Joy Jean Patou for women

A little black outfit, a string of pearls or flower behind the ear, and Joy.

The first time I wore this I was wearing a little robe noir. The second time, I was wearing a green dress - but before I left the house I decided to go and change into black cigarette pants and black cap-sleeved sweater. Joy is all the rainbow one needs.

Joy is the only perfume in which the aldehydes don't annoy me. I have a decant of the EDP, and I save it for going out. I find jasmine, lily-of-the-valley and tuberose as a group more prominent than the single note of rose. The drydown is a fresh jasmine and musk. A well-balanced fragrance, Joy lasts a long time although the sillage is softer than I'd hoped it would be. I wanted my neighbours to smell my civet, dammit! ;) Speaking of civet, I think it's gives the jasmine a very smooth impression.

I'm not sure I would buy a full bottle for myself at this point, but I'd be very happy receiving it as a gift from someone I love. It's retro but not "old lady". There's a difference. Thomas Fontaine, the new director of the house of Jean Patou, says that the word "cher" in the tag line "le parfum le plus cher..." can be heard as "dear" and not "expensive". I can see that.

nothing but pure roses this is the worst scent ever i bought a bottle for over 120 dollars and it was so bad i threw it away i would not give anyone this perfume as a gift it smells so bad! anyone who likes this omg come on REALLY!

Joy - well named. The initial spray of this fragrance is going into a very JOYFUL bouquet of florals. This smells light, playful, and happy! There is a nice fragrance chord about this. It smells very well put together, upper crust - and has a much more classy scent to it than a number of the fragrances that are popular today.

Fracas smells like an upper register soprano of this chord, Joy smells like a medium range alto type chord.

If you've read Carol Tuttle's book called "Dressing Your Truth" - Joy would fall under the Type 1 Category where energetically, this type of woman is fun, playful, upbeat and leads with a this type of nature in their daily lives.

This is fun-- I could see wearing this for a special occasion, but this is not the type of smell that I would be drawn to for a signature fragrance. I typically like fragrance chords with a bit more depth than this. But then again- I'm in the middle of trying this sample. Time will tell!

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30 minutes into wearing this:
There seems to be a distinct "carnation" smell to this, which I really find unappealing. This could be great on other people, but it is turning into an overwhelmingly strong carnation scent on me.

This is not my fragrance, due to the carnation take over-- and dominance, but I could see someone with different chemistry totally loving this!

I just have a little, tiny piece of advice to those women who may think that the EDP doesnt last long for whatever reason. (different types of skin, tend to absorb fluids in different ways, FYI..My aunt is a dermatologist, just sayin)

but anyways, when my Mom wore this for many, many years, she had a little trade secret that never let her down with this fragrance, apparently.

She would apply the perfume, and then she'd apply the 3oz body mist of the same name. All I know is that there was a stretch of years there, where my Mother literally smelled like Joy, from sun up to sun down. I thought she was either from outer space or the only chick around who had Joy running thru her veins and coming out of her pores.

... I just thought it was the strongest fragrance on Earth...and it does pack a punch, especially the EDP (which borders on screechy and being kinda cloying)...but come to find out, she just layered the fragance with the body mist in that bottle with the black, plastic border on top with the red cap.

Vintage. I like Joy very-very much. First it's tight like a fog, natural jasmine, a bit sinister in its tightness. Later I get this very jasmine, kind, gentle musk, and rose that is brimming with rose oil. Then the flowers and the musk get somewhat quieter, and civet appears. Oh, what a beautiful civet this is!.. Wait. Did the flowers and the musk leave? No, they didn't. Here they are, getting softer or louder from time to time, making a wonderful scenty whole with the civet.

I'm so delighted with Eau de Patou, thanks to Emily, had the opportunity to enjoy this symphony. This is a masterpiece. I even prefer Eau de Patou, rather then Joy EdP. Haven't tried something so refined and luxurious for years! No words to describe how wonderful it feels on the skin, even the next day. I have to come to it!!

I oh so want to try this again. I have tried a few shops recently for testers and haven't seen any.
I LOVED this in the 80's and 90's.
It was complex, floral and musky.
Stayed well.
Beautiful. Sensuous.

When I first put this on, it was a garden of light flowers, with a whiff of fresh "breath," like baby's breath or something.

Then, something stinky came out, which I am assuming is either civet or maybe the off-smell of soap, jasmine, or even some kind of cheese, and smelling a beautiful bouquet of flowers side-by-side that off-smell just doesn't make me feel joyful! This perfume is not for me.

My Mom's 'go to' back in the day...this and Paloma Picasso. To me, this evokes pure beauty..just beautiful. Its one of those unapologetic, 'take me or leave me' juices. And you can throw all the civet in the World in it, and it still wouldnt smell bad to me.

its one of those perfumes that makes you say, "Aww, man...that might be the prettiest smelling stuff on Earth!".

Im as queer as a 3 dollar bill, but when Ive smelled this on women over the years (minus my Mom, of course), I have thought about a sexual conversion, if you know what I mean (wink)

Could someone please tell me the difference between Joy and Eau de Joy? Is it just the packaging?

At the first stall at Vancouver Flea Market, I spotted a huge 2.5oz bottle of Jean Patou Joy. My heart was leaping but had to stay cool especially when the vendor told me the price tag was $10. It's about a third full and you only need a little bit to enjoy this scent. Once finished, the bottle itself will be a "joy" to keep or sell. Joy is aldehydic at first spray. Tuberose, jasmine and green notes live through to the end. I love tuberose (Fracas) although better enjoyed as it fades. The animalic note does not jump out strongly to me. If you love caramel or soft watery scents, this is not for you. On the other hand, if you enjoy wearing classics like Chanel No5, Lanvin Arpege, or Miss Dior, you should try this. As for me, I am so happy to score such a big amount of juice and know that it will last me a long time. *happy dance*

One dab on me,
Sillage: about a foot
Longevity: longer than 6 hours
Rating: 4/5

Update Apr 1/2013: I now get and understand the urinal-odor reference which shows itself as a bottom note. So rank! Does this happen with formulas that have gone bad?

I always thought that this smelled like dirty body parts, certain ones. I understand I will have to smell it again since not only have my sense of smell maybe changed but maybe the person that I used to smell it on wasn´t suited for it?

I absolutely enjoyed/loved wearing this..I gave it to my mom when the bottle was half way down as she liked it too..but I should get one..It smelled divine on her too..Very different, special, personable..warm, heady but not heavy

Funny how i hate it for the first and second time i tried joy on my skin (wrist),I thought "oh, this one is just nasty, i dont care for it, how can anyone loves it?" but then, just to finish my sample and throw away the empty bottle, i tried again on my neck.... And it was very pleasant and other worldly, oh my, i cant believe its the same perfume that i hated. Since then, i absolutely love joy. However, its still a strong perfume-so a little goes along the way, dont overdo it :))

I adore my mother; she's a force of nature to me. Joy and Chanel No. 5 are her signature scents. Every once in awhile when I visit her, I sneak the tiniest touch of her Joy on my wrist. And no wonder it's called "Joy"! It never fails to lift my spirits. The Bulgarian roses carry me off in their happy cloud of scent.

I was not expecting to like Joy, mainly because it has civetone in it, which I typically find unbearable. But, I've learned an interesting lesson from Joy: I actually really like civet when it's in a floral perfume! I tend to dislike it in spicy-oriental perfumes, like Obsession and the original Shalimar, where it evokes a pungent dirtiness to me.

In Joy, the civet works to enhance the rose and jasmine, making them absolutely radiate! The words that come to mind are: juicy and vibrant. It doesn't smell at all dirty to me here (I don't find indoles particularly dirty or offensive either, and this fragrance has a VERY indolic Jasmine note). I have worked extensively with the natural absolutes of both rose and jasmine, and Joy exudes the same freshness as these precious extracts. Surely, there are still some natural floral extracts being used in Joy?

This is not a complex scent, but it doesn't have to be. It does what it is meant to do, and it does it extremely well -- it evokes all of the warmth, brightness, tenderness, and rich femininity of the flowers it sets out to represent. It is an absolute and unabashed ode to rose and jasmine!

I can see why Joy is crowned queen among floral perfumes.

I tried a small sample of Joy from Nordstrom's, and at very first it was strong, pungent, and heavy. Until about 10 minutes later, when an exquisite scent began to eminate from my wrists while I was driving the car. It lasted most of the day, and even smelled heavenly after washing my hands a few times. All of the reviews I've read here regarding Joy have either been extremely positive or negative, but I've got to say that it smelled wonderful to me.

Now I'll go and get a bottle of the Edp. It does give me the feeling of an exquisite, classy scent, one which would be worn at a beautiful evening event. p.s. As all of our noses are so different looking, so are they at picking up the scents that we love or hate. Thanks to all of the perfumiers who give us all the zillion scents to choose from.

While I was out perfume browsing recently, I sprayed some of this on a card, some of it strayed (or rather, crawled) onto my fingers, then I forgot about it as I drifted along the perfume shelves.

A few minutes later I thought 'where's that potent urinal odour coming from?'. I couldn't account for it as I was in Jenners (which is basically Edinburgh's Harrods and never smells anything less than luxuriant). Finally I located the odour and realised it was emanating from Joy. I suggest they re-launch this at the weirder end of the niche fragrance market and re-name it 'Dismay Absolou'.

Now,I like a bit of dirt, I can handle indoles, horse poo, cat pee/blackcurrant, barnyard, and any amount of salty sweat, but this level of civet is truly alarming. I'm filled with awe for the women who wear this - I imagine them in floor-length real fur, with filed-to-a-point, blood-red talons!

To my nose, the urinal note in this perfume is predominantly male, my loo has only ever smelled like this when I'm been sharing my house with a man. Concentrated female urine tends to smell more fishy and in smaller or fresher amounts, like honey. This men's urinal note was pulled off successfully in 'Kouros' though.

Incidentally, I was with a friend who couldn't smell it, but said she experienced a powerful fecal note.

Fascinating!

