Our take
What does Very Irrésistible smell like?
Very Irrésistible, launched in 2003, turns rose into a contemporary subject, far from powder and lipstick. The opening surprises: rose sits beside a faintly liquorice star anise and lemony verbena, giving a green, fizzy brightness. The heart layers the flower’s facets with honeyed centifolia rose, watery peony and a discreet jasmine. A base of patchouli, musk and vanilla adds a soft, almost velvety roundness without dampening the freshness. It is an urban rose, lively and luminous, with a hint of impertinence. The anise keeps it from ever feeling prim, adding a slightly herbal, liquorice snap that makes the rose feel freshly cut.
When to wear it
A daytime scent for spring and summer; it appeals to lovers of fresh, modern roses.
The story of Very Irrésistible
Very Irrésistible came out in 2003 from Givenchy, which LVMH had owned since 1988. Rose was not fashionable at the time. Most women's launches leaned on sheer fruity florals, and rose still suggested a grandmother's powder compact. Givenchy's answer was a young, playful rose built on several varieties of the flower, with star anise and verbena giving it a snap nobody expected in that genre. Liv Tyler fronted the campaign, which fit the brief: pretty, approachable, slightly offbeat. The name did some work too. Pairing an emphatic English 'Very' with a French word gave it an easy sound in any language. Several flankers followed over the next few years, from eaux de toilette to seasonal editions. In 2020 Givenchy reused the word for Irresistible, a separate and fruitier rose rather than a reformulation of this one. To our noses, the 2003 original with its anise remains the more distinctive of the two.
Our detailed review
Star anise is the first thing you smell, and it gives the perfume all its character: a cool hint of liquorice that verbena turns lemony. Rose follows close behind, still wet. For the first hour it feels like crushing a cut stem between your fingers. Then honeyed centifolia rose thickens things up and peony adds a watery, slightly soapy freshness. The patchouli and musk base is light, with nothing earthy about it. After three or four hours all that's left is a soft pink haze. What we like is its good mood. This is a rose that doesn't take itself seriously. What lets it down is longevity. On dry skin it's close to gone by lunch, and it's a shame the anise, the most original part, vanishes so fast. It suits women who like rose without the powdery, old-fashioned side. If you hate liquorice or pastis, you'll struggle to get past the opening.
Very Irrésistible vs its rivals
Jo Malone's Peony & Blush Suede shares peony, rose, jasmine, patchouli and musk. Red apple and suede make it softer and more tactile, with none of the green anise flash. Very Irrésistible is fizzier and pinker. Estée Lauder's Pleasures (1995) also sets rose and peony over patchouli and musk. Its opening of violet leaf and green notes, though, smells like a garden after rain. It is cleaner and more watery, with a touch of lily. Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet goes for peony and rose in white musk, opening on mandarin, apricot and peach. It's the fruitiest and most demure of the group. If the anise twist is what draws you in, stay with Very Irrésistible. For a comforting skin scent, Peony & Blush Suede is nicer to live with. Pleasures makes more sense if you want green freshness at the office.
Longevity, projection and use
Longevity is the weak spot. Expect four to six hours on most skin, often less on dry skin. Projection is pleasant for the first hour, then it pulls back. You'll need three sprays: neck, wrists and one on clothing, where the rose holds better. A mist in the hair helps too. On a workday, keep a small atomiser in your bag for an afternoon top-up. It is made for spring and summer, office days and daytime dates. In winter it lacks a base and feels fragile.
It belongs to the Floral family. Very Irrésistible is one of 5 creations by Givenchy in our encyclopedia.
