Organza
Givenchy (1996)

Vintage Organza (the woman's silhouette is frosted glass and the juice is darker) is a beautiful, non-offensive, gardenia-jasmine-vanilla. Unapologetically feminine. The current reformulation is a watered down aromachemical version and lacks the plushness.

I think there is some confusion between this perfume and the flanker Organza Indecence, which is an equally lovable spicy-woody-vanilla.

Nice sillage and moderate longevity.

Maybe I got a fake, it looked pink? I liked the gardenia opening but quickly dried down and turned very dusty, old fashioned and powdery- disappointed

Organza is your usual vintage oriental with a different floral side than the others. A bit too bitter for me, but lovely all the same.

A sweet gardenia greets me; rich, with a greenish undertone and brightened up by some bergamot and a restrained neroli that lacks any darkness or earthiness. Touches of mace and a good dose of nutmegs add a darker and gently spicy component. An intensive entree into the Organza world.

The drydown unleashes the unfettered floral storm. Tuberose is in the foreground on me, affirmed by jasmine and a rich honeysuckle, whose creamy character is enhanced by an ylang-ylang that is not too dominant and integrating into the whole surprisingly well. Touches of muguet, iris, and prions are also present. Interestingly, even at the peak of this floral orgy the sweetness always remains civil, with a touch of elegance, and is never plasticky, intrusive or cloying; it is walking the tightrope between intensity and sickly banality very carefully.

The base stars a vanilla that is at the core of the last stages. A touch of walnut, a ambery woodsy guaiac with remnants of the nutmeg spiciness lead the way into the gradual petering out of this potpourri.

I get moderate sillage, excellent projection and a magnificent fourteen hours of longevity on my skin.

This unashamedly glorious celebration of floral richness is beautiful for a warm spring night. The quality of the ingredients is very good overall - apart from being a bit too generic in the base, it is blended very well, and the rich intensity combines voluptuousness with elegance very skillfully. Never cheap or tacky in all its sweet delight. 3.5/5.

Slightly sweet. Vaguely bitter florals. Thin, green notes. Spicy undertones. Neroli stands out. I would call this, an evening floral fragrance. Not quite "dark" but, rich.

More floral richness blooms in the middle. A softer sweetness. Beautiful honeysuckle note. The tuberose behaves itself. Sugary ylang ylang and jasmine add class. Iris enhances everything. Organza remains smooth and refined throughout. I consider this a "classic" perfume, right up there with other well-known scents.

There is the faintest of wood in the base - it's mostly all amber and vanilla, in the best sense. This was yet, another popular fragrance that had slipped by my radar for years. I'm happy I finally tried and now also own this.

A grown-up floral beauty...

So, from my experience, the house of Givenchy has always specialised in making distinctly feminine perfumes. In the sense that the one this reminds me of (which my mother used to own) was Ysatis, which again was a very grown up and feminine fragrance.

With Organza, I get a sweet honeyed jasmine with supporting notes of tuberose and gardenia. There's also orange flower and honeysuckle and this really comes across as another variation on a sweet, white floral. The vanilla, amber and nutmeg, along with the soft woods, really ground this fragrance and lend it a very smooth aspect. Well-rounded and complete - nothing lacking here, very polished.

Overall, I think it's a beautiful smell. The really great thing here is that it's not really a cloying monster or a badly done fragrance in any way. It's balanced perfectly and with style. I could see this working for dates and nights out with a loved one. Not clubbing but very intimate and personal moments and occasions with a partner. I see it also as something of an evening perfume. I believe it's very sultry and womanly. I could recommend it as the quality is there. You would probably have to be okay with a white floral done well, with a hint of honey and warmth. For what it does, it hits the mark. Really quite good.