My first Jean Patou fragrance which I loved from the start, still do & always will.
Tempted me on to try every other Patou fragrance I could find.
More a fragrance for the mature woman although I was young when I first wore it.

Norell really copied this one. This was probably considered very light and fresh for it's time. Today it smells one dimentional and little too musky.

To me this perfume smells like a soap bar that has been left aside for years before it is finally used on the skin . I m not sure if any of you have had that experience with a soap but if you do use a soap as old as that it begings to smell of its real ingredients as all the frangrance it is nearly lost. It is very 'chemically'.... Not at all pleasant on my nose. I know it is a classic but dont like it

Joy is a shocker by today's standards. It's diffusive, indolic, rosey, and not particularly fresh. I really can't imagine anybody who doesn't love rose and jasmine absolutes enjoying this fragrance too much. While not a particularly good perfume artistically, it is nonetheless an excellent presentation of the raw ingredients.

I love to wear this. In a world where floral absolutes aren't allowed to be used anymore this is a shocking reminder of what is missing in the perfume world today. Of course, other people don't appreciate this perfume as much as I do. As unadorned as this is, it really highlights the fecal undertones of jasmine and the overtly dirty note of civet.

WARNING BAD REVIEW:

This turned out very strong, bold and overwhelming. This perfume reminds me one of my aunts, she used to wear this. To be honest I can't see myself wearing it, it's just too strong on the civet note and that didn't agree with my chemistry. After I tested it, I ended up with something that smells like a strong body oudor. Sorry..

Bad really bad, smells like glue, may be it was ok for 1930s taste, it is going back to the store.

Joy is my favorite floral fragrance. To me it is all based on rose, jasmine and civet, a perfect combination. I love its civet note, musky and erotic! To me, wearing Joy is like making love under Lakmé's dense canopy where the white jasmine blends with the rose... a true Masterpiece!

Joy by Jean Patou can be described as the quintessential vintage fragrance overflowing with rose, aldehydes, and civet. The civet is definitely loud and dirty, but it blends with the sweet, juicy aspect of the rose rendering it velvety and luscious. When I wear Joy, I conservatively apply it and keep a modern appearance. I’d love to meet someone who swims in this fragrance :)

4/5

Whinge here:

When I saw a trio of Eaux de Parfum by Patou being sold and spruiked as 'fresh, joyful, and flirty' in a major department store here in Australia, I knew the worst had happened: second reformulation in about 4 years. Until earlier this year, many discounters carried small 30 and 50 mL bottles of Joy in EdT and EdP. These were lush, creamy, beautiful, and very, very close to the older two formulations. Beautiful.

My mother and sister always loved Joy, and both have a habit of collecting their favourite perfumes in Edt, EdP, and Extrait versions, where possible. So every time a discounter had an end of year or mid year sale on, I always picked up a few small bottles for them. Luckily, they have enough of that last good reformulation to last a life time.

Review here:

The latest reformulation as I said is very sad. Limpid, vapid even.

Joy, in its beautiful mélange of May Roses, Grasse Jasmine, Chinese Michelia, musks, mosses, and presumably, a little Muguet always had a special quality, which in my opinion, has never been truly matched in another fragrance: it seamlessly combined richness, plushness, creaminess, warmth, and dewiness.

This was even abundantly evident in the last reformulation. The new is just not the same. It smells almost identical, but even in EdP formulation has no depth, richness, or lasting power.

So I'll leave here and at that. Don't get me started about 1000: shockingly woeful post-reformulation.

Lamentable.

My grandfather presented all of the ladies in my family, each of us, with the largest bottle of Joy, in the classically designed bottle, as a gift one year.
I am reminded of The Great Gatsby when I think of Joy. The time period, that is, not the longing or the misfit aspect.
I got this when I was in college in the 70's.
The University was a turmoil of angst--hippies, black power, revolutions, Marxism, you name it.
I was 18 and wore ripped jeans and a lot of tie dyed T shirts, up to the knee boots, and long long hair at the time.
I understood the backgound of Joy, and I actually came from that background, but I had rejected it in favor of being my own person long before.

I loved my grandfather. He was one of my heros, and is to this day.

However, I have to admit that JOY didn't suit me in any way. I thought it was one of the most sublimely designed bottles I have ever had in my collection of perfumes, and I was honored to own it, but the smell was dreadful on me! I never ever could wear it!
In retrospect, I guess I was like Jay Gatsby, alone and a misfit (I take back what I said before), a green light blinking on a dock representing my odd inablity to cleave to the greatest fragrance ever made, Joy by Jean Patou.

I dabbed some of the vintage edt onto my wrists and neck, and the weather is chilly. I love this fragrance! Perhaps spraying directly on one area of the body can cause this to overwhelm. Also, I've heard nice things about wearing the lotion alone. 'Tis just mho:)

this is for the EDT:
I really wanted to love this, but no... Despite the name, it didn't bring me joy! I find it rather melancholy... I am not saying that I dislike it, it is just not what I expected! Nevertheless, a very elegant and classy scent!

edit: I am starting to fall in love with it! just perfect!

When I first tested Joy, I was attracted to the bottle because the name gave me the impression that this fragrance would be nice. Unfortunately, I couldn't have been any more wrong. As soon as I sprayed it onto a tester card, I was overwhelmed by the strong smell of civet. It was like a bomb full of possum piss had exploded in my face. Not only is it overpoweringly strong, but it is also extremely long lasting. I got some on my fingers when I sprayed it in the morning and I could still smell it the whole day and some of the night. I had to violently scrub my hand to try and take off the horrendous scent. I understand that Chanel No. 5 has civet as a note, but that is a nice balance of it that complements the fragrance. However, in Joy, all you could smell was civet! I've never tested something so horrible that would give me a nightmare about possums peeing in my face. The bottle is okay, but the fragrance is nothing short of terrible. I would not recommend it to anyone who doesn't want to smell like urine.

I have owned a tiny bottle of Joy pure parfum since the late eighties or early nineties. My lovely big brother gave it to me as a present and I was told at the time it was the most expensive perfume in the world (Looking back, this may have been a slight exaggeration, but it was definitely in the calibre of Chanel no 5.) I would dab a little on each wrist before going out and this would carry me for the whole evening. I would never wear this to go clubbing. Definitely for use to attend formal balls, weddings (evening only) and black tie affairs.

Eventually the little bottle was relegated to the cupboard under my bathroom sink for a couple of decades; forgotten and unloved. In recent years however, it has sat proudly with my current collection, but still largely overlooked.

Tonight I was going though my collection with the intention of doing some culling. Although I would never get rid of my Joy, I tried a little dab once more. The opening was a little shaky;- years have taken their toll, but not as badly as you would expect. It wasn't long before Joy sprang to life again and I was reminded of why this was a perennial favourite for my night time soirees.

The notes would indicate this is a Floral, but this is misleading. This is a big perfume, and the floral notes in the parfum concentration take on an animalistic quality. The jasmine indoles and civet form the structure of this powerhouse and the aldehydes give it life. Although big, it's never heavy but longevity is stellar. This is one ladylike fragrance, best kept for formal occasions.

I feel honoured to still have my little bottle.

This smell is amazing! Wow, what an explosion of roses, chivet and jasmin!(I bought an vintage pure perfume here in Holland)I think that this is a majestic perfume.Very pleasant.

Mahala: I hate to say this, but you did buy your bottle on ebay. It could very well be a fake! The real edp has incredible longevity...

I recently bought some Joy EdP on Ebay for a good price, it was a new gift set with body lotion and I was so thrilled to think of giving it as a present for my daughter who'd tried Joy once and has always said she would love to own a bottle. I couldn't resist a spray myself, of course. How disappointed I was! At first it was somewhat as I remembered from years ago, but thinner and sourer, somehow. I could smell rose and also ylang-ylang, and something else floral but "off", which I couldn't put my finger on. Then I realised it was synthetic jasmine, like those cheap perfume oils. I love real jasmine. I didn't get the civet, though maybe that's the "off" bit I could detect.

Well, I kept sniffing at my wrist, hoping for a transformation, but it was very quickly fading to a vague sour floral, and I couldn't believe it when after about two hours the whole thing had faded comptetely and utterly. I thought that maybe it wasn't real Joy, but reading these reviews, maybe the EdP is different from the EdT? You'd expect it to be stronger of course but someone said the formulation is completely different. Perhaps they've interfered with the jasmine in a massive way because of restrictions? It certainly isn't the Joy that I remember and love. I just have to hope that my daughter likes it. Her Nahema has nearly run out and I thought this would be such a beautiful surprise at Christmas. Oh well.

My Mum was given a bottle of Joy, so I was able to try it without the expense! It was to my nose concentrated lilies, gardenias, jasmine and other flowers with an annoying addition of something I could not identify, but which spoiled the flowers.

I did not smell anything approaching urine or cat pee and nothing fecal either, but some people's noses pick up one of the chemicals in jasmine which is also present in feces!

A wonderful fragrance, but altogether too pungent and overpowering on my skin.

I want this perfume! but I'm from albania and I can't find it! :(

i can't wait to try this..as a lover of powerhouse perfumes im intrigued to see if this is as strong as people say,i'm also intrigued to see the way it reacts to my chemistry..will i get the flowers? will it be the jasmin or the rose..or god forbid will i get the civet and stink of cat pee!!! i hope not,i so want to love this......i'll let you know

Classic. Do not pay attention to bad reviews! They must all come with women in conflict with their sensuality!
There's nothing more inviting,troubling and sheer downright sexy than this one!
A class act.And clearly a man who's a man who'd know.

I don't know why, but this perfume makes me nauseous. I find it to be overpoweringly strong.

Beautiful Bottle...
Too strong and old for me.
I think it would be great in a very cold winter night.

