Jil Sander No. 4
Jil Sander (1990)

A classically appointed animalic mossy/chypre really rich and glorious, with a dominant luxuriant accord of fruity notes (apparently apricot and plums), creamy patchouli, musky ylang-ylang and spicy/eliotropic tuberose under my profane nose. The evolution slides away multifaceted and gorgeous. Finally the complex structure tends partially to cast off on my skin (though without completely collapsing). A fragrance conjuring me (in a less complex form) gorgeous pillars of olfactory classicism a la Coco Chanel, Dior Poison, Roccobarocco, Diva Ungaro, Knowing and more.

When I first tried this, I felt it needed something more.A stronger base maybe, such as more woods...maybe oakmoss? The only note I was getting was fresh very ripe, ready to eat, plum!Don't get me wrong, the plum was just right, not sweetened or sugared down.(I thought the problem could be since I had been wearing 'knowing' daily, during that time in my life, I may be expecting the same strong type of a scent!( Knowing is my favorite fragrance.)I layered with knowing & I liked JS better this way!I started thinking I may as well sell JS to someone who wants to smell like a ripe Plum ,who enjoys it more then I did...
Instead, tried it again during a week of daily rain...All of a sudden, I smelled something very familiar! Jasmine was stepping up to the plate...I pulled out an old bottle of night blooming Jasmine from the 70's.and opened the bottle and this to me almost smelled identical to Night blooming Jasmine by Jovan.The next day I started fresh, putting NBJ on one wrist and JS on the other.At one point, I would not have been able to pick out which was which, if I didn't know better...Then I noted night blooming Jasmine stayed quite sweet, while JS was more natural smelling and lasted longer.I now have learned to love Jill Sanders for what it is.I even wear it to bed now, as I find it very soothing.I also layer it with the night blooming Jasmine on days I need extra cheering up.The Jill Sanders tones down (just a bit of the extra sweetness in NBJ)Jill Sanders makes the NBJ last longer too, for it has better longevity.Seems Jill Sanders stays closer to the skin on me. I like the extra Jasmine from NBJ added to get more projection out of this.Gives off an aura of plum mixed with Jasmine, reminding one of a sun shining day...
I do like it alone now, too, yet I don't get any woods out of Jill Sanders which others here, seem to get! On me the weather seems to play a big part whether to layer or wear it alone.
One day I may try adding some sandalwood added to my Jill Sanders...
All in all I do not see this as a strong fragrance, yet well put together and smooth...One can make it more mature by layering or younger, depending on what it's layered with...
This is my first time writing a review...I hope I was able to express well enough, my thoughts on Jill Sanders no. 4...

A dark, sweet, amber oriental floral. It opens with powerful sweet blast of tuberose. Within 20-30 minutes the scent gains depth as rose and Jasmine step up. This is a glorious old-style big-shoulder pad scent from the 1990's. A great example of its kind and still very pleasant, not nasty. Well-blended.

This contains everything but the kitchen sink - there are even some notes that are not listed above - Mace, Pimento, Orris, Neroli and Carnation among them.

To my nose this is an extremely heavy, extremely floral, very old fashioned melange that truly bring to mind the negative connotation of "old lady" perfume.

There is nothing subtle about this one - it hangs in the air cloyingly. It can kill at forty paces on a warm day.

Barbara Herman calls it a fruity floral. It is that, but overwhelmingly so.

Even I could have come up with something like this if I'd just thrown together all the heavy florals in the laboratory. Not even cleverly or uniquely combined. Just a recreation of a very old and thankfully out of date formula.

Unpleasant.

It is so elegant ,warm and feminine!!This is a chypre-gourmand quality perfume!
I have a bottle of this and i treasure...rose,plum,anise and galbanum..at top notes ,the opening is sweet floral and sharp ..warmness is deeper when its floral notes of heart strengthen up while myrrh and nutmeg start to unfold more sweetness and creaminess.. ..
Basenotes of tonka bean ,coriander,vanilla ,oakmoss,sandal,civet ,patchouli give the scent an unusual and unique sillage and longevity..one of best!

For the first few minutes Jil Sander No. 4 is something rather harsh and soapy on my skin, not quite the searing floral detergent of Caron's Narcisse Noir, but none the less something sharp and rather unpleasant.In the heart, it is at its best. I smell orange flower, jasmine, and tuberose, rich and slightly fruity as in Serge Lutens Fleurs d'Oranger, but darker, muddier, and still retaining a slightly soapy edge. The base is darkly floral with heavy and oriental texture distantly recalling Guerlain's Samsara.There is depth and complexity here, but there's something ugly about this fragrance to my nose, and I can't seem to warm to it.