Phũl-Nãnã Grossmith 1891 Eau de Parfum

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8.3 / 10 158 Ratings

A popular perfume by Grossmith for women, released in 1891. The scent is floral-spicy. The longevity is above-average. It is still in production.

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Main accords

Floral

Spicy

Oriental

Powdery

Woody

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Neroli

Orange

Bergamot

Heart Notes

Geranium

Tuberose

Ylang-ylang

Base Notes

Patchouli

Benzoin

Bourbon vanilla

Cedarwood

Opoponax

Sandalwood

Tonka bean

Ratings

Scent

8.3158 Ratings

Longevity

8.3122 Ratings

Sillage

7.8120 Ratings

Bottle

8.3106 Ratings

Value for money

6.312 Ratings

Submitted by Feylamia, last update on 28.03.2024.

Reviews

5 in-depth fragrance descriptions

03/17/2019

10
Bottle 8
Sillage 9
Longevity 10
Scent

Can777
121 Reviews

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Can777

Top Review 54

The temple of Kaali Maa

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, I was in Mauritius. The population living there consists mainly of Indians who have settled there. If you stay in one of the small cities, you really come from as if you were in India. Women with beautiful saris dominate the cityscape. There are special shops that sell these magnificent and dazzling fabrics. When you enter one of these shops, the flood of colours makes you almost blind. But it is not the loud and screaming fabrics that are most precious. Exactly the opposite is the case. It is the silky mats and dull colours that are the most precious and would be like a Maharani. The price one can pay for such an apparently meaningless sari fabric is considerable. Furthermore I had the great honour to be taken to a Hindu temple deep within the island.

The temple was on a small mountain. When I entered the temple I was already greeted by an incredibly beautiful smell. It became more and more intense as I approached the hall. What I was then allowed to see was more like a film set than a prayer hall. She was sitting at the end of the little hall. Kali the black goddess of death, anger and renewal. It was completely made of black ebony and about five meters tall. Decorated over and over with wreaths of flowers which were put around her neck and at her feet a sea of white flowers surrounded her. Small bundles of incense were burning everywhere. The room was impregnated with spicy, resinous and creamy smells. The scent of sandalwood, patchouli and various spices ran through the air and mixed with the blossoms to create something unique. Hours after this visit my clothes still smelled of it, although I was only a few minutes inside the temple. For a long time I have longed to perceive this unique reverberation in me again. Phul-Nana is a tribute to the beauty of India and for me the end of a long search. This perfume smells exactly like my clothes after visiting the temple,....unique!

Phul-Nana
Phul-Nana comes to the art of wrapping a Maharani in a noble and magnificent sari. Imagine naked skin in need of neroli and fine and precious layers of fabrics in matt and broken tones. A silky soft tuberose that is almost pulverized is deposited on the skin. Not heavy and strong at all, but as if it had become the finest powder that surrounds the skin. The fragrance remains in this state like soft wax on the skin for a long time until further layers of fabric are added to refine it. Phul-Nana sinks deeper and deeper towards its base of dry and dusty tones. Probably the most symbolic note of India's patchouli comes to the fore with layers of matt spicy vanilla and finely bitter tonka. Everything is held in place by a delicate veil of creamy soft benzoin and soft-melting opoponax. The finest (scented) fabrics wrap the body like a Maharani!

Conclusion
The light that Phul-Nana emits is not bright and extremely bright. It is rather soft and dim, like the light of an antique and dirty oil lantern. The perfume seems to float in the air like the finest flowery-spicy powder particles. Phul-Nana has something pompous, old and historical in its aura, without being overwhelming. It has a well perceptible Sillage which however at no time appears obtrusive and a very good durability of 8. to 12. hours. The perfume is well wearable by both sexes, unless you are afraid of tuberose or feel too young for this masterpiece. Phul-Nana is like a precious blindly shimmering sari fabric or like the wind blowing through a Hindu temple carrying all the splendid smells. That I like Phul-Nana should be very clear after telling my experiences. I just think it's fabulously beautiful!

By the way, the reason why the Hindus pray to such an apparently frightening goddess as Kaali Maa is that in the belief of the Hindus she is one of the few goddesses who can fulfill the wishes.

With Phul-Nana she has finally fulfilled mine!

06/09/2018

9
Bottle 8
Sillage 8
Longevity 9
Scent

Serenissima
608 Reviews

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Serenissima

Top Review 19

bewitching beauty without expiration date

Recently I received one of Gerdi's lovingly wrapped gift parcels. They are always a surprise and the individual packages are such that I sometimes hesitate for a long time to open them and destroy them because they are simply so pretty.
Also this time she had packed again with much taste and love: here already the first thank you!
In the middle of all these gifts was a bottle, which in its almost simple elegance captivated my immediate attention.
"Phul-Nana" (sorry, unfortunately I can't set the tildes with my system, so it has to be like this) from Grossmith London. That told me nothing, they may forgive me.
Of course I had to spray immediately, packaging back and forth, and was immediately kidnapped into a magical dream castle.

