Ruffles Oscar de la Renta 1983 Esprit de Parfum

I seem to be riding a wave of vintage fragrances right now, and somehow I'm really enjoying exploring a bit away from mainstream and niche scents. I apologize to everyone who has sent me so many samples, but I haven't forgotten you and will, of course, test them gradually. Since I'm currently sick and alone again, women's fragrances are particularly appealing.

I acquired Ruffles Esprit de Parfum once again in a collection of miniatures. This miniature was also full and has no aging smell. Admittedly, the opening was rather off-putting. But in the end, a quite successful fragrance emerged. The longevity is around 7 hours, but the scent becomes very close to the skin after 3-4 hours. I would describe the sillage as rather subtle.

I initially perceive the top note as very green, almost root-like and quite disturbing. In the background, I can still detect aldehydes and bergamot. The heart note then develops into a pleasant olfactory experience of a sea of flowers and a nice soapiness. Here, garden carnations, lily of the valley, iris, jasmine blossoms, violets, ylang-ylang, tuberose, and rose water really shine. The base smells vanilla, animalic, woody, subtly sweet, leathery, balsamic, and resinous. Here, one can recognize musk, cedarwood, and sandalwood as well as civet. In the background, I also catch a whiff of clove. However, I do not detect honey and caramel.

What initially comes across as dirty, unharmonious, and green ultimately transforms into a soapy-floral "clean man/woman" scent. In the end, the miniature can happily move on to enthusiasts.

EDIT 12.02.2025: Now I have tested another miniature. I found this one much more pleasant to wear. The top note was immediately nice, and the fragrance was quite fruity, clean, and floral. Additionally, the performance was also better. Therefore, I have increased my rating in several areas.