Description
Beginning and ending with the unique scent of Black Hemlock absolute—rarely used in such luscious quality and quantity—this utterly hypnotic, unconventional and mysterious woody essence is combined with jasmine and violet absolute to create a dusky, seductive perfume.
Top:
Cardamom, coriander and grass oil
Heart:
Black hemlock, violet and jasmine absolute
Base:
Vetiver, cedar wood, amber and sandalwood.
The fragrance is available in eau de parfum or Made to Measure Parfum for which the customer selects the concentration, a solid perfume compact, bath and body products and candles.
Ormonde Woman was launched in 2002. The nose behind this fragrance is Geza Schoen.
slon15 – :
I do dislike it. I think it would smell better on a man. Enjoying the powdery dry down. Very green. Smells like a men’s aftershave. It is nothing special. Very unoriginal scent. Could easily be found in men’s cologne at ulta.
yasnuj – :
I have a sample set of OJ perfumes, and some have been nice but none of them have struck me as full bottle worthy or a must-have to add to my collection. I totally agree with the baby wipes reference of another reviewer of this particular fragrance. I usually love green notes and woodsy scents, and I had hoped to love this due to all the wonderful notes, but this has a powder element which is a deal breaker to me, and I suspect that powder element is causing the association with baby wipes. As a side note, the Ormonde Man is better and doesn’t have that powder note.
CagmaTeapegeW – :
At the opening I found grass and flowers and I really enjoyed it. I’m on the hunt for a “perfect” grass scent at the moment.
Its quite nice but on the drydown I found whiffs of baby/wet wipes which I don’t find that pleasant. Maybe I just have access to fancy baby wipes haha (jk). Overall its not bad but that association kind of ruined it for me.
I’d be willing to try it again in the future and see if my associations have changed – its worth testing for sure.
sergeyvolkov – :
In the opening I get mint and dewy grass and slightly tangy granny smith apple skins. And something like pine mixed with juniper, which may be the hemlock. Very green, but not sharp at all. There is a floral sweetness under the green, but it doesn’t smell like violet or jasmine really on me – more like a soft, light yellow smelling hawthorne or honeysuckle scent. Smells like there could be a touch of resins. I don’t get any of the spicy notes, and cardamom and coriander usually show up well on my skin. Overall, Ormond Jayne Woman is refined, elegant and mysterious. Reminds me a lot of Memoir Woman, which has the same dark green / apple and incense thing going on. Projection is close, longevity is medium. Wish it were stronger. Like/love.
Prosto_Aksi – :
i just got a sample of this and it is super nice , very wearable woody sillage is ok i got the cardamom at the drydown.
i like maybe a bit heavy for me but is lovely
Soventy – :
I remember smelling the tester in store, it has a somewhat sweet green grass note on top. Not as ethereal as Apsu, and sometimes I can’t perceive it at all.
Back home, it then fell to the very peppery woody heart (black hemlock?). Except that, it has an oily facet. If you’ve smelled violet leaf essential oil, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Sometimes it has a dry-tea leaves scent.
The opening sweetness didn’t disappear completely, it’s lurking somewhere in the background. In the meantime, the main note is still a bit sour and astringent, as you can imagine from a dry cedar base. It even turns to the slightly bitter side after dry-down.
GOGA4018 – :
A throwback to the great classical perfumery of the 20th century: Guerlain, Chanel, Dior et al. Superbly complex and intricately thought-out. A vintage score without the search. I think the theme of let-down running through the comments comes from expecting something cutting edge sci-fi. It is that too but mainly because the black hemlock is so novel. The Best of Everything.
ENgt220 – :
I am adding this review not because I can improve on the evocative descriptions given in some of the many rave reviews for Ormonde Woman already posted here but because I think some of those posting these quick, tried it, meh, reviews should consider that their perceptions of its intensity and silage might be strictly personal. They are not some sort of universal truth. I love the EdP and on me it is long-lasting. It is also quite intense, just not in a constant sort of way. It is something that you notice afresh when going back into a room, or just moving around. It can suddenly intensify to a startling degree.
In fact, I just got a decant of the 50% level parfum or extrait and I love this as well. It is a little different. It feels a lot softer and deeper. It is more tenacious and the sandalwood note is even richer but it is also very much more muted, an intense, warm but much more personal, echo of its glorious EdP self.
