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zui104Bessinepome – :
It’s a very good heliotrope.
Very powdery and dry.
Like inhaling of ground cherry stones, ground anise, almond – dusty, powdery.
Try it if you like Lolita Lempicka EDP (also heliotrope scent but sweeter and more syrupy)
Exceximixkirl – :
Just finished another Etro. Heliotrope is certainly my favorite Etro so far. Lots of smooth almond with a “burnt” afterglow. However like my previous two Etro’s, my preference was to use it as a room fragrance rather than a body fragrance. I have one more Etro in my collection, until then ?????
Пантера2185 – :
One of my favourite heliotrope fragrances. Very pretty and simple. Thats why i fell in love with Hypnotic Poison and realised later it was only for this note.
Long lasting with sillage less than arms length.
alejaleksej – :
Heliotrope might as well be a fictional plant for all I know. I don’t know what it looks like and I’ve never smelled it but I’m drawn to scents known for prominent heliotrope notes. I may not know the scent of the plant but I know the infamous notes: marzipan, cherry pie, spiced vanilla meringue, coconut-almond custard. The same specific set of descriptors are repeated so consistently that I imagine the plant’s scent must be very specific.
I can spot the descriptors. In monster perfumes like Loulou and Datura Noir but also in more delicate compositions like Ellena’s l’Eau d’Hiver for Frédéric Malle and Kiss Me Tender. I totally dig Jour de Fete and l’Heure Bleue makes me weep. Also, I’m American, so I suppose both cherry pie and a tendency to self-deception are part of my psyche. All this to say, over the years, in my head I’ve come to believe that I know what heliotrope smells like when in fact, I don’t. It’s a false memory.
Actually, it’s not heliotrope that I have in my mind’s nose so much as heliotropin, the material used to create those gorgeous vintage orientals like Coty l’Origan and Guerlain Vol de Nuit and classic carnations like Caron Bellodgia. The first time I tried Etro Heliotrope it felt familiar, but just out of reach, like a misfiled memory. The recognition was instantaneous but understanding lagged with a drawn out, tip-of-my-tongue dissatisfaction. It was only when I re-spritzed a couple of hours later that I made the association between the perfume under my nose and the fantasy in my head. Is this the Proustian madeleine for this particular point in the 21st century? No transcendent moment, just a simple, satisfying connection? An itch scratched?
I suppose it’s a bit small for Proust and it’s not so much memory as a recognition of things imagined. Still it was informative to be confronted with the realization of what amounts to an olfactory hallucination. A little glimpse into how I make sense, or fiction, out of scent.
As for the perfume, it’s all there—the pie, the meringue, the marzipan. But it has an unexpected confluence of textures and tones. It’s expansive and heady at the same time that it seems a little remote, like the scent is coming from further away than my wrist. The spiciness creates a bubbly quality as if the scent were carbonated but at the same time, there is a hint of play-doh and paste that creates a matte finish and an introverted impression.
I don’t think of Etro as a line that veers too far into experiments in abstraction but Heliotrope is actually sort of wild. It’s built from a bizarre combination of scents. It balances the high-pitched insecticide sting of cyanide almonds and the scent of stones in dried clay soil. Like eating marzipan pastries in a musty basement or root cellar.
Avant garde, vanguard, avant courier? Ground-breaking, rule-bending? Listen up, groovy indie brands. This dandy fashion house has stolen your lunch with simple creativity.
(from scenthurdle.com)
ADIL M.M. – :
I have the version in the old box (no idea how it relates to the new one, if it has changed at all).
A more delicate version of amaretto liquor, not as syrupy, with a delicious vanilla dry down. I don’t feel it’s particularly powdery and there is no plastic or play doh note to my nose. Somehow not something I reach for more than once or twice a year, but today, with the cold and rain, it feels right: cozy and sweet.
bodomchild – :
To me it smells pretty much like almonds and cherry kernel that strangely reminds me of some glue stick I had back in the days at school. It is a soft, sweet, powdery and quite linear fragrance. On my skin it smells the same from the moment I sprayed it to a few hours later. I think it lacks of depth. It is nice but not my taste and I mostly find the almondy-glue stick smell quite annoying.
kak99 – :
It is close to be a pure real tonka based perfume.
