Creed • Selection Verte • Fragrances

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DULLAH on 3/13/2012 1:16:00 PM more reviews by DULLAH

Age: 25-29   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Not many scents can legitimately claim the quality of timelessness. Selection Verte is one of them. This scent is the finest citrus/spice/floral I've come across, one which shares some ingredients with traditional EDC's, but has a very unique and optimistic character all it's own.

This starts of with a strong blast of several different types of mint leaf, combined with several different types of Citrus, all of them utterly natural and in perfect proportion to one another. The cool peppery bite of the Peppermint is tempered by the Sweet-leafiness of the Spearmint. The tanginess of the Lemon and Lime is complimented by the sweetness of Mandarin. All of this is underscored by a wonderfully sober bergamot note.

15 minutes later, this cool/tart blast begins to mellow, retaining the same great character. The green leafiness of the mint is now much more apparent than the chilled initial blast, indicating the likely use of a whole-plant-absolute (leaves, stem, flower, root) as opposed to a distilled mint oil. The bitter terpenes of the citrus have also given way to the more aromatic components of citrus, and the other aromatic herbal and spice notes, as well as the floral notes, begin to emerge.

This is the stage I enjoy so much, when the incredibly fresh upper-end essences of the Neroli/orange blossom, clove bud, and Sweet Pea flowers create a quiet aura of new life......of spring. Of course, the lower-registers of mint and citrus are still there, so it almost creates the illusion of the "perpetual harvest", when one is enjoying the fruits of a tree or plant, at the same time that the very tree is putting forth new growth. I cannot stress enough how much i like this stage of Selection Verte.

As the mint and Citrus recede further, the character of that harmonious interplay does not, it seems only to deepen. This is not some work of magic, just the result of well-chosen notes, placement, and blending. the Neroli serves to continue the character of citrus, only sweeter and deeper, and the basil/herbs continue the green leafy character of the Mint, although not cool, now warmer. Even the light use of clove bud seems to continue to build on the small amount of spicy eugenol present in significant amounts in certain species of Green Citrus.

While the theme continues, albeit in a sweeter and somewhat 'warmer' way, a new note, serving the same sobering purpose as the bergamot did in the topnotes....white peppercorns. This note is never too prominent like the peppered note in Penhaligon's Opus1870, it plays it's sobering role quietly and perfectly.

After the tart citrus is gone,and just as the Neroli begins to lessen in strength, and the aromatic herbs risk taking the scent into a rustic, slightly less optimistic direction, a wonderfully green floral note comes in to again set the balance of this scent....Sweet Pea.

When I first saw the note list, I was confused, thinking of the vegetable we all eat, and the opaque, soft greenness of Selection Verte in this late stage kept me confused for some time. Sweet Pea is in fact, a sweetly scented Vine Flower species, with a very unique scent......a scent that is not common in men's colognes, nor feminine perfumes for that matter. No mind, the choice of this green floral note for Selection Verte is a perfect landing, with the light clove, herb, and pepper adding just the right touch of spice to balance the last stage of the composition, which lasts surprisingly well, given how short-lived the topnotes are.

The note list lists Ambergris, but I get none, perhaps the amount is so small as just to help longevity and texture, without being otherwise detectable.

Nonetheless, this is without doubt one of the greatest herbal/floral/citrus scents ever created, if not the absolute best. It's quality and natural appeal are utmost, and it's character is as incredibly fresh and ALIVE today as it was when it was created.

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broadbent2001 on 4/7/2010 11:41:00 AM more reviews by broadbent2001

Age: 44-55   Skin: Oily   Hair: Silver   Eyes: Blue    

Quite simply the most elegant citrus fragrance ever created. It smells like rich, elegant, attractive people. Period.

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amberflash on 4/4/2009 7:16:00 PM more reviews by amberflash

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

I bought this for my boyfriend at Harrod's, because he loves the smell of limes... and indeed it is a citrus masterpiece! The top notes are lime, lime, LIME with a pepperminty undertone, and the composition doesn't change much over time, although I can smell the sweetpea on the drydown.

Contrary to what other have said in their reviews, my boyfriend puts this on in the morning and I can still smell lovely traces of it when we are bedding in for the night. Perfect for kissing, and perfect for a man who loves Trumper's Extract of Limes but complains about the longevity.

