To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
viia63 – :
I tried this at a perfume boutique, smelled so great. I loved the spiciness of the carnations.
2k – :
Nice in a ‘just got out of the shower’ way. Perfect every day/work scent. Seems to have gardenia/tuberose in to me, which I don’t like. I have just finished the rather lovely bottle if anyone collects them and would like it?
drunja – :
Upon applying, Fragonard Billet Doux is kind of a cacophony on my skin: a strong alcohol, thick powder, overripen sweetness from frangipani and citrus make the scent very confusing to me. Fortunately, after about 30 minutes, Billet Doux settles into a gently powdery, soft carnation, with a smidgen of aldehyde and citrus, like light shedding through a translucent powdery cloud.
Billet Doux remains so for the most part of its development. However, in the far dry down, when the vanilla becomes more prominent, it forms a sort of candied, plastic-like scent with the carnation. I’m sad that the ending of this ‘love letter’ is not a happy one to me.
The sillage of Billet Doux is moderate, and the longevity is around 8 hours.
Testing Billet Doux, I find that I’d prefer carnation with a more noticeable spicy characteristics, thus a bit disappointed that Billet Doux is too gentle a carnation to me. However, Despite this personal preference and the not-so-harmonious opening and far dry down, I do enjoy the middle phase quite a lot. The gentle powdery carnation adorned by crystal aldehyde has a vintage charm, conveying a romance of a bygone era.
It seems that Billet Doux is a re-adaption of an eponymous Fragonard fragrance in 1950s, which was itself inspired by a painting of Jean-Honoré Fragonard, ‘Le Billet Doux’. I must applaud Fragonard for succeeding, as the fragrance fits perfectly the mood of the painting to me. If you happen to be looking for a gentle carnation fragrance, or a romantic fragrance with a vintage feel, I think Billet Doux being a relatively affordable option, is well worth a try.
gbk374Diobtetty – :
I love this perfume so much, but it won’t last on me more than 45 minutes, even though it is overwhelmingly strong right out of the bottle. The carnation is gorgeous. It’s my husband’s favorite of all my perfumes. So, I try to wear it, but have to re-spray or spray my hair and clothes to keep the scent going.
atybrc – :
I tried this as I have very fond childhood memories of carnations scent. At first when I sprayed it – the scent was sharp, carnation and citrusses, almost unpleasant. But as it settled it became more appealing and I wasn`t sure if I want this scent untill I went outside the shop in Nice. In the open air it was too beautifull, and by that time (c. 20 minutes after I sprayed it) I started to get vanila & cedar, almost masculine notes, still elegant and fit for a lady. This is not a regular everyday perfume, I see it as the perfume you can wear when going to book reading, classical music concert, meeting your boyfriends parents for the irst time 😉 Silage is soft and staying power c. 7 – 8 hours
VALERON1380 – :
Billet Doux is a luminous creamy carnation scent sifted with powdery confectionery sugar. I do not find it to be spicy or cupcake sweet. It’s sweetness is more like frosting than baked goods. However, the sweetness is cut by powdery carnations so it isn’t too over the top. It is a very feminine vintage style scent. IMO, It is a great sleep scent due to the powdery notes. It also has great longevity; 8+ hours. I can still smell it on my skin when I wake. The bottle is truly beautiful and has the added benefit of being opaque. I can safely display and enjoy looking at it without worrying about ruining the perfume inside.
greykov – :
Clean, powdery carnation in the prettiest bottle I ever saw.
Евгений79 – :
Love this perfume!! But as a weird matter of fact it smells different when it’s dabbed than when it’s sprayed! I’ve bought a small decant to test it out and i fell in love with Billet Doux so i decided to ask for the full bottle for Christmas (and what a bottle! So pretty and vintage!), and it smells really nice when you spray it but I was a bit surprised as it didn’t exactly smell like the decant. Sprayed, it is slightly citrusy-harsh on the skin : IMO it smells way better when it’s dabbed, it is much softer this way.
mapha – :
I feel like this is the perfume I’ve been looking for my whole life!
