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jookms – :
I got this as part of a lot from Ebay and wasn’t expecting to like it. I’d even sprayed it on a tester strip at Sephora and was thoroughly unimpressed. Boy, has my mind been changed.
First of all, I have to point out that the description of this fragrance is spot-on, and that’s a first for me. On first spray, it smells very unisex. But give it a minute, and the neroli comes out. From there, it continues to soften, until it’s a soft floral musk. (I don’t smell the lavender note at all.) I normally don’t even like musk, but somehow, it this fragrance, it just fits.
Before I got this, I’d been planning on selling it. Now, I’m convinced that I want to keep it, because I don’t have anything like it in my collection. It really is a warm fuzzy sweater scent. It just keeps getting better.
Moderate sillage. Great longevity! I could smell it at arm’s length for around 3-5 hours, and it remained on my skin for a full 10 hours! My skin normally eats fragrance around 2 hours, so this is excellent performance!
olga20-90 – :
Nirvana French Grey has become one of my most favorite rainy day scents. It’s so cozy and calming. It’s like drinking a warm cup of tea under a fuzzy blanket with lavender lingering around the room. Even though this is not my favorite scent from the E&J house, I’m still a little bummed that Amethyst and French Grey don’t seem to be finding their audience. I will say that of all the E&J scents I own, this one has the strongest longevity and sillage on my skin. I really hope that they release another set of fragrances soon! This house can take all my money.
sleeplysync – :
It’s musky orange peels, definitely. *Very* musky. It feels French, and smells like the bearer should have a long cigarette holder. It’s probably my favorite of the Nirvanas (though I haven’t tried Rose yet), but I don’t think I’ll be repurchasing when my travel size runs out. I can only handle so much musk.
aleksib – :
There’s something in here that smells like cigarette smoke to me. Cigarette smoke and neroli. Not pleasant.
rsn049JeomiWogkig – :
green floral opening featuring earthy sweet neroli but only domimant for about three minutes..then turned into a skin scent.. clean, soapy, natural, low key..a bit plain and boring. No lavender detected. No lasting power.
Bogdan767 – :
This is a cool, dry and calm scent. On me it is subtle, lacking projection and sitting close to my skin, but I get nice little hints of it throughout the day. To me it is a simple, inoffensive and light fragrance. While it is a little bit musky on dry down, I get more of a green vibe from it overall. It is also freshly lavender without being powdery or harsh. However if I was after straight up lavender, this wouldn’t be it. The neroli is very subtle on me, and I get very little sweetness at all. The tiny hint of sweet floral I do get is a smell I’d imagine in my Spring garden. I wish it projected a bit more and lasted longer on my skin, because I do like it. I wear this when I want something light and a break from my other perfumes. I mostly wear it at home or running errands.
TaToLLlKa – :
I’ve had several wearings of this fragrance, and each time I like it more and more.
Does it have a bit of a 90’s vibe? Sure. It has a definite musky quality, a little animalic after the dry down…so if you don’t like things a little dirty, you won’t like this.
What saves this fragrance from wallowing in animal magnetism is the addition of the lavender and bergamot….a blast at first, then slowly fading backstage to balance out the powdery musk.
The powdery to me isn’t off putting, it is in fact not as powdery as some of the know “powdery” scents out there…just a small puff of it really.
Overall, I really love this scent. I don’t understand the term “old lady” smell…maybe because I came of age in the 80’s and 90’s and not today, where almost every new mass market perfume smells like a teenage girl’s bathroom; to me, it’s actually refreshing to experience something besides
fruity and floral.
I also did some research on the name and “French Grey” is a paint color, kinda blue toned grey, so ubiquitous these days on those fixer-upper shows on HGTV.
At any rate…this fragrance is anything but commonplace, and for me, it has earned a rotation in my perfume wearing.
Vital2011 – :
I will start off by saying I am not a big fan of any Elizabeth and James perfumes. They are too musky for me. The closest I’ve come to liking one was their Nirvana Rose scent but still it was more of a miss.
At first I thought French Grey was going to go straight in the same pile because the opening notes are a bit acerbic & definitely “old lady” as some people have mentioned. However it quickly softens into a powdery lavender that makes you feel pretty and clean.
