Marc Jacobs Daisy vs Daisy Spring

I’m a fan of the Marc Jacobs Daisy legacy but haven’t gotten close to smelling all its incarnations.

Here’s a list of them, following the classic 2007 Daisy original (outside of the staple flanker formats of Dream, Eau So Fresh, and Love): Daisy Bloom (2009), Daisy Garland (2010), Daisy Hot Pink (2011), Daisy Sunshine (2012), Daisy Delight (2014), Daisy Sorbet (2015), Daisy Blush (2016), Daisy Kiss (2017), Daisy Twinkle (2017), Daisy Sunshine (2019), Daisy Daze (2019) and, finally, Daisy Spring, for the tail end of 2020 into the 2021 spring season.

On a side note, outside of this review, I’m curious: is there anyone out there who has smelled, and remembers, all of these Daisies?

Out of those I had the chance to check out, Sorbet was my favourite for its compelling evocation of cold temperatures and icy textures through a clever tempering of violet into a heavy matte mass that mimics the dulling of your sense of smell when stepping outside on a bitter winter’s day. All of the Daisies hark back to the original’s light-filled, citrusy and fruity violet musk; a simple-smelling accord that offers many more facets to the nose than its initial impression often gives away. What I appreciate most of all about the Daisy family is the spritely, optimistic freshness it conjures by colouring luscious, full-bodied florals through a dewy and sunrise-tinted lens, washed with whisps of watercolour and delicacy. One criticism is that it can be difficult to tell them apart, year after year, without side-by-side comparison.

In the case of Daisy Spring, it’s a bit more straight-forward and expected. The listed notes state a trio of rose, rosewood and cardamom. I get quite a bit more, with a minty upper layer, green and devoid of spice, contrasted against an accord that recalls classic agave scents like Calvin Klein Reveal Men, executed with a feminine touch. The rose is not rich but pale, in keeping with the olfactory picture of rain on grassy fields, recalling the watery scent of a March-time flower garden at dawn, slightly sticky, cold and pond-like.

The core Daisy DNA is still present, but this time without an obvious violet, instead offering violet-shaded shadows through a powdery, candied base. All in all, Marc Jacobs Daisy Spring gives you what it promises, as equally “spring” as it is Daisy, satisfying and balanced with accomplishment

Source