Dries Van Noten’s perfume line was launched in March 2022, along with a set of 30 lipsticks. The fragrances are all genderless, and I had a great time smelling most of them earlier this year when I was in London for Fashion Week, and a less great time trying to narrow down exactly which one I was going to buy – I finally settled on Voodoo Chile, which will be featured in tomorrow’s Set 2 – woody, fruity and citrus perfumes. Personally, I’m more into those scents than floral (unless tuberose is involved), and the other scents I really wanted to buy were Cannabis Patchouli and Santal Greenery, which will all be in Set 2.
I can say that for longevity, the Eaux de Parfum have to be some of the longest lasting I’ve ever tried. Even the sample cards still smelt strongly after 24 hours. I didn’t test any of the Eaux de Toilette so I can’t comment about those, but being that an EdT is 5-15% concentration while an EdP is 15-20%, they would be expected to last less.
The perfume bottles are a mix of glass with other materials such as metal or porcelain, and the Eau de Toilette bottles are made of recyclable glass. For protection, the bottles are encased in a paper-like packaging made from renewable wood fiber sourced from FSC-certified forests. This is then put into a reusable drawstring pouch featuring a house design.
The perfumes below are the first six out of a total of twelve, but while these all feature floral notes, they’re not technically all floral perfumes, I’ve just grouped them all together like that. I’ve described each perfume in more detail below and also included a few alternatives for each one, along with a shoppable link where I’m able to find one. I hope you find something that you like. If you’d like to skip to a particular perfume, this post features Rosa Carnivora (Eau de Parfum), Raving Rose (Eau de Parfum), Jardin de l’Orangerie (Eau de Parfum), Neon Garden (Eau de Parfum), Orange Smoke (Eau de Toilette), and Sur Ma Peau (Eau de Toilette).
Rosa Carnivora was developed by perfumer Daphne Bugey, who also created the amazing Loubikiss for Christian Louboutin – this is one of my absolute favourite perfumes, and my replacement for the brand’s discontinued Bikini Questa Sera. You may also know Ms Bugey for Jean Paul Gaultier’s Scandal (created in collaboration with Fabrice Pellegrin and Christophe Raynaud), and A Scent by Issey Miyake for Issey Miyake.
The top notes of Rosa Carnivora are Pink Pepper and Rose, heart notes are Vetiver and Floral Bouquet, base notes are Cistus and Patchouli.
I hadn’t actually ever heard of Cistus before – this is apparently another name for the Rock rose, a Mediterranean shrub which produces lots of flowers which only last for one day.
For something similar, have a look at Twilly d’Hermès Eau Poivrée by Hermès (top note: Pink Pepper; heart note: Rose; base note: Patchouli) or if you’d like something along the same lines but more woody, check out Ballerina No 3 by Les Parfums de Rosine (top notes: Black Pepper, Pink Pepper, Rose; heart notes: Rose, Violet Leaf; base notes: Cashmere, Cedarwood, Patchouli).
Raving Rose was created by Louise Turner, the perfumer who, with Quentin Bisch. also developed the bestselling Good Girl and Bad Boy for Carolina Herrera. She is also the nose behind Dior’s Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet.
Top notes for Raving Rose are Pink Pepper and Black Pepper, heart notes are Rose Water and Rose Absolute, while the base notes are Cashmeran and Musk.
If you’re looking for something similar, you could try Anine Bing’s Savage Rose (top note: Black Pepper; heart note: Rose; base note: Musk), or Cartier’s Declaration d’un Soir Intense (top notes: Black Pepper, Pink Pepper; heart notes: Nutmeg, Rose; base notes: Musk, Sandalwood).
Jardin de l’Orangerie (French for ‘Orange Garden’) was developed by Daniela Andrier with top notes of Neroli buds, heart notes of Jasmine and Ylang Ylang, and base notes of Orange Blossoms and Sandalwood. There’s also some milky notes to the base, with Andrier describing the perfume as “a beautiful duality of nature-inspired orange blossom with the contrast of sweet, opulent, milky, mature orange blossom.”