I’m happy to have it & I like that it is very different than most of my other perfumes (sweet, fruity floral, citrus). This is the type of perfume I would wear to a fancy dinner as it comes off as sophisticated & feminine. Definitely worth a try even if you’ve been disappointed with E&J in the past!
hindivlad – :
UPDATE: This is a very beautiful fragrance and unique as well. I’ve gotten compliments from it and still think it has a fresh, borderline unisex vibe and an old lady type smell. Which isn’t a bad thing, old lady type smells are vintage and more mature fragrances. Glad it’s not a sugar bomb like most fragrances are now. I suggest this fragrance to anyone, the old lady smell is not bad, but musky, mature, and clean.
Белик – :
I got this in rollerball form and am seriously considering a FB of this. I do not get “old-lady ” smell from this like the reviewer below me.
I get a soft lavender scent. Not overpowering at all. I do not pickup any other notes than a soft lavender. Reminds me a lot of an Aerin fragrance, classic and classy and very pretty. Not a “perfume smell” and I can definitely pick up the listed note(s), in this case, the lavender. A “real deal” note smell. Also like Aerin fragrances, unfortunately not good on longevity, but this is the rollerball I am reviewing. Perhaps the spray bottle behaves differently. At any rate, I dig this.
I see this mainly voted for colder months, and I agree, but honestly, this is a soft lovely lavender scent; I would gladly wear this year-round. I also think this would make a nice layering fragrance. Debated between like and love, and this one is a love for me. ❤️
leo11 – :
Found another cheap small rollerball glass vial of an Elizabeth and James fragrance. This one is old lady smelling but with a fresh vibe. It smells clean, florally, and very much like a Parisian fragrance. This actually smells borderline unisex as it’s very fresh and clean smelling. This is probably my favorite from the E&J fragrance collection.
Amangeldin – :
This is my fave out of all the collection because I love neroli/bergamot and there is a presence of that citrus here. This and Amethyst are the only wearable in my book in all the collection.
diverr – :
When I first put my nose to the sample bottle I fell in love. I happen to like Narcisco for Her and Lovely by SJP. French Gray shares the same type of sexy, musky and very feminine scent. I am a sucker for the blend of lavender, musk and neroli. I do not care for heavy vanilla, rose, tobacco, leather, or anything Tom Ford makes in perfumes. If you like vanilla or Tom Ford scents, stay away from French Gray. It is not for you. My only complaint is the longevity on me. Very brief and weak. I don’t understand how anyone could say it lasts a long time. If it did I would buy it in a heartbeat.
Deroxzrcwo – :
Why isn’t this one amethyst? A musky floral in the same vein as narisco for her edt or sarah jessica parker. Nice enough but not my thing.
sasheret – :
Nope. Not for me. I can’t even tell you how bad this one smells on me. I got a sample with an order and have it on right now. No change just bad. So this is exactly why we try and try and try stuff. Sometimes its a hot and sometimes its a miss!!! I do love nirvana black, white and rose
Skorf09 – :
It smells exactly like these little french milled soaps my grandmother had brought back from Europe. She had them in her powder room and they were “only for decoration.” There are cheaper ways to smell like soap, but it isn’t terrible.
Girivik-lexa – :
I have quite the love/hate relationship with this perfume. The neroli and lavender add a bit of much-needed floral, but they don’t stick around for long. The majority of this fragrance is a STRONG, slightly powdery musk. For a good hour or so, it’s so musky that it veers into heavy animalic, like that of a wild animal. However, it corrects itself quickly and becomes more pleasant.
Sillage and longevity are strong! I can smell it the next day, and it’s this day-old smell that may be my favorite phase of this perfume. Hours after applying (10+ hours!), it turns into a really clean scent, one that’s quite soapy and comforting.
I will probably be purchasing this in the future, because I think this will be a great mixer to “ground” other scents that may be too fluffy or cloying. However, I can see myself wearing it on its own because I can’t seem to stay away from my sample of it. It’s dark, heavy, and sexy, and is a scent best for the fall and winter.
ярослав 1996 – :
French Grey smells exactly like those little, perfumed soaps shaped like seashells found in a fancy 90s powder room. It is a very inoffensive, clean floral that is both fresh and classic. I am surprised Elizabeth and James are using such an arguably matronly and expected scent in their modern fragrance line. But I guess it fits with their curated vintage aesthetic of antique perfume bottles and frosted glass. The two new releases of French Grey and Amethyst are much better compositions than White, Rose, and Bourbon, in my opinion. Nothing tops Black for me, though.