Bergamot is the prelude to this fragrance work of art - here a little withdrawn; fully ripe fragrant oranges and tender Neroli, caressing the soul - what a beautiful overture!
Rose geranium and tuberose exude their rich aroma as generously as if there were no tomorrow!
The always welcome radiance of Ylang-Ylang sets sonorous scent accents that accompany dreams.
Already now I feel like I am embraced by a very loving embrace.
The basis finally consists of a skillfully dosed blend of great fragrances: resinous nuances of benzoin and opoponax (the resin that is not ascribed without reason to the goddess of love Venus).
Bourbon vanilla, warm, full-bodied and almost creamy in the course of the fragrance, sets tasteful accents; here balanced accompanied by the tonka bean (which is not always self-evident).
Two of my absolute favourites, Patchouli and Sandalwood, skillfully perfect a scent composition that captivates.
Floating sound or sounding floating?
The rich spice of the cedar wood forms the final chord here; it lends the necessary stability to the previous fragrance symphony.
Not loud, not disturbing, more like a filigree supporting pillar in architecture.
"Phul-Nana" seems to me like an artfully assembled mosaic that fascinates by its magic.
For many hours this enchanting being accompanies you without paying attention to space and time, and through its presence makes every woman a goddess!

Which women have been surrounded by this fragrance in the past?
"Phul-Nana" also discreetly keeps this secret to herself; you almost feel a quiet smile and tilting of a beautifully styled woman's head!

I almost didn't want to believe it when I read that this extraordinarily beautiful fragrance had already melted on my tongue in 1891: 1891! - was created.
What a timeless treasure was created here. Not from particularly exotic fragrances, but from the treasures that every perfumer is familiar with from the ground up.
Flacon and fragrant contents: an irresistible creation that fortunately survived the century unspoiled and still radiates its timeless elegance.
(How nice that at least here nobody tried to bring in his own thoughts and thus destroyed the original creation.)

I can't thank Gerdi enough for this treasure. Surely it was not easy for her to part with it and send this wonderful gift on the journey to me.
"Phul-Nana" will spray his divine elegance here in the future and will get a very special place in my collection.

(Now I can only hope that this comment will be sent successfully: the original form unfortunately crashed after the network connection was interrupted during sending.)

10/15/2018

8
Bottle 8
Sillage 8
Longevity 8.5
Scent

DonJuanDeCat
657 Reviews

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DonJuanDeCat

Top Review 16

120 year old flowers sniffed with powder

Today I come to a fragrance that was created a long time ago. The scent is older than me! Well, since I'm in my thirties, it doesn't really mean anything, since there are some scents that are older than me. But the scent is even older than all of us here together!!! Well, and that is perhaps exaggerated, but I just wanted to make it clear that the fragrance is really old, because after all it was created for the first time in 1891, which is now 127 years ago! If I,... or better said my calculator can calculate correctly :DD

1891! It's been several generations! Man, I'd like to know who my ancestors were then. Because unlike in most European countries the records in Turkey or in the Ottoman Empire were rather poor, so that I cannot look back further on my father's side than to my grandfather, because unfortunately he had not really known his father either... I hope we were not a wandering and thieving pack or something, mu ha ha ha. If someone should ask me what my family tree looks like, then it's quite simple: Grandpa - Father - Me. Ready! :DD And of course some "details" like uncle, brother, mother, aunt, but looking further back than my grandpa, I can't... maybe I should send the whole village there to the gene test lab, he he.

Anyway, 1891! I'm pretty sure that the original fragrance probably smelled somehow different than it does today, but I think it's great when certain fragrances last so long. And the name Phul Nana means "beautiful flower" in Indian, which should indicate that the fragrance contains a lot of flowers, according to the description mixed with a herb garden, even if I cannot see any herbs in the fragrance pyramid. Well, let's see!

The fragrance:

Okay, the fragrance has a very intense beginning and it smells of sweet powdery vanilla that makes the fragrance soft. The somehow "oily" feeling, but nice smelling Neroli I find very suitable for vanilla. In addition there are sweet tuberoses and a bit sultry Ylang-Ylangs, whereas the Ylang-Ylang at the beginning still smells a bit harsh rather than flowery. Geraniums seem to be the weakest flowery notes.
A little later, most of the scents blend into each other, especially the floral notes, which can only be recognized when one of them smells a little more intense than the others from time to time.
Although the fragrance is so strongly flowery and also radiates strongly, it is nevertheless also very gently advised. This is not only due to the vanilla mentioned, but also to the benzoin, which really works wonderfully. Also a little tonka bean seems to be present, which forms a small dream team especially with the vanilla as always, because these two scents often smell very nice when combined. By the way, if one smells close to the sprayed area, then one can even perceive a slightly fresh and citric note. It says here that it contains bergamot, but it seems more sour to me, so I would rather say lemon or lime.
In the base, the fragrance smells as usual, but I would say that the soft notes like benzoin and vanilla as well as the sweet floral notes tuberose and ylang-ylang smell best. Patchouli, well, I can't really smell that.
Much later you can smell most of the powdery and soft notes, mainly vanilla, and then benzoin. The flowery notes then fade a little into the background, and the ylang-ylang thus seems less sultry, although in general it was also less exhausting for me in this fragrance. All in all a very beautiful fragrance.

