Ormonde Jayne Woman is one of those fragrances that are almost impossible to describe using the listed notes, because it only makes sense when explained as an atmosphere or a feeling. For example, we might be able to tell you that this scent contains cardamom, coriander, and the witchy sounding black hemlock, but we're at a loss as to explain how or why the sum of this simple list of materials is a whole forest from The Brothers Grimm, complete with Hansel and Gretel, and Baba Yaga waiting in her smoky gingerbread house. And yet, it truly is.

First, a forest's worth of pungent green herbs and grasses is unfurled beneath your feet, the dark shadows of poison ivy and European oaks swallowing up all the natural daylight at the edges. This velveteen, viridian carpet is dotted with moist, sweet little violets and jasmine petals, their frilly innocence incongruous against the sinister background of forest woods.

Ormonde Jayne Woman is a deeply coniferous scent with a fair amount of bitterness, but what really tugs at the heartstrings is its errant thread of sweetness, that smoky, spicy amber note that weaves through the perfume like a siren call to tempt children and adults alike. One of the rare perfumes that truly deserves its reputation as mysterious, we defy you to wear this and not be shaken and stirred.

Ormonde Woman by Ormonde Jayne is a Chypre fragrance for women. Ormonde Woman was launched in 2002. The nose behind this fragrance is Geza Schoen.

Ormonde Woman fragrance samples available in 1ml, 3ml and 5ml sizes.