JOY, just buying it ,taxes so on and on top on that everything I read about 10000 jasmine pentals and the amount of roses
made this smelling, the 3-4 first times very speciell.
And I think that get to one. I mean, it´s a expensive perfume, but more. That´s as many who´s know Jean Patou as Britney Spears, unfortunally. It´s very classy to have, know some about the produktion and time around the perfume.
I like it very much, feminine, feel like a classy princess.
But, it not the one I like more. Buy it again, that depends what I find behind italian and english big perfumehouses yet.
It´s an honour to smell JOY

I think there's a strong smell of talc. I spent a fortune in taxes matter a bottle for Brazil and was disappointed. Enjoy the bought together, which I like more. I think it smells like Old Joy. As Ivoire, which I bought without smelling once. It is much better to my mother. I think I might give her too Joy. Do not resign myself. I want to try a few more times.

Curious about it because all the reviews are so enthusiat I got a spry by my friend: good, great but tooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much! Probably not so good in summer.
An old diva's frag. But for today?
For me and my skin is too strong and rich, but a well done frag.
Not for me or this is my opinion.
Sorry :-(

Joy is the only pefume I own that truely smells rich! It smells of a place and time where people really cared about how they looked and the way their boudoir eminated a touch of class to their daily life. The jasmine is lush and so is the soapy rose that eventually rounds out. It's better than Chanel No 5, of which I ended up giving away.

I do love Joy, but it is not my favorite perfume. but when I am feeling a bit down, it is the one I reach for. It boosts my happiness quotient through its mysterious alchemy...

When I was a little girl of 2 my babysitter talked me into drinking my mother's perfume. You guessed it. Joy. The first time I did this it was the sitters fault. The second time I was supposed to know better and boy did I get a spanking.

What can I say? I have good taste in perfumes. Rose, jasmine, aldehydes; I'm not sure why but it reminds me of Hermes 24 Faubourg EDP.

I'm so glad I was warned by all these reviews before I smelled it for myself! She is everything you've all said about her: loud, classy, strong, comforting, bright, brash, heavy, innocent, sweet, sour and sexy. This is a perfume that will make you mind your manners: approach with respect, and don't be greedy. One spray is enough, take two and you will be slapped! I've wanted to try this perfume since I read somewhere that a bottle of Joy was among the contents of Marilyn Monroe's dressing table. Now that I've tried it, I can easily imagine dignified queens and sex kittens alike smelling this way.

Really, really strong stuff. My aunt loves it, but I just can't get my nostrils to agree. Must be the civet.

The term "Joy" for today's taste is unfit as it yells so sturdy civet floral that overpowers nasal system. Perhaps at its era it was a soft and joyful fragrance that indeed still is chic and stylish but for me it was something near to Chanel No5, heavy, old school and not so wearable but still remarkable both for the brilliant concoction and winning presentation.

can't believe i never wrote anything about my favourite perfume. ok everyone sing together:" joy to the world..." that's literally it. it's exciting, it makes you smile, it makes the world around you brighter, it lifts your mood (especially mine) when you're dragging your feet to work too early in the morning, it makes the sun come up or rain come down (whatever makes you groove really). i literally pipe up when i spray this on myself. i love it. i adore it. it has its own spot on my dresser and i can depend on it no matter the occasion, be it evening gown or dressing down.
it doesn't smell like anything else, i'm not biased ( at least in my head i'm not). It's expensive smelling but not a rip-off in terms of price, elegant but not cold, it's got a warm heart and it literally smiles at you. I picture a classic English Sloane wearing this, thanks to Jilly Cooper's books.
It's a mammoth of a floral bouquet and I thank Jean Patou for labouring so long and so hard over this Joy of a scent that is so smooth and wearable. It's so sad that many have cast an "old lady" label on this beauty but it's fine by me as that means the prices aren't jacked up astronomically too. Small favours!
i may have affairs with SL or Tom Ford or Keiko Mecheri and my mistress may be Guerlain, but I will always come home to thee.

Joy immediately unleashes a floral panache that is quite breathtakingly bold. What a massive flowerbomb of sour chypre whites drenched in sweet rose! And aldehydea too. Like as if someone had mixed Carolina Herreira with Arpege and re-made them in Heaven

Soft civitish musk grew gently stronger and suffused the flower tang in an indescribably entrancing way. I love this!

Aldehyde and musk with greens and a hundred flowers could have been be a disastrous mess. Instead its animalisticically sensational beauty. I want to bathe in it for hours. And one light spray of EDP lasts indeed for 6 hours on me.

Joy may be too strong and old-fashioned for some, but I can't get enough of it. I only wish there were more like it. It's my kind of perfume. Bring it on.

One day as i was looking through my mother's drawers, i found an antique flask of jean patou's joy. Since i was unable to open the bottle, and my mother told me Joy was a famous perfume in her times, i decided to search up the fragrance. As i searched on the web, i came across tons of positive comment, proclaiming the perfume to be a true legend. However, when i finally got the bottle open, i was quite disappointed. On my skin, the perfume seemed much too old for me, it seems to me to be rather better suited for a woman in her middle ages. On my skin, Joy gave a essentially a strong sour scent, and a rose. Personally Joy by Jean Patou is not one of my favourite, but that however is only my personal opinion, and am willing to give it another try, but probably when i'm older.

Today, my husband gave me this legend!

Now I can see why so many queens, princesses and celebrities wore joy along all this time.

No words to describe it!

Joy is really the majesty in the parfumerie.

I was excited to try out my little sample of this iconic fragrance. Unfortunately, it is not my cup of tea. At. All. The jasmine and civet combination was overpowering and sour on my skin. Too bad, I had hoped for the lush nuanced florals that other reviewers got. When my son wets the bed, the sheets smell *exactly* like this. Moving on...

Review for Joy EDT

A little history: I used to hate Joy. No really, used to hate it. But I also didn't understand it and didn't care to. To me it was a smelly ol bottle of perfume that my mom would call her going out perfume. Blech, it was terrible but what did I know as a kid?

Fast forward many years and after today's test, I finally get it! Its floral, warm, beautiful, its sunshine in a bottle. I actually felt my spirits totally lifted today.

Joy really is a grand dame. Sure she's a little dated but so what? She reminds me of my favorite aunt...the one that might have a drink or two and be plastered 4 sheets to the wind, slip up and say a curse word, then giggle about it.

The first blast I got was a bit powder and a dirty diaper. Now granted thats enough to put most people off forever, but I've survived worse in a perfume so I knew to just wait it out.

After about 15 minutes the most yummy ylang-ylang and rose came out. It was a candied rose to be honest. Certainly not the dark horse Une Rose that was on my left arm, smelling like a rose with a hangover...lol! There was also the tuberose, which was actually quite well behaved!

The florals in Joy are well behaved. THis is no wild jungle here, its a well behaved well kept garden! I didn't find it to be terribly heavy tbh.

The drydown is also one of great interest because I kept smelling bread pudding in the last 1-2 hours. The EDT has longevity issues I think though. I'm on hour 5 and its pretty much gone. I have to put my nose right up to my skin to even smell the last dregs.

At this point considering, I've got a hankering to try the parfum!

Many thanks to Amy77 for this sample.

Ahhh Joy...My mother wore this and at the time I found it so overwhelming, all that rose but now it is so nostalgic for me. I will always love this. This is a WOMAN'S perfume!

The following review is referring to the modern E.d.P.:

I still like this heavy, rich, redundant, hyper-flourished e.d.p., a big scented slap on the face of clean, sober, minimalism. A perfume you cannot wear from morning up to evening but from evening till the morning after..... if your skin is wise enough to keep its beauty. Mine is so absent minded that after some hours forgets all about this bunch of flowers, aldehydes (name a scent which can do without beautiful aldehydes?!?), 'chemicals', 'heaviness', 'old-ladyness' and so on.... (probably too many things to remember for 'an absent minded' skin!) - that I do love.
Joy in my modest opinion is still a 'joy' for the nose and for the mind as well: it shoots you imagines of blooming gardens all painted in gold without being kitsch or probably just a little step before.... A fragrant wave (a big one, no doubt!) of optimism which is so helpful nowadays! I believe that 'Joy' keeps on being the same 'modern' balm even in this time of sad economy like it was after Wall Street and the Great Depression in the '30es! As usual this is a personal consideration everybody can experience something differently, especially when the skin refuses cooperating!

I love it, great sillage also!

p.s. His bigger brother 'Joy - parfum' (even better than the more affordable E.d.P) is a sort of monument (I'm not saying this is the only one but one among the others!) in all time perfumery, either of the past or of the present time. I've tried different vintage bottles, I cannot, honestly, make many distinctions, I believe (though I'm just a fragrance lover but NOT an expert) it shouldn't have been too much modified, or not so much to have its formula completely put upside down so that you cannot recognize it anymore OR.....THAT VINTAGES ARE STILL EASILY CIRCULATING ; )

Joy is my other bottle (Evere) that I use generally for the most special occasions. I have loved this fragrance since I was a teen & always wanted it. I just do not tire of this gorgeous classic!

Floral perfection in a bottle that blends well with my chemistry.

This fragrance is not for the faint of heart. It is intense, very strong but not what I would call "heady". Once it has gone through the dry down phase, it mellows to an unforgettable, very unique complex floral, woodsy, green, earthy animalic scent that is liquid gold to me.

Light mist once & stand under the falling mist. That's all it takes for me!

Prefection in a bottle, far surpasses Chanel No 5 in my opinion.

Too heady for my liking.
On my skin, it starts off like a strong soap with some oriental and spice notes, winds down to to a soapy violet with maple syrup, then gets a powdery with a sour scent.
It certainly is not a clean scent.

If Lush Lust is your favourite night time perfume, Joy would be it's daytime equivilant :)

"Do not care for this scent. I get strong white flowers and soap. Not my cup of tea".
Or so I thought!
Some days later I gave this another try. Low and behold, I am seriously loving this deep,clean, comforting scent. Yes, it does feel like Dove soap with some lift and projection and a bit more complexity...but it's seriously addictive to me suddenly. I'm happy to report this is a joy to wear.

Based on the reviews and the history I somehow expected more. However, upon trying my decanted sample I arrived to the conclusion that it's just... okay.

On my skin it starts of smelling like Italian bar soap, an assault of flowers and this soapy scent. Once it dries down, it's sweet and powdery. I get a bit of rose, sandlewood and a certain sharp, almost sour note (perhaps the aldehydes?)