The Sillage and the shelf life:

The Sillage is really strong. With just a few sprayers you are enveloped in a large fragrance cloud, which remains for a longer time, so that the fragrance can be smelled well by others, not only from close up. It belongs to the scents where you only have to walk past others, and they can still smell the scent, although you are long gone :D
Also the durability is quite good. You can still smell the scent on your skin in the evening if you spray it on in the morning.

The bottle:

The bottle is rectangular or slightly oval with smoothed edges and ribbed glass, with a recess on the front where the label has been embedded. The lid is gilded and cylindrical at the bottom, flat at the top and the handle looks like an embedded gemstone. All in all a beautiful bottle.

Hm, so whoever thinks that the fragrance is totally old-fashioned is mistaken here. Despite its age, the fragrance doesn't really look older or old-fashioned to me, which might also be due to the fact that some classic fragrances of that time, such as oakmoss or similar notes, are not available. The intense, flowery notes make the fragrance look a little more mature at best, so maybe it's not necessarily for youngsters, but that's only my opinion, because in the end everyone has to decide for themselves if and what kind of perfume they wear.

In any case, Phul-Nana has become a beautiful, powdery-sweet and flowery fragrance, which is particularly soft and soft thanks to fragrances such as benzoin, vanilla and tonka bean, and thus radiates a very pleasant fragrance cloud, an elegant aura in addition. This fragrance is very intense, so that the fragrance is best for me only in autumn and winter well wearable. It can be used both daily and in the evening for going out.
Yeah, I'd say the scent was worth a test

06/11/2014

5
Sillage 5
Longevity 6
Scent

Jbells
46 Reviews

Jbells

Helpful Review 5

Just like an Indian temple

I am reviewing this based on a tiny sample that was sent to me in a split recently.

On me this starts very warm - slightly heavy smell of burning incense, laced with powder and an almost unnoticeable sweetness. It bears an uncanny resemblance to Indian temples and the incense that they would burn all day long, which clings to your body and never quite leaves.

Stopping to think and disconnect myself from the memory of temples, I smell a spicy floral with a hint of zest, on a background of benzoin and resins. I get ylangylang in later stages with what seems to be an almost boozy twist, interestingly. The warm powder just lasts throughout, but I think it feels a tad lighter after a couple of hours.

I especially liked the end where opoponax (which I think is like a myrrh) comes through more, because it is more creamy with a dash of sweetness to lighten things up just a tiny bit.

This just did not work for me. It's not ugly by any means, but I couldn't rid myself of the association to Indian temples, and I'm not sure I want to smell like that. That just goes to show how well done it is as an insence-y, resinous frag (IMHO), which is also kind of floral, zesty, and powdery. A shapeshifter, to some extent.

Definitely worth a try if you like deeper fragrances. I am also of opinion that this might wear differently in different seasons. Is this a strictly feminine scent? Probably not, although it is prominently feminine at times when the smoke-laced floral really comes through.

Sillage was good throughout, longevity was so-so, about 4 hours on me.

01/10/2016

9
Bottle 8
Sillage 8
Longevity 9.5
Scent

DorothyGrace
81 Reviews

DorothyGrace

Summer days sitting out on the lawn.

Wow! This was £145 for 50 ml as at October 2016. As at May 2018 it is £185 for 50 ml. That is sure one hefty price hike (roughly 28%). Wish my income had gone up by 28% in just over a year and a half. Bet it's been re-formulated (sour grapes).
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Phul Nana has been calling me for three years but I can't bring myself to buy it. Although I could buy it I have a psychological block shelling out more than £100 (this is £145 for 50 ml). I try to talk myself into it by saying, 'what's the point of having this, this, and this, when you really want that?' but no, I am not open to reason.

Of course, my sample from 2012 is likely to be a different version from 2016 so I would have to try it again. Perhaps I will do that and see what I think.

Phul Nana reminds me of halcyon summer days; the hot sun streaming through starched cotton lace at the windows; the scent of the garden in full bloom dancing on the breeze.

It dries to a very natural powder (not of the baby powder kind); keeps bright with crushed geranium leaf as an almost rosy joss-stick weaves its magic; woods and patchouli far in the background giving great depth.

Sometimes floral, sometimes creamy, mostly warm rosy joss-stick and geranium, always sublime, Phul Nana is a strong long lasting perfume with low to moderate projection and silage - the epitome of elegant luxury.
Sample decant December 2012