Calyx Prescriptives for women

This is 1 of my all time favorite fragrances of all time!!! It is a very sparkling, invigorating, fruity, green, refreshing, wake me up fragrance! It reminds me of the 80's, when I first discovered this fragrance. I always picture that time period. Caylx is bright, sunny weather, a happy, carefree time period of teenage hood. I can almost smell California palm trees, summer, and greenery. It is a delicious, sweet scent most suitable for spring/summer/vacationing to a warm weather climate. Of course, it can also be worn during the winter as a burst of summer freshness; a quick pick me up on a cold day. Hands down, this is the best fruity floral out there! The original!

I have to say that this is one of only two perfumes that caused a man to chase me to ask what perfume I was wearing! It's gorgeous.

I have to say that this is one of only two perfumes that caused a man to chase me to ask what perfume I was wearing! It's gorgeous.

Agree w/Petals_and_Perfumes about Calyx being light, and not well suited for those looking for the amber-spice-oriental scent. Calyx is definitely complex, as you can probably tell by the pyramid (there are even more nuances that present themselves as you where it). For me it's, herbaceous, energizing and light without being too green-green-grass harsh. I live where its warm most of the year so I prefer lighter fragrances and this one has never let me down. Classic.

This is one of those absolutely gorgeous, feel good fragrances that never fails to elicit a cheerful and happy response from me. First spray is juicy grapefruit and sparkling mandarin orange, then it goes to juicy melon and beautiful nuances of flowers. The end result is a soft musky rose that lingers for hours. I adore Calyx, it's been in my wardrobe for years, and everytime I wear it (which, oddly enough, isn't very often) I feel buoyant and energetic. A beautiful scent that can be worn all year round, but I prefer it in springtime. If you love fruit and florals, you cannot go wrong with this perfume!

I used to wear it back in 1998. The juice makers made it more concentrated those days than now. I don't go back to my ex's I had a love affair once with these juices and dats it. I hit it and quit it. lol That makes me a huge harlot among these nice smelling juices. lol

I love this fragrance and it was at the top of my Christmas list. I was so thrilled to get it! However, now that I own it, I am so disappointed-it does not last on me! I have to put my nose directly on my skin where I sprayed it to detect it an hour after application! I used several sprays today since I noticed this happening last week and it didn't make any difference. What a shame. It's such a fresh and unique scent, too. Maybe it's just my chemistry.

Just came back from Sudan where the weather is hot, hot, hot! Calyx was my everyday companion. I`ll have Calyx connected with memories of this beautiful country and people. I used up a full 50ml EdP bottle in 3 weeks and next time I`m going I`m sure taking Calyx with me again as it is a fragrance that is truly clean, fresh, long-lasting and unlike any other.

I fell in love with this scent waaaaay back in the late 80s in high school. It just so happened that I met my husband around the same time and he loves the scent as much as I do - every spritz brings back for the both of us those carefree, first love moments. I find that other fragrances I wear must have the same notes that make Calyx by Prescriptives my signature scent: clean, crisp, floral, soft, feminine. The base notes are musk, oakmoss, raspberry and cedar. However, I must say that, on my skin, the base notes are not very prominent as I abhor any musky, raspberry, cedar-like scents. However Calyx was mixed, it has created the perfect balance of sexy with sublime without being cloying. (This scent is not for those looking for Oriental-woody-amber notes. It's so very delicate and light.) If you're wanting a fragrance that puts you in the mood for summer, warmth, action, and sensuality, I would highly recommend trying Calyx. For me, it's an experience I have yet to duplicate in any other perfumes I have tried.

I used to wear this "back in the day", and I absolutely loved it. The reason I stopped wearing it was beacause I was receiving unwanted attention/compliments from strangers. I know, this sounds goofy/boastful/untrue, but there it is. Wear with caution. And maybe running shoes and/or a can of Mace.

