I’m inspired by the scents of spring, but this idea has little to do with the calendar season. My ideal spring is a state of mind, which is why the perfumes that evoke an exhilarating, uplifting sensation are part of my wardrobe all year round. The most effervescent among them conjure up the color green.
Chanel Cristalle is a classic example of a green floral that has a dazzling character and radiant aura. It suggests lemon peel and shimmer, with a bittersweet twist of orange blossom and petitgrain (distilled Seville orange leaves). The Eau de Toilette offers the freshest experience, but it can be difficult to find. While the Eau de Parfum is so lavishly decorated with hyacinth and narcissus that it becomes a velvety, baroque bouquet, it has an uplifting green note that feels like champagne bubbles. Cristalle Eau Verte is another beautiful rendition, sharper, brighter, and yes, greener.
Perfumers rely on different classes of ingredients to produce green accords, some natural and some synthetic, and finding the right harmony can be complicated. The freshly cut grass, its aroma so appealing on a warm day, can turn metallic on skin, while certain herbs can overwhelm delicate notes. For this reason, true green fragrances are rare and most rely on green floral accords. One example is Armani Privé Vert Malachite, which pairs jasmine sambac and ylang ylang with resinous and woody notes. The combination of fresh, vivid greenness and opulent florals is alluring, while still remaining fresh enough for summer.
A bright emerald chord runs through L’Artisan Verte Violette. It features a green accord built around violet. In perfumery both violet leaf and flower play an important role, with the former redolent of cucumber peels and grass and the latter reminiscent of sugared raspberries. In Verte Violette all facets of violet are explored, but the accent is on the foliage. The drydown of pale green notes and blond woods is subtle and fresh.
I do admit that there are times when I want neither daintiness nor refined harmonies. I want to be swept away by the springtime breeze, even if its chill burns my skin. For such an illusion I can’t think of anything better than Diptyque’s Eau de Lierre. Lierre means ivy in French, and true to its name, this simple but exuberant perfume smells like ivy tendrils, crushed dandelion stems and peppery cyclamen leaves. It’s the perfect spring vignette that’s perfect for summer.
What are your favorite green fragrances?
Photography by Bois de Jasmin
45 Comments
Nenda Inasa Fadhilah: I love Chanel no. 19 EDT
Recently I also love Imaginary Authors Soft Lawn which also contained tennis ball accord June 24, 2024 at 9:03am
Victoria: No 19 is always so wonderful. June 24, 2024 at 9:29am
Sandra: Have you tried the new relaunch of Cristalle EdT? June 24, 2024 at 9:11am
Victoria: Yes, and it’s very good. That’s the one I mentioned in the post. June 24, 2024 at 9:28am
irem: Hi Sandra, the new launch is very good indeed. Definitely love the bottle design. The juice is still Chanel Cristalle EdT as it has been the last several years. It smells great but does not last at all – which is not a new issue though, my last few bottles (maybe since the late 2010s) all had the same issue. June 24, 2024 at 1:13pm
Donna: Green scents are under appreciated, it would seem. I looove them. Galbanum, especially a really fine Iranian one is one of favorite materials, mmmm.