I came across it purely by accident after searching for niche perfume collection videos on YouTube.
I blind bought it as I’ve never seen it in a store so new I wasn’t going to be able to go out and test it.
It arrived today and Oh. my. God! As soon as I spritzed it I was exclaiming aloud (I was alone in the house) how amazing it is.
This smells like heaven. I realise now that I love carnation, I realised it a bit when I tried and bought Piu Bellodgia by Caron but that’s much heavier that this delightful creation.
Still, at first sniff it is indeed reminiscent of Piu Bellodgia, though much softer.
Something about carnation scents reminds me of sun lotion (but very expensive sun lotion!) and the beach which is weird I guess but personally I ADORE that scent.
Which is not to say that Billet Doux smells like your factor 30, it most certainly does not. But there’s just something so summery and delicious about this fragrance.
It has excellent longevity, some 8 hours later and its still very noticeable on my skin but now has a gorgeous soapy accord (which I also love).
Recently I have been on the hunt for a soapy scent but I thought I wanted a rose soapy fragrance, now I realise that want I needed all along was this.
It’s like all the best parts of other perfumes I’ve been buying recently in my attempt to find what I was looking for:
It has the lovely soapiness of L’Occitane’s Rose 4 Reines
It has the elegant soft floral feel of Tom Ford’s Champaca Absolute
It has a hint of the vanilla that I fell in love with in Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille without being too sweet.
I honestly think this has leapt straight to the top of my favourite fragrances. It’s perfect, absolutely, gorgeously, perfect.
NaxSoorpBoxf – :
Opens with a deliciously fresh blast of lemon and almost immediately settles into a spicy sweet carnation with creamy undertones. The sillage is decent and the longevity is amazing. This is no dime store perfume. I find myself catching whiffs of this scent all throughout the day – no need to re-apply. I love that you won’t find anyone else wearing this fragrance. Highly recommend.
peko1990 – :
Unique? Yes. My dream carnation fragrance? No. I prefer a creamy carnation. This is a clean bright powder with a carnation atop.
Classroom chalk powder to be specific. Someone here or on another fragrance once referenced clapping a chalkboard eraser. Yes, this is that kind of powder. Exactly. In fact, when I was in elementary school, one of my “jobs” was to get a pail of warm water and wipe down the boards and chalk trays to sop up the chalk dust that was everywhere. The bottom of this fragrance is IDENTICAL to the scent that would waft up from the steam of that chalk-laden water.
It reminds me of the clean smell also from Banana Republic “W” with a carnation atop. Carnation is secondary (if not tertiary) to the other notes.
Wearable, yes. Sillage, projection, longevity, is below average. I’d recommend it for something unique. But if you like “warm” carnation, try Caron’s Bellodgia.
Фокин А – :
Wearing this perfume makes me smile!! I love it!!
tyl785elipseskism – :
i am looking for a carnation perfume for my mother i cant decide between billet doux or bellodgia by caron. for i have not smelled either and dont have the ability living in alaska we dont have much variety.if anyone that is familier with both could help me out on what to choose would be most helpfull. my moms favorite perfumes are spicy like opium and cinnabar if that helps.
german 007 – :
Oh, this is awesome. My first impression was of gloriously complex bouquet; with further wear, I find it’s a veritable symphony. I detect so many distinct notes in there as it develops on my skin – from the surprising bright opening juxtaposition of citrus and clove carnation, through the sheer prettiness of the peony and frangipani, through the clean warmth of vanilla and cedar, to the point where the entire bouquet melds together into a distinctive and memorable “performance.”
I absolutely agree with previous reviews describing it as “grand” and “fit for a queen”; it’s definitely not for wearing in your 20s. I’ve found it’s actually too strong for my pulse points – the clove and cedar become too dominant – and works much better for me to spray into the air and walk through. It is a truly beautiful fragrance.
