Monday 20 March 2017

Big white teeth and big wavy hair (Giorgio Beverly Hills Yellow)

It seems like many of the ''G'' fragrances are classics, or at least have been around for many years. This one is pretty famous, or rather infamous, for having been banned in some Californian restaurants in the 1980 due to its loudness and the fact that every Beverly Hills wannabe apparently wore it.

I didn't grow up with this, and when an opportunity presented itself to buy it cheaply as an iconic fragrance ''for the collection'', I did.

A huge tuberose-centred white floral that flashes its huge, perfectly white American teeth, sauntering into a room on high heels with huge wavy hair.

It's funny how it's impossible to review some fragrances without the accompanying memes. Well, as I said I DIDN'T grow up with this, my late teens and my late 1980's were marked by Opium, Kobako, Cafe and other mostly French loud orientals. So I approached Giorgio  without prejudice when it was given to me as a gift mid-1990s by a friend who herself favoured Pleasures, Beautiful and Allure - the clean and somewhat buttoned up scents. I'm not sure if this was a comment on my style or behaviour, and I remember wearing it happily but without elation.

But this post is based on my more recent experience, though. Despite not having historical memories I did get influenced by the packaging. The box is stripy. A yellow and white zebra of a sun awning I guess. And then, a strangely old fashioned bottle, I suppose intending to evoke the Beverly Hills idea of class and quality.

Olfactory-wise, Giorgio is in the same family as Amarige if a little less tuberosey. The notes as listed are:

  • Top Notes: Apricot Orange Blossom Peach Bergamot
  • Middle Notes: Tuberose Gardenia Orchid Jasmine Ylang-Ylang Rose
  • Base Notes: Sandalwood Amber Chamomile Patchouli Musk Oakmoss Vanilla Cedar


For me, the scent emerging from all that is basically a big (I mean, BIG) white floral with a very in-your-face tuberose heart. There is a dryness about it, and a sunny and bright quality that doesn't appeal to me as it evokes high-rise hotels, tan-lines free bronzed skin and summery designer high heels. To me, the heavy florals in Giorgio seem sanitised and designed for display, not for touching, tasting and feeling.

This is a fragrance that flashes its whitened and straightened to perfection American teeth and saunters - always saunters - into a room on high heels, swishing its big wavy hair. It drinks cocktails and would never date an unemployed man. Tanned. Doesn't smoke. Has had a boob job.

Not ugly by any means, in fact there is something compelling here, but not quite my thing.

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