Andrier has also created the amazing Fleur D’Argent for Miu Miu and Infusion d’Iris for Prada – the Miu Miu perfume is quite strong, but the Prada infusion is light and a good choice to wear everyday. I spent a good hour in the Prada boutique on Fifth Avenue a couple of weeks ago smelling all the infusions, and this one was actually my favourite. I’m more into heavy perfumes though so I’m not about to start investing in them, but if you prefer lighter scents, they’d be a good option to look into.
If you’re looking for something else based (much!) more heavily on Neroli and Orange Blossom, you could try Neroli Marocco by The Merchant of Venice (top notes: Neroli, Orange Blossom; heart notes: Neroli, Mock-Orange; base notes: Neroli, Orange Blossom), or for something with a bit more citrus, see if you can find Parfum de Nuit by Alberta Ferretti – it’s worth getting just for the bottle. The top notes are Grapefruit, Mandarin, Neroli and Petitgrain, heart notes are Jasmine, Mimosa, Nutmeg, Orange Blossom and Ylang Ylang, base notes are Amber, Cedarwood and Musk.
Neon Garden combines Mint and Iris, and comes in this beautiful blue and yellow bottle. It was developed by Fanny Bal, who was also involved in the creation of Wanted Girl for Azzaro and worked with Dominique Ropion on Amor Amor Electric Kiss for Cacharel.
The top note is Mint (a combination of Spearmint and Peppermint), heart notes are Carrot Heart and Iris Accord, while the base notes are Musk and Ambroxan.
I struggled a bit to find similar perfumes, but for something with notes of Mint and Iris with a Musk base you could try out Snowy Owl by Zoologist (top notes: Mint, Coconut, Lily of the Valley; heart notes: Rose, Incense, Mate; base notes: Cedarwood, Musk, Oakmoss, Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Ambrette, Civet), or Particuliere Eau Parfume by Diptyque (top notes: Mint, Citrus; heart notes: Iris, Patchouli, Rose; base notes: Musk, Resin).
Orange Smoke is an Eau de Toilette created by Annick Menardo, a French perfumer who has also developed Roma Uomo for Laura Biagiotti and Kokorico for Jean Paul Gaultier (the latter with Olivier Cresp).
Top notes are Mandarin, Petitgrain, and Neroli, heart notes are Orange Blossom, Jasmine, and Incense, base notes are Myrrh and Musks. It could be layered over Jardin de l’Orangerie to add a bit more depth.
You could also try layering it over other perfumes with similar notes – a mandarin perfume that I’m really into right now is La Femme by Prada (top notes: Mandarin, Frangipani; heart notes: Tuberose, Ylang Ylang; base notes: Woody Notes), or perhaps over something with a bit of oud (and another fantastic bottle for your collection) like Xerjoff’s Purple Accento (top notes: Mandarin, Pineapple, Hyacinth; heart notes: Jasmine, Pink Pepper; base notes: Oud, Amber, Musk, Sandalwood, Vanilla).
The last perfume for this set is another Eau de Toilette – Sur Ma Peau (French for ‘on my skin’). The flower featured in this fragrance is Orange Flower, but it isn’t really a floral perfume – it’s more of a citrus/vanilla combination. Like Orange Smoke, it would be amazing to layer over other perfumes.
It was created by Quentin Bisch (he also developed Dries Van Noten’s more fruity Eau de Parfum Fleur du Mal), who also gave us Angel Muse by Mugler and Pure XS For Her by Paco Rabanne.
Top notes of this perfume are Bergamot and Mandarin, heart notes are Orange Flower Accord and Vetiver, base notes are Vanilla Beans Accord and Tonka Beans. If you’d like something with similar notes, there’s Libre Intense by Yves Saint Laurent (top notes: Bergamot, Lavender, Mandarin; heart notes: Jasmine, Lavender, Orange Blossom, Orchid; base notes: Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Vetiver, Ambergris), or JTC 400 by Xerjoff (top notes: Mandarin, Orange, Bergamot, Honey; heart notes: Orange Blossom, Rose, Tobacco; base notes: Cedarwood, Patchouli, Vanilla, Vetiver).
You can only really buy these perfumes at the brand website, and a few department stores, so they’re not the easiest to find. They’re also a bit expensive, but with how long they last and how strong they are, they’re great value for money so they make a good investment. If you’re not into any of these, hopefully one of tomorrow’s set will interest you.