The name comes from a handbag. Around 1947, according to Gucci's own story, founder Guccio Gucci and Florentine artisans used lightweight, durable bamboo for a bag handle because traditional raw materials were hard to find in post-war Italy. The bamboo is softened and bent over an open flame. Gucci launched the perfume in spring 2015, named after that existing collection of bamboo accessories, which run from bags to jewelry, eyewear and shoes. So the link is the house craft story, not the smell.

If you are searching gucci bamboo, here is the honest part: it does not smell like bamboo. One review calls it a soft, clean floral, and the notes back that up. Bergamot on top, then Casablanca lily, ylang-ylang and orange blossom, then sandalwood, Tahitian vanilla and amber. I think of it as a white floral that has been warmed with wood. It sits in the middle of the road, which is exactly why it is easy to wear to the office or to dinner.

The first grid is Gucci, with both versions of Bamboo and six more of the house's women's fragrances. The second grid is eight scents built on lily, ylang or sandalwood from other houses, some light and some creamy.

My tip: if you wear white florals in summer, compare the Eau de Toilette and the Eau de Parfum on the same day. The citrus opening is the quickest way to feel the difference.

Gucci Bamboo Eau de Parfum is the woody-floral, with Casablanca lily and Tahitian vanilla over sandalwood and grey amber. Gucci Bamboo Eau de Toilette is the fresher, brighter cut, with Mediterranean citrus over a dewy white floral heart. I would hand the toilette to someone who finds the parfum a bit warm.

Gucci Bloom Eau de Parfum with Tuberose and Jasmine is the rich white floral, built on Rangoon creeper, jasmine bud and tuberose. Gucci Bloom Parfum goes further, adding coral jasmine, sweet moss and Peru balsam for a gourmand edge. Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia Eau de Parfum is fruity, with pear and brown sugar around white gardenia, and the listing notes an Allure 2022 Best of Beauty win. Gucci Flora Gorgeous Orchid Eau de Parfum is the vanilla lover's one, described as Gucci's first floral-gourmand.

The Guilty pair is a different mood. Gucci Guilty Pour Femme Eau de Parfum opens with mandora, bergamot and pink pepper over a lilac heart. Gucci Guilty Love Edition Pour Femme Eau de Parfum has a lilac accord against cold, earthy patchouli and is listed as warm and woody.

What I would skip: the Guilty pair if you came for Bamboo's soft, clean feel. They are darker and spicier, and the lilac and patchouli feel more evening than daytime.

Lily first. Yves Saint Laurent Libre Flowers & Flames Eau de Parfum Spray is a sunkissed palm-tree flower and lily accord with orange blossom, and Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb Tiger Lily Eau de Parfum is the tropical one, coconut milk and mango around a wild tiger lily. Both are warmer and more playful than Bamboo.

For the lily of the valley crowd, Maison Margiela REPLICA Springtime In A Park pairs it with pear and green blackcurrant, and Maison Margiela REPLICA Lazy Sunday Morning adds iris and white musk, meant to feel like clean linen. Both are Eau de Toilettes, so expect a lighter, sheerer wear. They are the closest to the dewy, clean side of Bamboo's toilette, and either one is a good pick if you want a floral that does not announce itself in a small room.

Sandalwood is the bridge to Bamboo's base. Jo Malone London Frangipani Flower Cologne opens with lemon, then frangipani and ylang-ylang over creamy sandalwood. Prada Infusion d'Ylang Eau de Parfum is the lightest, ylang-ylang and bergamot over sandalwood. TOM FORD Santal Blush Eau de Parfum is spicier, with cinnamon bark oil and ylang-ylang. Commodity Gold Expressive Eau de Parfum is the sweet one, vanilla, sandalwood and amber, and the closest in structure to Bamboo's own vanilla and wood base.

What I would skip: Santal Blush on a hot day. Cinnamon and sandalwood suit cooler weather better.

I think Bamboo works because it never tries to be a green, grassy scent. The story is about craft, and the perfume is about warmth. If you want it lighter, try the Eau de Toilette or Prada's ylang. If you want more sweetness, go to Commodity or Flora Gorgeous Orchid. Whichever you try, give it an hour on skin, because the sandalwood and vanilla show up late. Spray once on the inside of your wrist and once on a sleeve if you like to check how it travels through the afternoon. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Gucci Guilty for Women and The Gucci Bag Women Ask About.