Skiquemem – :
This is a review in Defence of the Ormonde Jayne line, in particular OJ Woman which is in my opinion a sensitively and well crafted perfume.
There’s a legend about a Uighur princess who became the Qing dynasty Emperor Qianlong’s concubine. It is said that when she was born, a mysterious fragrance emanated from her skin; a kind of natural skin scent that exuded from her pores. Such a cultural treasure was the princess that she was given to Qianlong in a political marriage, where she earned the title of “Xiang Fei” – the fragrant concubine. She is an actual historical figure, one can visit her mausoleum today, though whether her skin gave off an organic aroma is another matter.
When I wear OJ perfumes, this is exactly what I’m reminded of. The nose behind this perfume is Geza Schoen, the perfumer who made Molecule 01. If one takes into account OJW as part of the oeuvre of Schoen, it’s much easier to understand why the sillage is so soft, why people are generally underwhelmed by its effect. As with Molecule 01, I believe the philosophy behind OJW (and some of the other soliflores in the collection) is that perfume should be conceived as another layer in one’s personal Aura. This is perfume as aura, not perfume as perfume. This perfume will not announce your presence even before you step into the room. This perfume will not be so distracting you feel like you’re talking to the perfume rather than to the person wearing it. This perfume is not a presence on par to its wearer, like a disembodied being following its wearer around. Rather, it extends your presence, adds another sheath to your aura, rainbow-fying you, sprinkles a bit of gold dust to make you shimmer. A close skin scent that you detect only when engaged in a personal face to face conversation. It makes you go, “This Person smells wonderful”, rather than “This perfume smells wonderful”. It’s a very subtle but important difference.
Hence, I can see a special spot for OJW (also Tiare, Champaca, etc) in any perfumista’s collection. Even though this is not my favourite perfume house, there is definitely a place in my heart I can find for it.
(A spritz of OJW survived a 40 minute walk in tropical weather, followed by a strenuous and extremely sweaty power yoga class.)
JewellHerl25 – :
I just sample this fragrance today. I really love the woody/ powdery scent. Howrver, the projection is quite weak and sillage very soft. This is a skin scent, not a powerhouse. Meant for ladies who prefer a soft, natural and unassuming scent.
nfacsjfdccb – :
…mi ritrovai per una selva oscura… questa è l’impressione ai primissimi spruzzi: si tratta di note verdi di bosco, pino fra tutti, ma anche, a poco a poco vetiver e cedro. la fase da foresta rimane come delizioso sottofondo anche man mano che il profumo si trasforma, lasciando il passo a sensazioni orientali e leggermente talcate, date dalla contemporanea presenza di violetta e ambra. persistente, sofisticato, profondamente femminile ma, stranamente, adatto anche agli uomini. altissima profumeria! ottimo.
srs74 – :
Its definitely a walk in the woods. Woody and very aromatic but not as much as AG Etoilee Nuit. There is no harshness, just the sweet verdant smell of a forest. The tsuga, grass and coriander arevery evident from the start and work really well together to conjure up the vision of a woodland. Lots of cedar with the cardamom, vetiver and violet acting like accent to notes. The tsuga and grass fade all too quickly on me with the cedar and amber at the end. Very pleasant but I wouldnt by a bottle. Definitely unisex.
Pharmacevtishka – :
Oh dear. Is this it?
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad perfume. But it is the front runner for biggest let-down of the year for me. All the perfume blogs I read waxed orgasmic about Ormonde Jayne Woman. “The primal essence of a woman.” A soul-shaker. A fairy tale. The most bewitching, heartbreakingly beautiful perfume they’d smelled in ages. A true life changer. Having finally obtained my sample, I’m left wondering what the fuss is all about.
Cardamom is my favorite note in perfumery and I’m just not getting it here. What I smell is a decent piney wood, but it’s only decent and definitely not amazingly unique. It doesn’t envelop me or make me feel like I’ve stepped into a forest, enchanted or otherwise. I wanted mind-blowing and I got meh
baburdim – :
Awesome scent. Green at the very first minutes, then turns to woody, amber-incensed notes. Several hours later develops into an stunning, warm, peacefull but powerful scent. I am not able to identify most prominent note/s a few hours later. Is it amber? Could someone help me to identify it/them? Thanks!