My favorites: Vent Vert, Calandre, Cristalle and my own Zéphyr Vert. June 24, 2024 at 9:18am
Victoria: Great options, thank you for mentioning them. June 24, 2024 at 9:29am
Carolyn Middleton: The much-missed (by me anyway) Eau de Camille by Annick Goutal – absolutely gorgeous. Bulgari’s Eau The Vert is also a favourite of mine & thankfully still available. June 24, 2024 at 9:23am
Victoria: One of my favorites! June 24, 2024 at 9:29am
Christine: Eau de Camille was beautiful and luckily I have a tiny bit left to sniff occasionally and remember it. A shame it’s no longer available (like so many…) but I can enjoy my bottles of Chanel No. 19, Cristalle and Vent Vert June 29, 2024 at 6:50pm
Carolyn Middleton: Eau de Camille is probably my all-time favourite perfume & I am still upset that it was discontinued – on the odd occasion I had people approaching me in the street, on public transport & so on (in a complimentary as opposed to creepy way!) remarking that I smelled lovely & asking what fragrance it was. I feel the same about Penhaligon’s Ostara, Hermes’ Muguet Porcelaine, Fresh’s Enact/Cucumber Baie & Van Cleef & Arpels’ Printemps, these latter two from some time ago – & there’s probably another one or two lurking at the back of my mind! June 30, 2024 at 6:49am
Christine: I had compliments too when I wore it! (in 1993 I recall). Have you tried Le Mimosa- I thought it was similar. I am still trying to enjoy my bottle of Ostara and hope it will grow on me. July 1, 2024 at 5:30am
Carolyn Middleton: Thank you for the tip re Le Mimosa – I will have to try it, possibly when I am in London in December. I live in Aberdeen, Scotland & decent shopping here has died a death recently, although to be fair it’s many years since there was a good department store to visit for possible options fragrance-wise & there certainly has never been a ‘niche’ perfume destination in the city! July 1, 2024 at 7:59am
Dorothy: Favourite green fragrance: Tom Ford’s Vert Bohème. I can’t afford it but I have received samples. It’s especially lovely to me in spring and summer. June 24, 2024 at 9:24am
Victoria: I tried it and liked it, but the price…. June 24, 2024 at 9:30am
Sarah Vincent-Hoag: Nicolai L’eau Mixte is a gorgeous green neroli salad – my go to in hot weather June 24, 2024 at 9:29am
Victoria: A great description! I need to find my bottle. June 24, 2024 at 9:30am
Hamamelis: At the moment my favorite green fragrances are Parfum d’Empire Mal-Aime, Dusita Fleur de Lalita, Vero Profumo Mito and Annick Goutal Eau de Camille. I love the Cristalles both too, no 19 and Goutal’s Eau du Sud.
Green fragrances may be my most worn and loved. June 24, 2024 at 9:30am
Gretchen: I like Cristal’s, but I LOVE Scherrer! I am always looking for additional green scents, especially for when it’s so humid outside that I want to cut the thickness with something refreshing and joyous. For me, Scherrer is inexpensive, fun, and memorable all at once. June 24, 2024 at 9:43am
Dorothy: Which Scherrer, Gretchen? Your recommendation sounds just right! June 24, 2024 at 3:24pm
Gretchen: The first one, just named Scherrer-the Scherrer II is a completely different experience. The first one is pale in color, more yellow/lime and II is auburn-tinged June 24, 2024 at 3:43pm
Dorothy: Thank you! June 24, 2024 at 10:24pm
Marina Sofia: I tend to switch to men’s colognes in summer for a truly green or citrussy fragrance; Eau d’orange verte by Hermes, or Acqua di Parma (currently using Fico di Amalfi and Arancia di Capri, the first is greener but with a warm undertone, the second quite citrussy and perhaps fades a little too quickly). June 24, 2024 at 10:20am
Christina: I’m thankful for the mention of Scherrer, which I’ve never tried. Like many of you, I like N°19 amd Cristalle from Chanel for my green craving. I bought the new Cristalle EDT and enjoy it still. Though different from what I remembered, it is lovely still.
I did find another green fragrance I’ve enjoyed recently.
In Versace Eros Pour Femme, I picked up a green floral tempered with vanilla, and it made me smile. It felt like spring. It is more mainstream than Versace Versense, with elegant sunny florals.
Versace says the top notes are Sicilian lemon and Calabrian bergamot, both elegant citruses, and happy. I was bathed in brightness. The pomegranate note Versace says in is the top notes appeared like a vanilla amid floral greenery.
After the first 15 minutes, I picked up a sexy citrus and woods vibe with musk that was like an aphrodisiac. Worth trying. June 24, 2024 at 11:19am
Catherine: Moving from light to rich: Bulgari Eau The Vert, Eau de Guerlain, Cristalle, Elephant (Zoologist), Ma Griffe and Dioressence all make me very happily imagine skipping through a meadow… June 24, 2024 at 11:21am
Elizabeth: I just adore Chanel No 19 EDT for its wonderful, effervescent and uplifting viridescence! June 24, 2024 at 11:30am
MaureenC: Ormonde Woman is my favourite green fragrance but for me it is a perfume for autumn and winter not so much this time of year. I got through two bottles and by then the price skyrocketed so it will be a while before I can afford more.
In summer I’m with you on Cristalle.
