Les Parfums Mythiques - Givenchy III Givenchy for women

This now comes in a new bottle, which I assume means more reformulation. I have the bottled pictured above.

While this doesn't have the spunk of the original - what it does have is more universal appeal (including for men).

If you're looking for a soft green chypre, including the bitter galbanum, mildy floral heart, and soft chypre drydown, this is an excellent, slightly soapy option for boys and girls.

Yes, the original can still be found on eBay, but it's on the "prim" side and lacks the dry character of Les Mythiques edition. Two thumbs up.

Last summer, temperatures in the UK climbed over 40 degrees. They haven't climbed past 30 yet but my Givenchy III is already helping me to keep calm and collected. There's a crispness and astringency to this divine chypre that is like someone opening a window in an airless room.

I've been wearing Givenchy III off and on for a number of years now so I am quite familiar with it, but it's only been very recently that I've been able to pick up on the floral notes. I had it on today during a work out. There was a vase of flowers in the room and at first I thought I was smelling them. Then I realised that finally I was experiencing the other side of Givenchy III, a subtle, elusive yet heady scent of of roses with a touch of jasmine. In spite of the hyacinth, these are not spring flowers; they are the full blown roses of summer set off perfectly by the oakmoss of the chypre base. Estee Lauder's Knowing has the same combination of rose and oakmoss but it is much less subtle. I don't dislike it; Knowing is a fabulous scent in its way, but Tania Sanchez describes it as one of the "big, fruity roses from the seventies and eighties" and I know what she means.

When a chypre is done well, the first impression is of chic rather than sexiness, but if Givenchy III were a woman, she would be sexy as well as chic - intelligent, stylish and self-posessed with an underlying sensuality. I can't think of any perfume launched this century to touch it. Love, love, love.

I wear this all the time, it's perfectly suitable for men, as well as women, and smells absolutely out of this world. You can read as many reviews as you like but you really HAVE to try Givenchy III for yourself. It's right up there with the best of the best. One of the last superstars. Chic, understated, elegant, French.

I first purchased a bottle of this in its pure parfum form at LAX back in 1980, I think I paid $40 duty free. It was a gift for my mother as she'd tried it in a shop here in England and said she liked it. It took my mother over twenty years to use up that bottle, but that's mothers for you.

It's only available as an eau de toilette now in its "new" formulation. I've tried both vintage & "new" (2007) "Les Mythiques" versions and they're indistinguishable. I paid £69.55 for 100ml eau de toilette on MyOrigines.com (October 2022).

You can, if you really want the pure parfum, get ahold of the original vintage formulation on eBay, Etsy etc - but for me, as a man, this "new" eau de toilette version is plenty strong enough. I still wish they'd bring the pure parfum back though. People would pay whatever Givenchy/LVMH asked.

I have Givenchy III in various vintage formulations and they're all wonderful, but my favourite is a 2010 Les Parfums Mythiques version.
It opens with a sublime galbanum star-burst, a heady hyacinth lighting up it's sparkling heart.
It mellows with time - Galbanum can't throw molecular sparks forever, unfortunately - but the oakmoss adds bitterness and Givenchy III becomes an ambling walk through a forest full of mystery, redolent of leafy life.
This perfume gives me a similar sensation to the feeling I get when walking under dappled light in a bright day. Fine olfactory art.

Distillation:
galbanum star-burst
throwing molecular sparks
into the forest

I accidentally dumped almost an entire decant of Givenchy III onto my wrist, which could have been a disaster had I disliked the fragrance. Fortunately, I do enjoy Givenchy III; a classic aldehydic chypre with green undertones.

Despite being marketed to women, Givenchy III would suit both genders. This is a subdued green-chypre, similar in style to Chanel's No. 19 and Miss Dior (Original) without the hefty leather notes. Admittedly, Givenchy III does smell dated and may not appeal to everyone, but as someone that has grown to love chypres, I think it has a lot of potential as an easy to wear warm-weather scent.

I, unfortunately, missed the opportunity to sample the original formulation of Givenchy III, (my review is based on the re-issue from 2007). Those that have tried the original and the re-issue, have commented that they share similarities so thankfully they don't appear to be too far removed.