FliseelaY – :
this is an interesting perfume and the reviews from Sherapop and Woodland Walk, are closest to my experience of Ormonde Woman.
i was expecting woodland: peat, smoke, moss, green, pine, florals (where is the floral?)…but what i get on my skin is a very sweet cedar, almost viscous scent. this sweetness, i understand to be iso-E-super, is just not for me. it completely envelops the composition, so that my nose can barely smell the other notes.
i love Tolu and expected to find this equally as appealing, but they do not compare. they indeed smell like the same perfumer, but Tolu works on me, is beautiful and balanced.
i am not averse to sweetness, or thickness…but i don’t associate (and am unable to appreciate) this treacley thing, in what otherwise might be a lovely green woody floral scent.
i have tested and tested and tested, and despite loving the black hemlock and the vetiver in this composition, i can’t get past the overwhelming jarring (thank you Sherapop, “sinus-clearing”) iso-E super.
timonet – :
Ordered a sample after reading other reviews here and considering notes listed. I expected an earthy, woody, complex forest-floor type scent. …hmm. I’m disappointed. I’m not sure if what I got was a fake, or something, but my OJ Woman smells, on me, like liquid smoke mixed with J-Lo’s Glowing. I.E., a “skanky” drug-store-esque spicy smoke bomb. I can’t differentiate between any of the proffered notes. After dry down this smells, (again, *on me*) like a sticky, synthetic web of industrial chemicals. The image it brought to my mind, was Great Expectations’ Miss Havisham burning– not in a wedding gown, but in a fur coat. Looking to trade mine, unfortunately 🙁
Naf_91 – :
Based on the notes alone, I fully expected to love this perfume. Couple that with rave reviews from some of my favorite perfume bloggers, and I nearly bought this unsniffed. I am so glad I didn’t! Violet is my favorite note, and I love forest-y scents–I was so excited to smell this. Unfortunately, after giving it 4 different wearings over the course of a few months, all I get is grass at first, which quickly fades into something that smells just like lemongrass on me. My chemistry kills what must be a lovely perfume on others.
kip722bedyWelty – :
This is great stuff! I’ve had a bottle for almost a year now and I’m none the wiser as to how to describe it. I don’t generally like strong woods, which this is; I don’t like vetiver which this is laden with; I’m opposed to iso e super, which this is stuffed with, and yet, it manages to remain one of my favorites. Somehow, despite the predominance of woods, it’s quite sweet and creamy and I think this might be the secret to it’s success, creamy sweet wood and the very original black hemlock note. It’s strange that this is called “Woman” when if anything it’s slightly more masculine than the more demure “Man” version, which I also like very much.
To me this is what the sniffing life is all about, finding beautiful, original scents that defy our expectations and expand our cramped notions of what it is that we enjoy.
korob_dmx – :
There’s a 1/4 mile stretch of highway here in SoCal, on the 405 northbound just before it merges with the 210 East; it only lasts a few seconds but you can catch a whiff of a green indistinct conifer, woodsy and clean, juicy…then it’s gone. Ormonde Jayne Woman captures this in a bottle! For years I had been wracking my brain trying to figure out what gave off that elusive fragrance, was it eucalyptus? Sage? I still don’t know what makes that place smell like that, I haven’t stopped to investigate for obvious reasons, but now I don’t need to, OW is that scent encapsulated to enjoy safely, and just like that scent in a busy highway, it lasts only enough to arouse your senses and then it’s gone. Pity, because it is just beautiful.
андрей.игнатьев – :
The smell of a whimsical, summer forest. Truly beautiful and unusual. I love green fragrances and it’s hard to find a good one. Would like to add this fragrance to my collection.
mihanet84 – :
Registers in my mind as a sweet light gray perfume, coniferous wood, powdery with a little pong, sweetly musky, the vetiver coming through clearly but gently as a something’s-burning smell. Light and lovely and complex, but poor longevity on my skin.
effonsErott – :
Very unusual smelling perfume. The initial hemlock and grass scents are so abrupt and masculine, almost Pine-Solish, and then the midnotes and drydown are extremely sweet floral and creamy and vanilla. I discovered the same thing with Ormonde Frangipani. Hugely citric topnotes, then getting into the attempted frangipani fragrance. After reading Luca Turin’s rave I wanted to try it, but as usual I find that he and I have very different tastes in perfumes. Seems like the more I get into perfume I realize that, unlike wine, there is no “good” and “bad.” It’s all too randomly subjective.
