Saint Patrick and The Wearing Of The Green: Some Suggestions + DSH Perfumes Vert Pour Madame Crème Draw

The Wearing of the Green has been a tradition for centuries, normally in the form of a shamrock, which Saint Patrick would use to explain the Holy Trinity. I’m not sure how this tradition was started, but when I was a kid, if you forgot to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day, you got pinched. After one year of being pinched nearly to death, to the point of trying to attach a leaf or blade of grass to myself to be spared, I never forgot again. Now that I am grown up and it is doubtful that I will be pinched like that again, I can wear my green in the form of fragrance.

While I was doing a bit of research on Saint Patrick’s Day, I discovered that the Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol are lifted for the festival. Not having been brought up in the Church that explained a lot. Green beer, anyone?

Here are a few ideas on ways to wear your green, depending on your plans, and what might be fun drinks to enjoy:

If you are feeling elegant and are all dressed up for the festivities, try a smidge of the divine Vert pour Madame from DSH Perfumes. One of the most beguiling of green fragrances, it’s a luscious blend of foliage and florals. A clear front-runner in the retro trend that perfumistas are welcoming with open arms the world over, you’ll be wafting one of the most sensuous green scents on the market. An Emerald Isle or Irish Coffee would be the cocktail choices for you.

Speaking of florals, if pure greenery is not your cup of tea, try Cartier Baiser Vole, which is a translucent lily fragrance that offers up not only the flower but the leaves and stems as well. If your St. Patrick ’s Day will be spent stuck at work, Baiser Vole will keep your spirits lifted. Celebrate with a minty Shamrock Shake ™ on your lunch break.

For a casual, lively party, wear the lively and iconic Balmain Vent Vert. Although many lament the reformulation of this early entrant in the green perfume category, I have a recent version and it is lovely and fresh, with a mossy drydown. It is also a very pretty color of pale green, so a perfect choice for the day. Beer would be a great accompaniment, but it doesn’t have to be green.

Tasteful men (and discerning women) should spritz themselves with the beautifully revamped Houbigant Fougere Royale. Leafy and rich, you’ll have lots of admirers snuffling your neck. This is a perfume to stand the test of time and is a true classic. Perfect for wearing tweed and sipping Irish Whiskey.

A day centered around drinking and merriment has to have an emotional moment caused by a bit of overindulgence. Wear the stunning blend of green moss and spice that is Tom Ford Private Blend Moss Breches. The discontinuation of this perfume has caused a great wailing in the perfume community; what better way to lament its passing than by having a good cry in your umpteenth tankard of green beer?

There are a myriad of fragrances on the market that have various green notes. If you have a favorite in your wardrobe let us know which one you’ll be wearing this St. Patrick’s Day! If you leave a comment, you’ll be eligible to win a prize I am tempted to pretend doesn’t exist, so I can just say I won it myself: a 4.5 oz jar of DSH Perfumes Vert Pour Madame Crème, with 20% shea butter, thanks to the generosity of Dawn Spencer Hurwitz. This stuff is luscious. We will draw one winner on March 16, 2012 via random.org.

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilt perfume.

-Tama Blough, Senior Editor

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45 comments

  • I will wear Aliage or Balmain Ivoire for St. Paddy’s day, haven’t made up my mind yet.

  • I’ll be sporting some Tauer Carillon pour une Ange. That golden green note just sparkles off your skin, perfect for St. Patty’s day and the coming of Spring! 😀

  • Lael DasGupta says:

    Now I want to get out my tweed jacket and pour an Irish Whiskey! Houbigant Fougere Royale, yum!!
    Lael

  • I’ll be wearing ‘a scent by issey miyake’.
    To me, it’s a light green but lasts a good little while.

    I have get out my shamrock earring–I can only wear them one day a year!!

  • Ooh, I would love to win that creme! Nice article, Tama. We’re going to a St. Pat’s day party, and I’m thinking Calandre, Eau de Campagne, or DSH Celadon. Tough decision!

  • Although we don’t celebrate St’ Patrick’s Day in Greece I would wear either the Baiser Vole as mentioned above (I am in love with this perfume!!) or mayby the Anisia Bella from the Aqua Allegoria line!!

  • Sadly the only drink i will have is green cordial because i will be at work! So perfume wise ,i will wear either Cabochard,ma griff or Estee

  • I love Guerlain Mitsouko and Diorella for my ‘green fix’. I’ll wait to see what the weather is like before I decide.

  • My favorite green is vintage Cristalle, but it’s so hard to find now! I’m one of those weirdos who actually like galbanum, even straight up….

  • Oooh, I’ve been wanting to sniff Vert pour Madame for ages! I like a lot of greens, my latest discovery is Jacomo Silences. But I’ll probably be wearing the lovely Le Temps d’Une Fête! (That’s a green, right?)