Alieseincusia – :
This perfume is drop dead gorgeous! I can honestly say I’ve never smelled anything like it. The carnation is very prominent. The perfume is sweet, but not in the sugar sense…it’s more like the natural sweet scent of fresh flowers. I detect a bit of sweet citrus, which creates the perfect balance for the sharp, spicy carnations. I would say that this perfume would suit a person with more mature taste in perfumes. It would be lovely as a gift for one’s mother, yet it would also be lovely on a young lady with fine taste. I took a risk in ordering this from Fragonard without testing first, and I can tell you that I am very glad I did! The price is truly a steal for such a refined fragrance.
bwp134speagoessenda – :
I chose this perfume based on its description that it contained carnation. I like it for its light and spicy cent.
goosse – :
Love! Self-assured, classy fragrance with a sharp edge. The carnation is very prominent, with a faint whiff of gardenia, laying on a base of very soft sweet vanilla. It makes me think of the early 1900s for some reason, grand, beautiful and refined. Out of the ordinary.
diw581speagoessenda – :
I was delighted to come upon a new bottle of Billet Doux edp. It is so strong, I questioned whether it was a parfum…but research turned up that the unmarked gold urn bottle is indeed a 50ml edp.
My first impression, perfect on a cloudy spring day, was a of perfume both fresh and grande at the same time. I noticed Neroli, Jasmine with orange Blossom (sweet powder), and, of course, the perfect carnation,all atop a polite incense. While the notes do not officially mention all of these, this was what I experienced.
Billet Doux a very full perfume, with both soft and sharp elements. The spice of the carnation and the sweet powder are in luscious juxtaposition, and both are kept fresh by the citrus top. I found the base to be Tonka, rather than the stated Vanilla, but in either case, it is in a proper dose- like a chardonnay aged in stainless steel for 2 years, then left to sit in oak for 6 months before bottling, versus a mediocre wine left in casks for years to hide its pale quality. The perfume itself shines so much that to add more Vanilla/Tonka would have been a sin.
Strength is very nice, and sillage noticeable, but polite.
itabiggipse – :
Carnation is a note that often gets blended in with other notes so that it tends to slip under the radar. In the case of Billet Doux, carnation really shines. So much so that I have a new-found love for the flower.
I disagree with Mals86, Billet Doux is very memorable. It strikes me as something very different, unique even.
Other than the dominant carnation, subtle spices and sweet citruses make up the composition. On my skin in particular, Billet Doux smells clean, like old-fashioned soap and cedar chests. It is a lot prettier than what I describe of course.
Being mostly soapy powder with hints of citrus, spices and woods now and then, Billet Doux is a fragrance that I believed I could only dream about. Unfortunately my skin, although it does agree with this fragrance, makes the cedar note strong, and in some ways, quite masculine.
The sweetness is not done justice on my skin, however when I’ve smelt this fragrance on others, Billet Doux is beyond amazing.
Fragonard’s fragrances are quite distinctive and original. They also have a classic type feel that is highlighted by their beautiful, 19th century inspired bottles. Such a fragrance as Billet Doux seems fit for a Queen.
The lasting power is wonderfully good, as is the sillage which is neither overpowering or whimsically soft. I am thankful of the sales assistant that so kindly gave me many samples of this beautiful fragrance.
StoRm900 – :
I’ve been searching for a good carnation fragrance for some time now, and picked Billet Doux to sample. I generally like scents that open with citrus, and I generally like scents with peony and plumeria/frangipani, and I generally like scents that sit on a base of wood and vanilla.
About Billet Doux: it’s very, um, NICE. It’s, well, PRETTY. It’s, um, wait, did I try this one? I can’t remember…
Very pleasant but totally forgettable.
dallas007 – :
An unassuming floral with a green, carnation-dominant midpoint and agreeable, if slightly dull, talcum-powdery drydown. Fine for everyday, but nothing special, and definitely not among the best of the Fragonard scents.