Givenchy — Givenchy III
Essence
Givenchy III is a 1970 green floral chypre - one of the genre’s reference points - built on a bracing galbanum-and-aldehyde opening, a refined floral heart, and a classic mossy-woody base. It is crisp, dry, sophisticated and “chic before sexy,” the olfactory equivalent of a tailored haute-couture line. Marketed to women but widely regarded as unisex and even quietly masculine, it earned a five-star rating from Luca Turin. Now discontinued and split between a coveted vintage and a reduced 2007 reissue, it survives largely as a collector’s and chypre-lover’s classic.
Scent Profile
The listed pyramid is large, but in wear the fragrance organi
Performance
Performance is the recurring weak point across formulations, especially the reissue. Projection is moderate at the bright opening and drops to close-to-skin within a couple of hours. Sillage is modest - this is an elegant, near-wear scent, not a powerhouse. Longevity reports vary by formula: vintage parfum and EDT can give a solid six hours with the base lingering, while many wearers of the 2007 reissue and of aged/decanted samples report it “falling apart” or fading after only 2 - 4 hours on skin. It lasts better on clothing, where the mossy base clings. It performs beautifully in warm, dry weather - the green crispness reads as cooling and is a noted spring/summer asset - and can turn sharp or thin in cold. Best applied generously and, given the modest longevity, kept handy for a refresh; some devotees carry a decant atomi
Wearing Context
A daytime, warm-weather classic - spring and summer especially, where the galbanum-green opening is refreshing rather than heavy. It suits work, daytime social settings and any occasion calling for understated elegance; reviewers repeatedly frame it as “chic,” “effortless,” and self-possessed. It shines on someone who wants to smell sophisticated without being sweet or obvious. Though sold as feminine, it’s widely worn by men and reads convincingly unisex - even, to some noses, “quietly masculine.” Where it falls flat: anyone seeking projection, sweetness, or a modern gourmand vibe will find it austere and “dated.” Its green-chypre austerity can read as old-fashioned to those raised on contemporary florals, and the reissue’s weaker performance frustrates those expecting vintage strength.
Comparisons & DNA
Givenchy III sits within the cluster of 1970s green/floral chypres and is most often compared to Chanel No. 19 (the closest living relative - both crisp, green, aldehydic and aloof; No. 19 is more iris-cool and more available) and to the original Miss Dior (similar sweetened-galbanum and mossy depth, Miss Dior carrying more leather). Estee Lauder Knowing shares the rose-and-oakmoss combination but is, per Tania Sanche
Reception
Critical and wearers esteem is high, especially among chypre lovers and vintage collectors. Luca Turin awarded the vintage five stars in Perfumes: The Guide, calling it “a wonderful thing, quite a bit drier than the original but none the worse for it, and quicker getting into the strings-only leafy-green heart,” and elsewhere dubbing it a “great masculine.” Cafleurebon’s vintage tribute (written around Hubert de Givenchy’s 2018 death) praised its “golden chypre accord, which dries down to smell like humid foliage and dank forest moss.” Now Smell This and Bois de Jasmin reference it warmly in the green-chypre context. wearer consensus on wearer reports, wearer reports and wearer reports: a beloved, elegant, “timeless” green chypre, with the opening universally admired. The two recurring criticisms are weak longevity (especially the reissue) and that it smells “dated”/“very feminine” to some - though many of those same reviewers wear it anyway. Blind buy verdict: vintage is a safe buy for chypre fans (sample formulation/condition first, as aged bottles vary); the 2007 reissue is a reasonable but lesser introduction.
Versions & Reformulation
This is a genuinely version-sensitive fragrance. The 1970 original existed in parfum, EDT and other concentrations; the parfum is darkest and most animalic (castoreum, deep oakmoss), the EDT brighter. It was discontinued, then reissued in 2007 as part of Givenchy’s “Les Parfums Mythiques” line. Per multiple reviewers and Cafleurebon, the reissue is IFRA-driven and reduced: brighter, sharper, with less galbanum and oakmoss and the gardenia/peach largely stripped, so the original’s warm, refined depth is diminished - though some find it a faithful-enough shadow of the original. Collectors specifically hunt vintage for the full oakmoss experience and warn that the reissue “falls apart” faster. Note that wearer reports listed pyramid reflects the original, not the reformulation.
Acquisition Notes
Discontinued, so acquisition is via vintage market and remaining reissue stock. Pricing tier was designer; today it’s a vintage-collector item - vintage EDT minis and bottles surface on eBay (sometimes at strong premiums during chypre-collecting waves; oakmoss-era chypres have sold for several times their original prices), while the 2007 Les Parfums Mythiques 100ml EDT can occasionally be found at discounters. Decant ecosystem: vintage decants circulate through specialist splitters and The Perfumed Court-type vintage sellers rather than mainstream decant houses. Buyer beware on vintage: condition varies enormously (top notes degrade; some bottles have “turned” oakmoss reading as choking smoke, as one Now Smell This/wearer reports reviewer found). Verify formulation (original vs. 2007), bottle, and fill level, and prefer sellers who can date the juice. No standardi
Notable Facts & Lore
- No additional lore was documented.