For Her Forever celebrates in 2023 the twentieth anniversary of For Her, the musky chypre that made Narciso Rodriguez the house of musk. Signed by Sonia Constant, the pupil of Christine Nagel, this eau de parfum keeps the osmanthus and musk heart of the original, but wraps them in a white bouquet of frangipani, gardenia, jasmine and tuberose, set on more patchouli. The bottle keeps the silhouette of 2003 in a gradient from black to pink.
Narciso Rodriguez is an American designer of Cuban origin, who has been influenced by numerous cultures throughout his career. This is systematically reflected in his olfactory creations. All the perfumes in the For Her collection are at once rich and mysterious. They embody the full complexity of feminine character. The new For Her Forever from 2023 is no exception to this tradition. Presented in a smoked glass bottle, at once pink, radiant or darker, it relies on a refined, floral olfactory pyramid.
A sillage captured in the air
The heart of the formula does not come from a flower, but from a sillage. For the twentieth anniversary, Narciso Rodriguez wanted to pay tribute to what For Her leaves behind in the air, and Sonia Constant had a Scent Trek carried out, a headspace capture of the perfume's scent suspended in the air, which forms the heart of the new formula. The process, usually reserved for flowers that cannot be extracted, is here applied to an existing perfume: Forever recomposes the trace of For Her rather than its formula. Around this heart, the perfumer kept the osmanthus and the musk heart, whose composition remains secret, and added white flowers and more patchouli. Her own reading, moreover, places jasmine in the heart, alongside osmanthus and tuberose, whereas the house lists it in the top notes; the discrepancy mainly indicates that this bouquet is conceived as a single whole.
The opulent, almond-like opening of For Her Forever
In its top notes, For Her Forever by Narciso Rodriguez reveals the most luminous and subtle facet of femininity. This comes through in a sweet breath of gardenia. Renowned for its opulence and refinement, this flower is exclusively used in high-end perfumes. The chic side of femininity thus resurfaces instantly. It is further amplified by the addition of jasmine, greener, sometimes fresh or more animalic. This great classic of women's perfumery softens on contact with frangipani flower, used for its almond-like scent. Thanks to it, For Her Forever by Narciso Rodriguez takes on a tenderer, more generous and rounder character.
The floral, apricot-like heart of For Her Forever
Then, this surge of femininity and romanticism continues into the heart of For Her Forever by Narciso Rodriguez. It comes across as a generous bouquet. After all, let us not forget that this perfume is a concentrate of femininity. It is a dedication of love made to all the muses who have inspired Narciso Rodriguez throughout his career. He chooses to offer them heady, creamy tuberoses, further lit up with sun-kissed Mediterranean orange blossom. Osmanthus also joins in, revealing here its more gourmand, apricot-like scent.
The final musky touch of For Her Forever by Narciso Rodriguez
Finally, For Her Forever by Narciso Rodriguez gradually gains in longevity and character in its base notes. Its sillage becomes more structured and woody. It releases hints of patchouli. Thanks to this element, For Her Forever gains in foundation. It vibrates on the body and reveals the presence of the one wearing it. Its earthy, dark and damp breath becomes more sensual through the addition of musk. Let us recall that musk is also a signature raw material of Narciso Rodriguez. Indeed, the designer includes it in all his compositions. He has made it his trademark and willingly lets himself be fascinated by the sexy side of this ingredient.
What the ingredients list says
The regulatory list confirms this reading. Compared to that of For Her Eau de Toilette, it loses citronellol and citral, markers of rose and citrus, and gains isoeugenol and ethylhexyl salicylate: the rose of the original fades away, white flowers take its place. Benzyl salicylate, hexyl cinnamal, cinnamyl alcohol and farnesol outline this bouquet of jasmine, gardenia and frangipani, while hydroxycitronellal, present in every version of For Her, recalls the lily of the valley of the 2003 floral heart, absent from the notes communicated but still there. Two dyes, red 33 and yellow 5, tint the juice in this pink that echoes the bottle's gradient, whereas the eau de toilette contained three, including violet.
For Her Forever on skin
On skin, opinions diverge on two points. Longevity first: some find it very good, with a clear projection, others judge it disappointing for this price range, with a light sillage; about six hours comes up as an average. Lineage as well: for some, the base almost joins that of For Her Eau de Parfum and only the top, with frangipani, makes the difference; for others, once the slight sharpness of the opening has settled, the fragrance moves away from the original and reads as a creamy gardenia-jasmine. What no one disputes is the comfort: a cocooning, soft perfume, that veers neither into excess powdery musk nor into rose.
For Her Forever by Narciso Rodriguez is a very floral, timeless and luminous perfume, that never lacks sensuality. It naturally pays tribute to elegance and reveals to us an eternal femininity.