Ce Soir Ou Jamais Annick Goutal for women

I have to agree with Starlight Angel! Ce Soir ou Jamais opens in such a sharp and unattractive burst that it is almost disgusting....like a synthetic essence of pear! After about fifteen minutes it begins to soften into a honeyed rose which is lovely and lasting but is it worth suffering through such a nasty start for a little bit of rose and honey? I think not.

I am a great fan of Annick Goutal fragrances, but Ce Soir Ou Jamais is one that I have a love/hate relationship with.

The fact is that I LOVE the drydown but I HATE the opening.

CSOJ opens with a very boisterous, exuberant fresh rose. For my tastes it's TOO strong, and while it captures the scent of garden roses very well, it's almost bitter.

It doesn't help that I get a burst of a very sour fruity note in the opening too. I prefer my rose sweet and delicate, and I don't find that in the opening of this scent.

However, as it dries down, the rose seems to sweeten, it becomes a lot less sharp and a lot more powdery. I still detect that sourness but it's not so prominent and a lot more pleasant.

It was basically the dry down that sold this scent to me, even though it's not the most long lasting, and doesn't offer much in terms of sillage.

However, overall, it's rose done well, and definitely one for lovers of fresh roses.

This opens with a very heady rose, large and voluptuous, at the peak of it's fragrance. As it dries down it softens into a powdery rose with the hibiscus making a brief and tangy note during the heart of this perfume, but that fades away all to quickly in my opinion. After the hibiscus leaves there is a bit of something sweet that mixes with the rose but nothing much to remark on with my chemistry, it becomes a very vintage scent on me. Though it is a pretty rose, it is to old fashioned for my taste.

Modern and old-fashioned infusion.

The opening is the modern part of the scent, lively rose aroma with pear and hibiscus. Unusual but pleasant opening with the impressions of freshly picked rose smell. This bright moments are runs away and the modern rose scent turns into a nostalgic, a bit bitter, musky- ambergis oriental rose attar scent. Truly turkish delight aroma with a pale lemon nuance.

I think it's easy to overdose, so maybe better if you use it just with light hand..

Mmmmmm..... have to agree with two previous reviews the top note does seem to include pear! And I also found just a scant whiff of liquorice on the top opening. The hibiscus hit my nose quite pungently and this is where I needed patience! Soonish after came the warmth of a tea rose - sublime, reminiscent of sitting in the garden on a warm summer afternoon and every so often getting a scent of the roses close by!

For me this is a day into evening perfume! But I can see people only using this for the evening!

I did notice that when I had thought it had gone for the evening and I was sitting around I would suddenly experience another whiff of rose - quite unusual....!!

This is a wrist sniffer for me - just to get the soothing scent of rose, breath in, close eyes, raise shoulders and dream of that garden!

Just because it is rose - don't think old ladies!

Ce Soir ou Jamais was the first Annick Goutal fragrance I fell for and it remains among my top five all-time favorite fragrances. To me, as the previous reviewer has pointed out, this fragrance contains pear in equal billing to rose. It's as if one stirred rose liquor into a teacup of pear nectar and inhaled deeply. When that vanishes, a slight trail of light musk lingers.

The EDP lasts considerably longer than many other AG fragrances, about 4-5 hours on me.

The Turkish rose is soft, but vibrant and youthful, and would appeal to incurable romantics at heart, regardless of age; (especially those like me, over 60, but not done yet, heh, heh...)

The first time I smelled it, I thought they confused the labels on the bottles and that it was Petite Cherie. The second time, in a different store, I became sure that it wasn't a mistake of the previous shop, but just that the two perfumes share a common lush ingredient: Pear!Cannot escape the thought that maybe Annick Goutal would like to give her final and most elaborate creation (CSOJ) a little hint of love from the perfume dedicated to her beloved daughter Camille (PC). But these are just the top notes...

