Note Pyramid
BirchDKNY Energizing
Vodka is not a material most people expect to read on a note list, and it is the reason DKNY Energizing Eau de Parfum 100ml, from Donna Karan, does not smell like the citrus scent its opening suggests.
Blood orange and mandarin orange come first, bright and sweet for about a minute, and then the vodka arrives: cold, clean and faintly sharp, more the chill of the bottle than anything you would drink. Tomato leaf runs alongside it, bitter and green and stalky, and between the two of them the fruit is pulled back from sweetness into something crisper and considerably more grown up.
The heart is pale and watery by design. Water lily gives a clean, cool, almost rained on calm, orchid adds a soft roundness that is barely sweet at all, and daffodil keeps a thread of green sap running through the middle so it never settles into a straightforward flower scent. Birch and tulip tree take it out, dry and pale, birch with a faint sharpness and tulip tree with a light greenness that holds the whole thing upright to the end. As an eau de parfum it carries more oil than a toilette, which here means the green and watery materials last rather than burning off in the first half hour. Expect most of a working day, with the first hour doing the projecting and the rest sitting close in.
Launched in 2011, it suits spring and summer, daytime, offices and anywhere a heavy fragrance would be unwelcome. The 100ml bottle is the practical size for something you will use freely once the weather turns.
Donna Karan started her label in New York in 1984 after years at Anne Klein, building a reputation on neutral colours, soft fabric and the bodysuit. DKNY was the second, cheaper line that followed, and the perfumes carrying both names are produced under licence.
Please note: images are a guide only. Packaging and bottle design may occasionally differ from those shown due to manufacturer updates or promotions.
Similar Notes
The Scent Vault
Join thousands earning on every order
Earn points as you shop, redeem for money off, and unlock member perks.
Find out more
The Scent Vault Gift Cards
Give the gift of choice
One card, every scent. Let them pick the fragrance that is truly them. Send it instantly by email, or schedule it for a future date with a message of your own.
Shop gift cards
