Winter was uncharacteristically cold in our area this year, so we’ve got to experience almost real spring with warm rays of sun in cool air intervened by returning rains and cold spells. And since I was reminded of springs from my childhood, I got an urge to smell mimosa – blossom that used to encapsulate that time of the year for me.
Over years (and five posts in my Single Note Exploration series devoted to that note) I accumulated enough mimosa perfumes to cover more than a week, but I decided not to overdo it.
Jo Malone Mimosa & Cardamom is still one of my most favorite mimosa perfumes, though now I think that it is rather Fall than spring perfume: it’s too warm and spicy for the “life awakening” atmosphere. But I enjoy it every time I wear it. I think Mimosa & Cardamom was one of Jo Malone’s successes.
When I was thinking about perfumes to include into this project, I struggled to remember the name for Frederic Malle’s mimosa scent despite having it in my collection. For a while I got stuck between En Passant (“No, it’s lilac not mimosa,” I kept telling myself) and Mimosa pour moi (“No-no, it’s L’Artisan, I finished that sample already”). Une Fleur de Cassie (I had to look it up) this time didn’t work for me: it was too dirty. I think I like this perfume better when it’s warmer.
Once again I had a reason to bemoan the closing of Sonoma Scent Studio: Bee’s Bliss is such a sunny and joyful perfume with a nice prominent mimosa but with a lot more going on, it’s such a pity others won’t be able to experience it.
I finished my small decant of Prada Infusion de Mimosa: it’s a light and pleasant mimosa with some undertones from my favorite original Infusion d’Iris (though, I’m not sure if they even have a single note in common… alright, I checked – “orange mandarin” whatever it means). I think that it’s time to look for a reasonably priced bottle… unless I decide to go for…
… Fragonard Mimosa. A friend of mine shared with me recently a sample from her bottle. I’ve never seen or tried it before, so it was a pleasant discovery. Official notes are bergamot, violet, gardenia, mimosa, orange blossom, heliotrope and musk, but for the price it sells I don’t expect or get much of anything but mimosa, which, ironically, in drydown to my nose is a dead ringer to drydown of Infusion de Mimosa. And since I do not suspect Prada in using too many natural ingredients, even at their price, I wouldn’t be surprised if it actually was the same aroma chemical.
What does surprise me is thatt Givenchy Harvest 2007 Amarige Mimosa still impresses me every time I wear it. Unlike many other old favorites that just evoke nostalgia, Amarige Mimosa is perfume that I enjoy wearing… whenever I remember to wear it. Rusty also looks somewhat surprised.
The last perfume I wore for the project was Atelier Cologne Mimosa Indigo: it’s a nice perfume with a good name quite fitting the topic, and in the end of the Mimosa Week I especially enjoyed wearing it since, to my nose, it doesn’t smell of mimosa (or of lilac to that matter). Interestingly, saffron in this perfume doesn’t bother me and works nicely with the soft leather and not too sweet vanilla.
Images: my own
Undina's Looking Glass 
I think my favourite is Champs Elysee EDT. That waxy, mellowed mimosa plays into my image of the wattle trees in my backyard.
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I went back and forth on my liking/not liking that perfume. Now I’m in the “liking” state, I think, so I’ll wear it again soon.
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Same! Days I adore it; days I abhor it.
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I haven’t tried Fragonard’s perfume, but have used their mimosa diffuser and I could swear that it was almost like having a vase of mimosa in the room. So realistic.
Agree with Kate that the Champs Elysee is a good mimosa, although there is a slight ozonic note to the Guerlain that sometimes irritates me.
What perfume would Rusty wear if he had the choice? Something with ginger?!
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Fragonard’s Mimosa is almost free – if not to count the delivery costs, and I just cannot make myself pay double for an inexpensive perfume that is lovely but not earth-shattering. But if I ever come across it in my future travels, I’ll grab it.
Rusty doesn’t mind most of my perfumes (as in sits on my lap and doesn’t try to “clean” me or himself with his tongue), but from time to time some of those that I test he dislikes and runs away, or starts indignantly licking himself if I pick him up while having something he dislikes on my wrists.
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Rusty is a honey!
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He brings a lot of joy to everyone in my household :)
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Champs Elysee is a favourite of mine X
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With all the mentions of this perfume now I will definitely wear it this upcoming week.
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I love Bees Bliss and wish I had bought a full bottle. In fact I wish I had bought a full bottle of Laurie’s entire line.
I saw the title of your post on my phone this morning and decided to go with a sample of Czech and Speak Mimosa…and thunk for the sample….
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And way off topic but have you ever tried Ava Luxe Perfumes Milk? My girlfriend just sent me a sample and it reminds me very much of Jo Malone’s Sweet Milk. You and I are both fans of that one so I thought I would share this with you.
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Thank you for the information! I’ll try to get it for testing (if it’s still in production): not only I would love to have a backup for my favorite Sweet Milk, but the friend who shared Fragonard with me is also looking for that substitute.
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I’ve never tried anything from that brand – just never saw it at a store but wasn’t compelled to pay for samples.
I still owe you a package with a couple of my SSS’s “not loves” – I’ll get to it this month, promise :).
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Yippie!!!! yes!!! Please send unloved SSS :) Thank you!!!!!