What I do like about Joy is that it is definitely not a modern scent, it has a certain... aged quality to it. I can definitely see grand old dames wearing this to much advantage.

I concur, olga1780. I could never conceive of wearing this in public either, although I respect your having a change of mind. Joy IMO is the ultimate rose frag, and I'm glad to have had the opportunity to experience this perfume classic. To my olfactory receptors, Joy is pure rose and only that. I couldn't detect any other notes. The problem I have with this scent is that, when it comes to roses, I only want to receive them. However, the thought of a room smelling like Joy is intriguing, BUT I don't want to smell like it. Joy is perfect for rose lovers who feel they can really rock this!

My mom loves this perfume. She's worn it since the 1970s (way before I was born in '87) She finally got another bottle of it (she hasn't had it since she got divorced from her rich first husband) about 3 years ago. Sometimes I sneak spritzes of it. It's very ritzy and old fashioned. I like it. But, not enough to shell out a ton of money for my own bottle. But, it is pretty nice.

I had a tiny sample of this in high school. Sweet memories! I love this scent.

I like it . I really do. I didn't think I would. It is today's sample, I didn't even get it on purpose it was part of the Gemini sampler from The Perfumed Court.
I can smell the jasmine and maybe even the rose. Someone said it isn't a sweet rose and I agree. Definitely on my list of keepers.

SEX ... sex for breakfast, sex for lunch and sex for tea!!! Joy is sex in a bottle!! Raunchy, forbidden sex in the alleyway of a nightclub with someone you just met and didn't bother to ask a name! The aldehydes and tuberose on top are a primal scream with the civet, adding a frisson of freshly worn jockstrap not far behind! Pearls and pumps my ass :o) ... Joy is hedonistic and wanton and so so NOW!!! It strays, like it's hard to come by sister 1000, into masculine floral territory ... I'd love to smell this on some big butch rugger bugger! Automatic panty drop. In fact ... point me in the direction of the nearest rugby team ...

On me, Joy is simply and warmly beautiful. I do have "sweetening" chemistry, so the civet which sends other wearers running to the bath/shower doesn't dominate the florals when I wear it. I get rose, of course, and jasmine, and yes, civet (delicately), among other things; but teasing apart the notes in Joy feels a bit like pulling the golden threads out of an Oriental brocade...I don't really want to analyze it, which seems almost boorish somehow. I just want to enjoy it, which is the same feeling I have for Shalimar. It is one of the richest perfumes I've worn, even more than some of the Amouage line. It's not an in-your-face kind of richness that chokes the air out of the room for those sensitive to perfume---even my father, who has asthma, was not bothered. It does, however, surround the person wearing it with a gentle cloud of loveliness. And, yes, it's quite sensual. This is one of those classic perfumes which is rightfully lauded as such; like Shalimar or other older greats, Joy is possessed of a complex, lasting gorgeousness that is timeless.

Joy EdP - What a wonderful scent - filled with roses. Not todays sweet rosetones - here I find deep, warm, rawsexy, superfemale roses. This is a scent for the woman in the middle of her life - I have trouble to think this one would be great on a younger woman, Joy is to heavy. Just one spritz lasts all day.

Joy EdP - Wow, vilken doft- rosor, rosor, rosor. Inte dagens sötsliskiga rostoner utan varma, djupa råsexiga och superkvinnliga rostoner. En doft för kvinnan mitt i livet eller karriärskvinnan. Jag har svårt att tänka mig denna doften på en yngre kvinna - det är den för tung för. En doft som sitter otroligt bra och länge på huden.

I am so confused! I wanted to get the Joy Parfum luxe, but at the fragrance counter, all I can test is the EDP (which I loved). I usually prefer true perfume, for staying power, etc. So, tell me, should I spring for the luxe, or stay with the EDP? It's my schmancy gift for my 27th wedding anniversary (Yes, I was a child-bride ;) )

A man bought me Joy in 1977, it was a delightful scent, but too sophisticated for me at the time. Its a wonderful product and a joy to use.

Joy is a classic exquisite parfum, and as a classic, is ageless. To wear it is a true Joy... Very beautiful!

I love Joy. On me, this is an animalic floral: very warm, elegant and sophisticated. Joy is a classic - in a sea of floral fruity gourmand scents, it stands out as timeless and complex. This is definitely a scent for a mature woman or a woman who exudes an air of confidence.

Sillage is medium and Joy lasts most of the day on me, which I find to be exceptional (most scents fade on me before lunch time.) The top notes stay present all through dry-down and I like that Joy doesn't lose its character throughout the day. I look at my flacon of Joy and see it as a precious fluid, like liquid gold.

I seem to have the most controversial and passionate relationship with Joy. After a while I figured even though i liked it a lot, i wouldn't dare to wear it in public. So I put it up for sale on ebay and it was gone in a blink of an eye. Only after it was gone i realized that I wanted it back and ended up getting another bottle. This time I bought and EDT in a bottle pictured above. Let's see if it's any different from Eau de Joy.

I have to echo fumehead's great quoteable: 'Almost indolic'. What a scent!? Is there anything as 'spottable' as Joy? I can find it miles away, and it is probably the most potent trigger of memories than any other perfume in the world (or my world at least.) But it isn't an exaggeration... when you read about the incredible power of scent to invoke memory, this is the FIRST scent that rises in my mind.

Almost indolic is really a great way to describe Joy - it's so rich, so deep, that it almost tips the scales into the aromatic areas that could be described as over-ripe, but it holds its power just at that edge and doesn't spill over.

Joy, to me, is a place... it's a urban perfume. It is the kind of scent that you will find in Paris in the Autumn; New York in the Winter; Madrid in the Spring, Stockholm in the Summer... Joy is not about spring gardens, country cottages or walks in the woods... This is the scent of luxurious oils that have been transported all over the world to be bestowed on the city dwellers who are rushing about and need to be reminded of the exotic beauties that exist in the rest of the world.

I think one could write pages and pages about this scent, and all the states of mind that it conjures up. The perfume is THAT complex. But I think that it's complexity is more about layering (in three dimensions) the scents, not by a confusion of scents that are unknowable and unnameable, but instead very distinct and recognizable. The genius behind this perfume is the memory factor - all these roses and jasmines and wood notes and ambers and civets feel so familiar and so much like times and places in our past. I may even go so far as to say that this is a scent that Carl Jung would call 'architypical' - built into a collective memory, like a collective consciousness.

The high, middle and low notes of Joy are very distinct from one another, and as some other reviewers have said, it has a deep and animist nature behind all the flowers. I think this may account for it's appeal because it touches so many different olfactory 'spots'. What is interesting, though, is how these notes fade across each other in the process... the fresh rose notes slide across the jasmine in a very long line, so that one's not sure when one begins and one ends. The multiplicity of rose types adds to the complexity: there are very different flavors of roses in this perfume, and anyone who has walked through a large rose garden will know what I mean - you can smell fresh pinks next to old golds and deep Chinese roses here.

I don't know if Joy is for every woman... it is strong scent with a heavy base and lasts a very long time, but I don't think there are many in the world who can't appreciate and respect its beauty.

Joy EDT has that classic timelessness akin to old money socialites/ Park Avenue crowd. I love the sexy-chic musk & civet overdose at the base which gives it that unsheathed, bedraggled quality that perfectly complements the naturally fresh yet over-ripe, sweet (almost indolic) jasmine and fruity rose heart. Utterly buttery!

Its sweetness is an exuberant RIPENESS, if you’re expecting an ‘old lady’ scent you may be pleasantly surprised, to me it’s very young, attractive debutante 1930’s-1960’s era, who likes to fritter her time away flirting & partying all whilst spending vast amounts of Daddy’s cash. Edie Sedgwick comes to mind.
Joy EDT is a youthful, gregarious, over-ripe, sexy and much much more charming antidote to No5

This was my sister's favorite perfume. As a matter of fact when I got married I forgot to perfume myself with my signature scent, Shalimar, and my sister put her Joy on me. This is a very sentimental perfume for me.

I recently was given a sampler of Joy EDT and liked it. So I bought a vintage bottle of Joy which I discovered was just okay to me. Today I compared them wearing one on one wrist and one on the other. I can't see a lot of difference at first except the Joy EDT was more wearable to me as it was slightly lighter. My husband thinks the EDT smells like soap. An hour later the EDT was gone and the Joy had reached a beautiful depth. So, I have to recommend my vintage Joy perfume over the more recent EDT.

Someone said it reminded them of Gardenias. My favorite flower is the Gardenia and I can't smell it at all in Joy. So I'm just not getting that.

That being said, I will always like this but I will never love it the way I do some other perfumes.

The edt is gorgeous--odd the marked difference from the others. Now that patou has switched owners, lets see if they bring it back (edt). ps. the edt is still available according P&G website.

EDT - Jasmine
the most exquisite jasmine ever! mellow, sexy, classy. reminds me of summer holidays away in the meditteranean with the night blooming jasmine in the dusk breeze, i smell orange blossom there too which isn't listed in the notes. just love wearing this it's classy and SEXY which is hard to pull of in fragrances. i would say the edt is a floral musk with strong jasmine, orange blossom, civet/musk and fruity-peachy rose on a bed of striking yet smooth musk and civet which will put most off this perfume, but I love it! to be worn at night/evening. sweet 'n' skanky
10/10

EDP - Rose
Warning, i bought this thinking it was going to be a stronger sexier version of the EDT, boy was i wrong! it is a very diffrent perfume altogether!, this one is all about the roses, i was very suprised and dissapointed when i sprayed this on as i usually prefer EDP formulations, nevertheless this is a lovely and elegant floral, more well behaved 'ladylike' and sombre than the provocative EDT. comparing the two (i bought EDT today) the EDT is suprsingly stronger and has a lot more sillage than the EDP which just seems to fade into a boring rose.

