Vivienne Westwood Boudoir collage: bottle courtesy of the brand, top right Getty, bottom left Jergen Teller and bottom right 1976, Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood Getty©

The recent passing of Dame Vivienne Isabel Westwood (December 29, 2022) is very much in the public consciousness – for ample reason. Ms. Westwood was an international fashion icon, a renegade and trailblazer who, in collaboration with her partner (promoter of the group New York Dolls, manager of the Sex Pistols and a designer/musician/songwriter/visual artist in his own right) Malcolm McLaren – spearheaded punk and new wave vogue from their boutique in Chelsea on King’s Road, known as SEX. Her clothes were designed to deliberately shock and titillate. A highly-developed sense of play is inherent in her work, which spans several decades of design. Whether it be a puckish concatenation of plaids and disparate patterns, textures and color – or the unexpectedly fey romanticism of ruffles and lace which reveal/suggest naughtiness, the Princess of Punk kept us all guessing as to what would follow next. Even the “sedate” ensemble worn for her 1992 appointment to the Order of the British Empire (OBE) was revealing – as you can clearly see for yourself; Ms. Westwood claimed that the Queen was amused.

Vivienne Westwood at Buckingham Palace, where she received her OBE from Queen Elizabeth II on Dec. 15, 1992. Getty (Photo by Martin Keene)©

It oughtn’t to surprise, then – that her first fragrant foray in 1998 was named Boudoir, or that it happens to be a polarizing scent, a love-it-or-leave-it perfume. Subsequent releases were more easily wearable by comparison (Libertine, Anglomania, Naughty Alice, Let It Rock – and several flankers).

I’d be remiss if I didn’t share with you the “Perfumes, The A-Z Guide” scathing point of view, aka damning with faint praise: “Boudoir: * (one star) A syrupy-sweet distortion of Miss Balmain that aspires to be a taxicab air freshener. (Should have been called Bidet, not Boudoir.) Sickening, but not totally without interest.”

Considering how fond I am of Miss Balmain (which I’ve referred to as “the most divinely dirty ashtray of a perfume one could ever wish for” – and plan to review in the near future), you can interpret the above opinion any way you wish. Clearly, we don’t see eye to eye on Boudoir, but that is no matter: it serves as an example of how strongly one feels about this fragrance, pro or con. In this sense, Boudoir mirrors Ms. Westwood and her oeuvres.

Photograph Annie Leibovitz, 2003©

My flacon hails from the earlier release; I’m not certain how more recent bottles smell, so I can only credibly relate my own experience. I smelt and purchased Vivienne Westwood Boudoir in 1998 when it was released. It opens with those aldehydes which instantly garner your attention because they are almost visibly sparkling in nature: on the heels of brilliance follow the fresh tonicity of bergamot and mandarin, but they don’t tarry (we really don’t expect them to). At this juncture a cornucopia of breathtaking flowers assails you; you have to love them if you’re going to continue on this aromatic journey because they’re potent. One of my favorite facets is that of viburnum – an evergreen flowering shrub possessed of a lilac-reminiscent aroma which hints at vanilla, heliotrope, almond tinged with sweet spice and a smattering of honeysuckle. It was said to be among Ms. Westwood’s favorite blooms, and I understood this aspect better after a dear friend introduced me to her viburnum a few years ago in early spring: it was heavenly but short-lived, in the way that lilac blossoms are.

 Vivienne Westwood is carried after her catwalk show at London Fashion Week Men’s 2017. Photo REUTERS©

If you seek a bouquet, you will find it in abundance, with no dearth of the indolic – that aspect of divine decay which reminds us of the reproductive function of flowers. From the verdancy of hyacinth and narcissus, both of which harbor such subversive tendencies at their peak – to the fullness of honeyed orange blossom, jasmine, rose and tobacco flower (so complex a scent profile) and the fruity booziness of tangy marigold. Imagine the spicy pepperiness of carnation (floral/green/honeyed/herbal) and the earthy spicy warmth of cinnamon, coriander and cardamom ensconced in a patchouli/sandalwood/vanillic base dusted with civet and perhaps Boudoir begins to take shape for you. It’s interesting to note that several of us seem to smell a cuminlike presence which feels distinctly like post-coital sweat, although none is listed; perhaps it’s the combination of sweeter coriander and civet which leads our noses to this perception. Certainly, those heavy-hitting florals possess plenty of indole: Ms. Westwood’s naughtier nature is delightfully represented here.

Artist Deggy painted this mural in August of 2022 in  Glossup… (she was born Vivienne Swire in the Peak District village of Tintwistle, Glossop, Derbyshire in 1941).©

Vivienne Westwood Boudoir will either charm or repel you. It has substantial longevity and plenty of sillage to boot – and in the drydown you feel as if you are behind the footlights, redolent of perfume, perspiration and powder. Will it give you stage fright? I sincerely hope not. It’s as bold as its creator’s vision, and a part of one’s olfactory education. Boudoir is a favorite of mine, and I don’t think of myself as a predominantly floral person (but I clearly am!). Yes – it is sweet, intensely floral and verges on the indecent. I leave it you to determine whether Boudoir is a love or hate proposition.

 Notes – I’ve scrutinized several lists from multiple commonly-utilized sites – and each one varies!!! Therefore, I’ve decided to list all the notes I found: aldehydes, bergamot, mandarin, hyacinth, viburnum, orange blossom, marigold, carnation, cardamom, coriander, orris, jasmine, rose, narcissus, tobacco flower, patchouli, sandalwood, cinnamon, vanilla, civet

 Review based upon Vivienne Westwood Boudoir from my own collection. My nose is my own…

~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor

Follow us on @cafleurebonofficial @idameister