The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Play in the City for Her landed in 2013 as a limited-edition spin on Givenchy's Play line, which began with Play in 2008 and Play for Her in 2010. The Play collection built a distinct identity through its energy, and Play in the City took that DNA and cranked the dial toward something more electric. Givenchy leaned into the licorice and iris pairing, bringing together something darkly sweet folded into something cool and powdery. The iris note carries a powdery, almost suede-like softness, while the licorice weaves through with a dark anise sweetness that grounds the composition. It was released as a 50 ml Eau de Parfum, a limited piece that stood apart from permanent shelf additions.
Licorice is the headline here, and it's a polarizing choice. The note reads anise-sweet to some, almost medicinal to others, a little bitter at the edges. Givenchy paired it with red berries at the top to soften that anise bite into something juicier, more confectionery. The heart introduces amyris, a wood that brings a creamy, slightly peppery warmth without the density of true sandalwood. Tiare flower adds a tropical floral creaminess, while iris powder does the heavy lifting to keep everything elevated and dry.
The evolution
The first ten minutes belong to the red berries and licorice, sweet and bright with a dark anise undercurrent. There's a candied quality here, like sour cherry lozenges dissolving on the tongue. The licorice deepens rather than fading, pulling the berries with it into something richer. Around the 30-minute mark, the iris and tiare emerge. The powdery iris cools the composition down considerably, lending a soft-focus effect, almost blurred. The tiare adds a creamy, sunscreen-warm floral that bridges the sweet opening to the woody base. By hour two, you're sitting in the drydown: vanilla, musk, and sandalwood settling into a second-skin warmth. The licorice is still there, faintly, like a memory at the back of the throat. The musk is clean rather than animalic, sheer rather than heavy.
Cultural impact
Play in the City for Her arrived as a limited-edition chapter in Givenchy's Play collection, a line that explored territory beyond the house's more traditional fragrance offerings. This release pushed things further by leaning hard into licorice, the kind of polarizing note that splits a room. It's a fragrance for collectors and curious wearers, the kind of limited release that gets tracked down by people with an appreciation for anise-heavy scents. The polarizing opening keeps it from being universally loved, and that specificity is part of what makes it memorable.
