Olfactive O Floral Smoke
Olfactive O is a young London brand who have capably built their collection of perfumes around distinct scent personalities, helping guide noses through their blossoming collection by using active statements to personify their compositions. For example: if you consider yourself sparkling and spontaneous they’d recommend their Citrus perfume, or if you’re more buttoned up and act aloof a lot you should try their Woody perfume. It’s a unique and direct way to help people navigate their range; allowing your personality to influence your scent choice but also, more importantly, enabling your scent choice to influence your personality.
And whilst the compositions from the brand’s secret perfumer are great – their Citrus is refreshingly crisp and delightfully lemony, the Amber is a well-executed and bright and their Gourmand is a malty, caramel swirl of rich pudding notes and patchouli – there’s just a very likeable unconventionality in last year’s Olfactive O Floral Smoke that sets it apart from the rest. Not just because it’s veering slightly away from the pre-formatted perfume genres (the amber one, the fruity one, the skin scent etc.) but because it’s also doing something that’s genuinely quite interesting, vivid and multi-layered.
Olivia da Costa, Creative Director and the ‘O’ in Olfactive O, via Instagram
For me, Olfactive O Floral Smoke is a bit of a bruised floral; a survivor, it’s seen things and done things that other florals probably shouldn’t or ever will. As such it forsakes naivety and the pleasantries of sunnier, jasmine-adjacent notes and revels instead in the contemplative density of narcissus, a touch of myrrh and the unorthodox allure of a rather fleshy smelling tuberose.
Narcissus in a purple tone, via Unsplash
Olfactive O Floral Smoke is always doing a lot, without ever doing too much. It’s seductive yet nonchalant, catching and holding your attention without playing up for it. It’s got powdery violet accents and cushioning softer parts but it’s also got attitude and heft thanks to the deep tone of the chosen florals and the rich woody spine (which is where the whispers of the eponymous smoke are wrapped up in).
It wears like a well-worn leather jacket, the toughened exterior contouring to you perfectly in a way that other people can’t outwardly see. Even though it might seem to be a little standoffish at first, all Olfactive O Floral Smoke really wants is to be seen, to be around you and to be properly understood.
Notes: violet leaf, black pepper, orange blossom, tuberose, narcissus, myrrh, sandalwood, cedarwood, vetiver
Disclaimer: samples of Olfactive O’s perfumes were provided by the brand, opinions are my own
photos courtesy of Olfactive O unless otherwise stated.
–Oli Marlow, Contributor
Thanks to the generosity of Oliva and Olfactive O we have a 50ml bottle of Floral Smoke available to a registered reader in the US/EU/UK. You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what sparks your interest based on Oli’s review and where you live. Draw closes 6/9/2025
Please read Oli’s Barnes Fragrance Fair Event report where Olfactive O was featured here. The three readers who commented will have their entry count twice.
That article was included in this week’s edition of Essencional Magazine which promotes innovation and creativity in niche, artistic perfume and beauty.
Follow us on Instagram: @cafleurebonofficial @olimarlowsmells @younoseit @olfactive_0
This is our Privacy Policy
We announce the winners only on our site and on our Facebook page, so like ÇaFleureBon and use our blog feed… or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume
Like our Facebook page: Çafleurebon and use our blog feed for new updates and articles