Honoré des Prés We Love NY (+giveaway)

Honoré des Prés 3 Minutes
Image courtesy of Nathan Branch. (Thanks Nathan!)

Olivia Giacobetti entered the natural perfume scene in 2008 with a line of all natural and organic perfumes for Honoré des Prés. The response was mixed, not because the fragrances weren’t exceptional, but because of their fleeting staying power. I didn’t let that deter me from buying my favorite from HdP’s first collection, Sexy Angelic, as it’s a pure sugar, almond, and licorice delight that makes me very happy, even if it lasts barely an hour.

I don’t know if Ms. Giacobetti made herself aware of the lack-of-longevity critiques, but this new second round of HdP perfumes has remedied the issue. You’re probably not going to smell them on your skin the next morning, but they do last several hours, and even up to eight or so if you spritz your clothes.

The We Love NY collection was introduced in April 2010, with Ms. Giacobetti’s inspiration being her move to New York City. None of the three perfumes strike me as particularly “New York” in nature, but the urban coffee cup and brown bag packaging certainly does.

 

If any of these fragrances brings me back to NYC, it’s I Love Les Carottes. Not super intuitive I know, but the city is home to excellent farmers markets, Union Square in particular. We lived within walking distance to Union Square, and smelling Les Carottes is like standing in front of a gorgeous spread of deep orange carrots and taking in their earthy sweetness. Les Carottes is hyper-vegetal in its opening and you need to love the smell of freshly shredded carrots if you expect a positive experience with this perfume.

As Les Carottes progresses into its heart, the carrot note still dominates, but it vacillates between the buttery fleshiness of the vegetable and a medicinal astringency. This dichotomy lasts almost the entire length of wearing Les Carottes, until the drydown fully settles into more subdued vanillic powderiness.


With Love Coco’s notes of  coconut, coriander and vanilla, I was anticipating a smooth and gently spiced coconut with a creamy vanilla finish. Instead, it was more akin to Les Carottes, very raw and very vegetal. For me, Love Coco is a straight-up blend of vetiver and coconut, like Hawaiian Tropic suntan lotion minus the sweetness. It’s bracing and exposed and really tropical. Not until the drydown does Love Coco become what I thought it would be, a gently spiced coconut with a creamy vanilla finish.

Vamp à NY has received many rave reviews from other bloggers, but it is my least favorite of the three. It’s not that I dislike Vamp, but it doesn’t appeal to me as much as Les Carottes and Love Coco. If you’re a regular reader of Scent Hive, you know I love white floral perfumes, tuberose in particular. Vamp does possess a lovely and radiant tuberose which unfortunately on my skin is quickly squelched by overripe banana and cloying coconut candy notes. Here are links to Vamp reviews from bloggers who enjoyed it more than I, Grain de Musc and 1000 Fragrances. As for me,  I’ll stick to White Potion, Ayala Sender’s rendering of tuberose and coconut that is far more wearable on my skin.

If you’d like to try Vamp à NY, I Love Les Carottes and Love Coco for yourself, leave a comment and you will receive one of three sample sets housed in the HdP coffee cup. Extra entries as well if you follow Scent Hive on Bloglovin, Twitter, or subscribe to Scent Hive. Please let me know in your comment what you did so you get the entries you deserve! DRAWING IS NOW CLOSED.

Posted by ~Trish

The We Love NY collection is available at Spirit Beauty Lounge. $98 for a 50ml bottle.

Disclosure: Samples were sent to me for consideration by Honoré des Prés. The opinions in this review are my own. I was not financially compensated for this review or any other.

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68 thoughts on “Honoré des Prés We Love NY (+giveaway)”

  3. I’m very interested in trying these scents!
    I follow on twitter @warp65
    I’m a Scent Hive email subscriber as well.

  4. loved their Chaman’s Party even though it started to fade before I had the cap back on the bottle.

    I’d love to try these.

    I subscribe to your blog via email and follow on facebook as well.

    Zee

    1. I hear you Zee, these definitely last longer 😉

      Thanks for the follows, that 3 entries for you.

      Good luck!
      T

  5. I agree with you on Sexy Angelic the short life span did not ruin it for me. Sexy Angelic is one of my favorite almond frags! I would love to be entered in to win. I follow ScentHive on facebook and Bloglovin and I am a subscriber 🙂

    1. Yay! So glad to find another Sexy Angelic fan 🙂 It’s definitely my fave almond perfume.

      Thanks for commenting and for the follows, that’s 3 entries for you.

