Boudoir
Vivienne Westwood (1998)

A creamy floral-amber with that weird dry flower - marigold.
It’s a bit like that minor key masculine - Roma Uomo.

A very powdery, sweet and coquetish perfume that is both very girly and very old fashioned all at once. Definitely interesting, cozy and dreamy, and of course very pink. Doesn't feel dirty to me, more "worn-in". I can see it as a boudoir perfume. If I had to compare it with something, maybe I could compare it with Guerlain Insolence - but Insolence is softer, fruitier, even more dreamier and much more modern, and Boudoir is more candied, more complex, more mature and is more about a woman of flesh and blood and sweat while Insolence smells more like a fairy princess.

Boudoir starts it's seduction as a fragrant bergamot and orange blossom combination, adulterated by aldehydes and cut with sharp green hyacinth. Boudoir strays into toxic (air-freshener), but quickly becomes intoxicating, with the freshness of cypress leaves and pine needles sweetened by a sumptuous marigold and vanilla mixture.

Boudoir could have been called ‘bouquet'; with such a hefty dose of florals, but there is something sharp and elusive lurking in the flowers. It is a little reminiscent of soap, not a generic commercial soap but one lovingly handcrafted by a matronly enthusiast from the marigold and hyacinth growing in her garden, the memories of her youth mingle into the composition, her hopes and follies balance out the sweetness of the present moment and make an evocative scent that is as optimistic as it is knowing and sensual.

Boudoir exudes a subtle confidence that is spicy, self assured and unapologetic, but also as soft and inviting as freshly picked daffodils tied with a purple ribbon. Unlike many scents marketed as ‘sexy', this doesn't rely on animalic or musky notes to seduce the animal in man. It is a post-enlightenment scent, designed for sensuality. Intimate and enigmatic orrisroot replaces musk, and poignant spices disorientate your perception. In this blur of cardamom, coriander seeds and edible cinnamon you could easily be seduced…

A clichéd note of rose and patchouli (the mainstream ambrosia) threatens to pull the fragrance back into the ordinary (even though this was made decades ahead of the trend) – but the heady dose of tobacco leaf keeps things exciting, unpredictable and romantic.

I'm very happy to see Boudoir is still in production. It was weird and ahead of its time-- a toothpaste and makeup oriental. I guess this was sort of spinning off on the popularity of Jean Paul Gaultier's original 90s makeup fragrance. As for the skank, I had an old bottle and never noticed it.

This perfume is an irresistible secret weapon.a perfume that the VIVIENNE WESTWOOD woman knows she deserves, something instantly recognizable as unique and sensually evocative.not only will it make you feel like a million dollars but also it is sure to generate positive feedback from people.provocative, special,glamorous,warm,classy, wonderful,powerful,absolutely feminine and potently erotic.

Aldehydes,bergamot and marigold mingle in a melange of sexy,retro chypre character with fresh accents of coriander and a warm undercurrent of patchouli, sandalwood,cinnamon and vanilla to render an amulet of univocal femininity. just one spray of this EDP can ignite quite an evening as it is absolutely alluring, sexy with a hint of being naughty.the bottle is regal and precious.

BOUNDOIR evokes feeling of a romantic night with lots of glamor.schedule a message,a manicure and then soak in this,add a little black dress and some pearls and you are ready for saturday night.It is for the mature and self assured ladies.totally a wonderful unique chypre-floral that fills the air with a come-find-me aroma.try it today and see all the great comments you will receive.

I missed out on this one for years, because I disliked how the tester smelled, so never thought to try it on skin.

There's a particular "rose" + aldehydes combo that's really off-putting to me - it's what I detected in the Boudoir tester, and it or something very similar to it is in Tresor and Red Door, too. Yet in Boudoir, there's another floral accord, must the representation of viburnum, that's unique and wonderful, and enables me to overlook (oversniff?) the other thing.

When I first tried Boudoir, I was in a perfume store with my mom, and I asked her, "What does this smell like to you?" She swooned, and said, "San Francisco!" which was my impression exactly.

Which brings me to Parfums DelRae Amoureuse. It's supposed to have an accord like the wonderful blooming trees in San Francisco. It kind of does, yet Boudoir really nails it without specifically trying to. I notice that some have compared Boudoir to Amoureuse, and this unique floral would explain it, because they're very, very different scents.

I don't get cigarette smoke or ash, though the tobacco note is not of the sweet pipe tobacco variety, but something more like an opened pack of cigs (maybe even CLOVE cigs) in the pocket of a black leather jacket. In fact, one of my bottles leaked into my leather bag when I took it on a plane, and Boudoir definitely smells fantastic with leather, as if leather is part of the composition.

The closest thing I've smelled to Boudoir is actually another fave, Bellodgia. Whether we call it cloves or carnations in a fragrance, it's all eugenols, innit?