Ode to Joy! Legendary. Adored. Despised. Classic in every way. I was able to find an EDP from the 1990s. Nothing radiates status like Joy. When it was lauched as "the worlds nost expensive perfume", 1929 and the great depression cast a dark cloud on perfumery. It is just implied wealth and was never really far from reach to any one, JOY forged on and established a reputation unmatched in the industry.

Its is an epic fragrance in every way. Rose, jasmine, orchid and tuberose catches you off gard! The aldeydes shimmer and the civet shocks. That is joy in a nutshell. Opulent and bold, its a formal dress occasion, never to be worn casually. Even sexy lingery are required to wear it to bed! Sexy...

Joy in todays market has become a museum piece. Its a bit complex, to say the least. Its always reminds me of December, fancy holiday parties and snow. I first sampled her at Hudson's in Detroit in the 1960. Such memories! She is as radiant as the sun in midwinter. The world shines as long as this masterpiece is worn by witty ladies. Thank you, M Patou!

Celebrity=Jean Harlow

The hype and appraisal towards this first creation of JP got me so much, I even literally dreamt of having one. So I bought the vintage black bottle with a matching red cap. I'm so so so pleased when I finally received the package, until the first spray....

I didn't get any jasmine, rose or any other lovely notes. All I got is the civet pee scent....horrible, horrible, horrible and terrifying to wear!! Oh, how I want it badly to work with my body chemistry and enjoy JOY as many people did! Well, after testing his two other beautiful creations, too bad Mr. Patou didn't do well enough for me this time.

@olga1780: According to Turin Eau de Joy is the same formula that is today sold as Joy Edp, a different formula of Joy parfum, and so it has always been (Turin writes very optimistic about the fact that Patou never reformulated Joy or Eau de Joy into a modern Eau de parfum). He says: "The edp uses lighter fresher qualities of both jasmine and rose and more aldehydes. To my nose it comes across as more citrusy-rosy, less abstract and less dark than the parfum. This said, it is wonderful."

A cross between Chanel No.5 and Guy Laroche Fidji that doesn't quite suit me, but I can see why others would like it.

I love joy the edt lasts on my skin all day! and in parfume even when ive showered i can still smell it
on my wrist,it just lingers on me and i love the dry down and i love the perfume bottles design BEAUTIFUL!!!

I so wanted Joy to be a Joy when I had it, sadly not a fragrance that liked me, way too heavy and musky on my skin.

To me, Joy is aptly-named, because it's one of those fragrances that I find really uplifting; guaranteed to cheer even on dark rainy days!

It is very over-hyped (although it's not the only offender in that sense, of course) and in my opinion it's not as special as it likes to think it is. However, this fragrance succeeds despite its hype.

It's an elegant floral with plenty of jasmine and rose yet it isn't too heavy and sweet. It dries down to a base that is slightly woody and a little bit powdery.

Strangely, my skin doesn't bring out the musk/civet notes mentioned in other reviews and I'm quite pleased about that! I agree with the reviews that say it isn't a very long-lasting perfume - I find the Eau de Parfum fades within a couple of hours to the point that there's no trace of it. Even so, it's a timeless and very feminine fragrance with that extra feelgood factor!

I love old-fashioned perfume with full floral, aldehydes, rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang and Gardenia.

So far Joy is my ultimate perfume.
I think you hate or love this perfume it suites my skin I always get complements when I have it on and my husband keeps hugging me telling me I smell fabulous..
It makes me feel as if I am walking through a scented garden even when I’m at work and it makes me feel happy.
When I tell people what it’s called they say “Joy and it makes you feel joy” what more could a girl wont from a perfume.
But why can you never buy it cheap or at the duty free shops?

I heard so much about it and wanted to try it when I saw it: unfortunately completely and intense stinky :(

It was my grandma's favourite perfum and for that I will always love it!!! She used it since she married my granpa. She used it till she was 95 years old!!!
She also had the black and red bottle!!

yESTERDAY i read a romance by S.E.Phillips where was description of this perfume at one of Hollywood's parties..

Just a little addition: I find the drydown of YSL Paris (EDP) somewhat similar to Joy. I try to avoid excessive eloquence in my reviews, but rather try to be to the point and use more analogies and similarities(because personally, though it's enjoyable to read them in terms of English language, I usually can't make head or tail of the fragrance description). I hope that helps.

I am not sure what concentration Eau de Joy means, but it dries on the skin like cologne, not even EDT. The interesting part is it stays on for good 5-6 hours, which is great. It starts off with overwhelming aldehydes (a la Chanel num. 5) which settle down within a few mintues. On me this fragrance is very shypre, and at first reminds me of the shypre part in Creation by Ted Lapidus. But Joy is by far more refined and not screechingly loud like Creation. I can also detect some soapy notes(not sure what it is), which create some sort of balance with the loud floral bouquet. And of course the unique Patou animalistic base (very similar to the one in Sublime) finishes off the composition. Yes Joy has that vintage vibe about it, but it doesn't make it any less beautiful.

I never had any associations with urine from the beggining to end. But now that I think of it after reading some reviews, I can undertand why some people find the scent offensive. I think to someone whose nose is accustomed to candy-sweet or fruity scents that have been mass produced during the last 10 years, smelling a classical perfume with aldehydic, shypre, or civet notes would be quite a jolt.
After I first smelled Shalimar and Boucheron, I wasn't very excited on the the fist sniff either. I think the more you learn and try classics the more you appreciate them.
If you are a perfume collector, having Joy is a must!
I consider myself a perfume user, but I am glad i was able to add it to my collection, as it is one of Patou's most unique and memorable fragrances.

I finally got my vintage eau de Joy in a nice box with papers inside. Right now I'm in heaven....will right a review as soon as I come down from heaven. lol

This is my fragrance!! Unfortunately it is difficult to find it these days.
My Mom introduced this to me when I was a kid, and we still use it til now.
I collect its bottles, also the stone one.

It's the scent of all beautiful fragrance, this is THE PERFUME.

This is my love at the first smell, a true love and my forever love..of fragrance.

Men also loves this, seducing yet very classy.

I love this one!

there's no bad joy, there's only fake joy

I can’t ever remember wearing Joy, even though it’s been so ubiquitous for so long. I vaguely remember trying it on paper multiple times over the years and always finding it too floral. However, it was time to take the plunge and actually dab some on to see what Joy is all about. My guess is that the EdP sample that I tried is the latest reformulation, but it is certainly reminiscent of what I have smelled before when testing, and on other people.

Joy is a prototypical floral scent, starting out bright, sharp, green and aldehydic, with a bouquet of flowers that are hard to identify as individual notes. I smell something slightly indolic, some softer notes from the ylang-ylang, and a heaping portion of lily-of-the valley, a note that can easily put me off a perfume. As it dries down, the florals mellow and the tuberose becomes evident. After a while the big flowers just wither away into a faint, slightly woody but nondescript base.

The sillage is clearly there only for the first couple of hours, and the whole thing is gone by 3-4 hours. This makes me think that the sample that I have is a reformulated EdtT, and that I should find the vintage EdP version for comparison. Based on what I had to sniff, I confirmed that Joy is way too floral for my taste, and was a little disappointed by the lack of any substantial base notes.

Joy is not the most expensive perfume in the world...Christian X is.
BUT I'd still purchase it if it were the most expensive perfume. I absolutely love this fragrance. I love the animalic notes, along with the fem quality it lingers...the aldehydes are a bit heavy, which makes it a very solid fragrance. yet on dry down, it's simply astounding. I am elated this works well with my chemistry. I can completely appreciate JOY, it's a gem and a pleasure to have.

I got a sample of the 1932 edition bottle of JOY at a flea market in Stockholm and was OVERJOYED to get a Jean Patou scent (and the "most expensive" one to boot!) for free (we couldn't open the bottle at the market so they gave it to me along with the rest of the parfumes that I bought for almost nothing). Once I got home I used prongs to get it open and I was so devastated! It reeked of civet. I cannot stand civet and it was even worse on my skin and it just would not wear off. It just kept smelling animalistic (in a bad way) and I finally gave up and gave it to a friend who can handle (and loves) civet. She was overJOYed of course, but all I'm left with is a sour feeling that "the most expensive perfume" isn't fit for me.

I bought a tester vial of this, and used it up in a few days. I couldnt stop spraying it. It was The Win.

I love a good rose scent- until I tried this, Paris was my favorite for rose (in the 90s it was Body Shop Tea Rose)
This one has shot to the top 3 all time favorites.

I suspect civet is processed differently by different people. I cannot distinguish the civet in this other than thnking OMG I LOVE THIS SMELL! Civet + Musk + Roses. Yes please.

I often put this on before I go to bed, it fills my nose with a wonderful calming rosy scent.

Unfortunately the Parfum only lasts about 2 hours on me. Mabye, like Errol Flynne, it just burns itself out in glory and dies young.
I need to get meself a bottle of the EDT as well.

I paired Joy (from a sample vial) with a bright yellow sweater today, it just seemed fitting. Men were holding doors for me like never before! This stuff really does seem to have an effect on them. I don't think it was the sweater :)

I can't temper my disgust for this "perfume." If I hadn't gotten my sample directly from Nordstrom, I would be certain that I got something counterfeit because I wouldn't believe that anyone would pay so much money to smell like urine and rodent feces. I'm sorry, but this smells like the rabbit cage I had as a child if I'd missed one day cleaning it. It smells like a rose bush that has been urinated on by a raccoon. I didn't think anything could be more offensive than the body odor aroma of Shalimar, but this absolutely takes the cake. I've tried to inhale it about 10 times now, and I gag severely each time. For all the people who say it's a classic and how it smells like powder, roses, and jasmine --
it might smell like those things, but aren't you kinda forgetting about the urine?! I live in a huge city with a ridiculously enormous homeless population. This is very close to the scent of a homeless person wearing rose perfume. "Unique" does not always mean "better".

"The world's most expensive perfume" is the most successful gimmick of any product in history. It convinces women that this fragrance is so exclusive and desirable that their minds actively seek out roses and jasmine while tuning out the fact that there is mostly urine in the bottle.

