# Ormonde Jayne — Privé > Privé is a 2018 eau de parfum from London niche house Ormonde Jayne, released as a Saks Fifth Avenue and ormondejayne.com exclusive in a single 50ml size. It is unusual within the line: instead of spo ## Essence Privé is a 2018 eau de parfum from London niche house Ormonde Jayne, released as a Saks Fifth Avenue and ormondejayne.com exclusive in a single 50ml size. It is unusual within the line: instead of spotlighting a single hero ingredient the way Champaca, Ta'if or Frangipani do, Privé is an abstract, all-flowers floral built from 52 ingredients — founder Linda Pilkington's personal selection of her favorite oils. It is light, airy, sophisticated and powdery-creamy, threaded with the house's signature basmati-rice note, and reads as understated luxury rather than a statement scent. ## Scent Profile The opening is citrusy and green — mandarin, bergamot and petitgrain with a sparkle of pink pepper — light, unobtrusive and floating rather than sour or sweet. Critic Elena Vosnaki perceived a starched iris note here that she likened to iris lovers' favorites such as Chanel No.19. As it develops, the basmati-rice note — an Ormonde Jayne signature also found in Champaca — emerges to give the orris a lactonic, creamy, slightly powdery texture. Blackcurrant adds a tart, fruity facet, while clary sage lends a brief aromatic-herbal lift that some read as buttery. The drydown is powdery-sweet and immaculate: tonka, vanilla, sandalwood and musk. The defining effect is movement — cool to warm, green to cream, sharp to soft — so the scent never quite settles, yet stays seamless throughout. Projection is intimate and skin-close, typical of the house. ## Performance Performance pairs exceptional longevity with restrained projection. Elena Vosnaki reported it retaining its silkiness for over 24 hours on skin, and others describe it lasting thoroughly on both skin and clothing, still present the next day on fabric. As with most Ormonde Jayne scents, though, it is felt more by the wearer and close company than projected loudly. It rewards generous application and a few minutes to bloom on skin; dabbing a single point underwhelms. ## Wearing Context This is a versatile, sophisticated, year-round floral best suited to spring and daytime, though its long staying power and creamy-powdery base make it equally workable in cooler weather and for formal, elegant occasions. It is genuinely unisex and reads as refined, well-mannered luxury rather than seductive or loud. It shines in close-contact, quiet-luxury settings such as the office or a formal evening, and would be wasted on anyone wanting a projection bomb or an instantly recognizable signature. ## Comparisons & DNA The most cited reference is Chanel Bois des Îles, of which Privé reads as a lighter, airier modern take — the Chanel being darker, sweeter and denser, the two more cousins than twins. It is also compared to Creed Acqua Fiorentina and to MDCI Parfums Un Coeur en Mai, both luminous green-florals, and to Miller et Bertaux's "Green Green Green… and More Green" for its green-sap opening. Within Ormonde Jayne, the basmati-rice DNA ties it directly to Champaca, of which Privé reads as a richer, more complex floral cousin. ## Reception Reception is warm but quiet, fitting for an obscure, limited-distribution exclusive. Substantive critic coverage is thin — the main positive pieces come from Elena Vosnaki and CaFleureBon's Marianne — and there are no dedicated reviews from several major fragrance writers. Praise centers on elegance, blending, understated luxury, superb longevity and the captivating cool-warm movement, with the basmati-rice creaminess a frequent favorite. The criticisms are twofold: a minority find a dry woody aromachemical overpowers the florals, and some find it too quiet and intimate to justify the price. A recurring lament is simply that Privé hardly gets the attention its quality deserves. It is a risky blind buy given the price and skin-close nature, best suited to fans of refined, abstract florals who tolerate woody-musk bases. ## Versions & Reformulation Privé is a single composition with no known reformulations. It was offered in 50ml EDP and, like other Ormonde Jayne scents, could also be ordered in a higher-strength made-to-measure parfum concentration. It appears to have been discontinued — as of 2026 it no longer appears among current Ormonde Jayne listings, though remaining stock still circulates through discounters and decant services. ## Acquisition Notes Pricing is niche but moderate for the segment, with a UK RRP around £129.20 for the 50ml EDP and an Australian figure near AUD 239 for the same size; a verified original US dollar price is not well documented. The standard and apparently only size is 50ml. It launched as a Saks Fifth Avenue exclusive, sold through select Saks stores and the Saks and Ormonde Jayne websites. Given the likely discontinuation, decants and samples are now the most accessible way to try it; buy from Ormonde Jayne or Saks where stock remains, or from reputable decanters. ## Notable Facts & Lore - The catalog credits Geza Schoen as perfumer, but the documented record credits founder Linda Pilkington herself as the author of Privé. - Pilkington first formulated it in 2002 at the founding of the house, under the working name "Geraldine," but could not produce it because its 52 ingredients came from 8 manufacturers in quantities too small for a new brand. - The formula was rediscovered years later in a box labeled "Linda's Things," and finally produced in 2018 once supplier relationships allowed it, with gardenia absolute the last holdout ingredient. - Pilkington described the intent as picking out her very favorite oils, including basmati rice, pink pepper and magnolia. - It launched with a press event at Saks Fifth Avenue in November 2018 as a single-size, exclusive release.