For a few days I've had a bit of a fragrance drought. No new perfume has really given me the buzz of discovering something terrific. However, Ormonde Jayne's Tiare has ended that. It's a truly grown up fragrance. It's lush and green and perfectly finished.
For some reason I've struggled with the Ormonde Jayne brand. Fragrance brands tend to foster an air of exclusivity. Sometimes you feel like you're on the inside of that exclusivity, and sometimes you feel like an outsider. For instance, I feel on the inside of Bond No. 9 and CB I Hate Perfume (both coincidentally US brands). But I feel on the outside of Le Labo and Ormonde Jayne. I can't quite put my finger on why. But now, having tested three of the Ormonde Jayne range, this is definitely a line that is worth getting to know.
The overall effect of Tiare reminds me of Chanel No. 19. It shares some of the green lushness, and also has a huge amount of depth and sophistication. According to the Ormonde Jayne website, the notes include mandarin, orange flower, lime and tiare. The description of the base is slightly woodsy: cedar, sandalwood and musk. I'm not a big fan of woody bases, and can only really get the musk from these three.
If you're a fan of other florals like tuberose, then Tiare is a good fragrance to try. Or for an older, established tuberose floral fragrance, my recommends Houbigant's Quelques Fleurs L'Original. Quelques Fleurs has been around since 1912, although some say it's been reformulated at least once.