Since Frederic Malle's Carnal Flower turned out to be so quiet and well behaved for a white floral, I thought I'd try a little shock therapy today. I'm wearing Olène by Diptyque, created by perfumer Serge Kalouguine and released in 1988. The notes are listed, not very helpfully, as wisteria and narcissus.

Olène is probably the sort of fragrance that creates a white-floral-hater. The first 15 minutes are heady, to put it lightly: an explosion of honeysuckle, and not just any old honeysuckle, but a very sweet honeysuckle. On steroids. That calms gradually — you won't want to spray this on and walk right into an elevator full of innocent bystanders — into a lush blend of florals, with the wisteria and narcissus as promised, along with quite a bit of jasmine and a light musky base.

It is best after about 30 minutes, when the sweetness of the top notes has faded somewhat and a light hint of green is evident. It has a kind of sultry quality that always reminds me of a hot summer night in the South, on a verandah perhaps, although if you were to really wear it on a hot summer night in the South it would probably send you to bed with a massive headache. It is best worn in the spring, when it has a nice sparkle that many white florals lack, and even then, it is somewhat easier to take when it is dabbed rather than sprayed. It is often compared to Jardin Blanc by Maître Parfumeur et Gantier, but I find Jardin Blanc rather heavy and flat in comparison.

It is an Eau de Toilette, but the lasting power is more like an Eau de Parfum. It is available in 50 and 100 ml bottles. For purchasing information, see the listing for Diptyque under Perfume Houses.