When my mother put it on, my father could smell it on her. I asked him (without telling him my own opinion) what he thought of it. He looked disgusted and said, "Is that really perfume? It smells like a horse stable." DO NOT wear this on a date, and don't wear it around anyone you don't wish to offend. And don't wear it around people who don't know you well because while you are smelling roses, they might only smell urine, and they might wonder about your hygiene but not feel close enough to you to ask what's going on.

I think JOY is an experience. Every day, the women who wear this is indeed a spectacular apparition. Dramatic, sarcastic, provocative, lovable, and after all... unexpected and not with an "every time" happy end... Like a true story! Definitely, not for everyone. If JOY was an actress in other life, it was for sure Greta Garbo. A "mask" of joy that can hide a drama, a tear or a moment of waiting long as an eternity.

A leather bound photo album full of happy memories; a fluffy, purring cat; watching the sun rise with a loved one. These are images that Joy evokes. Sunny and elegant, yet with a quiet classy demeanor. To me it sings of a happy contentment rather than exuberance. It cannot be compared to many other fragrances marketed today-- this perfume describes a fundamental and coveted human emotion: bliss. I am not worthy to wear Joy, but to anyone who wants to experience its beauty, I won't discourage you.

I grew up around Joy, it was my mothers favorite perfume and I have 4 bottles of it today. It is a timeless classic, abit heavy on the rose scent for me, but I always get compliments when I wear it and it does seem to work well for almost every woman. It is exceedingly floral and feminine. Once dubbed as the most expensive perfume in the world, it no longer holds that title, but it is still expensive to acquire. My mother loved Joy and Estee Lauder's Beautiful (which I can't wear), she used to say "Beautiful is the poor man's Joy", well, I don't know if I agree with that, because Beautiful is also a costly perfume. I will say the Joy is more on the rose side and Beautiful more on the Jasmine side. Both are nice, but Joy is a classic, it is unmistakeable when it's worn and it has been adored by countless women for decades, and there is a reason why - it is simply one of the most lovely feminine fragrances in the world.

The edt is heavenly roses (flanked by florals) on a bed of civet. I have loved this perfume from the first time I smelled it, when I was 15 or so. At the time, I was wearing Tea Rose, but I would have happily traded up to Joy if I had been allowed to! Probably a little too sensual for a teenager, but I wouldn't have cared. When I smell it, I think of a very polite, feminine woman who is not easily controlled. Joy is so submissive at first glance and so feral once further explored and you have to like both sides of that to enjoy it. This was (supposedly) Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' signature scent for a long time, and I think it fits that type of woman very well. The type who looks easier to understand than she really is. (Also, the type who has the means to back up a Joy habit!)

My husband bought my first bottle of Joy from overseas when he was in the Navy. He went absolutely romantic when I'd wear it. I smelled the roses, he smelled the CIVET!

I have not yet had the privilege of trying this scent myself, but on others it smells wonderful!

Perhaps the civet is the reason Keith Richards (Rolling Stones guitarist)wears the pure parfum for deodorant...

I am hoping to get a sample of this soon. As of late, I have been really enjoying powerful rich French perfumes and stunning vintages.

Keep `em coming ladies! :-)

I had great hopes on this one, classic lover as I am. But no, in three words: Too much civet.

Edit: And 1,5 years later it's on my want list, in three words: I love civet! (may 2012)

nope, I don't like this one I'm afraid to say. It is literally headache inducing and though I love Jasmine and Tuberose, this is kind of a 'death by' version. The civet is very prominent to my nose and gives a definate ammoniac, urinous edge to the scent which is not 'powdery' to me as others have experienced it but truly, clearly, potent and unsubtle - like a punch in the face with a fistful of money from an old queen.

This is a true classic, it should be applied with caution as it's so strong and powerful.
For me it opened with sharp and soapy adelhyedes and I must say I'm not fan of those and thereofre I've always been afraid I might dislake all those clasics with it in.
After the soapy opening it changes to more pleasent scent, which is very powdery and feminine. Now I get mostly wonderful roses and the powderyness and sweetness of jasmin which for my nose is more than lovely.
I can feel the weird metallic note and can not understand where did that come from, but as it has a billion of notes and flowers it's not weird that I cannot understand. I suspect Lily of the Valey should take the blame.

I'm weirdly surprised and cannot understand - do I like this? I think yes, it's very complex, classy, but not for everyone. I can only agree with missk...It is very good and likeable, but I cannot imagine myself wearing this as it's too royal for any occasion I could ever go to.

If you love this, like I do, try Popy Moreni original for a COFFEE interpretation of the Joy concept!

hm, don't know why, but this smells like nothing but nail polish remover on me. very disappointed. I am not the kind that would slam a classic because "it's not good enough for me," but all day after I applied this, I caught the cutex scent over & over, and not much of anything else. Sadly, JOY might be (for some) like the Emperor's new clothes, all nail polish remover and no lovely at all.

One of those that smells lovely on others, but turns evil with my chemistry.

At first application, it's a gorgeous blast of bright aldehydes, tuberose, jasmine, sandalwood and musk... then comes the earthy rose and something citrus, mixed with more sandalwood and the beginnings of something animalic...

if only it would stay here...

unfortunately, about 1/2 an hour later I start catching whiffs of cat pee and mothballs mixed with the white florals and rose...

as time goes by, the cat pee and mothballs just keep intensifying until they completely drown out the rest of the notes, giving me one of those twingy headaches in my eyebrow... the point where I must scrub.

For those who also had problems with Joy's civet eating them alive, I recommend trying Fleurs de Rocailles extrait (vintage, if you can find it) for a complex floral that has some animalic qualities... be sure you get Fleurs de Rocaille with an "s" on the end, and not Fleur (without the "s").

Incredible mix of may rose and "grasse" jasmin. Elegant, unique, heavy, headly aristocratic,luxury, noble, timeles, grand floral and noble classic.
Longlasting, after few hours wrap you like a scarf of pure, refined, rich jasmin smell.

There was a lady in my office that wore this every day and she wore it well. I loved the enchanting odor whenever I had to work with her. I went to the dept store and put a tiny drop on my wrist to see how it smelled on me. It was just not good at all. I couldn't understand how it was so special on her and ick on me. It's the way of these classics, they react to the wearer and their skin. That's why we get these love/hate reviews on the classics. Not everyone can wear them well !

I finished my bath, put on Taylor of London Rose Powder, and spritzed with Joy. I just hope that cute,sad looking little Civet didn't have to be tortured so I can smell exactly like a wild rose bush. Oh no, I bet that cute big eyed Civet was tortured; after all, this is Joy. I will never buy it again. Of course I am going to appreciate what I have. It does make a statement like no other.

It was Joy by Jean Patou's allure and greatness that urged me to accept a very generous sample from Catbiscuit when it was so kindly offered to me. Being the scent of choice for almost 80 years to various celebrities and members of the royal family, Queen Elizabeth II herself, I was expecting to be blown away by this fragrance's luxuriousness.

The first time this fragrance touched my skin, let's just say it was a nightmare. Could I honestly smell a child's bedroom after they had wet the bed? I was absolutely horrified to say the least. After a few minutes, Joy dried down to something very metallic and harsh on my skin, like rusted metal or the scent of steel wool rusting ever so slowly on the side of the kitchen sink. It then rounded off into a hay stack type smell. Very country, but nothing like the described notes.

I was game enough to test again, however this time on a piece of card, rather than on my skin. I now understand why so many like this fragrance. Joy is rich and floral, (as you would expect from 10600 flowers and dozens of roses in the composition). I'll agree that the scent is mature, but certainly not old lady.

The opening is a strong dose of powdered roses. Very much like the classic English Rose scented talcum powder by Yardley. Tuberose and jasmine do feature quite a bit, however the rose and aldehydes like to dominate the composition.

Joy is very extravagant to my nose. I wouldn't feel comfortable wearing this unless I was surrounded by gold and red velvet fashioned chairs and wearing a heavily jewelled crown on my head. This is indeed a fragrance fit for a queen, but not really suited to a plain, old, Aussie girl like myself.

In terms of sillage, Joy is a big one. More than 3 sprays and I think everyone in a close vicinity would be gasping for air. Take that as a warning. Joy isn't a scent to mess with. This is a straight-up conservative floral with a touch of royalty.

You make a great point cinsot, about Nursing Homes filled with ladies wearing Britney Spears and Paris Hilton perfumes--BUT in seventy years, these girls you speak of will have changed perfumes ten times at least! Sticking to one perfume seems less common now than in the days of Joy. I actually think it will be Coco Mademoiselle filling the nursing homes-I have smelled that one far more often than les eaux des célébritées...We should all have manners, but we all have preferences--it's not taboo to bash Paris Hilton fragrances, and I would be more than happy to, so why can't we all just take each review with a grain of salt? I know that civet lovers who review something positively may appreciate a fragrance that would horrify me-I imagine they can make the same judgement about me, in turn.

at first spray you get a cloyish oily
texture of civet and synthtic rose' tuberose with it's distinctive scent almost equivalent
to gardenia or a muskier version of the
original rose makes it's presence
i'm not a fan of green notes and there's
a lot in here i do smell a bit of aldehydes but it's not prominate and it's diluted by the strong usuge of civet as the drydown begins there is an
distant but noticible note of peach
grounded ylang ylang hold it's own.

the end notes is a strong presence of orris root a mild blend of sandalwood
and musk.
before i'v tried this i allways Wanted this in my collection because it is so
acclaimed from all different perfumers
and even actress Vivien Leigh said it was her favorite perfume' but for me
this is'nt my favorite i don't hate it
but i don't love it and the reason for
that is they put too much civet in this
and made it too oily if they put less civet and put a little more aldehydes
and made it a bit dryer i whould love it.

But i love the color and shape of the bottle comparing to luxurious gold.

This one agrees with my chemistry- i don't like a lot of aldehydes or things that smell hopelessly old fashioned either. Intoxicating tuberose and jasmine, slightly naughty underneath (civet is behaving)! Such a powerhouse my boyfriend smelled one spray immediately from two rooms away. Apply with extreme caution after ensuring that it works with your body chemistry. Absolutely beautiful!