      Good luck!
      Trish

  6. I’ve been slowly greening up my cosmetics and I knew close to nothing about safer perfumes until your blog, so thank you! I never knew there was so much out there! I discovered wingandaprayer from one of your older reviews and just ordered a sample set. and I would love to give these a try, too 🙂

    I follow on twitter (@merryfaith), on google friend connect (resting.in.love) and on bloglovin (I don’t know if there’s a way to link/search reader accounts on there? if so, I haven’t figured it out). and I thiiiink I just added you on facebook too (merry palachek). unless that’s a personal account and you’d rather we don’t add that one.

      1. So glad you found Scent Hive Merry! There is a whole world of amazing natural perfumes and Wing and a Prayer is a great place to start!

        Thanks for the follows, that’s 5 entries!! Best of luck 🙂
        ~T

  7. I would love to try all three .I wonder if the I LOVE LES CAROTTES is anything like the discontinued carrot fragrance that A.Menardo did for Lancome?Hmm…
    Thank you for the opportunity.
    Jennifer

    1. Hi Jennifer, I am not familiar with the Lancome fragrance you mentioned, so I don’t know unfortunately.

      Maybe someone else here does and can comment??

      Best of luck in the drawing,
      Trish

  8. I am extremely intrigued by these 3 scents and would love to be included in the giveaway! Great reviews 🙂

    – I subscribe to Scent Hive
    – I’ve been following on Twitter for awhile ( @DevonTheFoodie)
    – Not sure if they count or not, but
    * been following on facebook
    * follow on Google friend connect also

    Thanks so much!

  9. Hello, I’d love to try these! I love their Nu Green and would love to try these too! I’m a subscriber to Scent Hive, and of course chat with you on MUA on the green board! :o) (I think that should count…)

    ~Cori

    1. Hey Cori, nice to see you over here! Thanks for commenting.
      Not sure I should give an extra entry for the MUA connection as that wouldn’t be fair to the majority of people entering. Hope that’s OK… but you do have 2 entries, so best of luck!

      ~T

    1. Les Carottes is probably my face of the three 🙂

      Good luck and thanks for the twitter follow, that’s 2 entries.
      ~T

  11. Happy new year, Trish! I can’t imagine that I would ever win another thing here, but in case three’s the charm, I follow you on twitter, facebook and of course I subscribe, although I mostly lurk these days!
    Here’s hoping you are well!

    1. Happy New Year to you too Wendy! You never know right? I do have three sample sets to giveaway 🙂

      I wanted to DM you on Twitter a while back, and couldn’t, so I don’t think you are following me there. Will double check.

      Best of luck in the drawing!
      ~T

  12. Hello Trish!
    Thanks for this giveaway. I have tried the three perfumes and I love Carottes and Vamp, while I disliked Love Coco. I think it was because of the coriander, but I don’t know. However, I would love to try the other two on skin because I have only tried them on paper.

    I follow you on Twitter and I have requested to follow you on Facebook too 🙂

    1. Isa,
      I think all of these fragrances have the potential to be hit or miss, there’s nothing subtle about them!

      Thanks for the follows, that’s 3 entries for you. 🙂
      ~T

  13. Hello Trish,
    I would love to try these perfumes, especially the one devoted to carrots. I subscribe to your blog and I also want to thank you for your introducing me to Edward Bess. I am using the concealer which goes on like silk and I have two lipsticks on order. Thanks for your great, well written blog!
    Lydia

    1. Hi Lydia!
      I did not try the EB concealer, and now I’m wishing I had 😉
      So glad you found EB and Scent Hive, thanks for the sweet comment.

      Good luck!
      Trish

  14. The more I read about these, the more I want! Thank you for sponsering the draw!! 🙂

  15. I have tried Vamp and I actually agree with you. It was so candy sweet, my son actually said (while we were outside, walking down the street), what are you wearing, dessert? That being said, I’d love to try the other two scents–they sound so intriguing–so please include me in the draw.

    1. Hi Nina,
      Vamp is pretty sweet isn’t it? The other two are not, so maybe they will work better for you. Hope you get to try them, good luck!

      ~T

  16. I could use some coconut to remind of when the sun shines by the ocean-right now it is snow snow snow-of course the Siberian snow is a great heart warmer and I am enjoying Epices D’Hiver as well as a Puja from Evan Healy that I experimented with. Scents are so intense in the freezing cold where all of the natural scent of the earth is annihilated!
    Best for warmth in PDX

    1. Maura,
      I can imagine how different scents become in the freezing cold. It’s not that cold here, but fragrances morph into varying beings depending on if it’s cold and raining, if it’s warm and dry or muggy.