Calyx (1986) presaged the fruity floral era, and if considered as a fruity floral is among the most beautiful of the genre. But to my mind Calyx occupies a specific place in the evolution of the fruity-floral chypre. If Diorella is a certain distance further down the road from its predecessor Eau Sauvage (similar in distance to Cristalle from its predecessor Chanel pour Monsieur) then Calyx is further still on the same trajectory. It shares the gorgeous dissonance that makes both Diorella and Cristalle so beguiling. It gets there differently, though. Cristalle and especially Diorella find a fruit that’s just a bit too ripe. Fruit that’s at the point of jumping from sweet in taste to boozily aromatic in scent. Just a half step from turned

Diorella smells of both lemon and melon. Calyx, true to its Big 80s origin creates a franken-fruit of bergamot-guava-mango. Grapefruit? It doesn’t need to be over-ripe. It is simply effusive in the way ripe tropical fruit often is. Take the metafruit and add just the right rose, powdery but not too sweet. Then ground it in a bittersweet moss-labdanum chypre base and you have one of the most expansive fruity chypres you’ll ever smell.

The fruit remains present at drydown and is dominant in both the top and heart notes. In this respect, Calyx is the fruitiest chypre you’re likely to meet. Others have referred to the fruit note as synthetic. I’m sure it is, but no more or less so than Diorella’s melon or Femme’s plum. Calyx’s drydown is similar to Diorella’s in that it is classically mossy and austere with the phantom-lushnesss of the fruit remaining. A little smart decadence to get you through the day.

whenever I smell this I say :bravo Sophia

Even though I dont like citrusy green perfumes I do love this, it's done in such a sexy way, however it is a bit on the sharp side, I believe some vanilla or another note to tone it down or rather cream it up, it would be perfect!

I never wore this in the 80-90s because I remembered smelling it once, dismissing it as "not for me" and forgetting it for a very long time. Until now. I was on the mission to find a fresh fruty scent and spotting it at Nordstrom's, decided to give it a spritz. Unlike other reviewers I only smelled fruit on initial burst. Almost right away it turns very green and lush. After about 30min I started smelling rose and a bit of freesia and lily of the valley with a very small hint of fruit. Drydown is also rather green and mossy, with hints of wood. This is a rather complex fragrance unlike some of the other current fragrances. You would be wrong thinking that this is a typical fruity floral because nothing about Calyx is "typical". One of the reviewers described it as "rainforest". I think this is a very good description because even thought I've never been in rainforest, this is what I would imagine it would smell like-lush greenery and trees with a juicy fruit scattered here and there, and every so often, a beatuful flower.
Lasting power was ok, about 2 hours but most perfumes do not last long on me so it may last longer on other people. I don't see it as a skin scent, it definately has siliage and projects very well. Only for a short time that is-after about 1 hour its still there but you need to lean close to someone to smell this. Its seems like others had the same experience.
I don't know if this is something I can actually wear-I'm still trying to decide but this is a beautiful and complex fragrance that gives many current ones a run for their money.

what a beautyful review amanda...thanx...i have and like too this fragrance

I got a nice large sample of this recently and unfortunately I don't like it. It has a very dry vodka, green/clean smell that not only gives me a headache but overpowers the exotic fruit notes. Its odd because looking at the notes I think I'd totally be down but I suppose I'm not big on green or clean scents. For those who do enjoy this description I imagine it must smell like sipping on a mojito in a tropical rainforest! The imagery of this scent is incredibly evocative!

I had a sample of it and liked it much. It's a bit more on the extraordinary side : flowery and green. Not like every-day-scents. But it faded away too quickly and had an even too green drydown for me that I didn't buy it considering the high price of it.

This is THE BEST perfume ever made! I've been wearing since 1987. I keep trying other perfumes but nothing ever compares. I have never bought a second bottle of any other perfume. But Calyx... I must have gone through at least 25 bottles. And... men LOVE it!

Wore this in the 90's and received tons of compliments. Made me feel refreshed and clean. Going to see if I can swap for a bottle, have tried many many many since then and nothing has compared to this, yet. Adore this fragrance, so lovely. And men find it really sexy!

After the opening Hawaiian Punch-like salvo of tropical fruits, Prescriptives CALYX transforms within a matter of minutes to a crisp, clean, light floral green on my skin. This is obviously a complex creation, and receptions are going to vary a lot. I initially thought that this was going to be a gross overripe-fruit nightmare (along the lines of BEYOND PARADISE) but ended up pleasantly surprised.