Nice but too almondy not so heliotrope.
pompyifr129bedyWelty – :
I loved the smell from the bottle, a amaretto-dream with heavy heliotrope dipped in honey, yum! But on my skin it turned..weird. I could still smell the loveliness but most of all it smelled very plasticky and synthetic. It reminded me of childhood in a way, with barbies strewn about and those overly sweet body mists I loved. Probably beautiful on someone else but unfortunately it didn’t jibe with my chemistry.
kaz-chochiev – :
I love heliotrope and almond and have a few perfumes in this category, but when I purchased this one I was looking for something a little more floral heliotrope (like the one growing in my garden) than L T Piver Heliotrope Blanc or Reminiscence Heliotrope. Etro Heliotrope IS a little more complex than the other two but not by much, and although it dries down to a smooth almond, it starts with a strong and bitter amaretto note that lacks any floral quality. Just a sprinkling of sweetness would improve this so much! I think it will be a weekend-at-home scent for me. I may try layering it – almond + flowers sounds good.
Meuwv476InsuffBooni – :
Very strange first impression- like a smoker who tried to mask the smell with toothpaste and wintergreen gum, unsuccessfully…
repTorDriders – :
Wow, straight up heliotrope – a lot of it to start. Then does something evil on my skin. I am overwhelmed by patchouli. This frag took more than scrubbing to get off.
maximusmax181 – :
Too sharp for me 🙁
I expected delicacy and sweetness but I’ve got almond and smoke.
тёмный – :
I like the almond milk and I drink when I go to Calabria , but I’m not sure that this is natural almond and you can drink . Very very sweet fragrance.
alex89-1 – :
I got almond and sugary vanilla from this scent, sweet, bitter, dark, dry and almond again. 🙂 lovely and delicious
sikvestrr – :
I am bit surprised that nobody notes that Tardes by Carne Barcelona has the same notes (heliotrope and almond). But it’s more comfortable to wear than this one!
Dykerdoston – :
This Etro perfume is lovely. A smooth, comforting and delicious scent.
Sweet vanilla and powdery almonds are the most dominant throughout. I do notice something odd in the top of this, like something that faintly reminds me of almond essence, although that might be the vanilla having a moment on my skin, it never seems to agree with me. This disappears and leaves behind something linear that reminds me of marzipan, and I think I smell more of the heliotrope flower. I love how I can wear flowers that have gourmand nuances, which is an awesome tip for someone who would love to wear something like a vanilla scent but can’t due to skin chemistry. Soft to moderate sillage, lasts for about 4-5 hours.
autocom2003 – :
Questo profumo è magia, una coccola e sui vestiti dura giorni, messo sulle sciarpe dura settimane, la mandorla si attenua e rimane la vaniglia più bella che io abbia mai annusato. Ammalia
mishanya961 – :
This stuff smells like a plastic doll, but on my mum’s skin is heavenly good… Skin chemistry factor.
DrWatson – :
I’ve been knowing this perfume for many years, but never wore it on regular basis. It was never too convincing on my skin.
I like heliotrope and almonds, this should be heaven (at least one of heavens) and it isn’t.
I tried it again from a tester after a few years and all I got was an almondy plastic smell, exactly like toys and old dolls, only a little more bitter and less petrochemical.
This is not bad, but on my skin it gets amplified in this way, then it fades in 2 hours.
Darzamat – :
It does start off very strong but this quickly settles down and softens to smell exactly like the white heliotrope I grow every summer. This is the fragrance that is closest to capturing the true beautiful heliotrope note. Bright, sweet but never cloying. So moreish!
I also have L’erbolario Mandorla and dont think this smells very similar at all. Mandorla is true almond and lovely in its own right.
Heliotrope is very lovely but sadly only really lasts an hour on me before becoming only a skin scent for another hour or two. I readily forgive the poor sillage and average longevity because it’s just too wonderful. I’ve tried many Etro fragrances and this is still their best one.
