Fuzzy, Warm, Fresh, and Golden: Onde Extase by Giorgio Armani

Isn't that bottle mysterious and attractive? I love it but I must say I don't think it actually represents the juice inside it. The color of that bottle should have been a variation on warm golden yellows with hints of green because that is what Armani's Onde Extase smells like as far as color is concerned. On the other hand I sort of adore that the bottle is not a "traditional" feminine color.

Onde Extase is a scent that was a bit ahead of its time. It came along in the era of fruity florals and niche scents exploring incense and woods. If it were released now with woodier and more floral scents being the trendier scents on the market I suspect it would have been a different story. Onde Extase is a soothing and pretty blend of florals and woods.

The floral aspect of Onde Extase is of two lesser loved floral notes a fluffy effusive mimosa and a gentle narcissus note that adds a hint of elegant greenery supporting these floral notes is a creamy jasmine which frequently hints at jasmine green tea. The mimosa is the most prominent of the floral notes, it is happy and resplendent, it's golden sunlight in late afternoon.

What supports the florals is cedar, sesame, musk, and a tiny hint of vanilla. The most interesting aspect for me is the gentle use of cedar it is not the patchouli so frequently used now or the smooth liquor wood accord found in Estee Lauder's Sensuous, but cedar, a note rarely these days emphasized in feminine perfumes. Combined with the sesame note it creates a warm nutty fuzzy base for the florals.

Overall the effect of Onde Extase is lightness, smoothness, powder, and tranquility. I am reminded of tea and incense in a mountain garden fully blooming with butterflies fluttering.

Try if you like: Yves Saint Laurent's Cinema, Bvlgari's Bvlgari Pour Femme, Lorenzo Villoresi's Dilmun, or Donna Karan's Gold.



First image from fragrantica.com
second image from thekimonogallery.tumblr.com