Because, here, the combination pears-roses takes a more feminine twist, revealing a first class rose, freshly cut, and not the opulent grand dames like Serge Luten's or Frederic Malle's. It depends on how each of us likes their roses...

To tell you the truth, I would have expected a more aggressive rose just from the statement of the name! Maybe the EDP evokes this ultimatum, but I will stick to the EDT, as reviewers claim it is less intoxicating, and more wearable.

And rounding off, I'm quoting Elvis:
"It's now or never..." (I know- quite predictable and commonplace- but couldn't resist ;-)

(This review is for Eau de Perfume)

CE SOIR OU JAMAIS is a delicate tea rose blooming in the garden on a beautiful and calm summer evening. The tender heavenly scent fills the warm summer air. I walk out in the garden. The time stops as I am entirely captured by its timeless beauty.

The rose in CE SOIR OU JAMAIS is so tender and natural but it is not simplistic. This scent has certain level of complexity that makes it absolutely stunning. Masterfully done rose scent! I highly recommend it for rose lovers.

An almost strange rose scent. There is a bit going on here. Lots of rose, but it is very thick, with something going on underneath that suggests a potent ripeness. This is a bit musty and spicy all at the same time. And yes, there definetely is that strong wine red note as well. Very warm. This strikes me as rose but not as a floral for some reason. It is unique though. I like it but I don't know if I love it yet, a big challenging.

I do like this for winter because this is not a springy floral, it's rather heady and viscous.

I have the EDP, which lasts about 4 hours on me. I understand that the EDT is different, but I hate it when perfumes are here and gone in a hour.

This IMO is everything a true rose fragrance should be--no more, no less. It's the cream of the crop. This fragrance is the embodiment of a true, grand, passionate romance. If you are a lover of roses, you can't possibly go wrong with this choice. It's Scarlet O'Hara and Rhett Butler in Gone With the Wind!

I'd been feeling a bit flower-deprived for the last couple of days, and Annick Goutal CE SOIR OU JAMAIS turned out to be just the antidote I was waiting for, another "I totally promised you a rose garden, and here it is!" perfume along the lines of TEA ROSE. So closely aligned, in fact, that I ended up having to do a side-by-side comparison in order to be able to distinguish between the two.

Both are full-rose, complete with all the thorns and greens, perfumes. TEA ROSE is a touch greener and more potent than CE SOIR OU JAMAIS, but to my nose the quality is very similar. Both smell very authentic and completely rose-focused, whatever other notes may be thrown in as complements or to sustain the rose petals and leaves for what is in both cases the very long life of the perfume.

Which do I prefer? I suppose, if forced to select, I'd take the slightly less green CE SOIR OU JAMAIS, but to be honest, it's nearly a tie.

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And now for a mini-rant, and my first official, public complaint about THE GUIDE, so many of the reviews of which leave me wondering whether there was some sort of major mix up with the 1,800 sample vials covered by the authors. To my amazement, TS (LT's wife) describes CE SOIR as an "ETERNITY wannabe". Say what? Are we talking about Calvin Klein ETERNITY and Annick Goutal CE SOIR OU JAMAIS? Hello? Has TS ever smelled either of these two perfumes? Mon dieu. Vraiment.

Ha! I just read the review for ETERNITY, written by LT, who "wittily" observes that ETERNITY is a failed copy of JARDINS DE BAGATELLE, which, he claims, was never worth copying! What a riot! Why it's a veritable encyclopedia of misinformation! This is the book which Vogue UK said you should not visit a counter without?!

I had read somewhere that Ce Soir ou Jamais was one of the late Annick Goutal's favourite fragrances. I find all of her scents to be lovely creations, however if I were to choose my favourite rose from her collection, I'd also say Ce Soir ou Jamais.

Rose may be this fragrance's most dominant note, however the additional frangipani, jasmine and musk add extra colour and complexity to something that could be straight-up, pretty, pink roses.

