L’Interdit EDP by Givenchy

L’Interdit (The Forbidden) was an older fragrance released by Givenchy back in the 1950s. The current EDP is a newer take on that classic formulation. Obviously, I don’t know if it’s a one to one replica of that classic…so let’s just review it as it is. How does L’Interdit EDP smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does L’Interdit EDP Smell Like?

Notes include: tuberose, pear, orange blossom, jasmine, vetiver, ginger, patchouli, vanilla, ambroxan

Click here to try: Givenchy L’interdit Women, Eau de Parfum Spray, 1.7 Fl Oz

My Full Review

Here’s how Givenchy describes it: A white flower crossed by a dark woody accord.
L’Interdit Eau de Parfum for women — a fearless fragrance imbued with the frisson of freedom. Transgress your limits with audacity and feel empowered on the journey to self-discovery.

The opening of L’Interdit EDP is where you’re most going to experience what has been termed grape bubble gum or candy-like aroma. I get the comparisons, but honestly it is overblown.

The white floral notes are going to be there throughout. Orange blossom is pretty present at the top, with pear, bergamot, and a light spicy ginger note. The latter two will very quickly fade away.

Actually, the patchouli note tends to stick out on my skin. It’s not super heavy or something that I don’t enjoy in the mix, but it was very noticeable to me during testing.

Orange blossom, tuberose, and jasmine all sort of split the duties early on. I get more of the orange blossom at first, then tuberose takes over as the strongest note. Jasmine kind of floats back and forth as the second or third heaviest white floral note.

Shades of being like one of the Gucci Bloom perfumes. However, this has a wider variety of scents than just the floral notes. Patchouli, pear, and some vanilla take it away from just being a greenish bouquet smell.

This one does get drier as it moves forward, but never fully loses its sparkling quality or sweetness thanks to the pear and vanilla. The vanilla in EDP isn’t as strong on me, as it is in the Intense version, but it does give it a little lift.

At this stage, tuberose and jasmine with less of the orange blossom. Finally, the tuberose almost rules alone.

It is tuberose, patchouli, and vetiver. Vanilla, a general non-tuberose floral smell,  and maybe some light ambroxan sit underneath those three. Not nearly as sweet as the opening, this is also when I get plenty of that patchouli note.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, L’Interdit is a strong perfume. It didn’t take over the room, but it is a scent that could pretty easily be over-sprayed. This one will leave its scent in your wake, for much of the first few hours of wear.

Though, it does tone down to something more moderate. It’s not overwhelming, but gives you plenty of projection and is never weak.

The longevity is also good. Somewhere between 8-9.5 hours on my skin, whenever I’ve tried EDP out. You might get it to hit double digits with the hours, but that’s around what to expect.

Seasonally, I’d say it can be worn anytime, outside of the height of summer. Summer nights might be fine if it isn’t too humid. But, just don’t wear it during the day.

Less of a casual fragrance. But not completely buttoned up and serious either. It has a sexy nightlife or date night vibe, even if it isn’t the most seductive perfume out there. I like it, it’s attractive, but that’s mostly in the early stages.

Either way, one should get plenty of use out of this scent.

Overall Impressions of L’Interdit EDP

Overall, do I like this fragrance? I do. It gives you more of a white floral strength than Rouge or Intense do in this series. So, if you want more of the tuberose, jasmine, and orange blossom…this might be the one for you.

I like the opening with pear and little ginger kick. The sweetness is nice, especially with that early orange blossom. Plus, I actually dig the patchouli in L’Interdit. Not too annoying and plays its role nicely.

The drydown is more of a standard tuberose led white floral. Still attractive and worthwhile, but it’s not my favorite note in the world. Nonetheless, I like this perfume from Givenchy.

This is certainly a scent to check out if you are into this style or notes. The performance is very good and provides a good amount of value with its use case.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.