It might just be the galbanum playing tricks on my nose, but I get a green tea note in Givenchy III. There are several chypres released in the last 50 years that share similarities with this fragrance, however, not many are as subdued or as wearable as Givenchy III. Due to its powderiness and light projection, this is one chypre I know I'd be able to tolerate during the heat of Summer.

As much as I hate to admit it, modern Givenchy fragrances can be quite lacklustre, however, their vintage fragrances are beautiful. It is no wonder that classic Hollywood star Audrey Hepburn wore several of Givenchy's earlier perfumes. Thank goodness for the Mythiques collection, allowing consumers the opportunity to sample some long-lost gems.

This beautiful fragrance resonates with me. It’s fresh and dry, bitter and warm, delicately soapy and just a touch rosy sweet. I am no expert on chypres, but for me this is an essential choice to complete an elegant look, not necessarily in a little black dress.
****(*)

after read lot of comments. I blind buy this one.
and this is a strange one for me...
tbh, i dun like it on paper, but i love it on my skin.

I find this similar to the original except I think it's a little more sparkling and a little more green. The galbanum is beautiful in the perfume, which is saying a lot because I'm not really a big fan of that note. Sometimes it can be so heavy in a scent it's gagworthy. But just as there are different varieties of roses, so too with galbanum, and whatever the variety they are using here is absolutely wonderful. If this perfume only smelled like that from beginning to end I would be a happy camper. Still, even after it subsides, this is still a lovely Chypre and one worth buying if you can't get your hands on a vintage. It has enough of the original qualities where you shouldn't be disappointed, though silage and longevity not as good as the original. Also, unlike the original, it can't stand up to the heat. No problem as I use it with a few dabs of Givenchy III parfum (vintage minis are still inexpensive on Ebay) and it then lasts most of the day, even during hot days. I really couldn't be happier with this lovely scent.

This is without doubt my favourite woodsy green fragrance. It doesn't shout but envelopes you in warmth. It's a "dirty" green, and I mean that as a compliment. The forests in Narnia would smell like this after the thaw.

This is a wonderful perfume to wear on a hot, hot day. It's crisp, cool and astringent.

Givenchy III est un Chypre d'une grande délicatesse. L'équilibre des notes en fait une composition très élégante, d'un raffinement qui se fait rare actuellement : ici pas d'overdose de sucre mais une douceur empreinte de féminité. Certes, la reformulation est`passée par lã mais la version actuelle est des plus honorables.

I have both the vintage and the new edition, and I actually disliked the vintage as the chypre really stung my nose. But has anyone tried this new formula and feels the base notes during drydown resemble the old time perfume from the 70s Dorothy Grey's 'Midnight'? That happened to be my favorite and I had searched all over the net for a vintage Midnight to no avail, and then discovered this. It is for this reason that I will hold onto this Mythiques edition! I have a large bottle.

After I tried the vintage version, I was stunned: it simply smells amazing! I got a well-preserved miniature some years ago, but only recently tried it. Because I liked it so much and I only had this miniature of the original, I tried the reformulation as well, hoping for an equal experience. But no, not on my skin. The original has more spice, more dark notes. Apparently, my chemistry needs those. This reformulation smells a bit outdated on my skin, funny enough. If I would not know better and had to guess, I would have pointed out the reformulation as the original and the original as the reformulation. I only wish it were true.

Edit: I must add that this is a well-done remake, and even though I cannot deny that the vintage smells much better on me, I will certainly consider buying this, when I run out of the current vintage bottles (that I bought in the meantime)!

I first bought this gorgeous scent in the 70s during a school trip to France, at the age of 11! I remember vividly how it was pouring with rain on the day in question, and a group of us ended up in a little 'pharmacie' to shelter from the downpour. For some reason I was just attracted to the perfumes on display and happened upon Givenchy III. It was love at first sniff and I bought it there and then. It was sophisticated, expensive smelling and almost indescribably lovely and I kept that treasured bottle tucked away for many years.

