Infanta En Flor
Arquiste (2011)

The orange flower is what the top note is made of; a slightly aldehydic, bright, light, ephemeral and elegant top note. A times other white florals shine through, but the orange flower remains the dominant note.

The drydown adds a light leathery and slightly green side, but both these additions are so soft, smooth and close to my skin that the orange flower prevails; albeit the latter being close to my skin for the last couple of hours anyway.

The sillage is moderate, and projection all right, and I get seven hours of longevity.

A restrainedly pleasant daytime spring creation that lacks a bit of colour and intensity when I am wearing it. 2.75/5

Here's what this perfume taught me: put orange blossom on a diet of aldehydes and soap and it gains a quite irresistible charm. Infanta en Flor is light and breezy, like a spray of orange blossom scented soap bubbles, with now and again a flash of green in the opening phases.
It seems simple, it's familiar, and yet, to my nose, it's miles ahead of the pack. Immaculate, sophisticated and lovable, with well-judged projection (not too much, not too little).
If first impressions lead you to think that this belongs in the 4711 line-up rather than a hooty-tooty brand like Arquiste – wait, try again, it's possible you could change your mind.

I didn't like it at first (air freshener? that's an insult to a great perfumer and I don't think that on my return). On second wearing I quite like it but it's a bit too floral (or at least the wrong kind of floral) for me so I probably won't buy it.

2021-02-06 ... a few year's later and I'm giving it another try. It popped into my mind .... an Arquiste floral ... that's what I want. So this may be a purchase

A charming fragrance Well, it seems that I disagree with my respected friends/previous reviewers on this one. In my view this is a charming fragrance of great interest. Infanta En Flor opens with a very beautiful bright clean Orange Flower. A stunning opening. It is not heady. It's as clean as very good Orange Flower Water. It is joined by floral notes, notably a green, non indolic jasmine, which adds to the gentle sparkle. It is a very cool fragrance at this stage. The immortelle does not stand out on it's own to me. In the mid development the fragrance does become very soapy indeed, which we know is not unusual with orange flower, and I think that this soapy phase is consistent with the style of the fragrance. I don't mind that at all, in fact I find it very pleasant. Infanta en Flor hums along in this way for several hours. It is wearing close to the skin by then. Eventually, a soft balsamic leather emerges, quiet and elegant. After six hours or so, this becomes amber. It is a whisper on the skin by that time (from dabbing, it may be different if sprayed). Infanta en Flor is very lovely in my view. A successful composition with beautiful development. It's hard to describe where it sits in terms of genre, and in a strange way I think that perhaps that is why it doesn't get more attention. It smells quite classical but it has a more open, lighter structure which places it firmly on contemporary ground. It has suggestions of Eau de Cologne in the early stages but it has more tenacious foundations than that. It is rich but not in the least heavy. It strikes one as very complete somehow. If it seems like I am heading towards describing it as unique, well, no, it isn't that either. It's familiar. It won't be exciting enough for many people, but I think that it is a grower and probably a long keeper. It is one of the loveliest Orange Flower fragrances that I have tried. Try it if you like your Orange Flower clean and soapy. It would be great on both women and men.Pros: Beautiful StructureCons: None for me.

The opening is a fresh floral on a subdued leather base. The dry down is baby powder. It is a nice fresh scent, if you like clean, soapy scents.

Learning that Matildaben had developed a liking for Infanta en Flor and given the notes (orange flower water, Spanish leather, cistus resin, and immortelle flower), I was sure I'd like this, at least a little. In reality, I don't. I get a lot of baby oil. Even if infants are the inspiration, I expect more perfume and less Pampers.