Dear Floris family, have a heart, produce the Eau de Parfum again! I just noted, when comparing the “Bouquet de la Reine” Eau de Parfum and the Eau de Toilette directly for this post, that there is a difference in roundness, in perfection. I did not note this when simply spraying the one or the other in the morning on my cloths. I only bought the Eau de Toilette some time ago, as the Eau de Parfum has not been produced for years now. When receiving the parcel, I tried it, recognized the scent in general and was reassured. In direct comparison though, the Eau de Parfum of “Bouquet de la Reine” is far deeper, more present and sparkling in all colours of the Rainbow.
“Bouquet de la Reine” is one of the most pleasant scents ever created to my nose. It’s one of those perfumes where one does not smell part of the notes much more poignant and dominating than others, but where an olfactory harmony hits the nose and the brain. The scent flashed me in my 20ies when trying it for the first time in a high-class perfume store in my home town. I had to have it and loved it ever since.
“Bouquet de la Reine” was re-created for Great Britains Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee in 2003. The original formula was created for Queen Victoria when she married Prince Albert in 1840. The Floris company brought it to market 20 years later. I do not know when and why it was discontinued for the first time. Good they dug it out again and let the jewel spark. A big pity that it was discontinued as a Eau de Perfume again in the 2010er years.
It is a very grown-up scent, very noble, even aristocratic, but also unobtrusive. One wears the scent and not the other way round. The perfect face for “Bouquet de la Reine” is neither the young Queen Victoria, nor the older Queen Elizabeth II, but the young, freshly crowned Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Exactly how she looks in the pictures, the perfume smells.
The colours of the scent are those of a diamond sparkling in the sun. Clear, transparent but still colourful and slightly cool.
Floris is one of the oldest (if not the oldest) perfume houses in England and the whole world, one with a very long history since its foundation in 1730. France or Italy come to the mind first when thinking of a very long and distinguished perfume tradition, but actually England has one as well. Houses like Floris, Penhaligon’s or Bronnely are innovative, long standing and very stylish. Floris is still in the hands of the family in the 8th or 9th generation and produces in England.
There is no aggressive marketing done by Floris – they do not need it. Sometimes I am still surprised that I own the most original scents from the Floris and Penhaligon’s companies and not of some much more widely known French perfume house. I have never encountered a perfume twin of a Floris perfume – strange, indeed.
The Parfumo platform counts 91 Floris scents – some are masterpieces, some quite ok and some not so great. “Madonna of the Almonds” somehow does not smell like almonds at all or anything that could be associated with the nice name, but anyway! Let’s concentrate on the good ones. The Floris perfumes with roses strike very often the right accord.
“Bouquet de la Reine”, according to the Floris homepage, has its top notes containing bergamot, blackcurrant buds, peach and violet leaf. The heart notes consist of jasmine, lily of the valley, rose, tuberose and ylang-ylang. The basis is made of oakmoss, sandalwood and vanilla.
What can I say? It’s the sweetest peachy citrus for a start. As mentioned before, the scent is perfect melange from the beginning, not much can be differentiated. In the heart I’d say the rose, jasmine and ylang-ylang dominate a bit. The basis for me is soft oakmoss only. The sum is more than the parts. The Eau de Parfum lasts forever in the nose of the wearer. It is not an aggressive perfume; I smell it more than the people around me.
A perfect mirror of the image of the beautiful, serious young Queen Elizabeth II. A very noble scent, a very lasting experience. A perfume for a lifetime.