Extravagance d'Amarige by Givenchy is a fragrance from an era when designer perfumery was willing to make green florals genuinely distinctive. Released in 1998 as a sister fragrance to the original Amarige, Extravagance d'Amarige takes a noticeably fresher, greener direction, combining green mandarin, marigold, pink pepper, violet leaf, white florals, strawberry, warm woods, amber, and iris.
What gives Extravagance d'Amarige its character is the tension between crisp greenery and feminine florals. It opens bright and almost sparkling, then slowly becomes softer, floral, lightly fruity, and woody. It feels elegant without being predictable and unmistakably late 1990s without smelling trapped in its era.
For fragrance collectors, there is another reason it deserves attention. Extravagance d'Amarige is discontinued, making surviving authentic bottles increasingly collectible and more difficult to replace.
What does Extravagance d'Amarige by Givenchy smell like?
Extravagance d'Amarige smells green, floral, lightly fruity, softly spicy, and woody.
The opening is crisp and energetic. Green mandarin provides citrus freshness while marigold, violet leaf, and pink pepper add an herbal, leafy, slightly spicy quality. This is not a sugary fruity perfume. The opening feels noticeably green and alive.
As it develops, orange blossom, jasmine, and wisteria give the fragrance a more traditionally feminine floral character. Strawberry introduces a subtle fruity sweetness, but it remains woven into the flowers rather than turning the fragrance into a sweet berry scent.
The base becomes warmer through sandalwood, cedar, amber, and iris. The woods give the fragrance structure while iris creates a smoother, slightly powdery finish.
The overall impression is of a bright garden fragrance with enough greenery and spice to prevent the florals from becoming overly soft.
What are the top, heart, and base notes in Extravagance d'Amarige?
Extravagance d'Amarige was released in 1998. South Beach Perfumes lists the fragrance structure as:
Top Notes: Green Mandarin, Marigold, Pink Pepper, Violet Leaf
Heart Notes: Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Wisteria, Strawberry
Base Notes: Sandalwood, Cedar, Amber, Iris
Historical fragrance references provide an even more detailed version of the original composition, including tagetes and nettle in the opening, wild strawberry and violet leaves in the floral heart, and ambrox and black iris in the base. Michel Girard is credited as the perfumer.
Those variations in published note lists are common with older fragrances. The important scent signature remains consistent: crisp green citrus and foliage, floral brightness, gentle fruit, and a warm woody finish.
Is Extravagance d'Amarige for men, women, or unisex?
Extravagance d'Amarige is officially a women's fragrance. It was created as a feminine companion to Amarige and was marketed around a more daring, energetic interpretation of the Amarige woman.
Its green citrus, violet leaf, florals, strawberry, iris, and warm woods give it a classically feminine structure.
That said, fragrance does not have to follow gender labels. Someone who enjoys green florals and woody aromatic perfumes could wear it regardless of gender.
How long does Extravagance d'Amarige last?
Extravagance d'Amarige Eau de Toilette generally provides approximately 5 to 7 hours of wear, although vintage bottle condition, skin chemistry, climate, and application can all affect performance. South Beach Perfumes currently gives the fragrance a typical longevity range of about 5 to 7 hours.
Its green and citrus opening is the most energetic stage. The fragrance gradually becomes more floral before sandalwood, cedar, amber, and iris remain closer to the skin.
Because Extravagance d'Amarige is discontinued, bottle storage becomes unusually important. A well-preserved vintage bottle stored away from excessive heat and light may perform differently from one that has been poorly stored for many years.
How strong is the projection of Extravagance d'Amarige?
Extravagance d'Amarige has moderate projection.
The green mandarin, pink pepper, marigold, violet leaf, and florals provide a noticeable opening without making the fragrance feel excessively heavy. As the perfume dries down, projection becomes softer and the woody amber base stays closer to the wearer.
It has enough presence to be noticed in conversation while remaining considerably more restrained than many dense floral fragrances from the same period.
What fragrance family is Extravagance d'Amarige?
Extravagance d'Amarige belongs primarily to the Floral Green fragrance family.
South Beach Perfumes describes it through green, floral, fruity, and warm woody characteristics, while historical references identify it as a fresh green floral Eau de Toilette.
The green character is especially important. Violet leaf, marigold, green mandarin, and related botanical notes give the fragrance freshness and texture before the floral heart develops.
What seasons are best for Extravagance d'Amarige?
Spring and summer are the best seasons for Extravagance d'Amarige.
Its green mandarin, leafy notes, pink pepper, orange blossom, jasmine, and wisteria feel particularly natural in warmer weather. South Beach Perfumes recommends it for warm sunny days, spring, summer, garden settings, and daytime occasions.
Early fall can also work well, especially in warmer climates.
It is less naturally suited to very cold winter weather, when richer amber, vanilla, leather, tobacco, or gourmand fragrances often perform more effectively.
Is Extravagance d'Amarige better for daytime or nighttime?