I am only just embarking on a new journey with Givenchy III (reformulation) after years of trying to find it again. I have been too fearful that it will not live up to my memories of it. However, I have ordered myself a bottle as a special Christmas present to myself, as I just have to satisfy my curiosity. Other people's reviews can only go so far.

Light, green floral and soapy. It doesn't smell like a chypre, nor does it smell like the original version. That being said, it is undeniably pretty. A good choice for an unobtrusive office scent as its pleasant and ladylike.

I agree with Amelie and Mymlan. This version is "nice" but the original Givenchy III had the chypre bite. I've moved on to Pierre Balmain de Balmain. Heaven in Chypres.

Chypre and green scents are my all-time very favourites. I distinctly recall I never used Givenchy III when it was in its original formula. Do not ask me why, I think it was a simple overlooking it, no particular reason.
I am loving and using this Givenchy III now, in my early '50es and I adore it. Even this reformulation is wonderful. Maybe my memories, not being linked to the original, are not spoiled by the nostalgia (feeling that I have when I think of what Mitsouko, Arpege, Cabochard, Opium, Magie Noire and many others used to be) or maybe the reformulation was made with a grain of salt.
This version is truly enjoyable, it is classy, long lasting and complex. Problem with the reformulations is often losing the complexity of the layers. Not here. The green opening is strong but not a punch in your stomach, almost an early spring breeze, followed by flower blossoming as if you were entering a forest after rainy days. And the deeper you enter the forest, the more you feel the scent of earth, woods and muscs.
Wonderful, a truly wonderful experience.
When a scent takes you in a place and makes you travel with your senses, then you are wearing a great scent and in this case you are!

Sibling to Miss Dior for sure!

dark faery's bed of moss deep in the primeval forest

It's good to know that proper chypres can still be made under the current fragrance ingredient regulations. Givenchy III is one. This is how Miss Dior (now reformulated, alas) smelled to me when I fell in love with it nearly ten years ago, sending me over the edge into perfume connoisseurship. The intense opening that settles into a green floral heart and a mossy base: It's all there. A perfume for a confident, put-together lady.

They do not make perfumes like this any more.Wearing it is like being in an Agatha Christie´s novel. I can see for example Lotti,the character of "A murder is announced" using it. A sharp, intelligent woman who impersonates her sister to inherit her money. Strong and heartless.

I'm so addict to this scent !!!
So chic.

I have only just realised that this perfume is different from the original which I have used and loved for years. I agree with the others that the original was punchier than this one. I don't know why they changed it - possibly for marketing reasons, I always thought the original bottle was ugly. But why they changed the original formula goodness knows! I don't know if it is my favourite anymore. I have started wearing Balmain de Balmain....

Mythiques Givenchy III is a very well performed reformulation of the original. It's clearer, a bit more citrusy and perhaps a little more feminine than the original. The original is a bit darker and more bitter in the basenotes and I find the initial blast more powerful. Still Mythiques is a very beautiful fragrance. After the initial crisp galbanium/hyacint zing you can almost see the soft petals from the jasmine and rose surround you. It perfectly follow the three stages from top to base. The drydown is very elegant from oakmoss and patchouli. I'm amazed! They don't do perfumes like this anymore and still they've succeded again.

Update: After some time I started to like the reformulation more than the original. Especially for warm spring and summer days I found it cooling and relaxing. It's quite close to Fidji, not as flowery but they have similarites.

This scent just comes alive on my skin! The opening is almost aldehydic (but isn't). It is just bright and fresh yet is grounded beautifully by the oak moss and patchouli. This is a feminine, yet womanly scent.

Givenchy III was one of my favorite and I had to get this legendary fragrance, although the composition was somewhat different from the original Givenchy III. And I'am still searching for scented note close to this wonderful creation. It's classy, so elegant! Femininity captured in a bottle.
The original Givenchy III was noticeable, stronger, but still you can feel its powerful fragrant touch. Sophisticated and impressive, incredibly nice on the skin after several hours, this is the kind of floral-chypre I like, simply a good French perfume.
It's a true representative of chypre group, followed by Miss Dior, Diorella, so happy to wear them.