Amyris Femme Extrait de Parfum

Being a frag enthusiast, I have a big collection of perfumes and quite many samples. I recently moved from U.S. to EU and of course had to carefully pack my collection. All perfumes survived the move, however a little tester vial leaked in a bag where I had more than 20 testers..maybe more. It smelt fantastic. I started smelling all tester vials one by one to find which one it was, and it felt like it was none of them. When I realized it must have been the Amyris femme tester I had overlooked, as I didn't like it the first time I tried, I was so happy. I was happy because I finally found my favourite perfume from MFK, a brand which I always appreciated but having smelt all of their offerings, nothing really clicked with me. . It is a powerful (like all perfumes from the house) fizzy, radiant scent that I prefer to wear in daylight. I do not think I would wear this in an office, but maybr the edp version is the way to go. But AF almost feels like emitting a burst of citrusy light, it is warm yet fresh, I guess from the combo of woods and citruces.. Test on skin more than once to judge this gem. The only other perfume that gives me this feeling without being similar is an old bottle ('00s, well-preserved) of Pleasures, by Estée Lauder, which I love cause it reminds me of my mother.

I agree 100% with the previous reviewer Vanian about Amyris Femme Extrait being a modern old-school perfume, and also about its similarity to J'adore (the original fragrance from the turn of the millennium, before they diluted it). The main 'culprit' is jasmine, which emerges as the strongest olfactive component of this perfume and actually overpowers both amyris and iris. Don't get me wrong, I'm perfectly fine with that, because I adore jasmine; however, if you happen to have an issue with strong jasmine and white flowers in general, then Amyris Femme Extrait is not your thing. (Btw amyris itself has a fresh-resinous smell, if it makes sense... like a combination of lemony vetiver or verbena and elemi, sort of.) The other listed notes (pear, mandarin blossom, amber etc.) are not so prominent, and they only serve to support and enhance the main composition. As expected from Maison Francis Kurkdjian, the scent is very elegant, classy and wearable; it smells expensive! It is not a powerhouse - I would say that its silage is moderate - but it lasts a long time and creates a beautiful aura around its wearer. Obviously, one could find much cheaper alternatives in the 'elegant jasmine' category on the fragrance market; however, if money is no object, then this is a great investment for a sophisticated, professional, powerful, intelligent woman. I could imagine someone like Dame Anna Wintour or Baroness Michelle Mone wearing this fragrance.

Have you been bored with florals, and tried woody florals only to find them too masculine? This is a woody floral like I've never found before. It's gorgeous. I tried so many things to find something special that wasn't vanilla, fruity, or aldehydic, yet still feel unapologetically feminine yet modern. I tried Roja Elixir & 51. I tried Xerjoff Dama Bianca. I tried Jimmy Choo, Elie Saab, and so many more. I used to be of the mind that things smelled "feminine or masculine," and now realize that was just my associations with common notes used in each. I often wear fragrances marketed towards men if I find it unique and addictive. But on the days that I want to exude a classic interpretation of femininity and still be anything but boring. . . Amyris Extrait. If I had to compare it to anything for reference, it's like if Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely got an extreme make-over. No sharpness, just crisp floral without being green. No powder. And sweet without being able to identify the source. So, not vanilla, sugar, honey, caramel etc.

It's beautiful, incredibly elegant, somewhat old school. Huge blast of jasmine at first, but it's a clean jasmine, like you're smelling fresh ones. It's also got some greenness in it. This would be great in the late spring and summer.

An intense, chic and solid perfume. White flowers are in the foreground, balanced by something woody and a lot of juicy pear. This perfume makes me feel happy. Here in the Netherlands it is cold and gray outside. I long for spring. To the first flowers that come up and the birds that sing. This perfume gives me that feeling. The perfume strongly reminds me of two other fragrances; J'Adore from Dior and Gabrielle from Chanel. As if. As if it were a cousin of theirs who was brought up in a porcelain castle, so chic. But thinking about the two fragrances this one reminds me of also makes me realize that the price for this perfume is unjustifiable. As beautiful as it is.