The drydown has a grassy, bambooish, lily of the valley demeanor which I find rather appealing. CALYX seems like a great choice for spring and summer, provided that it unfurls on your skin in this way. The tropical fruits in the opening are way over the top, but the drydown is worth the wait. The closest comparison that comes to mind is Gucci ENVY, except that CALYX feels less synthetic and is actually wearable on my skin. (Caveat to those who do not wear lily of the valley well: this is not for you...)

For years I steered clear of Prescriptives and Clinique fragrances. The idea that Clinique, in particular, which prides itself on scent-free skin care, would launch a perfume just seemed absurdly contradictory to me. But I became interested in CALYX as a result of the recent Sophie G. lovefest here at Fragrantica.

I'm glad that I've finally given CALYX a sniff and actually wouldn't mind owning a bottle. I don't have a problem with holding my breath for a couple of minutes, and the drydown is really splendid. I recommend this fragrance to floral green lovers. The fruity stage is too shortlived to call this a fruity floral, but that's a good thing, IMNSHO.

Probably the only fruity-green scent I will ever wear. It is not sweet, not cloying, not offensive. Just fresh and delicious.
On me there is lots of mango and passionfruit, no flowers whatsoever develop. It also slightly reminds me of granny smith apples. Crisp, a bit sour but fresh and youthful.
This is summer in a bottle - I love Calyx.

I had this perfume many years ago. I remember the fist time I smelled it on a friend of mind and I had to have it. I was in high school and had no money, somehow I managed to get a bottle. Now I associate that perfume with my friend and the good times we had. It smelled so different than anything I had smelled before. To me is quite a modern composition fresh and energetic. The staying power and sillage is amazing! I really want to purchase another bottle of this beauty as I'm craving it's greatness!

Wow... this is so not for me.
i really thought i might like it. fruity generally works well for me (mango in particular, i have had few but very positive experiences). green generally works well for me. the reviews really had me intrigued. i wish my experience could measure up to them.

it is the first smell in recent memory that has provoked me literally recoiling. something struck me as so sour and pungent, like rotting fruit mixed with shiny, sweaty skin, in a hot, humid clime, that hasn't been washed in three or four days.
passionfruit? i feel like if there was one thing that hit me on the side of the head the wrong way, that would be closest to what i'd describe.

initially after smelling this i had no intention of trying it ever again, yet the reviews keep me intrigued. maybe this bottle just wasn't fresh? maybe i just need to give it another shot. it certainly seems to have its fair share of love... but for whatever reason, something in there just doesn't sit well with my nose. :(

I couldn't have said it better, Sassy1: "If you're going to entice me with a bold and brilliant scent, keep it coming!!"

The first spray is fresh, green, fruity, and strong (not a stab-to-the-brain-OUCH strong, but oh-this-has-character-yay strong). I use one spray on my wrists, and one on my neck, and am delightfully aware of this perfume wafting about me as I move.

But!

As it dries down, the perfume also dies down. It still smells wonderful - mm raspberry and cedar - but sillage is down to a minimum. Unless someone is going to come up and nuzzle my neck, I doubt anyone's going to smell Calyx on me.

What a shame. I could have fallen, and fallen hard, for Calyx, but as it is now, "I will just have to be happy that at least I can smell this beauty even if no-one else can."

Maybe I should try layering it with the body lotion or carry a purse spray with me.

Ok, this is good...very ripe fruit then rose then a sweet mossy cedar drydown.
My only issue is that after a strong top full of presence, it fizzles out and has to be sniffed from close up to get the full effect.
If you're going to entice me with a bold and brilliant scent, keep it coming!!

I will wear it because I think the smell is amazing but I really could have fallen hard if the heart and bottom lived up to the beginning and it had more sillage.

As is, I will just have to be happy that at least I can smell this beauty even if no-one else can.

This is a carefree spring day, in bottled form. I love it for a casual outing, or to go along with jeans and a tee. Very refreshing.

