Oriza L. Legrand

Every now and then an Oriza L. Legrand perfume is discussed on this site, or Pipette writes how wonderfully authentic they are I haven't tried any yet, but I do like the bottles and the wonderful artwork on them.

So what about the juice? Which ones do you think are best for men and women?

Let's use this thread to discuss the brand.

I purchased the sample pack around Christmas but haven't gotten around to properly sampling all of the seven perfumes included, except "Oeillet Louis XV" which I loved (but can be near suffocating in the wrong situations and at the wrong doses) and "Chypre-Mousse" which has a knock-out sillage. Definitely worth exploring if you don't mind perfumes to smell kind of old-fashioned. Some of them are downright charming in that aspect while others, not so much, but isn't that the case for all perfumes? I find that the two I have tested were pretty good in terms of sillage and longevity at least, even though I wouldn't say they got my love 100% without reservations.

Good topic, Sleuth. I've been curious about this house for a while and would be interested to hear users' opinions. Test the others Sweetgrass!

In my opinion the Oriza L. Legrand perfumes are very authentic and almost pieces of art. They all seem to have a story to tell. Very evocative and it's definitely worth exploring. Their sample service is great and not very costly (I think they charged 16,- for samples and shipment).

As for the fragrances my favorite is Horizon. This is one of the few that doesn't seem to have a big story to tell, but it's just a very nice and wearable perfume. It does remind of fragrances as Patchouli by Reminiscence or Von Eussersdorf Patchouli, but this one is really much better imo. Like said the patchouli plays the main part, but it's nicely accompanied by cognac, tobacco, peat and marmelade. For me the suprise is that the drydown seems fougere like. Anyway Horizon was a real treat. I think this a fragrance that could be worn by women and man, but is slightly more for men.

The second of favorite was Reve D'Ossian which is very much about the incense, pine tree and aldehydes. It does have a story to tell about a deep woods in which there might be mythical beings lurking around behind the trees. Definitely unisex.

My least favorite is Jardins d'Armide which seems a very old-fashioned violet/ rose combo. Very feminine.

The Chypre Mousse is very unwearable for me and seems to contain everything you will find on damp the forest floor. Including rotting leaves, mushrooms, fungus and nuts. Recommended for anyone who can actualy wear this scent.

The Relique d'Amour brings you into an old church in which you can find incense burning, lilies in vases, polished church benches and even the old damp stone walls are there. It's actually like walking into a church when you close your eyes. Definitly unisex and for anyone who feels liturgical.

I need to retest Deja Le Printemps in warmer weather. I find it very masculine. Neverthless it seems very nice.

Thank you for your replies

They deliver. Not always do I want to be "touched" with something really vintage, but when I'm in the mood, there is this vintage vibe.

"Horizon" is easy to wear. "Jardins d'Armide" is more demanding and belongs in cold winter climes with its marzipan/holidays vibe. "Deja le Printemps", okay, it is said to be Catherine Deneuve's favorite, if one can believe the story ...

All in all, an attempt to bring back very old scents. Will more perfume houses catch on ? It could be lucrative.

But then, who wants to travel back that far? Occasionally, yes. Other than that, do we not live in the present? However, the present is flooded with lemonades instead of wine, so there.

Recently, I went to a brick and mortar store "Juju s'amuse" located in upper Manhattan, you can google that. The store was a boutique with nice French clothing, old French books, other little memorabilias and a little table with the complete line of Oriza L. Legrand scents. In that decor, they fitted. More or less an item that one would seek out, and not in your face, like the designer scents which claim counter space in the department stores and which the personnel is busy spritzing at the customers.

Hello everyone. I have been trying them too. Here are my thoughts on Jardins D'Armide.

Jardins D'Armide;

What a joy this is! I defy any fragrance lover not to react when they smell Jardins D'Armide, even if it is not to one's personal taste. I can't imagine that anyone would find it uninteresting.

The opening of this fragrance immediately brings to mind sugared almond dragees, every time! That's a bit odd maybe because I don't think that those particular confections have much of a smell actually, but that is the first image that pops up and floats around.

In fact, if you can imagine sweet sugared almonds, and those tiny candied violets which can be found in Madrid, add some orange flower water, some sweetly aromatic dried rose petals, some geranium soap, old fashioned iris powder, and some soft, billowy (and strangely not sweet) nutty vanilla, then you would be with me on this one. It is so gloriously old fashioned! Underscoring this feast of sweetmeats is a sweetly nostalgic floral accord, built around that lovely old fashioned aromatic rose. In time the fragrance settles into an aromatic accord of rose/violet/iris/geranium.

Jardins D'Armide is certainly sweet and powdery but of course that is it's charm. There is a little brighness too which provides a perfect foil. It is delighful, charming, nostalgic. It strikes me that it was made with unrestrained pleasure and perhaps even a little humour.

Official notes; (from the OLL website)

Top notes: Old Rose, Orange Blossom and Iris Powder.

Heart notes: Florentine iris, Violet Wild, Glycine and Carnation India.

Base notes: Honey, Almond, Tonka and Musk.

I am sure that this fragrance will have it's detractors. It won't be to everyones taste. It is very old fashioned after all, and it will be perceived by some as overtly feminine, too sweet, too powdery. But I also think that it will melt the hearts of many. It presents itself as an homage to fragrances past, with little or no compromise to suit current tastes, and in my view it should be respected for that alone.

Dare I say that it would be utterly intriguing on a man.

This discussion has persuaded me to order the sample pack, I hope to love at least one, so I have a beautiful bottle.

Thats great Tnahowru. It will be nice to hear what you think of this collection.

I've tested 6 out of 8 and I have to stop and say "Relique d'Amour (2012)" gets a 90-95. It's longevity alone lasted at least 24 and that included a shower.

To love each stage in a perfume is rare for me. The opening is green (grassy), herbal (green herbs), and a white lily that stays throughout. The top and the middle blend together linearly. I never did smell the incense in the heart notes.

It will be one of my next purchases, and I don't have to order from France because it's at Luckyscent.

I still have two more to test, but "Oeillet Louis XV" is my next favorite scoring 80 because it just isn't strong enough, but definitely bottle worthy.
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Out of eight samples there are four I love and will buy...
"Relique d'Amour (2012)" chypre
"Deja Le Printemps (2012)" green floral
"Reve d'Ossian" oriental woody
"Oeillet Louis XV" floral woody musk

This house has been a great find for you then. Enjoy!

It is! Thanks to ya'll

Having tested most of the range now, I'd like to throw in my two pence as well.
I love "Chypre Mousse (2013)". Rather unique and certainly not to everyone's liking. To me one of the best chypre nouveau creations available.
I also like "Rêve d'Ossian", an incense composition with lots of other resins and woods, "Horizon", honeyed patchouli, and "Déjà Le Printemps (2012)", a well-rounded fig scent.
But I am afraid I can't make any recommendations with regard to gender. That's a marketing concept usually lost on me.

Chypre Mousse is a joke. I can't believe they had the audacity to call it a chypre.

Bought the sample pack. I tried them when the weather was hot and unfortunately had to pack them away for our winter. Relique D'Amour was my favourite but could not compete with others on my wish list, such as Tauer. I won a sample pack of Roxana's Illuminated perfumes, three concentrations of 'Impromptu' and found great similarity in the genesis of Impromptu with Oriza L. Legrand's range. I am not their champion but I respect them very much. There is a link to Aveda's Dune Primrose, the scent of daisies and herbal infusions, coumarin maybe, exist in these three lines.