Very Irresistible Givenchy And The Ubiquity Of Flankers

Very Irresistible Givenchy (2003) is dubbed as “a fresh departure from the traditional floral fragrance”. If we talk about traditional florals, the first thing that comes to mind is that it’s got to be some “old lady” scent redolent of roses. I don’t know what is it about roses and the correlation of it to something that is antiquated or belonging to the past. Well, it’s true that a lot of perfumes in the past were concocted based on flowers and roses had been a universal top pick. Apparently, the potency in the formulations was, as you might have guessed it, too much for the modern nose. It wouldn’t have mattered before as people might have gotten used to the heaviness of the scent and to them, a strong and heavy floral scent is the norm.

Givenchy paid homage to the same traditional floral fragrance and played around with a variety of roses to come up with Very Irresistible. This fragrance marries the classic French style with American pop-culture. This remarkable fragrance features a modern take on the traditional harmony of the rose. The anise in the composition gives it a very distinct quality, a bit more spark and a prominent spicy element that will keep you drawn to the fragrance.

As for sillage and longevity, Very Irresistible holds for hours. While some find the first application as overwhelming, once it settles down, the beautiful cascade of roses unfolds and the soft, dreamy scent unravels its captivating fragrance. The notes blend well and the dry down diffuse a warm rose-filled scent. The sweetness is simply gorgeous and it evokes an impression of elegance.

The success of Very Irresistible Givenchy was followed by a full line of flankers starting with Very Irresistible Sensual (2005). This, in my opinion, is the most well-executed flanker in the collection. It is more intense than the original. The addition of vanilla and patchouli create a wonderful exit in the dry down. The anise is somewhat tamed in this variant but you still get that original feel of the fragrance. It’s less sweet, more transparent without compromising longevity.

The latest flanker is called Very Irresistible Summer Sorbet (2009). This version is so much lighter than its predecessor and the fruity notes appear more pronounced. The semblance with the original is mellowed down and I think the cranberry and the woodsy notes did nothing special to this flanker.

Overall, Very Irresistible Givenchy is a nicely done scent but given the number of flankers it has in its portfolio, I’d stick with the original, Very Irresistible and its first iteration, Very Irresistible Sensual.

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