If you enjoy a perfume with hugely varying top and midnotes and are looking for something different from the average perfume wearer or a desire to expand your perfume collection to include the atypical and surprising, go for this. No blind buys on this!
Bella_fromAE – :
Disappointing!
I’m getting the vetiver, coriander, cardamom and sandalwood, definitely, but the problem is a chemically note which must be some sort of sickly sweet musk or perfume enhancer which gives this an almost oily, pervasive quality that messes with my nostrils.
Sherapop (post below) mentions Iso E Super, I’ve no idea how that smells but maybe it’s the culprit. I feel somehow that it’s similar to somehing in Allure, Coco Mademoiselle and other perfumes. (I know there are loads of synthetics in perfumes – and each of us is sensitive to different types, so other people might not mind this at all)
I had high hopes for this, because I’m very much a lover of green, outdoorsy perfumes, but this is nowhere near as enchanting as, for example Diorella, Ninfeo Mio or even Chanel’s Cristale or No. 19 which have lovely mossy qualitys. I’m just not getting green!
I get no forest floor or lovely moss from this, and I’d recognise those notes having spent many holidays in the wild forests and coasts of Scotland.
Oh how this made me wish to be transported there to smell peat-smoke in the air, the earthy tangy-ness of moss and the scent of sun-warmed tree-bark!
The one positive I can say is that I like the vetiver and coriander treatment here. Without the nasty musk or whatever it is, I’d have enjoyed that, and it reminds me a little of the drydown of Arpege (minus all its aldehyhes)
Oh well, next…
Gusepfkx – :
Well, this is a mysterious smell…
Very, very intriguing – all the OJ line is intriguing, but smelling OJ W you recognize an undercurrent that here is strong, but it can be found more or less in all of the fragrances in the line.
I have no idea how Black Hemlock in reality smells.
I am a very little bit bothered by the slightly herborist’s shop smell and by the same sweet note (like smelling honey in a jar), that is there in more of the OJ perfumes.
This is a very original perfume and makes me think and dream. Lovely and unique.
dfcz – :
I can se myself wearing this on any day that is calm and sunless. Today is actually one of those days. This perfume is like a magic therapy to my souls, so relaxing. Cardamom is the most prominent note on my skin.
miramax_max – :
Not usually a fan of things that smell like pine and only really like vetiver in small quantities, this one is kind cool.
The hemlock gives that pine needle tingle and the grass together with the vetiver makes this almost masculine smelling. I’m finding with Ormonde Jayne that they all (apart from “Tolu” so far)have this refined “spring like” feel to them. Quite elegant and fresh.
I think the green notes in this are done very nicely, they are there, but they are supported by a spicy tone.
The Hemlock is perfect in this but unfortunately there’s juuuuuuuust a bit too much vetiver for me, and does start to rear it’s head during dry down. It’s bearable though because it’s kept quite crisp by the other notes. It almost smells like there’s a tinge of geranium in here too even though it’s not listed.
I really can appreciate this for what it is but on the whole I haven’t been blown away by Ormonde Jayne yet. The sillage and longevity of pretty much all of them I’ve tried so far has been disappointing. 🙁
Xcube – :
ORMONDE JAYNE WOMAN posesses classic qualities while having a modern edge. The scent brings the image of a mature but playful female figure.
Before smelling the perfume, I was expecting a Shalimar or Feminie du bois kind of fragrance, but WOMAN has taken me by surprise.
Openning with bubblegum and fizzy peach, infused with spicy cardamom and nutmeg. After the initial blast I smell spiced cotton candy and sweet flowers.
This stage left me curious about what’s to come next… well, I get sweet stevia (i mean conceptually, like a low calorie powdered sugar smell) dusted musk sticks. I also sensed a fuzzy cinnamon jasmine combo, reminding me of LUBIN BLACK JADE, together with that oddball stevia note.
The dry down is milky pencil shaving, sweet nondescript flowers, Amber and stevia.