Extravagance d'Amarige is strongest as a daytime fragrance.
The green citrus opening and radiant floral heart make it especially well suited to mornings, afternoons, brunches, lunches, outdoor gatherings, garden events, and warm-weather outings.
It can transition into an early evening occasion, particularly during spring and summer, but it is not primarily designed as a dark or seductive nighttime perfume.
What occasions should Extravagance d'Amarige be worn for?
Extravagance d'Amarige works especially well for:
- Brunch
- Lunch dates
- Garden parties
- Spring gatherings
- Summer events
- Weddings
- Daytime celebrations
- Casual professional settings
- Vacations
- Outdoor events
- Romantic daytime outings
- Everyday polished wear
The fragrance works best when the setting matches its personality. Think sunlight, flowers, greenery, warm weather, and occasions where you want to smell refined without wearing something heavy.
What age range is Extravagance d'Amarige best suited for?
Extravagance d'Amarige can work across a wide adult age range, although its green floral style may appeal most strongly to fragrance wearers in their late 20s and older.
Its strawberry and citrus keep it lively, while iris, jasmine, violet leaf, sandalwood, cedar, and amber provide sophistication.
Someone younger who already appreciates classic green fragrances could easily enjoy it. The fragrance is better defined by taste than by age.
Is Extravagance d'Amarige office appropriate?
Yes. Extravagance d'Amarige is very office appropriate when applied moderately.
Its green floral profile feels polished and professional without relying on heavy sweetness. The moderate projection also makes it easier to control in indoor environments.
For most workplaces, 2 sprays should be enough. In a larger or less restrictive office environment, 2 to 3 sprays can work comfortably.
Is Extravagance d'Amarige good for dates?
Yes. Extravagance d'Amarige can be a very good date fragrance, especially for daytime and warm-weather dates.
It works particularly well for brunch, lunch, outdoor dining, botanical gardens, coastal walks, daytime events, and casual romantic outings.
For a late-night dinner or more sensual evening setting, a richer fragrance may make a stronger impression.
Is Extravagance d'Amarige a safe blind buy?
No, Extravagance d'Amarige is not one of the safest blind buys.
The fragrance has several characteristics that make sampling preferable when possible. Green fragrances can be polarizing, and notes such as marigold, violet leaf, pink pepper, iris, and the historically reported nettle accord give it more personality than a conventional floral perfume.
Its discontinued status creates another consideration. Vintage fragrances can vary depending on storage conditions and age.
Someone who already enjoys classic green florals, violet leaf, fresh white flowers, woody bases, and fragrances from the 1990s has a much better chance of enjoying it without testing first.
What fragrances smell similar to Extravagance d'Amarige?
There is no exact replacement for Extravagance d'Amarige, particularly because its combination of green mandarin, marigold, pink pepper, violet leaf, wisteria, strawberry, florals, woods, amber, and iris is unusual.
These three fragrances currently available from the South Beach Perfumes catalog explore related aspects of its scent profile.
Amarige by Givenchy
Amarige is the most historically relevant comparison because Extravagance d'Amarige was created as a sister fragrance to the original Amarige. Extravagance is greener, fresher, and lighter, while Amarige is fuller and more floral. Amarige combines orange blossom, peach, plum, violet, tuberose, mimosa, gardenia, jasmine, rose, sandalwood, amber, musk, vanilla, and cedar.
If you enjoy Extravagance but want something richer, warmer, and more floral, Amarige is the natural place to start.
Pleasures by Estée Lauder
Pleasures shares Extravagance d'Amarige's fresh green floral character. Violet leaves, green accents, lily, peony, rose, jasmine, sandalwood, and patchouli create a similarly airy garden-like effect. Pleasures is softer and more transparent, while Extravagance adds more spice, fruit, and woody warmth. It is currently available from South Beach Perfumes.
Sunflowers by Elizabeth Arden
Sunflowers shares the bright warm-weather personality of Extravagance d'Amarige. Mandarin, bergamot, orange blossom, jasmine, orris, sandalwood, amber, musk, and cedar provide several points of overlap. Sunflowers is fruitier and sunnier, while Extravagance is greener, more floral, and more unusual. It is currently available from South Beach Perfumes.
What is the difference between available concentrations of Extravagance d'Amarige?
Extravagance d'Amarige is primarily documented and recognized as an Eau de Toilette. Historical fragrance records identify the original 1998 fragrance specifically as an EDT, and the South Beach Perfumes listing is also Eau de Toilette.
Unlike fragrances that were widely marketed in separate Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum, and Parfum versions, there is no well-documented mainstream Eau de Parfum counterpart to Extravagance d'Amarige that should be treated as a standard alternative concentration.
Collectors may encounter vintage body products, miniature bottles, perfumed mist, or related formats, but those should not automatically be confused with a separate Eau de Parfum formulation.
Learn more about fragrance concentrations.
Is Extravagance d'Amarige discontinued?
Yes. Extravagance d'Amarige has been discontinued.
