Annick Goutal Vent de Folie

ventIt’s fairly well known that I am and have been for years a big fan of the Annick Goutal line. I think f it as arguably the original niche line- when I first smelled them back in the 80’s at Bergdorf Goodman, they were a complete 180 from where perfumes were going at the time. Over the years, they’ve introduced some that I adored and some that I didn’t, but they were always true to the vision of Annick Goutal.

Vent de Folie is no exception.

The marketing copy from the website is, well, interesting..

Just like Annick Goutal, a free, bold and uncompromising young lady.

Initially, a sweet pea, a flower in the city. Then, Camille Goutal and Isabelle Doyen imagine New York, its avenues, its glass towers reaching the sky…

A young lady inflamed by the thrill of the city… Like an urban flower, she strolls around, following her instinct.

Vent de Folie, a sillage of craziness follows her…

Well, okay then.

I happen to love the smell of sweet pea, and Vent de Folie pretty much nails that scent. At first is comes with a bright burst of citrus, then adds in rose, the kind that has a slight tinge of geranium. Barely-there tinges of fruits are there, listed as raspberry and black currant, but in no way does this become the dreaded fruity floral. A soft musk anchors the finish, bringing the whole composition together.

What it has to do with New York, glass towers or craziness I have no idea. It does smell really lovely; it’s youthful without being jejune. Lasting power for something so sheer is fairly good- I got six hours on my skin. I can imagine on a sultry New York day taking this out of the icebox and giving myself a nice refreshing spritz.

Or, for that matter a sultry LA evening..

Notes (from luckyscent): Sweet pea, blood orange, geranium, black currant, raspberry, white musk and cedarwood.

I assume it’s available at the usual suspects, $105 for 50ML. I asked for and received my sample at ScentBar.

Image: luckyscent

  • Tiara says:

    AG fan here as well. Songes was one of the first FB purchases I made after tumbling down the rabbit hole. Haven’t tried this one yet and I’m always a bit envious when you mention ScentBar. How nice that must be!

  • Mary K says:

    I am a big fan of AG, too and I really like Vent de Folie. You are right about how it seems really sheer, yet it lasts for a good number of hours.

  • Hamamelis says:

    Nice to see a positive review about this scent, as I have become an increasingly devoted AG fan since falling deeply for HE a few months ago. I will try and get a sample of this. My late mother used to sow sweet peas, and give us little freshly picked bouquets in summer, such an adorable flower and scent. Then one day she developed an acute severe allergic reaction to them, and she had to be taken to hospital to prevent anafylactic shock! She recovered allright, but I will not forget how a seemingly sweet fairy of a flower has a very different side…

  • March says:

    Oh, this sounds lovely! It didn’t sound as interesting to me as the previous new ones, but let’s face it, I’m as much of an AG fan as you are. I want to visit their new-ish boutique in NY (Soho or Chelsea, I think). Bonus points for jejune.

  • Ann says:

    Hi, Tom! This could be just the thing for spring here that’s acting like summer one day, late winter the next. Do you happen to know when it came out? It sounds familiar but perhaps I am confusing it with something else. But if it gets me to New York City, I’m in 🙂

  • OOOOOOH! Sounds lovely Tom. Maybe a bit too pretty for me but would it make good gifting?
    Portia xx