Armani | The Scented Hound

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

You will notice that I have been reviewing a lot of amber scents as of late. Last month, I ordered a Men’s Amber sample pack from The Perfumed Court. If you’re not familiar with them, they offer decant service on an incredible variety of fragrances, including hard to find ones. But I digress. One of the samples that was part of this group was Ambre Soie. I was very excited to try this and found that I wasn’t disappointed. I found this to be an incredibly luxurious scent. Upon application, I was first greeted with a beautiful combination of ginger, pepper and spices. It then moved on to a lovely creamy and ethereal amber and patchouli. Ambre Soie is a very calming and elegant fragrance. I just wish I had more than what I have in my small vial. I can only imagine how wonderful it would be to spray this gem on!

From the Giorgio Armani Beauty website:

Amber’s voluptuousness and depth appealed to Giorgio Armani. He re-interpreted this rare olfactive essence using the light of wood and eastern spices. It is a blend of Cinnamon and Clove, a hint of Ginger which rustles on the waves of Patchouli. The light touch of spices and liquorice wood venture deliciously into the amber. More weighty: Artist and magician, Giorgio Armani transforms the amber into a golden fluid, silky and smooth, revealing the skin, the ultimate elegance of exposure. The top, inspired by the most sumptuous amber stone reveals its transparency with golden, coppery tones. Its warmth echoing its sensual and radiant energy.

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental
Classification: Unisex
Expense: Expensive – $200 for 100ml