ORMONDE JAYNE WOMAN has that x-factor about it. While personally I can’t see myself wearing it, I would definitely appreciate it on others. Especially on a confident woman, I would find her irresistably attractive.
z1z2z3 – :
Does anyone find this fragrance similar to Donna Karan’s Black Cashmere?? Or is it just me….
2pacd – :
Frustration: I want to love this, but all I’m getting is pine air-freshener. Maybe it’s just the way it reacts with my skin, or maybe this is just the wrong time of year and I’ll love it to pieces in January (I’ll certainly be giving it another go then, because such an icon deserves as many chances as I can get out of a 1 ml vial). I’ve spent a lot of time in wet moss-carpeted hemlock forests though, and this – this is not that smell. It lasts remarkably well and I’ve been resisting the urge to scrub my wrist all day.
snake-sn – :
I used to think of Ormonde Woman as a Winter fragrance. But it actually smells like the little wooden changing room bench of my favourite summer lake bathing spot. Blended with smells of the lake and trees and the summer evening air. What Rem or Bronze Goddess are to my beach days, Ormonde Woman is to my evenings at the lake, back in my landlocked country.
oyu033Diobtetty – :
From spicy green topnotes to a dry floral to its soft woody base, this entire composition sends me into swoons of delight. I have found “It”–the scent that is me from beginning to end, and every time I smell it, I feel like a child again, opening my eyes in wonder at the treasures of the world.
My signature scent. Kudos to Linda Pilkington for creating a scent that flaunts the current trend of fruityfloralgourmands and breaks new ground with this spicy hemlock concoction. Dry, but not masculine, I feel utterly feminine in it. Have I mentioned, I’m in love?
Wipasiada – :
What a shame that Ormonde Jayne Woman has absolutely zero sillage and longevity. I (twice) slathered myself and could literally smell nothing unless I put my nose directly to my arm…and even then, it was faint.
Upon first application, there is a lovely waft of woods, then, almost immediately, it fades into a watery violet and vanilla scent. About an hour into wear, all that is left is a hint of sweetness and a sour vetiver note.
I had high expectations for this one, but it left me unmoved and underwhelmed.
Risoub – :
Let me haunt your dark forest, Ormonde Woman. I’d gladly be your representative nymph. Hemlock, natural bark scents, crisp air, elegance, darkness and crunching leaves, evil trees. Love it.
dukhalin – :
After the initial, pleasing spicy-citrusy notes subside, all I can smell is screeching sandalwood and a touch of vanilla, with something sour. It reminds me of a reserved woman, who, when she finally speaks, sounds awkward, harsh, and a bit dull.
I realize that my reaction is different from other reviewers here. I’d almost suspect a mislabeled sample; however, I just got this one from the Ormond Jayne boutique in Bond Street. Perhaps it’s my nose? I will smell again in a few weeks, and will update this review if there is any change.
qhq916intitytek – :
There seems to be a tendency these days–or is it just a short-lived trend?–to name unisex perfumes “Woman”. Ormonde Jayne ORMONDE WOMAN may have started it all back in 2002, but Banana Republic W and DKNY WOMAN seem equally unisex to me. We’ve entered the age of androgyny at last, or it seems. To be honest, this creation reminds me of some of the masculine Amouage perfumes.
The reputation of ORMONDE WOMAN precedes it, with lots of people lauding this perfume as a masterpiece. I don’t really pay attention to those proclamations, so I’m not that disappointed to discover that ORMONDE WOMAN does not live up to the hype. It’s fine, no doubt, but there’s too much “radiance” going on here for me. I believe that somewhere in The Holey[sic] Book Luca Turin describes iso-E-super as a perfumer’s “wet dream”. Huh. Okay, whatever. To me, it’s just a sinus-clearing aromachemical being used far too much and at far too high a concentration in most of the perfumes in which it figures these days.
ORMONDE WOMAN offers a pleasing blend of grasses and woods, and not a lot of florality. I would have liked this better with less “perfumer’s wet dream” and more of the green and floral notes. This is a perfectly respectable composition, but I do not find it as compelling as the gorgeous floral green chypres of the Lancôme La Collection. To me, ORMONDE WOMAN is like taking a smidgeon of one of those elixirs and diluting it in the proverbial “perfumer’s wet dream”.
