OK, so enough about nail polish! Let’s get back to natural perfumes.
Ahh, Printemps. You’re the lovely hippie chick who I admired from afar in college. Beautiful with your long flaxen hair and low slung jeans before they were today’s standard fare. But you’re all grown up now. Sophisticated. Complex. Yet, still clinging to your bohemian roots.
You are a musky white floral in the same vein as China Rain, but with gardenia at the helm. Lily of the valley is commonly the prominent note in the now ubiquitous healthfood store China Rain-esque blends. (No disrespect to lily of the valley, muguet takes my breath away when done properly). Instead, Printemps possesses gardenia and lime blossoms which bring fullness to this white floral fragrance which is much needed, so that it does not become too familiar. It’s also made by Ajne, a California based perfumery that uses only natural essences of the highest quality.
The opening of Printemps graces us with smoky woods, South Pacific barks, and drift woods per the website. This portion of the Printemps experience is too fleeting in my opinion. I tend to prefer woody florals over musky florals, and luckily have a full bottle of Ajne’s other gardenia based perfume, Fleur Blanche, which is of that ilk. But for those who do love musk, soft florals and a hint of powder, Printemps might be your girl, especially if you like Kai which it closely resembles. I am partial to the all-natural choice of Printemps as the pure botanicals lend a subtle complexity when compared to the sharper “fragrance oil blend” style of Kai.
As for sillage and longevity, Printemps has great throw and lasts for many hours. There are several sizes available that you can check out on Ajne’s website, but to give you an idea of price point, a 1 oz bottle is $140. A bargain when compared to Kai which goes for $45 for a 0.125 oz roll-on.
Posted by ~Trish
image from hiphappy.wordpress.com
Disclosure: The sample of Printemps is from my own collection. The opinons in this review are my own. I was not financially compensated for this review or any other.
thefloraesthetic.com 
Trish-this sounds really nice & you’ve reminded me of a line I’ve been meaning to sample. Must go check out their website. Thanks!
Joy,
My faves from Ajne are Fleur Blanche and deLavande. Printemps is also very nice, but those two, especially Fleur Blanche are really special.
Let us know if you try any of their fragrances!
~Trish
I own a 15ml of Calypso and a perfume pendant of Vanille, but if I could have two more from the line it would be Printemps and Fleur Blanche in a heartbeat. They are so “out there” – as in vivid, I mean. Like the scent equivalent of High Definition TV.
I know what you mean. Especially Fleur Blanche, one of the best (if not thee best) gardenia rendition available!
~T