Walk into a florist's shop, inhale deeply...

[Mrs.Black]

I have a very impressive perfume collection (BPAL and non-BPAL) but, when it comes to florals, [cue U2] I still haven't found what I'm looking for. That dewy, cold, beautiful scent that you get when you walk into a florist's shop... that's my elusive holy grail.

 

I've tried dozens of BPAL florals (LE and GC) and none of them recreate that florist's smell for me so far. However, I am still hopeful because I know how Beth rocks the rose soliflore: Rose Red and London are two of my favorite perfumes in the whole world. I know Beth *could* recreate the florist's smell in a scent. The question is: has she done it yet? Right now my hopes tend to drift in the direction of two oils I haven't tried yet: The Reaper and the Flowers and Lillium Inter Spinas.

 

So have *you* found the BPAL florist's scent yet?

[pinkpepper]

Have you tried Amsterdam?

[kmasden]

Have you tried Asphodel? It's white floral with greenery so i would put that in the "florists shop" category....others that i would try would be danube, maybe prague but you'd need to layer it with something green...i actually wonder if you might like some of the fougere's like villain and envy.

[ayelienne]

You may want to try Moscow if you haven't already

[Lavada]

Grandmother of Ghosts. Except there's no rose. Crisp green floral.

[Megara]

I'm a florist (among other things) and honestly Rose Red is the exact smell I got when cutting red roses for a wedding last weekend. When I got my first bottle, I opened it and immediately thought of the shop.

I think it depends on what time of year, for me at least. In the spring, we have tons of hybrid lillies and bulb plants like hyacinth, which produce mega smells. Now with Christmas coming up, the shop will smell like candle wax, the hot glue pan, cedar and pine, cinnamon, carnantion, mums, and glitter spray. (Christmas for me will always be associated with the smell of glitter spray!!)

 

I can see how Amsterdam smells a lot like it. If somehow you blended Rose Red, Amsterdam, and something with a lot of dirt, water and coldness, that would be a flower shop for me. Now I'm going to be on a mission to find that too!

[clover]

You should really try Monna Vanna, from the Salon. I think it's the most true-to-life rose in the catalog - above Rose Red even. But it's also got lots of supporting florals, too. When I saw "florist's shop", it was the first scent that came to mind.

[readiness]

If you can nab a bottle I would suggest Poisson d'Arvil (an LE from April). To me it seems one of the most flowery, bright scents.

Edited November 5, 2007 by readiness

[Mrs.Black]

Thank you for all the replies -- I hate to be so difficult, but I 've tried all the scents suggested (except Monna Vana) and, while I find many of them lovely, the only one that approaches my perception of a florist's smell is Rose Red, except of course it's a soliflore, not a bouquet. The most disappointing to me was Poisson d'Avril -- I ordered three bottles thinking it would be my florist's holy grail for sure, but the scent seemed very sharp, astringent and artificial to me . I know others love it and get the beautiful fresh crisp bouquet or dewy, flowery meadow.

 

I guess it's time to try Monna Vana, then.

[impadua@aol.com]

I have been a florist for over 26 years, 15 of them in my own shop. I have never found a scent that smells like my shop, and I WISH I could, because it smells spicy, green, clean, flowery like a nice garden on a spring morning, sometimes cinnamon-y and piney during xmas, pumpkin-y and clove-y during fall.

Personally I HATE just about all rose scents I have ever tried, BUT Whip smells closest to a good, fresh, out of the garden rose I have ever had the pleasure to enjoy, since most commercially grown roses really have no scent.

All of this is strictly IMO, of course.

 

Best of luck in your quest. I would llke to sample your selection(s)!

[halcyon_flight]

Maybe Garden Path with Chickens or Poisson D'Avril.

[oakmoss]

Have you tried Erato? My note to myself about this blend essentially said it was like walking into a flower shop.

[lady_pandora]

How about The Apothecary, from Illyria?

[alchemilla]

You wouldn't think it from the description (starry white lilies, cypress, oak, a touch of dried leaves, and the faintest aquatic note), but this smells exactly like a florist's to me. It's a medium floral, not quite light and not quite heady, plus the dampness, earth, and slight decay scents you get in a florist's. ETA: Ulalume

 

There's also Pontarlier, which was close at first but went powdery on me.

 

Have you tried Zombi? Nothing like a florist's, but a lovely musty rose.

Edited November 5, 2007 by Alchemilla

[kwsix]

You wouldn't think it from the description (starry white lilies, cypress, oak, a touch of dried leaves, and the faintest aquatic note), but this smells exactly like a florist's to me.

What is "this"? It sounds fabulous to me.

[alchemilla]

Egad, I didn't list the scent!

 

Ulalume.

[sheridankm]

Mmm, Hi'iaka would smell exactly like my favorite florist (Brattle Square Florist in Harvard Square, for those of you know know it) if layered with a little bit of wet greenery and earth. That wonderful wall-to-wall fresh-flowers smell, with nothing else but clean air and water. (ie, no dust, glue, woods, paint, or other blecch smells that turn me away from most commercial flower shops.)

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

Have you ever tried Beltane? It has a "green" bouquet feeling to me. Of course, nothing approaches the chilled beauty of my lady Havisham i.m.o. How I wish it would come back...my bottles are getting as elderly as Miss H. herself.

 

I agree with you that Rose Red is the right "feel"--it truly says florists' to me. Maybe layer it over Grandmother of Ghosts?

 

You should really try Monna Vanna, from the Salon. I think it's the most true-to-life rose in the catalog - above Rose Red even. But it's also got lots of supporting florals, too. When I saw "florist's shop", it was the first scent that came to mind.

 

Ok, now I have to try that.

[Seelix]

Gibbous Moon is a beautiful flower bouquet, but it may be a little too wildflower for you.

[ayelienne]

Someone just mentioned the exact same visual in their review of Snow White...

[Mrs.Black]

Thank you for the recs, there's a couple more I need to try. Come to think of it, Snow White does have that chilled flower feeling, as does Rose Red in a different way, but I don't think either provide the complete florist's experience. I think part of my problem is that I need the scent of carnations somewhere to get the full association.

[kwsix]

This may be a stupid question, because I've never tried the scent, but what about The Reaper and the Flowers? It has lily, rose, carnation, and chrysanthemum.

[hlrigaud]

Have you tried Maiden?

 

When I tried it florist's shop was my first impression, especially when it's wet.

 

HL

Edited November 14, 2007 by Helpless Lush

[ouch!]

I was gonna say The Reaper & The Flowers.

 

 

Soooooooooo flowery. It's like a Bridal Boquet to me. It's rally really pretty.

 

Good luck finding what you want.

 

x

[Mrs.Black]

Ooo, looks like it's time to try The Reaper and the Flowers... I've suspected all along that this might be "it".

 

I had and swapped a 10 ml bottle of Maiden, it was a bit too sharp on me, but I agree that it has a florist's tone to it.