ValeriYan – :
Although I like Etro and I like heliotrope as a note in perfumes, but here I just can not get through the almonds and reach anything else, for eg. heliotrope:))… Why, tell me please, it is called Heliotrope, but not Almond? No flowers, no musk – just plane almond with a touch of vanilla. Sheer dissapointment.
asdaq – :
I so wanted to like this. So different from what I would normally go for. Unfortunately all I got was almond, almond and more almond. My skin brought nothing else out. If you love almond scents I think you will love this.
asdzxcv – :
This perfume was a gift and honestly it hasn’t been love at first sniff because the almondy scent was really heavy. But after a little bit I started to use it more often and now I really like it! The longevity is great and it’s just amazing how the smell changes during the day: it starts with a very sweet and persistent almondy scent and then, when it dries down, you can smell the vanilla with a hint of iris, rose and citrus. Definetly a yummy scent!
kazkas33 – :
Almond liqueur on the inhale… Heliotrope powder on the exhale.
This stuff is great! A powdered ball of vanilla cookie dough doctored with some almond extract. Makes me want to bake my arm. Wait.. that’s not right! It really does smell like delicious dough though. Doh!
Good longevity and projection, about average.
Thanks so much to everyone on here who recommended this to me. A successful blind buy!
…and the girl and the almonds lived happily ever after.
vadim vadik – :
This one doesn’t go along with my skinptype. All I get is som plastic play-do, very weird on my.. sorry…
Denna funkar inte alls på min hudtyp. Allt jag kan känna är en plastig play-do-doft. Otroligt konstig på mig..
111jester111 – :
expensive and elusive but worth it. i alternate between this and pivers heliotrope blanc. almondy woody dusty sweet A+
tairlo – :
Sweet and dry almond-heliotrope powder, one-dimensional, but very likable. Unfortunately, many Etro fragrances last only about an hour on my skin, and Heliotrope is no exception.
I guess it is a good perfume for layering, because it lacks strength and longevity, but might play the role of a powdery undertone very well.
advadaBek – :
The almond, powder, and vanilla combine in a really nice way, but it has an after smell that is slightly too sharp like the stamen of a flower. If you’re looking for almond, suggest Mazzolari’s Alessandro instead.
Staying power is nice, and it smells really light and Springy– perhaps just not for me.
ruzikPuzik – :
I bought Heliotrope blind, and when I got it I sprayed it on and thought Oh what have I done! Too much Play-doh! Throughout the day however I kept getting this horribly addictive whiff floating up my nose.. the endless sniffing resulted in me running upstairs for another hit as soon as I got home. For me this is the “smack” of the frag world. There are days when only Heliotrope will do, the almondy cream does something to my brain. I’m in recovery now.. but it’s just like the warnings against cigarettes we had in the UK when I was a kid. “One puff…and you’ll soon be in my grasp!”.
almettrening – :
Starts off with a lovely true heliotrope, the strong seductive smell I get when sticking my nose down that lovely summerplant of mine ! Then it gets dry, earthy ,almondy and almost…almost smells like burnt tires and what that note comes from, probably the peru and tolu balsams, a resinous type of smell.
As I came to think of Lutens gris clair I would imagine some lavender, but no.
I like these kind of dry smooth type of smell and the heliotrope smell is a summer favorite ever since I smelled my newly planted garden pot with that strange big purple chunky flower with those rasp edgy leaves. As I own Do re that seems to be an copycat or wice versa, I wont get me a full bottle but are really happy for my little cardboard envelope sample pack sent from Italy – thanks again !
BLOPIK – :
This sums it up in Play Doh and Hypnotic Poison that’s all I can say!!!
Andrey787 – :
Although my tastes have changed over the last few years, one thing has remained the same, I still love the scent of roasted almonds. Despite the obvious almond note, heliotrope also has an almondy type of smell, so I often get the two confused. Luckily, Etro’s Heliotrope features both these accords.
Etro’s Heliotrope is both a gourmand and a powdery floral to my nose. It’s smooth and delicious, the way I like it. I can detect a salty almond accord, blended with sweet, powdery heliotrope, buttery iris and sugary vanilla.
This fragrance is warm and comforting, just like a cashmere blanket. It shares some similarities with Kenzo Vintage Edition, another heliotrope delight which I wear from time to time.
Etro Heliotrope smells very feminine on my skin, so I find it difficult to imagine such a scent being worn by a man. The scent pyramid also suggests that this fragrance is quite complex. In reality, it smells rather basic; just a pleasant blend of almond, heliotrope, iris, vanilla, white musk and tonka bean.