Calyx is a very complex and well blended perfume. I have worn it for about fifteen years and have gone through about six bottles for the past years. I used to wear it exclusively until I started collecting my large collection about three years ago. I buy all of my perfume online and on Ebay EXCEPT for Calyx. I have learned the hard way not to buy Calyx from anyone but directly from Prescriptives. This perfume turns and changes easily if not kept in the box and in a cool place. It will still smell somewhat like how it should smell but not with it's complexity and depth. A fresh bottle will smell truly exhillerating! You can't even buy a fresh bottle from any major department store. The perfume from them will not be fresh!

By the notes, I thought I would love this one. Green, fresh grass? Usually that's my olfactory standby. . . but there was something decidedly bitter and strange about Prescriptives that really turned me off. There's something decidedly inorganic about the smells that come from this perfume. It's not that I'm looking for aromatherapy - I'm looking for a perfume that takes me through an interesting story. This was more the green of office plants than the garden-fresh green I was hoping for.

very classy and green. I like it.Very feminine.

I used to love it and I just notice - reading a lot of reviews and seeing of how many different scents a perfume is built - that I remember 3 scents of a perfume I once had... this is what I remember about Calyx: fresh moan grass, spring flowers, an asian garden with bamboo. Very clean and fresh. There is no way to seduce somebody with this smell, I felt like a fairy dancing in morning dew wearing this. Fairies don't do seducing.

A trip down memory lane to the 90s. Popular scents were often androgynous, or rich & vanilla-laden or fruity clean-aquatics. Calyx belongs to the latter group & joins scents such as Escape & Issey although I find it far superior.

Calyx hits you with the high-sweet & the green on first sniff - bright & tart. Then the mint & melon arrive with a citrus peel twist, lily of the valley crystal clear in the background. Melon was very popular in perfumes at that time & Calyx makes the best fruit salad out of them, warm, juicy sheer & sour.

The cut grass & sap qualities of this scent become apparent after half an hour - mossy, metallic, green, slightly on the turn, a touch of rotting stems (is this the oakmoss playing with the orris?). Here is where the scent becomes make or break: if you are sensitive to these "high" notes then it will surely turn your stomach & sicken you. If you can handle them, you will fall head-over-heels for this uber-real fragrance.

Calyx is a Matrix scent masquerading as nature. It is as if all the molecules found in the ripest fruits were collected, scrubbed until they were squeaky-clean & wrapped in the freshest of green glass & brushed metal vials. From this was created a clinical scent to mimic the delights of nature - too clean & precise to be born from the chaotic mother-goddess yet possessing all of her qualities in a measured & metered manner.

Calyx will either delight you with a most unique green-fruity scent or it will sicken & die on your skin.

I presume that I tried the reformulated EDP in Macy's before leaving-the sales associate was hovering and making me uncomfortable, so I decided to hastily try something on my skin before being hassled away.....

I wish I had the same pleasant experience with Calyx as many of you have had....Calyx didn't smell green, or fruity or even soapy on my skin. Just synthetic- indeed like a grapefruit vanilla candle-not like anything from nature! If only it smelled more like shampoo on me, it could be more pleasant then-instead of dusty, slightly fresh perhaps-fruity or flowery instead of waxy. I don't know whether this is a fragrance that actually changes on the skin, but I'm sorry to say it's a big no-no for me.

UPDATE:

OK, can anyone else who was over 20 yrs old in the 90's please tell me if the current Calyx is the same as the original formula???

As I said in my earlier post, I wore this ALOT in the 90's and from what I remember (and I'm not THAT old) it had a lovely citrusy character, like candied grapefruit. Gave it a spiciness that was really great. I also remember the "green notes" reminded me of honeydew melon......

SO, just for old times' sake, I broke down and bought a bottle - and much to my surprise, the stuff isn't cheap, despite being a relic from the 90's - HA HA. Some of my more "couture" fragrances are cheaper!