  • Chanel 19 poudre for today. Light green but I will compensate with a green silk scarf.

    Great draw! Thank you .

  • TimeaZsofia says:

    My favorite green fragrance is Yerbamate from Lorenzo Villoresi.
    Thank you for the draw! 🙂

  • I can’t seem to wear bright green scents, but for a darker mossier green, I like Odalisque by Parfums de Nicolai.

  • wow, I have a sample of Vert Pour Madame and I just love it! I love too many green fragrances to count, from dark and mossy chypres to bright citruses. One of my favorite scent families, for sure. for my favorite… going to go out on a limb and say Bandit by Robert Piguet.

  • I’ve just sampled Vert Pour Madame. I loved it! I think Gobin Daude Seve Exquise, is my all time favorite green scent. But alas….

  • I have lots of favorite greens. Ususally on the 17th I opt for something ocean-y like Ael-Mat or Inis. If forced to choose one as a counterpoint to the black we don, it’d be Trefle Pur or that old un-named monastery goody from the cupboard that’s all mossy, seaweedy and heathery.

  • For St. Patrick’s Day I will be wearing my newest green floral sensation: LILITH by Callaghan.

    Many of the other scents mentioned are some of my favorites as well.

    Thanks to Dawn and Cafleuerbon for the wonderful draw. I have yet to sniff Vert Pour Madame, but if it is like the rest of Dawn’s creations I am sure it will be FABULOUS!

    And (of course) thank you, Tama, for the wonderful piece on green perfumes (and coordinating beverages). Nice touch! 😉

  • tomatefarcie says:

    ok I know this is obvious, but I do like the scent,
    “Green” by Byredo and oh a shot of Bushmills…

  • Well, the thing is, St. Patrick’s day is also my birthday, so on that day I do have a tendency to wear what I want, whether it’s green or not. No one dared to pinch a birthday girl so far! 😉

    But one of my very favorite perfumes is a greeny, Ma Griffe with a bright green clary sage note. I may wear that for my party.

    I tried Vert pour Madame — it’s lovely, thanks for the draw!

  • They all sound great but I don’t have any of them. So I will probably wear Bond no. 9’s Central Park!

  • There’s no St. Patrick’s day in Spain, but…Ormonde Jayne’s Ormonde Woman would be my election!
    Thanks for the draw

  • thanks for another beautiful draw!
    for st. patrick’s day i will probably wear andy tauer’s gorgeous carillon pour un ange. it’s crushed young leaves and moist earth note is perfect for the beginning of spring.

  • I think I would love to wear Cartier Baiser Vole since I love Lily.
    thanks for the draw and a great read.

  • Thansk for the draw!

    It’s old-school but my favourite (and one of my only) green frags is Calyx.

  • hotlanta linda says:

    Tauer`s Carillon, AG`s Camille, original Cristalle – and my new sample-soon-to-be bottle of Doyen`s Turtle Vertiver `Front`:-) THANK YOU for the contest!!

  • I think I’ll wear Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Lavender or Hermès Un Jardin sur le Nil. I love to wear this kind of fresh green scents on Spring!

    Thanks for the draw!

  • I’ll be wearing Diptyque;s L’Ombre dans l’Eau. That gorgeous burst of green has beautiful sillage and lasts for a good few hours. Thanks for the draw!

  • #laughs# I have not much perfume, and i think of this as more greeny/browny, but I’d say “November in the Temperate Deciduous Forest”.

  • Michelle Hunt says:

    I have a deficit of green fragrances in my wardrobe. Though on the strange warm days of this week, I was certainly craving them. I made a little muget/green/citrus fragrance and it really fit the bill for the mood of budding spring. I’ve been wearing it all week, and I’m sure St Patrick’s day will be included!

    I would love to enter the draw.

  • Hmm…. yesterday I tried some green beer flavored ice cream (bright, bright green but surpisingly good!) so I feel that I have done my Boston-native St Patrick’s duty. I am redolent of Diptyque Safran room spray, basically by accident…
    But, inspired by this post, I dabbed on a sample of Joanne Basset’s Josephine, which is a lovely bright lime green natural fragrance. Highly reccomend this and Versailles to citrus lovers (and likers)!

    please count me in to this generous draw!

  • Chanel No. 19 extrait for me too even though I’m only fractionally Irish. I remember the pinching for forgetting to wear green too. Awful. lolz. The teachers had pity I guess and would give us shamrock badges to put on for the day.

  • I’m crossing all my fingers and toes! I love so many DSH creations and especially VPM! For a soft whisper of green I love DDH’s own Celadon. Another favorite green is Chanel 19. I will have to try the extrait, I have the perfume. Where can you buy it?

  • (Irish) Green rocks! I’m a quarter Irsih (middle name is Patrick) and my wife is half Irish (maiden name is Reilly).
    Houbigant Fougere Royale would work for me!