Had I smelt this particular scent a few years ago, I may not have appreciated it. It was on my twentieth birthday that the allure of a owning a rose scent really grabbed my attention. For those that associate rose to that of an old lady, which I once did, needs to open their eyes and experience something as beautiful as Ce Soir ou Jamais.

The delicious rose note in this fragrance is almost dewy, being fresh and exotic in a very appealing sense. It is a tad 'antique inspired', however it does not seem so rich and ancient like it's big sister, Rose Absolue.

Ce Soir ou Jamais has a rather youthful impression, which I feel is brought about by subtle fruity notes, like pear, that tends to linger softly in the heart. This fragrance is a little bit like Quel Amour!, yet perhaps not as Spring-like and fresh.

I read a beautiful article on the Perfume-Smellin' Things blog, that portrayed Ce Soir ou Jamais as being in 3-D. I have to agree that this fragrance has the ability to bring a rose note to life.

I have only experienced this fragrance in the EDT concentration, and from that I would say that the lasting power is quite good and the sillage light yet detectable. As in regards to the EDP version, I have noticed that some feel it too wine-like, quite intense and boozy. For a delicate rose like I have described I'd probably lean more towards buying the EDT.

This is a stunning rose soliflore. This smells exactly like pure red velvetly rose petal flesh from the garden. Similar to a real rose in the sunshine, as your skin warms the fragrance actually blooms on your wrist. Texturally the rose becomes slightly powdery with time but otherwise it is fairly linear.

The EDP has excellent staying power and moderate sillage. You will catch the scent of yourself every now and again and marvel at your good taste in perfume.

Similar in realism to PWS Tearose, Ce Soir Ou Jamais is a gently powerful rendition of the rose flower and would be an ideal alternative for rose-lovers who find Tearose too strong.

I received this in a swap from lovely cisco.It has taken me awhile to write the revuew because it truly is a mysterious scent.I love the dew kissed pink rose .Pink roses r my favorite.THis is truly like walking up a stone path to anold church,covered with ivy where a bright light shines out when u open the door.OUtside there r dozens of natural flower beds with huge pink roses,their little faces,dripping with dew.THe pink is almost neon with pale creamy pink centers.All arround there r hybiscus in different shades of pink and purple from powder pink and lilac to hot pink and bright purple.THe scents waif up towards the heavens,mingleing together ,making one scent instead of 2.The purity of the fragrance,makes it hard to describe.Rarely7,is there a fume that has such true scents of the flowers all the way through without all the other notes to confuse ones nose.It is a beautiful,sexy,calming scent,tha6t yes,u do have to reapply every couple of hrs.But,those hours in between r pure heaven.I reapply anyway,so that is no big deal.BUt,dear prople,u owe it to urself to at least sample this masterpiece,it may leave u speechless for awhile too.

Oh, this is a beautiful rose perfume! I have the edt, which is not very long lasting, but while it lasts, it has nice projection. Sadly, I have to respray it every couple of hours....
The Turkish rose is very different than Stella, or Chloe, or fresh roses. It resembles a bit the Bvlgari Rose Essentielle edp.
It is sweeter and humid, and actually I feel it lacks the "green" component. It's only the flower, not a single leaf or stem is part of this. Sweet, very juicy, with honey undertones. Indeed it reminds me of rose sorbet or rose confiture... ( a desert made from boiling rose petals in a sugar syrup). It is not a gourmand though.
Feminine, delicate, womanly, so romantic!
Maybe just a tad old fashioned, like a love affair that is profound and defying the modern fast times... it feels like it doesn't quite fit in... and surely not to be worn with running shoes, jeans and tees. Wonderful with red lipstick, a pastel colored dress and a lot of kisses all over!

Queen of the rose-scented perfumes. I would wear this in the evening. It's fresh enough not to be an old lady's perfume, but I would not call this scent delicate and care-free. It's lush and deep.

Everything has already been said in previous reviews (freshly crushed tea rose, romantic, etc) so I will just add this:

To me this smells like turkish rose petal syrup!
If 'Quel Amour' is velvety, this one is definitely silky smooth. Very elegant, calm and soothing.