I was quite excited when it arrived, expecting to get that nostalgic trip back to my mid-20's. Instead of the fresh, bold, unique scent I remember and loved, this new stuff is WEAK, the complex notes muddled, almost powder-ish. Where are my beloved citrus notes?? Where is my spicy cedar? I can barely detect the melon....the shy mint is definitely there, but that seems to be all. Seems more aquatic than fruity. Actually, now that I re-sniff, it has a choking, dusty quality to it that reminds me of cheap drugstore perfume.... :o(

WHAT HAPPENED?? Is my nose having an "off day"??? I see that Aramis is taking over the formulation. My bottle came without a box, so maybe it is a newer version from the Aramis group....PLEASE TELL ME THEY HAVEN'T MESSED UP THE ORIGINAL!! That would be so sad! This juice is a shadow of the scent I used to love.

Anyone else with a new "Aramis-formulated" bottle who is familiar with the original 90's Calyx care to comment??

Calyx - sensory therapy.

Bright and vivacious it is the 'green fairy' of the perfume world.

Everything's attractive wearing calyx - positivity in abundance and stranger compliments reinforce its potent potential.

Take the green fairy calyx trip.

Wet, fresh and fruity - an herbal elixir that bestows high spirits

OH this is just too good

Had this in the 90's and loved it for a long while!

Smells just like my favorite Votivo candle: Vanilla Grapefruit

I bet this would still be a great "pick-me-up" fragrance!

This site is making me want to revisit some "oldies but goodies" like Calyx and Nikki de Saint Phalle (from my hazy, sexy, too much fun, twentysomething years!!!!)

Wow! I got my sample and travelled the memorial highway to the 90's. Calyx was my signature for a couple of years, and I remeber why. It's such a lovley and interesting fragrance.

The top starts with water dripping crispy fresh fruits. There is nothing smoothly sweet in this blend of fruits, just pure freshness. Byredo Pulp is closest to this smell I believe.

Then, when it begins to bloom the fragrance gets a warmer character from the rich variety of flowers.

The base is given depth and maturity and from oakmoss, cedar and sensual musk.

I think this is a unique but modern and timeless fragrance, with the most intriguing character. Wear it with an elegant little black dress and you will be the exclusive queen of the night, different from all vanillas, orientals and other common evening perfumes.

Dewy green jungle leaves topped with a delicate exotic fruit note. Somehow, Calyx manages not to fall into neither category: it's neither overly green or fruity or floral. Just perfect balance. 1987?? I wish all modern fruity floral fragrances smelled like this one.

I was given Calyx two years ago for Christmas by my mother in law. I was very apprehensive. I think if you are going to give a perfume it should be something that you know the person likes. I thanked her but didn't try it on. I used the excuse that I was already wearing a perfume and I didn't want to mix them. Later after bathing I decided to give Calyx a try and I hated it at first. It was strong and really citrusy. That is not like anything I normally wear but as it dryed down a miracle happened. I really started to like it. Every morning I liked it a little more. After I used it all I ended up buying another. I really like Calyx for morning and gloomy winter days. It brings a little bit of summer back into my day.

Calyx made me fell in love with it from my first sniffed. I owned one bottle that I still keep it when it was only very little left as it wasn't available in my country.

I love it because it smells unsual. You just know it is Calyx and nothing else. Those sweetness from the apricot and passionfruit, combines with the freshness of mint plus the zesty touch of bergamot and mandarin orange simple made this perfume so refreshing and you just love it.

I just loooove Calyx!
It hits the middle of my strike zone.

Mango and papaya are playing on my skin...
So, it is tropical fruity.
But the oakmoss is creating a silent, mossy backup, therefore it doesn't give such a girly impact.
So, let's say it is a perfect fruity-floral fragrance adults can wear.

I am adoring Calyx for more than 15 years now.
I love the lovely smell, so I also use the others, but I know I will always come back to Calyx, and it'd be my scent again and again.

As lilina said, Prescriptives will be closed by the end of January 2010.
But Calyx will be transferred to Aramis, one from the same group, and CALYX WILL BE CONTINUED until Aramis decides to stop. In case.
So, don't worry, Calyx-lovers!!

A lovely scent.Like a bowl of Gold Ginger apples on a warm autumn day, or a shampoo with an apple scent. Fresh and feminine.

I know there`s no apples in there, but that`s what I got!