I'm not sure about Napoleon III and Sigmund Freud. The clerk at Harrod's said it was originally crafted for Cary Grant (and this was echoed on the Creed website). Does anyone know more about this?

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madamemaquillage on 7/20/2008 10:59:00 AM more reviews by madamemaquillage

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

Well, this is nice, but, for the price, nothing amazing. I smell a pretty strong basil without much depth beyond that ... it actually reminds me of the Citrus Basil Lotion from the Bath and Body Works! In other words, nice and fresh, but certainly not astounding. Furthermore, the "nice and fresh" quality of this scent strikes me as masculine rather than feminine.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Maller on 8/31/2005 9:51:00 PM more reviews by Maller

Age: Unknown   Skin: Other   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Essentially air conditioning in a bottle. A remarkably cool, minty, lime scent to my nose. Beautiful. Perfect for the most sauna like days of summer. Lasting power is not remarkable, but it's rare to find a citrus scent with good lasting power, so I can accept this.

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*TOP REVIEWER* dreamstorm on 4/9/2005 3:11:00 PM more reviews by dreamstorm

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

An impressive melange of icy, green mint -- fresh as a twig plucked right off the plant in fact -- and citrusy, refreshing and peppery lemon, complete with rind. Wonderfully composed, and especially pleasant to wear for summer if you are a fan of "zagara" type scents at all.

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*TOP REVIEWER* DunandaFalls on 12/1/2004 1:00:00 AM more reviews by DunandaFalls

Age: 25-29   Skin: Other   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

Time for a Selection Verte review that actually makes sense, I hope ;) Creed Selection Verte is a little mentioned masterpiece of classic citrus freshness. With lovely citrus notes of lime, lemon, mandarin and bergamot, a strong fresh mint note, bright herbs and a woody vetiver base – Selection Verte is a fragrance that screams classic sophistication and versatility. It compares to the likes of old world classics from fragrance houses like Penhaligon’s and Crown Perfumery. The cool mint note is what really makes this one stand out from the rest. All of its notes just harmonize perfectly. I love it!

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MarksCarltonLane on 10/15/2003 8:22:00 PM more reviews by MarksCarltonLane

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

PREFACE: First, beware fraudulent Creed. My experience with Parfum1.com raised my brow as high as the price for this Private Collection jewel finally made available in the United States this year. The most astute fragrance friend and fragrance purveyor I've found, especially for Creed, is Pam Atchison at Hampton Court Essential Luxuries in Santa Rosa, California. No other purveyor with whom I've done business has gone to the lengths to please "Mr. Impossible" as I sometimes am described. REVIEW: Sparkling droplets of melting ice infused with a melange of luscious lime, peppermint aplenty and pink peppercorns soar and slowly soften into the herbal, sunny accord of summery lemon, mandarin and bergamot. This is a minty, peppery wind belonging to that solstice when daylight cheats night; Creed's delectably limey, minty dew sustains its savory refreshment hour upon hour. NOTES: Made for Napoleon III and a signature scent of Sigmund Freud, the portly, deepest cedar green bottle, containing 8.4 ozs., is crowned with a fat stopper perfect for a once-in-the-morning indulgence. At $280, the list price, most of us only covet such a rarefied scent. There are those expert consumers of fragrance who will scoff at Selection Verte because they may assert that it is little more than the typical Creed accord containing variations of bergamot, lemon and mandarin. And there are those who insist that Creed's scents are eau de toilette or cologne. Not so by any measure! The majority of Creed's historic line of scents are what this fabled parfumerie calls "millesimes" containing 18-20% extraits and oils, a euphemism for eau de parfum. Like all of Creed's millesimes, Selection Verte is a completely handmade fragrance that you will never find on the shelves at T.J. Maxx, Marshall's, Stein Mart or other discount department stores. For almost 250 years, Creed has painstakingly customized millesimes for European royalty, heads of state and celebrities worldwide. I'm simply a commoner who saved for a year to acquire my first Private Collection Creed millesime. For my money and unqualified opinion, Selection Verte rises above the oceans of mediocre or even above average summer scents that are mass-produced and, often, largely synthetic. Selection Verte is one of those perfect experiences in which craftsmanship, originality and historic significance distinguish a timeless scent from those made for the masses that become rightfully forgotten.

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