Whew! I used to love this back in the 70's. In fact, I saved it for special occasions for so long that it went bad and I'd dump it in the bathtub just to do something with it. I hadn't smelled it in years. I just got a knock off sample of it and now I just can't stand it! It's so SHARP that it gave me a headache and I had to wash it off! Yes, it was a duplicate, not the real thing, and there could be a slight difference, but I think either the ingredients changed or my tastes changed!

I remember a friend of mine attempting to bring me a small sample of the Parfum many years ago after a stay in the Arab Emirates...I say attempting because the bottle broke in her luggage! I never got to smell it. As time passed it slipped from my mind and I never saw it advertised anywhere. Recently I came across the EDT very reasonably priced on Ebay so I got it. Wow...I love this fragrance! I get the Rose immediately then it dries down to a soft mixture of Jasmine and Musk, very warm and powdery, even when I've chosen to wear another fragrance for the day I sometimes cannot resist nipping to my dressing table and spritzing the back of my hand so I can sniff it! Must now try the Parfum version.

Help!! i think my Joy edp must have gone off. i've only had it a couple of years and kept it properly in its box, so it shouldn't have done. i've just read all these lovely reviews and i wish i could experience it like this, but the last couple of times i've used it it just smells like a vase of old flowers in stale water that should have been thrown out a week ago. i bought it because it made me think of the jasmine in the spring breeze along the sea-front boulevard in Italy. perhaps it just suits Italy and warm weather, because that's where i bought it. i seem to have got through about 1/4 of the bottle at some point, but at the moment we just aren't getting on. i once read a review which described it as smelling of banknotes, which i agree with, but first it overpowers me and gives me a headache, then it fades away to almost nothing, and leaves me feeling anything but joyful, more slightly dissapointed. oh, by the way, my cat,whose taste is impeccable, gave it the thumbs down, pulled a face and took two steps backwards.(chanel no 5 makes him purr like mad)

Powerful, aristocratic, classic beauty...not for the timid. Apply with care.

Joy is really timeless like a beautiful bouquet of flowers,that never gets old. This is the reason why this perfume will never die, and will never need to be drastically reformulated. This makes us understand why is one of the greatest perfumes of all time.

To me Joy is less Green, less longlasting and more warm than Sung by Alfred Sung. Joy is a glamorous and tender scent, soft and never overwhelming. I can smell the peach, the lily of the valley, the ylang ylang and the jasmin, What a beautiful combination!

The civet part is strong, maybe many people may not like this, but for me this makes Joy more interesting.The bottle desing is unique and luxurious.

Very heavy, rich, musky, and cloying. Something about this doesn't agree with my nose.

However, on a good note, I think it is warm, elegant, and classic... It reminds me of something that an elderly woman of decadence would wear.

Candy tuberose with aldehydes. It's sweet candy flowers with only the faintest mothball edge, which is pretty typical on me when it comes to white florals. (Jasmine, lily of the valley, gardenia and tuberose can all go so very wrong on me) It smells very French somehow, and it's very pretty, but heavier application really amps up the mothballs on me and it becomes dreadful fast. If your chemistry can deal with this, it's a classic. If not, it's a pass. If you're a tuberose fan, you must try it.

My husband bought Joy for me as a gift. This was way back in the late seventies, and it was the little black glass bottle with the red top.(still have it). But, alas! as i have Never been a fan of floral's, this was definitly not for me! I found it so floral and cloying, made me dizzy! I was younger then, and thought then it was for more mature ladies. Even today i find this perfume overpowering! And I have never liked light fragrences, but suppose this is due to the heavy floral nature of this perfume. I have known other people who have worn this, but it seems to me they have put far too much on. It does smell nice from a distance, but avoid getting in small spaces, as can be super strong!

I experienced Joy for the first time today and it completely bowled me over! A large perfume with a heaviness to it which surprised me as the name Joy alludes to lightness and laughter but Joy can be deep too. They say it was a favorite of the Queen Mother and for me that sort of fits! All the heavies are centre stage in this and it would not not suit anyone wanting to fade into the background. I agree with some of the other comments, “This Perfume Wears You”! Personally I loved it but would be sensitive to others disliking it especially when worn in confined spaces. However, that said if you love this huge larger than life perfume you would willingly allow it to walk all over you, for maybe a day or night. Then a much needed rest would be in order!! The Civet bit doesn’t put me off as that part is probably synthetic now anyway! The Civet, for me, gives it the interesting edge like hot skin. I loved that about this perfume, it would be too sweet without it. I would wear this outside where others would get a waft as I walked past rather than an inescapable onslaught. I would also wear for an evening of seduction. This scent gives out very strong signals, and the opposite sex will notice you, doubt not! Beware if you are planning a platonic kiss at the end of the night! Overall, I’m honored to have this Classic in my perfume stash but will only wear when appropriate!

Thanks NebraskaLovesScent for the sample!

Sherapop and several others here said it: Joy is a litmus test for sensitivity to civet.

I hate this-I knew I would, but I tried it. Civet is often described as having an "almost fecal" note-the tiniest dose well-blended is not offensive that way, but this is a classic that almost frightens me. Even seeing the picture of the civet cat among the note listings in fragrances on this website creeps me out-how can this smell be sensual? How can anybody find this beautiful? It smells expensive- like a purebred dog smells expensive!

Donc....chacun à son goût, chacun à son nez!

PS People used to wear civet in the days when everybody bathed less often-perhaps it did smell nice then-covering up body odors. But without the body odors of old competing with the perfume, the perfume makes you smell dirtier...be alert, and be aware!

I do love this.Ahhhhhhh the tuberose,The dry down is softer,like finally resting after a long beautidul,exciting day.It has stood the test of time.Women of all ages can wear it.A little goes a long way.

Geeeesh, I know Joy isn't for everyone, but it seems the aldehydes have gone to some people's heads!

Joy joins a set of full-on womanly perfumes of a certain time. Very animalic, leaden with strange, intoxicating flowers. Not quite real, almost overkill....like a technicolour picture of a massive vase of flowers, their scent emphasied by the use of olfactory filters & re-touching.

My mother would never wear Joy, although it was popular with the "in set" in the 1960's. She always said it smelled better on other people, never on the wearer. A suitor tried to pass off a large, expensive bottle of Joy as a gift to entice her to go out with him. Pity his ex was called Joy.

So, for me, too....Joy is better found on other people & at a distance. Too close & she begins to take over your personal space.

Joy is like a soulmate who is with another woman. We are in love, but he cannot leave her for me. All because of body chemistry... It is heartbreaking.

Joy is opulance, elegance and romance. It was appropriately named, as it brings me "joy". Joy is rich and old fashioned, and very pungent - like a bouquet of expensive flowers that permeates the room. We need more perfumes like this! Too much flavored lolly water on the market these days...

Unfortunately, Jean Patou's JOY edp does not fill me with joy. I want to love it, but from the very first moment I am accosted by the dark, heavy civet, which overtakes all of the florals and makes the composition very hard for me to appreciate.

I love the bottle; I love the story; I love the idea. But JOY is a real litmus test of sensitivity to civet, a consequence no doubt, at least in part, of the fact that few modern perfumes contain this note. Rather than framing the flowers, I find that the overwhelming civet causes them to wilt!

However, I have not given up yet. My beautiful 2.5oz edp waits patiently for me to take it up again. Who knows, perhaps it's all a question of application. Accustomed as we have become to evanescent, fly-by-night fragrances claiming to be perfumes, perhaps the key to JOY is to apply only the faintest dab, in the manner of a vrai parfum.

For now, I am civeted out and crave a hot bath!

(I should perhaps add here that my cat seems to like JOY a lot...)

A true clasic that will hopefully be available forever.

Wonderfully womanly , rich ,rounded golden jasmine with rose and a touch of civet. Classically beautiful and elegant.

A joy of a scent simply divine, a classic. Bought it today, and not dissapointed.

I combine a spritz of Joy and a spritz of Flowerbomb. It takes off the "old fashioned edge" off Joy . They balance each other out perfectly with my chemistry. Actually, the two combined is what I thought Flowerbomb should have smelled like given the name, instead of all cashmere softness.

This review is based on the Eau de Parfum.

The Platonic essence of "old-fashioned women's perfume." Your choice whether "old-fashioned" means classic or dated. One things is for sure: they don't make 'em like this anymore. Because I suppose most people don't want 'em like this anymore. I can't help but smell a 40+ conservative high-end designer clad society-lady within these vapors. It would truly seem out of place on a young 21st century woman, in the way that Vintage Tabarome would seem like an olfactory oversized suit on a 20-year old bachelor. These may only be conventions, and the perfumista will ignore them - but conventions are pretty powerful, after all.
It is a brilliant perfume and I cannot add much to the descriptions. A peachy aldehydic top, which I find better-tempered than in Chanel No.5, whose aldehydes knock me over. A perfect heart of blended florals - indolic jasmine, noticeable muguet and rose (as well as Ylang, orris and orchid) and slowly emerging spicy sandalwood and musk. A pronounced civet note hovers above it all from the opening, to slightly recede into the floral mix, adding some raunchiness to the bouquet of innocence. Add the wonderful art deco flacon (though the EdP stopper is only plastic) and you have one of the all-time greats of 20th century perfume culture.

I've never smelled the original formula so don't know any difference. Actually, I see no point in falling in love with a scent you can't get anymore...So, as to the current blend, I have to say it's my absolute favorite floral of all. It works so perfectly with my chemistry I get compliments every time I wear it. I'm an admitted aldehyde and flower junkie so this one's my golden ticket!

Thanks to generosity of a Fragrantica member, I tried a vintage version. I am surprised, because I think I like the new one more.
The old version smells a little bit like ammonia and acetone, it is of course very subtle and you can still recall the familiar Joy, but all the time I had it on me, I could not get rid of the feeling that I just removed the nail polish!!!If you can survive all this in the beginning, you will be granted with a most beautiful night blooming jasmine - opulent, sparkling scent that you will fall in love with.