The projection wears rather close to the skin, however the longevity was excellent, at least in my opinion. I could still catch wafts of it emanating from my skin almost eight hours after application.
Etro is one niche brand that’s worth checking out. They offer such a wide variety of fragrances, and I find myself gradually liking each and every one of them.
Blookescect – :
Lovely, soft fragrance that smells of sweet dough and making cookies, and also a little bit like a Cabbage Patch Kid. I imagine big-eyed Precious Moments dolls riding on My Little Ponies. I like this, but it fades so fast.
EDIT: Tried it again and I got a lovely cherry note, but then it faded into something that smelled like a candle wick. Then I gave it another chance and it smelled like almonds and fluffy heliotrope clouds. It also lasted longer than usual. Bought a bottle. It’s different on me every time, but never unpleasant.
qxi724InsuffBooni – :
this one is quite nice, remind sme a lot of Hypotic poison, but much “cleaner”, gentle, like it was his “good” double vs the evil one… lol, just personal view! It’s soft, powdery, very marzipan, but not noo sugary. Also reminds me SL Louve, although it’s softer.
Personally, it’s too almondy for me, I prefer bitter almond, the one like Amaretto, that i love in HP.
zenka – :
What a delectably soft and delicious perfume. It’s loaded with powdered almonds, but thankfully not sweet enough to cause cavities like Keiko Mecheri’s Loukhoum perfumes or Montale’s Sweet Oriental Dream. I love sugar, but even those perfumes made me quite nauseous from sugar overload. Etro Heliotrope smells like marzipan and reminds me a little of soft, chewy, Italian pignoli cookies. If you love almond and powder, you must not only try this perfume, but purchase a full bottle!
vho315speagoessenda – :
Oh I can’t believe this. I spritzed this on and thought I had arrived in Heaven on Angels wings. Real Angels not those girls flitting around in underwear. It takes me to a place where no other perfume has. It is sweet and powdery and it reminds me of my grandmother, so that is probably why I am so in love with it. I bought this on a whim blind buy not expecting too much, but realizing that I am a Heliotrope girl. This one is done just perfect for my chemistry. Good luck trying to find it. You cannot find it easy nor even purchase it on the Etro website. Perhaps if you call the New York store you might be able to get it. I am so happy I found a bottle on Ebay. For all you girls who love Heliotrope almond powdery and gourmand, you are going to simply adore this. I also love LT PIVER Heliotrope which is impossible to find also. More on this beauty later. That is my opinion from wearing it for 3 days in a row. It lasted long on me, few spritzes took me way into the night. Spray it on your chest, wrists, on your neck and my favorite spot the top of my arms…I could swim in this.
vitua – :
This is bewitching. It’s a truly gourmand fragrance, delicious and warm. It creates memories in anyone who smells it. It reminds me of hot metal… like a hot iron. My mum said it smells like mothballs when I first wore it but she now agrees this is one of the more magnetic perfumes in my wardrobe. I bought it for the heady violet-almond powder notes. I find it a good companion to the Comme des Garcons X Stephen Jones perfume which is a less powdery and more metallic scent.
darhurnevah – :
I like this perfume very much on other people, it was a present but I cannot use it becose on me it doesn’t smell good. The bottle is almost full and the box is complete if anybody is interested can p.m. me for a switch. I live in Florence. Thank you.
fise – :
i tested it yesterday it smells exaclty like givenchy pi after 30minutes !!!!
only difference is that projection and sillage are better by heliotrope
noussyunocK – :
Wow! This smells exactly like the heliotrope in my garden. Amazing!
садик37 – :
could not agree more with the reviewers before me. A little bitter and powdery opening – a la play-doh – but the with time the vanilla introduces itself and smoothens the composition. One of the most natural almond interpretations i have come across so far.
my other almond favourite is Montale Amandes Orientales.
And Powder Flowers also share a little play-doh 🙂
Regarding Hypnotic Poison – that did not work on me skin and i found it much more artificial.
Longevity is all right, 4-5 hours on me.
Jaree – :
Beautiful gourmand that smells of Italian baking- light almond wafer type of fragrance. Almost a toxic sweetness without being cloying or candyish.