Gusarruahn – :
Another huge fan here.
I’ve been searching for something like this for years since a small independent perfume maker I knew vanished along with his individual but exquisite range.
There was one full of wood and green with similar elusive deep rich soft hints of spice and early violets in damp moss.
I wore it exclusively for a number of years and was furious that I had not even kept a copy of the notes but at last I’ve found something which takes me right there again.
Very similar apart from the Jasmine but that’s light not heavy and obviously of the very best.
I’d never heard of black Hemlock before but now I’m on a mission to get some and start mixing.
I do agree with alfarom’s earlier review that there’s probably Iso E super in it but so what? It works. It weaves magic. I don’t get any Vanilla or Tonka which for me is great as I find them sickly on me.
This isn’t a cheapie and it’s obvious why. First rate ingredients mixed and bridged with skill.
Just fabulous.
Avatar3 – :
The opening reminds me of the spicy/woody jasmine that I smell in Tom Ford’s Black Orchid Voile de Fleur and Bvlgari’s Jasmine Noir. Then OJ Woman settles into a peppery amber on me that seems related to Rochas Absolu and Guerlain Samsara – other favorites of mine. Lovely and warm, OJW is a delightful cool-weather fragrance! Moderate-strength scent with average sillage.
miklles600 – :
I have nearly finished my EdP bottle of OJ Woman and I am contemplating whether to replace. I definitely like this fragrance a lot but not sure if I really love it. I have enjoyed wearing it a lot, though.
This is very soft scent, on application this feels a bit too green for my taste, but soon I am taken into a lovely, mysterious forest. I have problems smelling jasmine, so cannot really say anything about its presence here. The violets are barely there, just complementing the woody notes. Projection is moderate, but the longevity is really good. I applied mine 8h ago and it is still going strong. I have gotten many compliments on this 7+hours after application.
I would recommend this to people (irrespective of sex/gender)who are looking for an unique soft, woody fragrance but shy away from spice and incense notes. The sharpness in the beginning can be a bit misleading, but wood fans (who don’t want projection bombs) will not be disappointed by the drydown. On my skin this is leaning on the sweet side.
ilija – :
(from a sample)
Lordy, this is some kind of perfume. It’s what I picture Catherine Deneuve would wear on a stroll through one of the Paris flea markets. It’s a lilting but sharp scent that screams “I’m hard on the outside, but molten on the inside.” I wore it to bed the same day I got the precious little sample vial. I had some wicked pleasant dreams. It’s really special. I really need it.
skull777 – :
Stunning. Wow. Grassy top lifted me off the ground, gorgeous rich middle keeps me suspended in mid air. I had a sample of OJ Man and wasn’t so blown away– I should go back and check it again. Seriously having an out of body experience over this. Plotzing. When I read rhapsodic descriptions of the vintage classics in their vintage formulations that I will never experience, this is the depth, richness and quality I imagine.
Dogmeat – :
Another top class delivery from Ormonde Jayne. Ormonde Woman opens with an extremely green/dark green accord that immediately brings to mind of a wet forest in the morning while subtle spicy notes add an extra oomph to the general outdoorsy vibe. Links to Ormonde Man are unquestionable but where the masculine version of this masterpiece turns into a cedarwood-vetiver-black hemlock drydown, Ormonde Woman pairs all of the above to a terrific amber-incense base of immense beauty. Intensely woody, thick but never overwhelming, elegant yet not too mannered. Pure perfection.
The woody-resiny element may lead to suspect the presence of Iso E Super but, even if so, the fragrance is so well balanced and orchestrated to result incredibly pleasant and, somewhat, novel. By all means, a masterpiece.
Boys, don’t let the name mislead you, Ormonde Woman makes a terrific masculine.
Rating: 9/10
Rohman – :
Ormonde Jayne Woman is the only perfume I’ve ever encountered that contains black hemlock absolute; an ingredient so obscure that it isn’t even included in Fragrantica’s directory of notes. I associate hemlock with poison, so it falls into the same intriguing category of peculiar notes as datura and belladonna. Why more perfumers don’t use this note is a mystery to me, since black hemlock gives OJW a bright airy whiff of pine that is vastly superior to that heavy, oily Pine Sol aroma that tends to ruin other “forest” fragrances.