I've always been enchanted by the house Annick Goutal. Her creations strike a whimsy in me that cannot be replicated by any other house. There are some Serious fragrances by Annick Goutal, but the vast majority are infused by this singular note of ephemeral JOY.

Ce Soir Ou Jamais is an excellent example of a perfume that is both mature and whimsical. It is very difficult to describe. The rose is intense, but slightly fruity and gummy, as if in a currant accord. It smells most similar to a combination between Annick Goutal's Quel Amour! and Tea Rose. The sillage is incredible, but in a rounded, controlled, and serene manner. The amber is not noticeable until hours into the drydown, but Ce Soir Ou Jamais is STRONGLY fixated, much more so than more of Goutal's creations. Thus I can firmly vouch for the lasting power and sillage.

Ce Soir Ou Jamais smells NICHE, lady-like, and expensive. But there's a lightheartedness to if that might not appeal to a perfume snob who takes herself too seriously.

I bought a sample of it and when I first applied it, it absolutely reeked! After 20 minutes it settled down to a pleasant but not wonderful, rose scent. The bottle is gorgeous but I won't be buying it.

smells very green. smells like Tea Rose... but warmer, and higher quality.

Not for me - I don't like "true (green) rose" scents.

This perfume was inspired by church gardens and you can smell it - lots of roses and bacteria loaded holly water - the water on a sponge for you to make a cros when you enter a church.
The roses are sweet but not sickly sweet but the combination with the sourness and even bitterness of the "holly water" is unbearable combinatin for me - it made me iritated and feeling sick.
I did buy a whole botle without a single sniff and I was deeply disappointed.

This perfume as not for me but on someone else it can be charming, romantic etc.

ok so i just did a "rose test" between This one, Bvlgari Rose Essentielle, YSL Parisienne, and Floris China Rose. I am light headed and feel like I am seeing roses haha but I will say that they all smell DIFFERENT from one another, and The Annick Goutal is more of a pure, and fresh rose scent. YAY

This is a very pretty scent. got my bottle today and had never smelled it before. I smell A LOT of rose but it is fresh and nice. It seems like "rosy" perfumes are really adding up lol.

This Annick Goutal fragrance lasted about two to three hours on me - which is a bit longer than many other AG perfumes I've tried. It is mostly a very sweet and succulant true rosy scent - very enjoyable on a hot Summer day.

A beautiful, bright summer scent. Every time I smell it I have to hide a smile because of my scent associations - an elephant has walked through the rose garden;)to me it really smells like crushed roses - greenish, juicy, rich rose fragrance. The staying power is awesome (for Goutal) - at least 5 hours (and I'm reviewing EDT)!

I too love this one and have the staying problem. An owner of a perfume shop told me to put a base oil on first or wear it on cotton wool tucked into your clothes.

It's a really lush, juicy fragrance. I think that's because of the hibiscus. I probably wouldn't have bought this one for myself, it's more one of those you get as a gift. It smells nice, no need to exchange, plus the bottle is a nice break up in your collection.

I own the Baccarat "purse" bottle with Eau de Parfum and it is even more beautiful in person than the pictures. I really wish I loved the fragrance as much as the bottle!

A delightful fragrance, featuring the very substantial oil of the Turkish rose with very "honeyed" overtones.
Indeed very flowery and slightly reminiscent of "Joy", but not as grand.
If you love this type of fragrance, "Ce soir ou jamais" might be an alternative to "Joy", although I would not see the Goutal fragrance as a perfume for evening wear only. It is very nice for daytime-wear, too and should be applied sparingly (unless you want to attract bees...).

for my skin this perfume, as nearly all the Annick Goutal fragrances,,, is Jamais... i love the bottles, i love the names,, but i am afraid they dont llove me,,,, the only one i can put on is eau de Camille and Mandragore,,, but they dont stay more than half hour!!!!