Gucci Flora quickly became a signature scent for modern women when it launched in 2009. The fragrance was the brainchild of Frida Giannini, former creative director for Gucci. With heavy floral overtones, Gucci Flora has been described as a fresh, invigorating experience not dissimilar to breathing in the heady scent from a floral bridal bouquet. On first smelling Flora, you get a perfect blend of fresh fruit and flowers that instantly lightens your mood. The scent quickly warms up as essences of wood and spice come through, adding a layer of class and romance with a nostalgic edge. The overall impression of Gucci Flora is one of subtle sophistication, warmth and allure. Princess Grace of Monaco initially inspired Flora, so it is no surprise that it had a dedicated following for many years.
High Notes: Mandarin Orange and Peony Mid Notes: Osmanthus and Rose Base Notes: Sandalwood, Patchouli and Pink Pepper
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The Flora fragrance for women was inspired by the Flora pattern from Gucci, which debuted on their line of bags in 2005. However, the iconic print design goes back decades to a custom gift crafted for Princess Grace of Monaco.
Princess Grace bought a green Gucci bag from the flagship Milan store. Rodolfo Gucci, Guccio Gucci's son, gave her a special gift to thank her for her support. The Princess initially requested a scarf, so Gucci commissioned illustrator and textile designer Vittorio Accornero to design a floral scarf.
Accornero's floral print contained 37 colours and an array of flora and fauna, including daffodils, poppies, butterflies and beetles. The fresh florals of the print were the main inspiration for the Flora perfume.
So far we've found one really good gucci gorgeous clone, the rest are pretty middling.
Cherry Sling has a beautiful bouquet of pear, peony and peach, which is very reminiscent of Gucci Flora and gives your senses a lift like a breath of fresh air. The overall impression is of aromatic fruits and citrus scents drawn down with warm sandalwood and vanilla base notes. With high notes of cherry and plumb, mid notes of mandarin orange and pear, and warm woody base notes coming from sandalwood, our testers found Cherry Sling evoked a feeling of soft femininity, with a sophisticated edge added by warm woody tones that would sit well with women of all ages. Our testers were keen to try Cherry Sling by Zara as they were already fans of Gucci Flora. They found the replica scent to be light and fruity, but despite the name couldn't really detect any strong cherry notes. There are distinct highlights of juicy pears, apples and plums but no prominent cherry scent.
Zara's Cherry Sling is a very young-feeling fragrance with a subtle note of white chocolate, probably from vanilla. Overall, the scent is sweet but fresh enough with the blend of florals, citrus and woods to remove the sickly-sweet edge that many fruity fragrances can have. Zara Cherry Sling isn't too strong or overpowering. It has an excellent balance of floral and fruity notes that is drawn down with an energizing blend of base notes. Our testers found the scent to have above-average longevity for a zara dupe and found it ideal for wearing during the daytime at work and for a night out with friends, but it's one you'd want to carriy it round in your handbag as it won't last more than 6 hours very well making it less well suited to anyone particularly busy. We rate Zara Cherry Sling as 3 out of 5 for its authenticity, and it would have been given 4 out of 5 had the fragrance contained more of a woody and spicy edge.
Next Cashmere has a pretty, floral opening with a powdery edge that isn't too sweet. It does have a warm and luxurious musky base that, while pleasant, doesn't deliver the same depth of warmth that Gucci Flora possesses. Next Cashmere starts with quite a dry opening feel that is quickly overtaken by a rich bouquet of floral notes. There is a definite fresh sweetness reminiscent of Gucci Flora, but the intro notes are a little sharper on the nose than the original. With high notes of Bergamot & Freesia, mid notes of Rose and Muguet, and base notes of Musk and Incense, Cashmere by Next is a great all-rounder fragrance for women wanting to wear a light and fresh scent. The whole experience is more shallow than sophisticated, with a drawdown into a musky scent rather than the warm woody feel of Gucci Flora. However, Next Cashmere is undeniably graceful, which makes it an excellent choice when you want an understated perfume for casual daywear. Our testers gave Next Cashmere a generous 3 out of 5 for authenticity, but it just edged over from a score of 2 because of its bargain price and longevity. Our testers found it a wonderful scent that kept them smelling fresh for hours but doubted it would be as impactful as the original Gucci Flora for a night out on the town with friends.