Warning- it was fine on the skin of my arms, but burned like crazy on my neck, and I do not have typically sensitive skin. Wear with caution!
gcgee0082 – :
Try this mix : SHAAL NUR 2 steps for HELIOTROPE 1 steps = WONDERFUL !!!
qwer86 – :
I like almonds, and I like heliotrope, but I’m not sure that I like them mixed together. I base this bold conjecture on Etro HELIOTROPE, which does just that. My feeling is that the flowers smell sort of sweet and marzipany, but the marzipan smells sort of green and weird, as though there might be mold implicated in the dessert. I definitely do not think that HELIOTROPE smells gross, but on the other hand, it’s not that appealing on me.
Other reviewers appear to swoon over this composition, which is fine with me–I won’t be depleting the supply of these bottles currently in existence, so everyone wins! When in doubt, I’m always happy to write perfumic failure off to skin chemistry. (-:
evgen-7514 – :
Opening with very bitter almond and conversely, a sweet caramel note, Heliotrope’s powderiness begins within the first minute of its gourmand life.
As the fragrance settles onto the skin, Heliotrope smells more like marzipan nougat, the one with chunky nuts and glazed fruit in it.
The heliotrope itself, with its floral friends, smells powdery and vanillic, it is very gentle and brings the perfume back from the sheer brink of a diabetic coma.
The almond never really lets go even when the creamy base moves in. Traces of Heliotrope cling to the skin for a suprisingly long time considering it is an EDC.
My finger keeps hovering over the ‘love’ button but I really cannot make up my mind. Can I make the commitment?
nikell – :
Ahh, very, very almondy all the way, I do agree that this is pure amaretto. The scent is very, very sweet, comforting and, yes, inviting. I’d say even sexy. It doesn’t have a huge silage in a way that I can’t feel it on my self too good, but the others said that the scent is very noticable. Already got my first compliment from a guy working in a grocery shop. So.
Must try! But better probbly to test before buy as some might find this scent too sweet.
Alex_Musatkin – :
In my opinion THE BEST Etro in my collection!!
Thank you Blueberrypie, you are the best!!
Action
alex008371 – :
Omg, I so agree with F_A, pure Amaretto- that I wanted to have in my wardrobe.
Dunno how heliotrope smells, but um.. this one-
Opens – like almonds with … a bit citrus, flowers..
Heart- comes fast and smells earthy, almonds again. In my opinion – add thick, buttery vanilla, get Amarena Whim by LL.
I so adore this intense, sweet earthy almond liquor heaven with something like cherries in it. My next catch ftw.
Although Etro frags are edt(I even thought edc ), their staying power must have envied by random designer fruity floral edp’s. Stays long, is intense. And is better, with more character than Hypnotic Poison imo.
rgc102JeomiWogkig – :
Strange that nobody’s mentioned it, but for my nose it’s a pure Amaretto liqueur in a form of a fragrance!For those who does not know, it’s a sweet Italian almond-flavoured liqueur made from the apricot or almond pits, or sometimes both. It’s so sweet, so strong and so inviting, I already want it in my perfume collection. The base is also great. The Amaretto scent gets weaker letting some good cherry pipe tobacco in. A must try for Amaretto and almond lovers!
Vano0407 – :
Yes, this fragrance could be an example fragrance for almond scent 🙂
Hypnotic poison to me has this extra soapy, cleanliness and almond presence. I get a bit annoyed with this soap sense.
Though Heliotrope is sweet (almost too sweet) but nicely done. Its like a mix of fruity sweetness & almond. The only thing that may annoy is the sweetness but if you are ok with sweetness in perfume, give it a go.
Arshavin – :
I tried this perfume because I had read so many reviews that compare Etro Heliotrope to Dior’s Hypnotic Poison (which I love). The almond note in both of these supposedly comes from the flower heliotrope. Etro’s Heliotrope definitely smells like almond to me! But there’s also a smell similar to cinnamon red-hots. And faintly vanilla. As it dries down, I can smell the peru balsam in the base — a dark resinous smell.
In a direct comparison with Dior’s Hypnotic Poison, they smell different to me. Dior’s Hypnotic Poison has the almond-smell, but it seems more about the jasmine-almond-rootbeer(caraway) combo. And definitely more Play-Doh-y than Etro Heliotrope.
Both almondy. That’s all I can say.