Best Of
9 Fabulous Perfumes That Smell Like Peonies
Peony smells like a fresher, lighter rose, with a lemony, slightly green edge and sometimes a hint of honey. These nine use it in very different company. Start with Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede for peony with soft leather, Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet for a pure pink bouquet, and Chloé for peony with rose.
Can You Extract Peony?
Not in any useful way. Peony is a “mute” flower: it gives no commercial oil or absolute, so every peony note is an accord. Real peonies don’t even agree with each other. Some varieties smell rosy, some lemony, and a few smell faintly unpleasant. What perfumers build is the idealised pink peony: rose molecules such as phenylethyl alcohol and geraniol for the petals, a little citrus for the freshness, and green notes for the bud.
That’s why peony shows up so often in fresh, pink, daytime perfumes. It reads as “flower” without the heaviness of jasmine or tuberose, and it gets on with almost anything: fruit, suede, pepper or caramel.
| Perfume | The peony | What’s with it |
|---|---|---|
| Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede | Pink peony | Red apple, suede |
| Dior Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet | Peony and rose | Sweet pea, bergamot, white musk |
| Chloé Eau de Parfum | Peony on top | Rose, magnolia, cedar |
| Versace Bright Crystal | Peony and lotus | Yuzu, pomegranate, magnolia |
| Dolce & Gabbana Dolce Peony | Pink peony | Nashi pear, rose, yellow plum |
| Banana Republic Icon Peony & Peppercorn | Pink peony | Pink peppercorn, rose, cashmere wood |
| YSL Mon Paris | Peony and datura | Red berries, patchouli |
| Prada Candy Florale | Peony | Limoncello, honey, caramel |
| Montale Sweet Peony | Peony | Peach, coconut, coffee, vanilla |
9 Peony Perfumes
Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede
Peony & Blush Suede puts red apple in the opening, peony at the heart and suede in the base, with touches of rose and honey. Suede is the twist: soft, powdery leather that makes the flower feel like a pink kid glove. One wearer enjoys the fresh apple, pink florals and velvety suede finish. The Cologne is the perfume; the name also covers candles and body products.
Dior Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet
Blooming Bouquet opens with sweet pea and bergamot, then Damascus rose and peony, over white musk. It’s the purest peony here, soft and dewy, like a bouquet still wrapped in paper. Sweet pea adds a slightly powdery sweetness. This EDT is a different perfume from Miss Dior EDP.
Chloé Eau de Parfum
Chloé (2008) is peony, then rose and magnolia, over cedar and ambergris. Peony gives the opening a fresh, pink brightness before the rose takes over. Cedar keeps it clean. It’s a powdery, polished rose-and-peony, in a bottle with a ribbon round the neck. This is the 2008 EDP, not the 1975 original.
Versace Bright Crystal
Bright Crystal opens with yuzu, an iced accord and pomegranate, then peony, magnolia and lotus, over acajou wood, vegetal amber and musk. Lotus and the iced accord make it watery, and pomegranate keeps it tart. A peony in a glass of cold water. Absolu and the Parfum are separate versions.
Dolce & Gabbana Dolce Peony
Dolce Peony is pink pepper, bergamot, nashi pear and cyclamen, then pink peony, Bulgarian rose and freesia, over yellow plum, Ambrox and patchouli. Nashi pear is crisp and watery, and yellow plum at the base makes the whole thing quietly fruity. A sweet, sunny peony.
Banana Republic Icon Peony & Peppercorn
Peony & Peppercorn is pink peppercorn and bergamot, then pink peony and rose, over musk and cashmere wood. Pink pepper is fizzy and rosy rather than hot, so it brightens the peony without fighting it. The least expensive designer-style peony here.
YSL Mon Paris
Mon Paris is red berries, then datura and peony, over patchouli and white musk. The peony sits between sharp red fruit and clean patchouli, so it smells fruity and grown-up at once. Datura adds a creamy white-flower note.
Prada Candy Florale
Candy Florale is limoncello sorbet, peony, honey, caramel, benzoin and musk. Peony and limoncello make it a lemon sorbet with petals in it, and honey and caramel give it the Candy family’s warmth. The dessert peony.
Montale Sweet Peony
Sweet Peony has a long list: bergamot, mandarin, coffee, cinnamon, peach, apple and coconut, then peony, violet, jasmine, rose and patchouli, over white musk, amber, sandalwood and vanilla. Peach and coconut make the peony creamy, and coffee and cinnamon are an odd, warm touch. The richest and strangest peony on the page.
More Pink Flowers
For the peony’s bigger sister, see our rose perfumes. Lily-of-the-valley perfumes stay fresh and green, and the fruity list leans further into the fruit.
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