The new version seems to be more straightforward - instead of opening little by little, it gives you everything at once.

A hazy, sunlit flicker--like seeing the gleaming smiles of 30's film stars light up a screen or morning sunlight glimmer across a creamy, satin gown. "Joy" is bright but quiet, reflective; intensely buoyant but in a slightly wistful way. This is passed time of sunny mornings in a backyard garden (many generations of mornings), languid jazz records, gently singing about love and change--hope in a bottle.

"Joy" opens on a fresh, aldehydic burst of citrusy-tart and creamy rose; fleshy, creamy-pink in impression and slightly soapy in a "cold cream and rosewater" sort of way. It moves into a period of banana-jam and creme pudding, dusted over with a slightly pinchy powder, but still lush with roses. The jamminess evolves into a liquid sweetness, freshly fluid yet syrupy--like the contradictory texture of mead or riesling; astringent while remaining honeyed in texture and golden, golden, golden all the way. The champagne and roses tartness of the mid-notes deepen into something slightly polished and woody, yet still soapy-creamy; the sandalwood emerges. Sandalwood then mixes with a breathy, slightly ripe saltiness--the musk undertones. Although "Joy" is dense, oily and rich throughout, it always feels clean; there is a fresh, salty briskness to it that tempers any heavy animalic touches or overripe blooms (following correspondence with a P.R. rep, I was under the impression that actual "Civet" has been substituted by a lab composition and that might be the "change" sniffers have noticed between older "Joy" potions and the newer ones). "Joy" is pure sunshine--but not necessarily the giddy sunshine of youth; there is experience in this morning, the understand that life is precious and that each new day should be cherished and awed at; appreciated for it's very unlikely existence. "Joy" makes me think of the quiet optimism of an Art Deco sunbeam; refined, yet simple in its honesty: Life is beautiful. As is "Joy".

A friend had received this as a gift and it smelled wonderful on her. I tried it and smelled like cat urine. Something about a fragrance heavy with roses turns into something really bad when mixed with my chemistry.

I bought a Joy EDT mini sample,and I was like a cat with cat-nip; I loved it so much I had to buy a 30ml EDP. Then bought a large tube of Joy lotion and a small tube of Joy bath gel. First I got a slightly aldehyde- melted plastic smell, like heated jasmine and roses, which I was not sure about. Then I noticed a soft rich floral perfume developing which I couldn't get enough of. After a time this smell dried down to a quiet powdery floral scent, which made me want to apply it more and more to re-capture the smell of the middle notes I kept craving. I can't tell if it just fades away or if I have over-dosed my olfactory nerves and simply can't smell it any more, walking around offending everyone! No one has ever commented on it,either positively or negatively, so I suppose it must have failed to last. I am having a break from it for now, to see if it seems different after I've abstained a while!

Joy is not a common fragrance. You can love it or hate it. I love it.

This has got to be the biggest disappointment in my collection of perfumes... I bought the EDP unsniffed (I know...not too smart) based on some of the heavenly reviews I've read. It seemed like a rare gem: a treasure that would melt into my skin and paint the most wonderful scenes in my mind. I ordered it, anticipation sky-high, and when I finally received it and spritzed it on to my wrist I could not believe my own sensory system! Sniffing it was literally painful!It was like hitting a concrete WALL. What's more: after two hours or so, the scent had totally evaporated (!) I really, really wanted to get a long with this refined and alluring type of scent, but alas... JOY is not going to be my friend...

Urban Skies has it ..it is pure gold and a total joy to wear. It's really one of the most beautiful perfumes in the World.

Joy by Jean Patou indeed brings me joy. Loads of flowers, jasmine and roses. Classic fragrance but not as old-fashioned as No5 .

Just love it. Very classic, warm, fresh, subtle, lasting and yes it not only is expensive, it smells expensive and men seem to like it.

Elegant and beautiful; classic French perfume in the best sense of the words. Having said that, I must also say that it is not for me. I found the aldehydes far smoother than in many aldehydic scents (I'm talking about YOU, No. 5!), and the peach/green opening is luscious. Then the rose and jasmine heart opens up, and is absolutely huge, warm and enveloping. However, it is composed of so many, many flowers that it smells cooked, like floral jam, which I find over-the-top and opposite to my preferences. The jasmine is fairly indolic and the civet is more animalic than "clean."

I tend to find classic French perfumes too indolic/animalic for my personal taste. Certainly I would only wear Joy in very private, romantic circumstances, and definitely not "out" somewhere.

Edit: I'm growing accustomed to the deep animalic base of many classic perfumes. I'd still be careful where I wore them, but I now find them fascinating rather than off-putting.

It`s warm, sweet rosehoneylike. But one can detect the lily of the valley- if you like them...
I used to like it better, but then I had the perfume. Maybe the eau de toilette comes out less sweet.
Anyway- today too `oldfashioned` for my nose.

I consider this is one of the best in the market; delicate, gentle, soft, sexy and with personality.

Joy, a sublime rosy -jasmine creation, is absolutely the essence of femininity and le boudoir. The civet base-note is a favorite bottom for me and I never tire of the rich, opulent aura of Joy. Almeras placed himself in the upper crust of parfumeurs with Joy which has rightly maintained a large following of fans for 80 years....though I doubt it is still "the costliest perfume in the world" as advertised in the 1950's advertisements. 5 stars!

Joy, arguably the best known fragrance ever produced by the House of couturier Jean Patou, was predicated on the notion that, by combining a staggering amount of rose and jasmine absolutes in just the right proportions, one could create the impression of a single, grand, and impossibly gorgeous flower. Considering that almost 80 years have passed since Joy (which was created by Henri Almeras) was first introduced, the fact that the scent is still debated, worn, and, yes -- treasured even now, speaks not only to the artistry of Almeras, but also to the genius of Patou.

So good on the testing strips! So bad on my skin! It smells like mashed up jasmine flowers on me. Foul.

I bought this on my trip to Paris years ago and to me it smells like "old money"! Much too strong in the Parfum and the Eau De Parfum and not much lighter in the Eau de Toilette/Cologne Had they formulated this combination of alluring notes in the Eau de Fraiche not for the price point but for the lower concentration then it could have well become an everday luxury scent for me.

My mother loves this scent, mostly because it makes her nostalgic. As a classic I can appreciate it in the bottle, but when I spray it on the florals immediately turn sour. Jasmine is always a hit or miss and I think it's much to blame for the problems with this fragrance. As always, it depends on one's chemistry and perhaps also the notes it works with. It's also very detecable when wearing it, I should add. I'd recommend it if you're crazy about classics or really love rose and jasmine scents.

Joy is exactly what its name says: joy. It has a light, joyful beginning of jasmine and bright smelling flowers. The heart is richly floral, and pleasurable in the extreme - like a bouquet of flowers that you can lie on and roll in. The base is sensual and complex.
It is a classic scent, which I am aware of being too old for me - and for that reason I thought I would like EnJoy better (the modern verson) but it is so different; not nearly as good as Joy.
I would like to get it, but I am still weighing up a few factors - the price, it being too old for me, and the encounter of having tried it on my skin once and it not changing off the top notes. I must give it some thought...

I believe some of the perfumes needs a time to be appreciated. So I kept trying Joy EDP on me and finally I started to like it. I find the green notes to my nose slightly bitter as an opposite for fresh flower smell. I can appreciate it even more when I read the history of the perfume. It is not for everyone and appearantly wasnt right for me at first, but as with Chanel No. 5 there is just a perfect timing in everyone's life when you can UNDERSTAND the perfume and now I can understand Joy's joy :)

I loved the history behinde it, I am not that much with rose perfumes,especially too much roses like this one,but I feel happy when I wear it(ego talk).My Mum said once:"Yasterday you was wearing a bad perfume" . It is classic in a way that even older generations finde it strange.

There is NOTHING like it on earth! When I was young - 35+ years ago, I saw it at Bendel's, and knew I had to possess it. It took me 3 paydays! I miss it; must try it again. It's so sensuous, but womanly; not girly!

Today, I got a sample of it and it smelled EXACTLY like I imagined it after reading some descriptions about it. (Roses, jasmine, aldehydes). Some might call this kind of perfume classic, but it's just the kind of perfume I hate. Maybe, it smells different on different people...Anyway, I feel too young for wearing it.
It reminds me of First Van Cleef & Arpels, Chanel No.5 and Coco.

Somebody said "Joy is the Ferrari in the world of perfumes."
Yes, I agree with him and I am happy to be in the possession of a Ferrari. Ops, I mean a Joy. =)

I would really like to test this famous perfume and discover what makes it the second most often bought one in the world, but unfortunately, I can't find it anywhere in Austria. There is no store that offers it so I could test it. And I don't want to pay 4o Euros or more for a fragrance that's possibly not my taste. But when I read takemyhusbandplz's description, I don't think that i would like it. (I hate aldehydes like in Chanel No.5)

I can smell the aldehydes in this and it does make my allergies go off the charts, too. But, I really love the fragrance. I have found that I do not wear the EDT well at all. But, when the parfum dries down on me, I like the fragrance. In fact, I LOOOOVE it! Now, to cope with the allergies :-).

What might be considered, too, is the age and the upkeep of the Joy in question. I bought some used EDT a while back and it did not do well on me. But, I just bought a brand spankin' new bottle of parfum and it seems to do a little better.

On me Joy is aldehyde heavy and has a super synthetic smelling heavy jasmine note that is just awful. Also something in this makes my allergies go off the charts. Simply horrible smelling stuff in my opinion. For the record, I've tried this one many times and I wanted to like it. I envy those that this works on. It's definitely not for me.

I recently re-visited this fragrance, so I'll add to my earlier comment. There are some very heavy animalic notes. Far too much civet for me to actually wear in public! I mainly own this one for its historical-reference value. Probably works best with more "mature" body chemistry. However, it certainly does smell expensive (reminds me of the rich ladies at church), although is probably no longer "the costliest parfum in the world" as Jean Patou originally marketed it to be.

Classic, warm, elegant, refined. Very ladylike. The frangrance equivalent of gold jewelry.