When our EIC told me Neil Morris had a new one, I’ll admit to a bit of a frisson. Until the words, ‘floral aldehyde’, were used. I’m enamored of two: vintage CHANEL No 5 and equally vintage Yves St Laurent Rive Gauche. Not exactly a formidable collection. Then I was sent the notes – peach…fruit…no.   When I finally got word the name was to be ‘Only You’, all I could picture was a group of guys singing the Platters 1955  classic song acapella on a South Philly corner. It couldn’t be farther removed from my pre conception. Instead, the fragrance strikes a more vintage chord. Picture, if you will a dance. A summer evening in Florence. A small group of people. Men in black tie; women in dresses of paper silk and chiffon. A quiet hum coming from the courtyard.

Il rito del baciamano

A new face approaches wondering why and how she got there. She looks behind her and realizes she’s literally walked the Yellow Brick Road to a house that looks as though it was transplanted from an Italian vineyard. She approaches the porte cochere thinking she’d rather be anywhere else – the city, the beach, watching paint dry – but she enters and heads up the marble steps. She’s the type who makes people turn – petite with thick hair and light eyes that miss nothing. It’s obvious she’s not of these people – the dress is just at the limit of appropriate, the heels a little too high, the earrings a bit too dangly and flashy. This is a lion’s den of Pappagallo, sheath dresses, and blondes. How did she get here??

She makes her way to the host and hostess murmuring lovely innocuous thing about the light coming through the stained glass ceiling and how marvelous it is. She heads to the dining room for what is no doubt a dismal punch. She smells peach and plum and, because she’s decided to observe from a distance, accepts a crystal flute  and breathes a sigh at the champagne playing on her tongue. To consider her next move, she finds a side door that leads to a bench near the Villa.

Figura Verde

In the shade of hundred-year-old trees, she finds the combination of champagne and antique roses as calming as she always has. The silky sounds of oboe and saxophone come from the house causing her to smile.

The sky is starting to turn presaging a storm. She returns to the veranda wondering about the reaction if she were to suddenly sit on the wall of the fountain and swing her feet in. Instead she skirts the tribal ones and goes to the porch watching lighting strike on the river in the distance.

Guido Cadorin — Decorazioni del salone all'Hotel Ambasciatori — 1926

Then one of the tribe appears, handing her one of her too dangly, slightly flashy ear clips, saying, “I believe this is yours.”

I know. You want notes: Top: Pear, Orange blossom, Aldehyde C-8; Middle: Linden blossom, Rose, Narcissus, Tuberose, Heather, Wisteria, Freesia; Base: Ambergris, Redwood, Russian leather, Labdanum, Tonka bean.

Nude in a Landscape with Flowers – Guido Cadorin

So – What’s it smell like? It opens with a little pop of citrus, then it’s all about pear on me. Think pear skin rather than the flesh or that secret spot where ear and neck meet. The orange blossom is there, but not a central player for me. It takes several hours of wear for the rose and tuberose to be noticed. The rose seems reminiscent of vintage pinks and the tuberose is (thankfully!) more creamy than fleshy. The freesia adds just a whisper of green while the wisteria adds a wee kick of spice.

The base notes make this morph into an almost skin scent on me – a very seductive skin scent if comments are to be believed! I also get whiffs of cinnamon periodically in the opening and several hours later. I can only presume Neil is telling me the joke’s on me.

Frankly, this one scared me at first sniff – it just seemed too much for 90+ degrees and totally not my style. I was wrong. It melts into something soft and smooth and it lasts well into the next morning. You might just want to… I’ll leave it to you.

Mary Beth Devine, Contributor,

 Disclosure: sample provided by Neil Morris, opinions my own

 Editor’s Note:  I chose the art of Guido Cadorin, a little known Ventian artist of the 1920s, as there is a Deco vibe to Only You that reminds me of vintage Italian perfumery.  Only You was created for me by Neil and we decided to share it with the world;  now that I have been wearing it  perhaps Neil can rename it "Solo Tu"

There is a 15% off sale going on for all orders of $70.00 or more until June 28th! PLUS free shipping! Use the code Summer. If you would like to order Only You…. Order any Vault parfum/eau de parfum/ sample and in the comments section at checkout, tell Neil you really want Only You. That’s it!- Michelyn Camen (art direction)

Thanks to Neil Morris Fragrances we have a worldwide draw for a registered CaFleureBon  of 15ml of Only You. To be eligible, you must be registered. Please leave a comment with what appeals to you about Only You, where you live and your favorite Neil Morris Fragrance. Draw closes June 28, 2015

We announce the winner’s only onsite and on our Facebook page, so Like CaFleureBon and use our RSS option…..or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.