Kenzo Flower definitely shares some of its DNA with Prince Matchabelli's Wind Song perfume. I haven't smelled that one in a very long time, but it used to be the only perfume my mother ever wore. Every day before she left for work, she would hug me goodbye, and then all day I would smell her on my clothes. Wind Song was potent and tenacious juice! And there is some component in Flower that strongly recalls these memories to my mind. I've tried comparing lists of notes, but I haven't narrowed it down yet. A couple of notes do overlap (mandarin, rose, amber, musk), but they don't stand out to me as possibilities. Mostly because the similar note feels spicy to my nose, in the way that carnation is a bit spicy. But neither perfume lists carnation!
I applied two sprays to the back of my neck/hair, one to my chest, and one on each arm. That was too much. My daughter commented from the stairwell, "Wow! Someone is quite aromatic this morning!" So spray accordingly. This stuff fills a room. It has been wafting around my person all day. It smells really good, but strong. Longevity seems to be about 6-8 hours. It lasts in clothing and hair longer than on skin, but I think that is pretty well true of most perfumes.
The top is a bit sharp, but it does not last long. The violet note dries down very powdery. I feel that the mimosa also renders this quite a bit more sweet-powdery than most people are willing to smell like. It's not quite a baby powder smell--it's a bit more sophisticated than that--but still, if you do not like powdery scents, best to steer clear of this one. I love powdery scents, but this one has a biting note that I can't quite place. I do like it, but it brings me to the very edge of headache territory.
This is an unusual perfume. It brings to mind perfumes from a by-gone era, but also it feels modern. I first smelled it on my husband's cousin in Germany in 2001, I believe it was. It's a very memorable scent because I still remember it today, 16 years later! I feel it is in the same vein as Wind Song (as noted above), Arpege, and L'air du Temps.
Bottle is tall and skinny, so if my perfume tray gets jostled, it wobbles. It seems a bit art deco for this scent. I picture more of a flacon from some time in the 1950's, but overall, it's okay.
Overall, I give it a 6.5. Good, but I likely won't reach for it often. It's probably best for evening wear.