A perfect choice if you like to smell clean and innocent.

Oh dear. Got a sample of Calyx today in the post havng been hypnotised by tv shopping channel gushing verbal diarrhoea about how amazing it is.
Put a bit on and at first I think 'Mmm GREEN'. This pleasant initial note which is strangely accompanied by a fruity edge very quickly disappears and my next impression is TIMOTEI SHAMPOO. The exact smell of timotei shampoo.
The shampoo is a green puddle on a table top and beside it is a bowl of freshly cut peaches (or something).
To me this smells like an experiment that didn't work, it's clunky and the elements don't blend well
I don't really want to wear a perfume that smells just like shampoo and I'm not really a fruity perfume person either so this is definitely not for me!
Further confirmation that Sophia Grojsman's creations just don't do anything for me.

Estee Lauder, which owns Prescriptives, is discontinuing this line of cosmetics in 31 January 2010.

I really enjoy Calyx - it was my first "green" perfume purchased around the time it first came out - so i was glad to find out that it will continue to be sold.

From their website:
"After the closure of our retail counters, the Calyx fragrance, a Prescriptives best-seller, will be sold at the fragrance bar in select fine department stores (beginning February 1, 2010) and it will continue to be available online at www.prescriptives.com"

Take a peach, a nectarine, an apricot, a mango, a mandarin, a tangerine, a juicy jaffa and a darling clementine, and make their ring-leader a calm cool lily. Send them off for a classy, girly holiday to Biarritz and this is what you get. It sings young, healthy, happy, kind and clever with a great future full of possibility. It's 22 now which is astonishing, but it has always felt 22 and beautiful. So gorgeous I could bite huge chunks out of it. One of the most interesting, endearing and adorable fragrances ever.

I first smelled this about 15 years ago..someone i worked with kept this on their desk..i use to stop and smell it whenever i walked by...it was so unique...a wonderful clean yet unusual citrus smell with a special zing very "contempory" and for sure a classic because it is the kind of fragrance that one could wear today and still smell "current"...much more complex then most citrus scents i have found.... a few years ago i decided to buy some and unfortunately it smells horrible on my skin...NOOOOOOO!...i was so disappointed because on other people and straight from the bottle it is wonderful!...if you want a delightful citrus green daytime(or anytime)scent this might be for you.

This is so refreshing, crisp and a tiny bit sweet. Love it for the hot summer weather. Pefect for those who want something a little green and sheer. Must seek fb soon!

I love the refreshing greenness, but I simply cannot handle wearing the tropical fruit. It seems to go all sugary and overripe on my skin, canceling out the green. I do love smelling it on other people, though.

I adore this scent. It reminds me of that fizzy grapefruit smell that a lot of today's energy drinks have, and that's exactly what I was hoping for. I don't get any greenness on my skin, but the fizziness fades and becomes a gorgeous, upbeat, creamy fruit scent.

I bought this one in the summer of 1995.It was the thing to wear back then. It took me a while to figure out what this heavenly smell is with some women walking by. One day on a trip to our Holt Renfrew downtown vancouver I recognized the scent by the prescriptives counter. I really love this one. I love everything about it. The fresh clean smell, the botlle, and the green color of the perfume. Tropical fruit and an Amazon rain forest feeling. Years later I bought Happy thinking It was simillar; boy was I wrong! Nothing is like Calyx. The best floral fruity out there without any doubt.

A green optimistic scent for quenching thirst in summer perhaps. It is citruses, mint,melon lilly of the valley, mosses and grass, I cannot smell other components.

Calyx hits you with a sharp blast of green at first spray--I tested this scent in a perfume shop, and at first I thought I wouldn't like it on the basis of that blast of bergamot and mint.

But, like many of Sophia Grojsman's best compositions, this one saves the best for last. After the green, I could smell the soft fruit ripening on my skin... then the flowers in bloom.

And after that, the greenish-woody-mossy scent that remained after everything else had gone to seed.

The cycle of death and rebirth in a bottle.

This is one of the most interesting olfactory journeys I've ever taken, and in my opinion one of the most cleverly constructed perfumes ever made.