WHAT I SMELL: Pivoine Suzhou opens with a sweet, fresh, juicy and mouth-watering fruitiness, with just a tinge of pepper. The florals are front and center with the peony as the star and it’s bright and easy and gracefully light. After a few minutes, a light ambery warmth brings a radiance to the mix. A layer of musk also comes into play which unfortunately takes the pretty florals into a more artificial stage that feels as though the perfume has been created in a lab rather than in a garden. It also adds a slight “bathtastic” edge to the perfume even though there is nothing soapy about it. In the end, Pivoine Suzhou doesn’t wow, but instead maintains a quiet beauty that is easy to wear and is perfect as a light spring breeze.
From the Armani website:
With Pivoine Suzhou, Giorgio Armani has reinterpreted the Eau de Toilette, combining elegance and freshness with soft, lingering sensuality.
It is the first Armani Privé fragrance to be inspired by the legendary gardens of Asia.
Pivoine Suzhou Eau de Toilette is also a celebration of China’s most beloved flower – the peony. The symbol of the ancient Chinese empire, the peony represents happiness, grace and prosperity.
Pivoine Suzhou is an ensemble of great beauty, balancing art and nature. For Giorgio Armani, creating a couture or fragrance collection requires this same harmony of elements.
From Fragrantica:
ARMANI PRIVE PIVOINE SUZHOU opens with notes of juicy mandarin, pink pepper and raspberry which when blended, ensures a spicy-fruity introduction. Floral notes of peony in the heart are enhanced with essences of rose and May rose absolute, followed by amber, musk and patchouli.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A beautiful Geisha
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE PIVOINE SUZHOU: fruit-kissed, airy, delicate
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT PIVOINE SUZHOU: Sandra’s Closet, AustralianPerfumeJunkies
BOTTOM LINE: I don’t love this perfume, but I rather like it. There’s a delicateness about it that is rather comforting and overall the light and pretty aspects are enticing. But a little goes a long way and too much of a good thing will reveal a heavy sweetness so it’s best to apply with a light touch.
- Bone Rating: 3 out of possible 5 bones
- Scent: Floral
- Nose: Cecile Matton and Julie Masse
- Classification: Feminine
- Expense: $165 for 100 ml Eau de Toilette
The Scented Hound 
June 4, 2015 at 8:46 am
Hey there Steve,
When I read Trésor’s piece about this one in APJ I thought that I really wanted to try it and though you aren’t madly in love it still calls to me.
Next time I’m in town I will have a spritz and think of you
Thanks for the link Love too.
Portia xx
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June 4, 2015 at 8:43 pm
P – I am a sucker for Peonies, so although not my favorite, I still enjoy it.
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June 4, 2015 at 10:25 pm
Just recently we were at the launch of the L’Occitane Pivoine Sublime and it starts out a really good peony scent with a peppery zing. Yes, it turns into a fabric softener at the end but a very comfortable one. I don’t use fabric softener on the clothes here, white vinegar with a tiny dash of disinfectant so the clothes are scentless. Laundry detergents all smell like fragrances to me anyway.
Portia xx
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June 8, 2015 at 5:31 am
P – I have never heard about your trick for homemade fabric softener. I must check it out. I don’t typically use fabric softener except for on the sheets and towels. I have to admit that I really like the new smell of Bounce.
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June 4, 2015 at 9:43 am
‘The legendary gardens of Asia’ strikes me as a bit lazy, and I can imagine perfectly the moment when the scent descends into sleek mundanity ( they almost always do these days)..
Top notes sound pleasing though.
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June 4, 2015 at 8:44 pm
LOL…”pleasing” is a good word to describe this.
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June 4, 2015 at 4:29 pm
My peonies are starting to bloom and they smell fabulous. I wish a perfume could capture that and not screw it up with bathtastic musk.
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June 5, 2015 at 5:46 am
Ahhhh, yes, the dreaded laboratory musk. Maybe because the peony is such a faint and delicate smell they feel it needs a boost?
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June 5, 2015 at 10:12 am
Hmm, your review is intriguing – I might like this one, though it’s a shame that the muskiness takes it a bit artificial. That’s kind of how I felt about the lavender/musk combo in gentlewoman. i don’t mind soapy, but artificial can be a kicker. Nonetheless, I’d like to try this at some point. Thanks for the review!
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June 8, 2015 at 5:32 am
Uggghhh, Gentlewoman is a dog of a perfume. I don’t understand why it was created at all. Dull and completely pointless. Hmmmm, does it sound like I don’t like it??!! LOL
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June 16, 2015 at 2:50 pm
I love peonies (as in flowers) and would love to find a perfume that has a good representation of the note but everything I’ve tried so far didn’t come close to what I expect. I do not look for it too hard since I’m not sure I will want to wear peony soliflore (or perfume with a dominant peony) but I’m checking out those that I come across. I have a soft spot for Armani Prive line so if I come across Pivoine Suzhou I’ll try it – despite your rating 🙂
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June 16, 2015 at 8:18 pm
I have not yet found the ultimate peony as well…and like you I love the flower…perfumers take note…we are still looking for “the one!”
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