A Wren Says

Floris London is a storied UK fragrance house that I don’t know much about. Honestly, I was only exposed to it because I happened to tell a man he smelled amazing. And then he happened to have samples in his pocket. So here we are.

(Sidebar: If you think someone is worthy of praise, give them that praise. Too many of us keep those nice thoughts to ourselves. Brighten someone’s day, why don’t you? Unless you are the creepy type who likes to give explicit compliments. Keep that to yourself.)

I tried three scents from the house: Santal, Cefiro, and Platinum 22.

Of the three, Santal is the only one marketed as a “men’s fragrance.” I can smell why. It definitely has the scent that I associate with a man on first sniff, like a high quality aftershave. I’m still learning about which notes smells like what, so I can’t put a finger on why. Respraying it now and inhaling it deeply, I enjoy it more, because I can notice the depth in it. While it is pretty good, it doesn’t fit my personal vibe. But if you walk near me wearing it, I won’t be disappointed.  

I messed up and started reading the notes before spraying Cefiro and didn’t get a true first impression. While this is essentially a heavily citrus based fragrance, I like that even though it is citrus it doesn’t feel acidic or like you are walking around after having just eaten an orange, if that makes sense. As I have written multiple times, I am still working on my fragrance knowledge. For some reason I thought it smelled like there was hay in there. There is not, but perhaps that was the woodiness of the cedar and sandalwood.

I like it. This feels like a citrus I can wear that doesn’t feel overly fresh and childlike. I feel clean and mature. Not old, but like I know how to make my own financial decisions.

The first time I wore this I was put off by the oat note. I gagged recalling childhood memories of oatmeal. However, these recent times trying, it seemed more balanced. I actually noticed the black currant. And then I wore it again the next day, this time spraying much more heavily. I was able to catch whiffs of it throughout the day, even while masked. I think it also transferred to my shirt which helped with the longevity. The dry down, residual scent now hours later is close to my skin. There is still a bit of sweetness. Maybe it’s the tonka and amber together. (Sidenote: Now knowing how much this actually costs, I hate that this is my favorite of the three.)

When I wore these fragrances out, I was struggling to smell themon myself. Granted, I was often masked or was sitting outside on a windy day. Then I decided that maybe I wasn’t wearing enough. Doing a double spray instead of a quick spritz of Platinum 22, I could smell myself throughout the day, while often wearing a face mask. I admit that I did not get a single compliment. I would say that if you want these fragrances to project, you have to be a little aggressive spraying them on.

All in all, I am curious to learn more about the other fragrances they offer. I enjoyed wearing the blends. Obviously, not everything a brand makes will be my favorite, but I seem to have found two that I enjoyed wearing. I am happy to smell even more in the future.

What about you? Have you tried this brand? If so, what did you think?

(All image credits to Floris London)