Ava Luxe Milk is still in production…I thunked the Sweet Milk sample you gave me years ago already so I can’t compare but AL Milk does smell as I remember Sweet Milk to smell. If you can’t get your nose on it I will put the sample to the side and send it out to you in the Fall when the weather is cooler….unless you want it now?
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Just like you and partially thanks to you I love mimosa now as well. Mimosa & Cardamom is just lovely and I wouldn’t mind a bottle of mimosa from Prada. I also remember liking Brosseau Thé Poudree. I shall give Givenchy mimosa a try this upcoming week.
Wishing you a lovely weekend
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Thank you, Lucas! I got some needed rest this weekend, so it was (still is) good.
Perfume that you’ve mentioned I also liked (thank you for the sample), and probably could buy and wear… it would be a tie between it, Fragonard and Prada’s one.
Oh, and I wanted to mention that I’m still enjoying your last year gift (I have too many gels open at the same time, so same as with perfumes, I do not finish any of them quickly :) ).
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I have the smaller bottle of Bees Bliss and wish I had bought the largest one when I could. Mimosa is not well represented in my collection, although I have a mini of Champs Elysses that I will need to pull out and sniff.
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Had I known I wouldn’t be able to replenish it, I would have gone for at least a 17 ml bottle (for the fear of the larger one spoiling).
There are many mimosa offerings out there (you can check those previous posts if you want some ideas), and mimosa works nicely in spring.
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I’m not a huge mimosa fan, but I do love Jo Malone’s Mimosa & Cardamom. Linden blossoms remind me of mimosa at least in appearance and I like Tauer’s Zeta perfume very much as well,
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Linden is probably my most favorite of all tree blossoms, so I wear perfumes with it a lot too. But where I grew up, these two had a couple of months in between their respective blooming seasons, so the only time I have them combined is in perfume form, and Champs Elysees is the first one that comes to mind.
I own but haven’t worn Zeta in a while. I should remedy that.
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Ah, I always think of you at the mention of Mimosa & Cardamom, as you supplied me with a decant a few years ago. The commenters above have reminded me that I have a mini of Champs Elysees somewhere, possibly even two. I know I didn’t love it way back when (though I can’t remember the reason), but am most curious to give it another whirl now. I had no idea it had mimosa in it. I used to love Mimosa et Moi too – very true to the note.
Mimosa as a flower I associate with the Mardi Gras procession in Nice, from when I lived near there as a student. The branches provided a welcome splash of brightness after the grey days of winter.
And Rusty really does look surprised!!
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You already saw my story of liking/loving/hating Champs Elysees, Now I’m back to liking it, so I’ll wear it probably this week.
Mimosa is so cheerful! But even though we have a couple of varietals of it around here, it’s not customary to use it for decorative purposes, so I never see it sold at a store.
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I’m so glad you got your Mimosa Week post up! Yes, Mimosa & Cardamom smells distinctly Autumnal to me. I like Fragonard (especially for the price) I’ll have to keep an eye out for their mimosa! So interesting that it could be the same aroma chemical as the Prada…
Rusty really does look surprised in that photo! I hope he’s doing well.
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Rusty if fine, I’ll be posting some bits and pieces about him soon.
If you come across that Fragonard somewhere without doubling its price by S&H, please alert me too.
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In North Africa, Morocco, Rif Mountains, the Berbers bring Narcissus and Mimosa in clumps to the market for sale–this happens in late November and early December. Now that is an early spring.
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How interesting! I keep forgetting that for the half of the World March is a Fall month :)
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Hey there Undina,
Sorry I’m so late to the party.
Mimosa pour Moi was in my collection for a while but I so rarely got it out to wear I moved it on.
Champs Elysees gets quite a bit of skin time around here though, another that moved on was the Aqua Allegoria Tiare Mimosa.
Maybe I’m not a mimosa maniac.
How freaking cute is Rusty?
Portia xx
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Hi dear! You’re never late! I’m glad to see you (and to show what “late” means – I still plan to answer your last Saturday’s question ;) ).
I get mimosa cravings each spring (and now in Fall as well because I have that perfect Mimosa & Cardamom to wear) but the rest of the year I’m fine without mimosa-centric perfumes. And then it’s spring again…
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Mimosas are so cute, but for me spring is “lilac”! Which is why I have an obsession with them in perfume.
I do like Champs Elysees a lot, at least in the parfum version that I own a mini of. Now I think I need to wear that one tomorrow 😊
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I do love lilacs (and plan to see if I could do a week of lilacs soon ;) ), but mimosa is/was the first flower of our cold spring in my childhood, lilacs would come later.
I think that Champs Elysees is one of those rare perfumes that smell quite similar in all concentrations (well, at least they used to 6-7 years ago, since I haven’t tried the newest incarnations).
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I don’t know what real mimosa smells like (light and sweet with a little bite?). If this is what mimosa smells like, then Prada Mimosa would be my favorite. I also have the Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Mimosa which I also like and will wear more of in the summer!
And Rusty looks regal in the picture!
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Both Prada and EA (which I also have – thank you! – and plan to wear) smell close to how mimosa smells. Fragonard or Calypso smell even more like the plant (in case you come across them and can test), but they both are less interesting as perfumes than Prada or EA.
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These choices all sound lovely, Undina. I definitely need to explore mimosa fragrances some more.
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