting to those who are already fans of the fragrance and would welcome a summer-appropriate twist on it. However, if you love that deep sweetness of Organza, I think this version will come as a disappointment.
The price of this LE doesn’t bite too hard, because like the Amarige Millesime, it is only nominally more expensive than a bottle of the regular stuff. I’ve yet to see it on store shelves, but it is available online via Sephora.com.
Images poorly “photoshopped” by me. Honeysuckle bit comes from thegardenhelper.com, Napoleon paintings from pk.ac.th and fuenterrebollo.com, respectively.
June 7th, 2006 at 4:08 pm
Ah, ah! This is so funny, I love your photos, very humorous.
It’s also funny to see that we both used a conquering metaphor to speak of a perfume, on the same day. For me it was Prada. I guess that in the lexicon of a perfumista it comes as an apt metaphor for the yuk, yuk! phenomenon.
Sometimes, I feel like all the perfume-bloggers share the same brain or were born under similar stars :D
June 7th, 2006 at 4:24 pm
Heh, I know - I cracked up when I saw your post! We both are rebelling against despotic regimes perfume-wise today :P I actually can appreciate Organza on those select few who carry it off, but I LOATE it on myself.
June 8th, 2006 at 2:09 am
The photos were very clever commentary - and I know what you mean about honeysuckle - it is very potent
June 8th, 2006 at 6:05 am
Huh. I find the Organza so unhappy (compared to Amarige) I think I’ll pass.
That Amarige Harvest …. ooooooh.
June 8th, 2006 at 8:28 am
I am laughing out loud. I also did not like Organza Harvest very much, but then again I am not a big Organza fan. It smells of bubblegum to me.
June 8th, 2006 at 8:58 am
Have a sample but haven’t tried it yet…not that your review will induce me to drag it out any sooner :-)
June 8th, 2006 at 11:10 am
Whoo…these sound like “stay away” ‘fumes to me. Thanks for the public service, as well as giving me a good laugh!
June 8th, 2006 at 1:18 pm
Thanks Heather :) Some folks have some luck with Organza, and that note is not quite so powerful on their skin. I just happen to not share their luck!
March, yeah, I think in some ways Organza is a love-it-or-hate-it perfume, without a lot of middle ground. The Amarige Harvest a whole ‘nother story, though, happily.
Victoria - bubblegum?? Wow. I don’t get even a smidge of that. I guess I shouldn’t complain too much about the honeysuckle-vanilla then, should I?
Robin, oh I do think it’s worth trying, but I don’t think I’d put it on the top of my list or anything ;)
sybil, for those who it does work for, it works really really well. I am simply not one of those, hehe. Thanks!
June 8th, 2006 at 2:56 pm
Actually that is very good Photoshopping on the manips. Big applause from here! Textures & fades are spot on. Great reviews too. One of my favorite blog indulgences.
June 8th, 2006 at 3:30 pm
ROFL! Excellent photoshopping. You’re the reigning queen, Katie. I totally hear you about Organza. It’s a poplar Givenchy so I’ll just say that I don’t usually wear green Orientals well. Great post–fun reading.
June 8th, 2006 at 7:54 pm
I so wish I had your mad photoshopping skillz and/or your gift for tying a perfume into a battle, you are a treasure! Hate Organza on me too, it just smells like sugar goo.
June 8th, 2006 at 10:07 pm
I have never tried to wear the Organzas, though I did enjoy Givenchy Amarige and Ysatis. The images you created were meant to be.
June 9th, 2006 at 2:54 am
Honeysuckle head. Now there’s an image I’ll never forget. Honeysuckle head on a horse. Yowza.
June 9th, 2006 at 3:16 pm
Lisa S, *awww* I’m blushing now. I tried to give it my best shot, but was a bit short on time, so thank you :)
Sali, eh, maybe not reigning queen. Now if you’d said “reigning dork” I could totally agree to that ;P Organza doesn’t particularly wear as what I think of as “green” on me, but honestly I don’t think I could take green sugar either.
Patty, (Puts on my best Homer Simpson impression)Mmmmmmm, sugar goo…. *drools* I can’t say it’s enjoyable wearing sugar goo, though, heh.
Cait, I find Amarige (regular, not the Harvest one which is heavenly) to be a bit to o heavy for me, but it’s gorgeous, and I’m glad to see it has another fan. And Ysatis is quite wonderful in its way, though I must wear it lightly myself or it takes everything over, too. Do you wear Ysatis a lot? It seems sort of right up your chypre alley…
Anya, eeep! I guess the images perhaps are a bit more nightmarish looking than I had intended, hehe. It kind of resembles some of the illustrations of the headless rider for Sleepy Hollow, no? But with a honeysuckle blossom for a pumpkin head.
June 10th, 2006 at 8:38 am
Hilarious picture - and very well done!
I cannot wear the Organza either. I do however like the Amarige. I’ll have to keep my eye out for the Millesime because I like to wear Givenchy. My husband wears Monsieur Givenchy sometimes and I like the connection. Corny. :)
June 11th, 2006 at 4:13 pm
Jennifer, thanks :) The longer I wear the Amarige Millesime, the more I begin to feel it’s a “must-buy.” I have not spotted the Organza Millesime wasn’t on store shelves, but the Amarige Millesime was at my Meier & Frank the last time I went, and they are owned by Macy’s, so I’d bet one could find it at all their subsidary dept. stores now.
And oooooh, Monsieur Givenchy, I have to go rooting through my closet and see if I can find my decant of that one again - I haven’t worn it in forever.