At the moment I can smell trachelospermum jasminoides climber blowing in from my friend’s London courtyard garden in the heat, I can on,y describe it as a green jasmine! June 24, 2024 at 11:36am
Elizabeth: I also enjoyed L’Heure Verteuse III by Cartier for its ‘just mown meadow’ notes. June 24, 2024 at 11:41am
Kaisa: I love green perfumes! Greens, along with light roses are my favourite summer scents (I don’t get along with most citruses, and absolutely detest aquatics). Galbanum is one of my favourite notes in perfume, so of course I love Chanel No. 19, the EdT and parfum more than the EdP perhaps. I never got to experience Cristalle before they started tampering with it, and the latest iteration is… best to say nothing. The current No. 19 EdT is also blandified, but still nice to wear.
Favourite summer greens are vintage Diorella, Eau du Sud and, from the wonderful Parfum d’Empire, Eau de Gloire, Azemour les Orangers, and Corsica Furiosa. The first one such an easy wear and the last one, a bit more of an intentional choice. A bottle of Azemour is in my near future, it is beautiful.
Green florals are another summer love: Fidji, Safari, Y – all in vintage only, sadly. Elegant modern choices: Fleur de Lalita (Dusita) and La Pausa (Chanel). I’m very well set for summer! June 24, 2024 at 2:06pm
Barbara Lee: Maison Margiela’s untitled is also a very nice green perfume 😀 June 24, 2024 at 4:39pm
John Luna: I keep meaning to try No 19 (probably the EDT, thought I have not tried any of them), and seeing so many references to it here is certainly encouraging.
I fell in love with green fragrances when I purchased my first ‘cologne’, Geoffrey Beene’s Grey Flannel (in the glorious mid-80s iteration.) That wonderful combination of narcissus, dewy violets and concave oakmoss has stayed with me forever.
I finally ordered a new bottle of Guerlain Vetiver (OK, ‘finally’ is laying it on a bit thick — my old bottle ran out about three weeks ago)… Absolutely one of my warm-weather favourites — I find it reminds me of driftwood at times, as in a foggy/breezy beach here on the west coast of Canada… The opening also always feels like a gulp of cold water.
That aside, I have been wearing Acqua di Parma Essenza di Colonia a great deal lately, which is really just a mammoth hit or neroli with seamlessly integrated notes of a very clean, green vetiver, musks that smell of fresh, expensive linens, and a little clove and rosemary to give it an edge. On days when I add a few drops of 4711 to my shaving cream it’s a sunlit glade for sure. June 25, 2024 at 12:17am
Alityke: Oh green, how I love thee.
Let me count the ways:-
Jacomo Silences – cheap & a huge cloud of grass, herbs & citrus
Chanel No19 EdT – Chanel’s greenest of green. Miss Green whiplash
Chanel Cristalle EdT – old formula. Cold, snapped stems with hyacinth & jasmine. Best in class
Bougee Bougies Verdant – space age green. Petrichor, concrete & electrical sparks in a blanket of deep green foliage & thorns
Sisley Eau de Campagne – Ellena’s tomato leaf masterpiece. The first & best
Miller Harris Cassis en Feuille – blackcurrant leaf & tomato leaf. Sour & quenching on a hot & humid day. Will be today’s SotD
Papillon Artisan Perfumer Dryad – foresty, mossy & magical
I’ll stop there. I love me some greens June 25, 2024 at 5:05am
Old Herbaceous: Great list! I love all of the above that I’ve tried, which is most of them. June 26, 2024 at 7:32am
emercycrite: The green note that opens Guerlain’s Joyeuse Tubereuse is quite delightful too. June 25, 2024 at 6:44am
Anastasia: Thank you Victoria! I love green fragrances, I will add to the wonderful suggestions I’ve read above: Synthetic Jungle/FM and Nuit de Bakelite/ Naomi Goodsir and maybe Un Jardin Sur le Nil which is kind of green. June 25, 2024 at 10:01am
Aire: Kelly Caleche is a lovely green floral on my skin – my favorite, at this point. Cristalle edp and edt (old version) are excellent fruity green chypres. I do not get along with the new Cristalle edt, unfortunately. Chance eau fraiche is a good, sweeter green floral, more light-hearted. Chanel Bel Respiro is soft green but doesn’t last long, so I gave up on it. H24 and H24 herbes verte (Hermes) are both edgy greens, modern and amazing.
Interesting comment, Victoria, about green perfumes being difficult to create. Private Collection and Sherrer are two that I love on paper but hit my skin and smell like strange plastic. Must be a combination of notes that doesn’t suit my chemistry. Also, Gucci Envy and TF LA Boheme have a cloying nature on my skin. Something sweetish amplifies and takes over. I do well with no. 19 edt. Not so well with no. 19 edp.