I’ll admit that I’m thrown off by the name of this perfume, because OJW is about as unisex as it gets, and could be worn just as wonderfully by men. However, if this fragrance was created to appeal to a specific type of woman, she would be cerebral and independent. This isn’t the sort of fragrance that seeks attention with tons of vanilla or in your face white flowers; rather, it is beautifully subtle, whispering dark green spells. OJW would perfectly suit a woman who doesn’t need a man in her life, but nevertheless attracts them like flies. I don’t always agree with Turin and Sanchez, but they got it right when they gave this unique creation five stars.
hocospinfophy – :
i cannot understand these positive comments, i am looking for a niche perfume and have been sending for various samples recommended in the perfume bible and the ormonde fragrances are just so weak smelling,in the last few weeks i have had amouage, serge,and histoires samples of some which i love and will be buying,so very disappointed in these as they smell very commercial.
ost11 – :
I’m only just learning about the unusual behaviour of some perfumes. This one was a discovery for me.
When I put it on, my first thought was, “This is nice”, nothing special but nice. Chocolate with a hint of leather and some nice amber. (Yes, I know there’s no chocolate or leather in it, but that’s what it smelled like to me.)
About half an hour later I was minding my own business and suddenly thought, “Where’s that lovely fruity smell coming from?” Then I realised it was me! (Yeah, I know, no fruit either.) I sniffed my wrists – definitely not there – but it was in the air around me.
Two hours in and the scent on my wrists finally released the promised florals.
A very strange but immensely pleasant experience. I’m looking forward to wearing Ormonde Woman again. I’m having a grand time trying different perfumes. The good ones evolve and you never know what’s going to happen. 😉
CialisFimale – :
I first tried this fragrance in the Summer and found it a little syrupy but interesting. I had never smelled anything quite like it but wasn’t quite in love yet. However, now that it is Winter, Ormonde Woman has come alive and is truly captivating. It is woody and green with a hint of sweetness but with something narcotic and mysterious hanging like a low mist amongst the tree branches. The most special thing about this perfume is the illusion of space between the top, middle and bottom notes. It is as if there are clearly defined layers of scent, as I stoop low to experience the mossy roots, straighten up to inhale a handful of leaves and twigs crushed between my fingers, then stand on tiptoe to capture something elusive on the wind.
SpahThypefbelleg – :
The first thing I smell is sandalwood – a lot of sandalwood- along with some light flowers, vanilla, and a sour-smelling orris/violet, but not the powdery kind. I think part of the light, bright note in the beginning is due to the “black hemlock” (or is it black spruce?) listed in the OJ website notes. However, there’s so much sandalwood that it pretty much drowns out anything else.
The jasmine-orris-sandalwood combo has strong to moderate sillage and lasts for at least 6-8 hours on skin. I like this scent, but am not sure it’s something that I’d want to wear often simply because the Australian-type sandalwood and sour orris notes are so overpowering.
КотяНэт – :
So many spectacular reviews on this!! And she deserves every one…. This is a potion, a dusky green beauty that conjures up the feeling of wood nymphs,fantasy, and things from an enchanted forest..
This has an extraordinary resonance that’s weighted so perfectly. It captures the air without holding it captive. As everyone before me has mentioned it’s definately green and woodsy, but the spices are done quite brilliantly. They weave in and out playing hide and seek with the amber. None of it stands up and says, “Pay attention to me!!!!!” Instead every ingrediant knows it’s role and plays it exactly as written. This perfume is choreographed by a master.
Definately for fall winter, Ormonde Woman is sophisticated, sexy, mysterious, and compelling. I hope she never stops making it!
LASIXBUY – :
I am going to start by saying that nobody does forests better than Monsieur Lutens, referring to his Bois line! With this one I get green grassy oil initially drying to a darker, transparent, woody, and slightly powdery- flowery base, ladylike and a bit sweet, but also a bit “common” on my skin. I don’t quite get any “dangerous” but so sought after witchiness out of it, and although I like it best of all the line, I will not purchase a full bottle. But I will keep my sample, so that in a future revisit, I might estimate it better.
alexmih – :
If there were a fragrance category called Fairytale Chypre, Ormonde Woman would be the ur-example. It’s very green and woodsy, yes, but with an underlying sweetn