кудашов – :
It’s funny to me that this scent is entitled French Grey, because it doesn’t remind me much at all of charming, quirky, romantic Paris, with its fashionable high streets and little old hole-in-the-wall pharmacies – but it sure does remind me of one cool, grey morning on the Thames. I learned recently that “French Grey” is actually a particular color – a greenish grey – and that makes the most sense to me of all.
Elizabeth and James Nirvana French Grey is an uplifting scent, fresh and renewing, but with no warmth whatsoever – yet nor is it wholly cold, like Alien’s icy white floral. It’s cool and wet throughout, an herbal morning mist (no melon-esque water notes here) and slips away silently into a musk that fades into skinscent. The lavender is strong but soothing; the floral is clean, green, and far in the background; and the musk is all linen, no metallic. It’s clean, simple – yet world-wise.
I can’t say that I get any aphrodisiac or sensuality from it but I think it would lose some of its appeal if I did – as it is, I can appreciate its classic near-austerity. This seems to me like the sort of fragrance you wear only for yourself, losing yourself in your own reverie.
master_kill007 – :
Fresh and aromatic, like earl grey tea on a foggy day. This smells really, really good, and could pass for a nature smell. Like a light gust over a field of herbs and grasses, and would really suit fall weather. This one has style, and isn’t too girly or stuffy. The lavender is not soapy, but breezy and light here. I want this!
attisyEsseddy – :
This is my favourite Nirvana. I really love the Rose and the Bourbon, but they lack the Sillage and Longevity; neither last more than 2 hours on me.
French Grey stays close to the body, so although it won’t make a statement, it does make it perfect for everyday and office wear. It’s very long lasting on me, which is why it edges out the others. I can still catch a faint ghost of French Grey on my skin the next morning.
It has a strong, floral opening which quickly settles down once the musk kicks in. I can’t really smell the lavender once it dries down; just neroli and musk. I absolutely love neroli. I adore musk. And the combination of the two is quite enchanting. I bought the rollerball and time will tell if I like it enough to buy a bottle. Although I’m enjoying it, I don’t think it’s all that interesting or especially fabulous.
руд – :
Opens with gorgeous neroli, but that disappears in a matter of minutes… Ends up as a lavender/musk/laundry detergent scent. It’s pleasant, but I so wish the neroli wasn’t so fleeting…
бывалый – :
I honestly don’t find it that great !? It is rather citrusy from the start, fresh, but then I can hardly detect lavender, or honeyed neroli…the overall fragrance isn’t bad at all, but I don’t find it anything special..it doesn’t convey to me anything having to do with Paris..I agree it is like a basic scent…I don’t get the name french grey , although the scent isn’t overall bright not sunny…happy to try it, but not finding it that interesting…my husband finds it too soapy..
Elena130691 – :
Tried this one today. First solid offering that is buy worthy in my books from this house. not that the others are bad, just that they aren’t as unique as this one.its a classy scent that has a bit of a casual vibe so it would easily go from work to play. starts with a cool wet floral tone that mellows into a beautiful hazy veil of comfort without the typical vanilla musk end. This musk is a bit more austere in a good way. She’s holding some cards… not showing the whole hand…playing it cool. She knows she’s a winner.
kalciferrrr – :
This is a beautiful fragrance. Wow! The first thing I smell is neroli flowers fused with lavender leaves. The amalgamation lends to a unique accord that must be what purple rain smells like. The musk mystifies the aroma, leaving a grey impression of a storm at the end of summer. Class and sophistication exude with every gust of wind your nose catches. It’s performance beats its predecessors. I think these new releases are the best to come out of the house of Elizabeth & James. Blind buy worthy.
Update: this smells lovely on and projects well. I did get noticed. I did get compliments. It smells gray to me, if that makes any sense. This is the perfect fragrance to wear in the rain or when you want to smell fresh. It is very versatile. I was told I smell “nice”. People asked for the name of my perfume, so that’s a good sign.
andrei_paderin – :
This is a nice basic floral. It is strong at first, but I personally don’t find it to be that suffocating type of floral, it’s definitely more earthy. It’s very long lasting, you definitely get your money’s worth with this. I could still smell it when I woke up 12+ hours after applying it. I own the rollerball and will continue to use it, but I doubt I’ll purchase the full size since it’s nothing that wows me.