Givenchy Harvest 2009 Amarige Mimosa Review: Is This Rare Floral Worth the Hunt?
A deep dive into the limited-edition fragrance that captured the essence of a perfect Grasse mimosa harvest.
In the world of fragrance collecting, some bottles are more than just scents; they are artifacts. They represent a specific time, a unique harvest, a moment of creative brilliance that can never be perfectly replicated. Givenchy's Harvest 2009 Amarige Mimosa is one such artifact. This isn't a fragrance you can walk into a department store and sample. It's a ghost, a legend whispered about on forums, a prized possession for the lucky few who acquired it over a decade ago. Today, we're cutting through the myth to give you the facts. Is this rare floral worth the hunt and the exorbitant price it now commands? Let's investigate.
To understand this fragrance, you must first understand the collection it came from. From 2006 to 2010, Givenchy released an annual limited-edition series called "Les Récoltes" or "The Harvest." The concept was borrowed from winemaking: highlight a key ingredient from one of the house's pillar fragrances, sourced from a specific, exceptional harvest of a single year. It was a celebration of 'terroir' in perfumery—the idea that the soil, climate, and conditions of a particular year can produce a raw material of unparalleled quality.
Positioned as a luxury, limited offering, Harvest 2009 Amarige Mimosa was never meant for the mass market. It was for the connoisseur, the Givenchy loyalist, and the floral aficionado. It took the notoriously loud DNA of Amarige and softened it, bathed it in sunlight, and gave it a powdery, sophisticated elegance that the original, for all its beauty, sometimes lacked. The result was a fragrance that was both familiar and startlingly new.
Today, its reputation is formidable. It is widely considered one of the best, if not the best, mimosa-centric fragrances ever created by a major designer house. Its discontinuation has only fueled its legendary status. Finding a bottle is a challenge, and paying the price is a commitment. Our job is to determine if that commitment is a sound investment for your collection and your senses.
The Nose Behind the Scent
The original Amarige (1991) was created by Dominique Ropion. This 2009 limited edition was developed by the Givenchy in-house perfumery team, building upon Ropion's foundational structure to highlight the specific 2009 Grasse mimosa harvest.
Accords
Notes Pyramid
Scent Journey
A bright, dewy, and slightly green neroli note provides an optimistic opening. The fluffy, powdery sweetness of mimosa is detectable almost immediately, creating a sense of anticipation.
The heart is a full-bloom, photorealistic mimosa. It's powdery, honeyed, and sunny, supported by creamy ylang-ylang and a faint echo of the original Amarige's gardenia. This phase is pure olfactory sunshine.
The fragrance settles into a warm, elegant base of smooth woods and a hint of ambergris. The powdery mimosa sweetness lingers, creating a soft, sophisticated skin scent that lasts for hours.
Performance Dashboard
Solid performance, lasting 7-9 hours on skin and longer on clothing.
Moderate projection. It creates a noticeable scent bubble at arm's length for the first 2-3 hours before becoming more intimate.
Leaves an elegant, noticeable trail that is present but not overwhelming. It draws people in rather than announcing your arrival.
When to Wear
Community Verdict
More likely to receive deep appreciation from fellow fragrance lovers than constant compliments from the general public. It's perceived as 'classy' and 'beautiful'.
Pros & Cons
- ✅ Features a stunningly realistic and high-quality mimosa absolute.
- ✅ A more wearable, modern, and refined take on the classic Amarige DNA.
- ✅ Excellent performance with an elegant sillage.
- ✅ A rare and sought-after collector's item with a unique story.
- ❌ Extremely difficult to find and discontinued for over a decade.
- ❌ Exorbitant prices on the secondary resale market.
- ❌ The classic, powdery floral profile may not suit all modern tastes.
Price & Value
“Not a practical purchase. It is only 'worth it' for serious collectors and die-hard mimosa fans for whom this is a 'holy grail' scent.”
Who It's For
✅ Ideal For
- Lovers of high-quality floral fragrances (30+)
- Mimosa and yellow floral enthusiasts
- Fragrance collectors
- Those with an elegant, sophisticated personal style
⚠️ Not Recommended For
- Those who dislike powdery or classic floral scents
- Fans of sweet gourmands or aquatic fragrances
- Budget-conscious buyers due to its rarity and high price
The Family
Another fragrance from the same limited-edition Harvest collection, focusing on Indian Jasmine.
Part of the same concept, highlighting Damask Rose from a specific harvest.
A different flanker to the original Amarige, focusing on a different floral theme.
Explore More
🔍 Similar Fragrances
A more complex and artistic mimosa-centric fragrance.
A simpler, greener, and more straightforward take on mimosa.
Shares a similar bright, happy, mimosa-led floral character.
A modern, clean, and very powdery interpretation of the note.
💡 Clone Alternatives
This fragrance's rarity and specific high-quality ingredient make it an unviable target for clone houses. Exploring other mimosa fragrances is the best alternative.
❤️ You May Also Enjoy
Shares a similar elegant, powdery, and green-floral sophistication.
A spicier, more modern, and accessible take on a mimosa-based scent.
For those who love the powdery, almond-like facets of the mimosa.
More from Givenchy
🧪 Layering Ideas
- A simple, high-quality sandalwood oil to amplify the woody base.
- A light, non-sweet musk fragrance to add a clean, skin-like softness.
- A bright neroli or bergamot scent to enhance the fresh, sunny opening.
🏆 Final Verdict
Givenchy Harvest 2009 Amarige Mimosa is a masterpiece of floral perfumery, a testament to the beauty of a single, perfect ingredient. It is a joyful, elegant, and exceptionally well-crafted scent that stands as one of the best mimosa fragrances ever created. However, its status as a rare, discontinued collector's item places it outside the realm of practical consideration for most consumers. The exorbitant cost on the resale market makes it a luxury acquisition, not a daily fragrance.
You should buy it if: You are a serious collector, a die-hard mimosa aficionado, and have the significant budget required to hunt down this piece of olfactory art. For everyone else, this is a fragrance to admire from afar while exploring the more accessible, but still beautiful, alternatives in the mimosa category.