      Glad you have some perfumes that you are enjoying during the winter…..what Puja attars did you try? I am still loving the rose one I got months ago.

      Hope you are well and good luck!
      Trish

    1. Great Linda, thanks! That’s 3 entries for you. Also, I got your email, might need to answer you later in the day….

      ~T

  19. These are scents I’ve always wanted to try but have had little access to, for whatever reason. Alas, I don’t use my facebook for anything or follow anything, though I check back here every so often to catch up on entries! I am going now to check one of your Rose-centric entries (though they are rare!) to see what my next scent lemming might be!

    -H

  20. Hi,

    I just subcribed on to Scent Hive on email and routinely read you blog.

    I have already tried Vamp a NY and really loved the bubble gum accord. I would love to try the other too.

    Thank you so much for your wonderful blog and you committment to natural perfumery.

    Tara

    1. Tara,
      I’m so glad Vamp worked for you, wish it did for me!
      Thanks for commenting and you’ve got 2 entries, good luck 🙂
      ~Trish

  21. I have been really dying to try all three of these scents, I am a Giacobetti fan. I have made a huge return to gourmands as of late (must be the cold weather), and am in search of unusual ones. Thanks for the review and opportunity to enter the contest!
    [I subscribe to the blog, and am a follower on Twitter]

    1. Carrie,
      You must try these! They are very unusual and as an OG fan you’d really appreciate the We Love NY collection.

      I wish you the best of luck,
      Trish

      (that’s 3 entries for you) 🙂

  23. They all sound so intriguing, and I’d love to try them. Thank you, Trish, for the chance to do that! I subscribe to Scent Hive, and follow you on Twitter!

    1. They are indeed intriguing!! Thanks for the follows, that’s 3 entries and best of luck 🙂
      ~T

  24. I so want to try Love Coco..as i am cuckoo for coconuts! I have just subscribed to Scent Hive and signed up to follow on Bloglovin. Found your web site through Velvet and Sweet Pea’s.

    1. Coconuts are pretty awesome aren’t they? 😀 Love the smell and the taste!

      So glad you found Scent Hive via V&SP. I adore Laurie’s creations!

      Good luck, you’ve got 3 entries,
      Trish

    1. Thanks for the follows Jessica, I appreciate it.
      That make 3 entries for you 🙂

      Best of luck,
      T

  27. would love to try Les Carottes – not a huge fan of Vamp, alas. The coconut in Coco is vaguely terrifying (in a fun way)…

    I subscribe to the blog and on the ‘follow’ thingie (great tech-speak, huh?)

    thanks for the great giveaway!

    xoA

    1. A fun, yet terrifying coconut…..that’s a great way to describe Love Coco 😉
      Thanks for the follows A, that’s 3 entries for you!

      ~T

  28. I would love to try these perfumes.
    I subscribe only to the RSS feed (and just found out that I cannot leave a reply from the RSS reader on my mobile device).

  29. I haven’t tried any of these yet, but I do love Olivia Giacobetti. I subscribe via email, FB, twitter, networked blogs, bloglovin. Thanks for hosting another great giveaway!

  30. Please enter me. Like you not crazy for Vamp but very interested in the other two for sure. And I love NY for mostly all things NY! Thanks

  31. Hi Trish,
    I’ve been wanting to sample these for months so I loved seeing your review. They sound great. I’m an Olivia G. fan as well. In fact I have someone in Paris buying me a IUNX candle probably as I type. I’m a subscriber btw. Thanks! Joy

  32. I’d like to try Vamp à NY, I Love Les Carottes and Love Coco for myself (the HdP coffee cup is so clever). I also follow Scent Hive on Bloglovin’ (Hofken), Twitter (@hofken), and subscribe to Scent Hive

    Cynthia.Richardson@azbar.org

  33. I follow ScentHive to all the great scent parties! (Just added a twit and a tweet — @madmagenta) Would love to try Love Coo and Vamp a NY.

    Missing you and thank you so much for hosting our folks last week!
    xo duVergne

    1. Hey sweetie! So glad you are entering the draw, I think you’d find these HDP scents fascinating!

      Thanks for the follows my dear, that’s 2 entries for you!

      Cheers and good luck,
      Trish

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