Annick Goutal

[AnInnocentAbroad]

I fancy a change of perfume and would like to try something by Annick Goutal. I normally use fairly traditional perfumes like Chanel 5 and Rive Gauche (and am still in mourning for Givenchy III). Has anyone had good/bad experiences of AG and any advise about which one to go for? (Is she perhaps a French Jo Malone?)

I have Un Matin D'Orage, which I love and wear a lot although not really in autumn/winter (have just realised this! I am currently wearing mostly Liz Earle Botanical Essence No 1). I don't have any of the others you mention, do have Chanel No 19 - I am no perfume expert but I find the AG easier to wear and less 'heady' & complex but fresh & lovely. To me it's very jasmine-y, I love jasmine so that's fine but bear it in mind.

I get compliments when I am wearing it and don't really with any others.

AG fragrances tend to be a bit more complex than JM. they have a range of more linear fragrances - which have floral names: eg. "Honeysuckle" (in French), so they're easy to spot.
The classics are probably what you'll like - Eau d'Hadrian and Grand Amour (the latter is sweet, I suspect you'll like the former). Eau De Sud is a citrus and very popular for summer/day wear.

Space NK stock them, along with John Lewis and the big department stores.

And have you tried the M and S body spray "New York"? Just to big it up (I know there's another fan of it on here!)

Really - you rate an M&S one and it doesn't fade too quickly or mutate into something very chemically?

It does fade, and I have never managed to go a whole day without spraying something else on top - so I can't honestly say how it mutates - but it really is surprisingly nice for a really, really cheap body spray. It comes as a perfume, but I haven't used that.

It's a really nice, pick-me-up on days you don't feel merit actual perfume. (Though now I'm feeling a bit mean for saying that!) I feel duty-bound to spread the word.

Have you tried Tom Ford's latest, by the way, "Violet Blonde". It's for sale in Space NK. And if you're in Space NK, try "Iris Nobile" too. I think that's becoming an mn favourite.

i'm not massively, enormously into annick goutal but i love Grand Amour. i'm a Caron and Serge Lutens fan. ask lesscenteurs.com for samples to try.

I love Annick Goutal. Much much better than Jo Malone.So much more subtle. My favourites are Eau d'Hadrien and Eau du Sud. Would encourage anyone at least to try a sample. Grand Amour much too sweet for me but depends what you like.

A British company I like -again much better than Malone - is Miller Harris. I like Tangerine Vert and Air de Rien.

Not interested in Chanel myself . Frederic Maille good as is Lutyens but they are a little harder to track down. Some of the Tom Ford ones too.

PS don't dislike Acqua Di Parma of which Iris Nobile is one, but don't find it very exciting either. A little one-dimensional like a very pleasant Eau de cologne yet quite £££. But still much preferable to Malone or cloying high street 'big names' you get in Boots.

PS don't dislike Acqua Di Parma of which Iris Nobile is one, but don't find it very exciting either. A little one-dimensional like a very pleasant Eau de cologne yet quite £££. But still much preferable to Malone or cloying high street 'big names' you get in Boots.

polyhymnia and otchayaniye just in case you're interested: the seasonal Lutens "limited release on wide release at the moment is "Tubereuse Criminelle".

Thanks. That one is probably not for me, but, like all his, it is a magnificent example of the perfumer's art.

Ver interesting about the M and S one. Is it green/ citrussy? My fall-back splash for non-perfume days is Eau Dynamisante by Clarins.

Also liking Eau de Sisley 1 for first thing in the morning at the moment.

M and S one is florally but in a sophisticated way. Not JM-ish. It reminds me, strongly, of something my mother wears. Though I don't know what it is precisely, she is a Chanel and Elizabeth Arden fan.