The fragrance is no longer part of Givenchy's current mainstream fragrance assortment, and its former official Givenchy product URL now redirects to the general Givenchy Beauty site. Current fragrance databases and secondary-market listings also identify it as discontinued.
That makes authentic older bottles increasingly attractive to collectors and longtime wearers.
Discontinued does not necessarily mean every bottle has disappeared. Remaining inventory, vintage stock, collector bottles, and older unopened products can continue to circulate long after production ends.
When was Extravagance d'Amarige released?
Extravagance d'Amarige was released in 1998, approximately seven years after the original Amarige appeared in 1991.
Historical perfume records place the launch in May 1998 and describe it as a sister fragrance to Amarige.
Its late 1990s origin helps explain its style. It has the richness and structure associated with classic designer fragrances but introduces a brighter, greener character that makes it feel more transparent than many earlier floral perfumes.
Who created Extravagance d'Amarige?
Extravagance d'Amarige was created by perfumer Michel Girard. Historical fragrance references credit Girard with the composition and describe the fragrance as a fresh green floral Eau de Toilette.
The bottle was designed by Serge Mansau, an important fragrance bottle designer whose work also appeared across several Givenchy releases.
The original advertising campaign featured model Eva Herzigova wearing a Givenchy gown designed by Alexander McQueen, who had become Givenchy's chief designer in 1996.
That historical context gives Extravagance d'Amarige additional interest beyond the fragrance itself.
How many sprays of Extravagance d'Amarige should be used?
For most situations, 2 to 4 sprays are appropriate.
Office: 1 to 2 sprays
Everyday daytime wear: 2 to 3 sprays
Outdoor spring or summer event: 3 to 4 sprays
Date or social occasion: 2 to 3 sprays
Because vintage bottles can perform differently depending on age and storage, begin conservatively. A well-preserved bottle may perform more strongly than expected.
Is Extravagance d'Amarige by Givenchy authentic?
Yes. Extravagance d'Amarige sold by South Beach Perfumes is covered by the South Beach Perfumes authenticity guarantee. South Beach Perfumes states that it sells authentic brand-name fragrances sourced through trusted distribution channels and does not sell counterfeit or imitation products.
Authenticity becomes particularly important with discontinued fragrances because older products frequently circulate through secondary markets, where storage history and product origin may be difficult to verify.
Learn more about our product guarantee policy.
Who should buy Extravagance d'Amarige?
Extravagance d'Amarige is particularly worth considering if you:
- Enjoy green floral perfumes
- Love classic Givenchy fragrances
- Already enjoy Amarige but want something fresher
- Prefer fragrances with violet leaf and botanical notes
- Enjoy jasmine, orange blossom, and wisteria
- Like fruit used subtly rather than as candy-like sweetness
- Prefer spring and summer fragrances
- Appreciate discontinued and collectible perfumes
- Enjoy fragrances from the 1990s
- Want something less common than today's mainstream designer releases
It is especially appealing to someone who values individuality. You are unlikely to smell Extravagance d'Amarige everywhere you go.
Who may not like Extravagance d'Amarige?
Extravagance d'Amarige may not suit someone who prefers extremely sweet, gourmand, vanilla-heavy, aquatic, or modern minimalist fragrances.
The green character is noticeable. Violet leaf, marigold, pink pepper, and the historically documented nettle and tagetes notes can create a crisp botanical quality that may feel unusual to someone accustomed to sweeter contemporary perfumes.
Someone looking for a dense nighttime fragrance may also find it too bright and daytime-oriented.
Finally, shoppers who want a fragrance they can easily repurchase for years should consider the realities of its discontinued status.
Final South Beach Perfumes Expert Review
Extravagance d'Amarige by Givenchy is a reminder of how creative mainstream designer fragrance could be in the late 1990s.
It does not depend on overwhelming sweetness, vanilla, or a single dominant floral note. Instead, it builds its personality from contrasts. Green mandarin feels bright against violet leaf. Pink pepper gives the opening energy. Wisteria, jasmine, and orange blossom bring femininity. Strawberry adds just enough softness. Sandalwood, cedar, amber, and iris provide a polished foundation.
That combination makes Extravagance d'Amarige feel elegant without becoming predictable.
It also occupies an interesting place in Givenchy fragrance history. The original Amarige is richer and more opulent, while Extravagance d'Amarige takes the family's floral femininity and introduces greater freshness, greenery, and movement. Historically, it was intentionally positioned as Amarige's more daring sister.
For someone who loves green floral perfumes, classic Givenchy fragrances, or discontinued designer scents with real personality, Extravagance d'Amarige remains a fragrance worth knowing.
Its discontinuation makes it increasingly difficult to find, but it also makes the fragrance more interesting for collectors and fragrance enthusiasts who want something outside today's familiar perfume landscape.
Still exploring which fragrance style best matches your personality and lifestyle? explore our Ultimate Guide to Finding Your Signature Scent.
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