Anyway, I totally agree they are a tough group of fragrances. June 26, 2024 at 12:43am
Aire: Forgot Sisley has good green scents. Eau de Campagne, Eau de Soir, and – I think it’s Sisley number 1, but they renamed everything recently…. June 26, 2024 at 11:00am
Old Herbaceous: I love all the lists above! So many of my own favorites. Special faves are No. 19, Cristalle, Dryad, Silences, Envy. I’ll add to the list some of Diane St. Clair’s first fragrances: First Cut, and Gardener’s Glove. June 26, 2024 at 7:34am
Hilde: Indeed, Chanel n° 19 and Cristalle are gorgeous. Yesterday I wore Cristalle – the eau de parfum (from an old bottle with black plastic cap) – and layered it with the eau de toilette on top to keep more longevity.
Today I am wearing Guerlain Herba Fresca.
I am a lover of green scents. Besides Cristalle and Herba Fresca, these are my favourites for summer:
Eau de Givenchy is a longtime favourite of mine: the older formulation with the blue label and blue plastic cap and the reedition under the series Les Parfums Mythiques. When I smell it, the image of the North sea always comes in my mind.
Sisley eau de Campagne, especially the body cream.
Hermès Un Jardin après la Mousson.
Terre d’Hermès eau très Fraiche and Terre d’Hermès eau Intense Vetiver.
Paco Rabanne Metal. I haven’t tried the recent version which is still sold. Mine is from beginning of the 1980’s.
Roger & Gallet cologne Jean Marie Farina.
I adore Chanel N° 19, both the EDt as well as the EDp and N° 19 Poudré, but I prefer them wearing in winter, as well as jean Louis Sherrer.
I have never tried Armani Privé Vert Malachite. Thank you for the tip Victoria. You always give such excellent recommendations! June 27, 2024 at 3:03am
la_ninon: Green floral chypres without sharpness or discernible fruit are my favorite genre–Niki de St Phalle and DSH Verte Pour Madame above all others and both dc 🙁 I also love Givenchy III, 1970s Miss Dior, and Safari. Nasomatto Absinth is a lovely forest scent. I wish modern niche houses would produce more perfumes with this profile! June 27, 2024 at 10:47pm
Marianne: I too favour green over any other scent. Sisley Eau du Soir has been my favourite for years, so fresh, green, yet complex. I’ve recently discovered Chanel Pour Monsieur and love its quiet refined green; it also lasts well on my skin. Floris colognes such as Jermyn Street are refreshing and lovely. In a different way, walking past a lavender bush, picking and crushing a flower, releases the scent of summer and sunshine on my hands, even now in the depth of a cold and windy winter day. June 28, 2024 at 7:58pm
Catherine: How could I forget GivenchyIII? A great outlier is Les Nez’ The Unicorn Spell, pure green violet leaf and fresh green beans. June 29, 2024 at 3:46am
OnWingsofSaffron: There is a very green scent in the Frédéric Malle line: „Synthetic Nature“ (formerly called „Synthetc Jungle“). I find both names do a disservice to the scent because neither does it smell particularly „synthetic „ — I at least think of woody amber nuclear bombs — nor was it a jungle, seeing that there is a clear hyacinth scent discernible. Anyway, it id immensely green and to me quite refreshing! June 29, 2024 at 10:16am
Neva: Beautiful suggestions from all of you! I’m a huge fan of green perfumes and wear them for any occasion because they feel bright and cheerful. Chanel Cristalle and Cristalle Eau Vert are my favourites, as well as JL Scherrer. Recently I bought a nicely green Sisley, the renamed ones. This one is called L’eau Revee d’Hubert and has a minty greenness.
To me also the classic DKNY Woman smells very green, as well as Sublime Balkiss by The Different Company, which has the tomato and blackcurrant leaf type of green bitterness. July 1, 2024 at 10:05am
Elena: Hi Victoria, curious about your recommendation for Eau de Lierre, next time I visit a nearby Diptyche counter looking forward to trying it. Anything cooling, in the summer heat, that you recommend really. 🙂 I noticed though that some time back you gave it only a 2 star, is it because of it simplicity as you described, or has your apprechiation for it grown with time, which often happens. July 20, 2024 at 12:01pm