Heliotrope smells like powder, marzipan and sweet vanilla. It is wildly comforting like a blanket made of clouds. Heliotrope has been described as smelling like apple pie, Play Doh, baby powder, talc, sugar cookies and chalk.
The heliotrope flower blooms in midsummer. The flowers range from purple to white. They attract butterflies and birds. It is considered the perfect companion to the tomato plant. It is very fragrant and popular with gardeners.
Etro's Heliotrope is considered the finest representation of the heliotrope fragrance. It is light and airy. It is a cornucopia of notes ranging from orange blossom to tonka bean. I always grab this tester at Bergdorf Goodman. It is so fetching and pretty. I have never caved on a bottle. I get distracted by other perfumes and new launches.
People of the Labyrinth's Lucter et Emergo is a cult fragrance. I discovered it from my days on Makeupalley's Fragrance boards. It comes in a lab bottle and smells like Play Doh with a dusting of woods and cherries. There are fans and haters for Lucter et Emergo. There are no "in between" feelings on this scent. I have drained two bottles.
Paul and Joe's Blanc is a grand fragrance. I have preached and gushed over Paul and Joe's perfumes. They are masterpieces. They retail for $60. You need to sniff them!
Blanc is a heavenly mix of hawthorn, angelica and almond. The dry down has a thick veil of heliotrope. I have mad love for Blanc.
L'Artisan Parfumeurs Bois Farine smells like peanut butter. It has a nutty bread vibe. I call it a fragrance carbohydrate. A comfort scent.
Barbara Bui is a discontinued gem. I have stockpiled bottles. It is a heliotrope that just smells fresh and clean. Like cotton sheets drying on a clothing line. You just want to bury your head in the goodness. The new Chloe Love is very similar. It is just more ladylike with a jazzy lilac. The dry down is a mix of dreamy heliotrope, rice and musk. More rice/heliotrope fragrances to try are the KenzoAmour scents. They have released various flankers based on the idea of Amour. All are addicting. My personal favorite is KenzoAmour Indian Holi. This has rice steam, red berries and puffs of incense. It will make you lose your mind.
Some heliotrope fragrances to try:
Etro Heliotrope
Barbara Bui
Paul & Joe Blanc
Christian Dior Poison
L'Artisan Bois Farine
L'Artisan Jour de Fete
Robert Piguet Bandit
Kate Moss
Lancome Tresor
Guerlain L'Heure Bleue
Guerlain Apres L'Ondee
Mazzolari Alessandro
Chloe Love
Lady Evangeline
Etat Libre d'Orange Like This
KenzoAmour
KenzoAmour Indian Holi
Donna Karan Cashmere Mist
Alexander McQueen McQueen
Gucci II EDP
Valentino V
Miss Sixty
Let us know what your favorite heliotrope fragrances are in the comments!
Reviewer: Annie
Graphic Credit: Melanie Parker
I think you mean hypnotic poison.
ReplyDeleteThat photo of all the Tresors just made me smile from ear to ear! I love it! I appreciate the list of scents with the heliotrope note, it made me realize how many of them I have tried. Great review!
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if you had smelled Kenzo Amour Le Parfum (came out in 2008, LE in a 50 ml edp gold bottle). If you have, did you like it better than the original?
ReplyDeleteThanks Maitrey!
ReplyDeletePatti: That is from the store in Paris.
I am clearly a heliotrope nerd.
I had no clue.
Kim: I wish my memory was better. I do remember a pure strength version. But I do not remember a gold bottle. I do remember that every new flanker...got better and better.
bookmarking this post! need to try at least 3 of those!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this post so much... I love heliotrope, too. I agree that Paul & Joe's two fragrances deserve much more attention. And I'm one of the other (few) people who liked McQueen, in that fab purple bottle!
ReplyDeleteI looooooove Pi! My dad wears it though...so it has ruined me for men. Still, it smells amaaazing.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone heard of Herve Leger perfume, my mum loves it but it seems it is discontinued I am trying to find something similar to it. It contains jasmin, sandalwood and heliotrope, it is described as a classic and exotic floral scent.
ReplyDelete