Jennifer Lopez Love and Glamour
It's getting hard to keep up with Jennifer Lopez, not least because my local Macy's no longer carries all of her fragrance releases (Britney Spears has likewise been relegated to mass market). I sniffed My Glow quickly on paper when I ran across it in Walgreens (and pretty promptly forgot all about it), but Blue Glow and LA Glow will have to remain unsniffed mysteries. Love and Glamour is her latest effort, and apparently Macy's consented to provide it counter space. According to Ms. J Lo herself, the name "seemed like a really aspirational, fun and beautiful thing that we could work with in many, many ways", but whatever the inspiration, they stuck to what seems to work for the celebrity perfume audience: a middle of the road clean fruity floral with a pale musky base. It's soft, not too sweet, and it's perfectly wearable. It's no better or worse than the average, but let's face it: the longer they keep making these things, the more generic they all seem, and the less worthwhile the effort to describe in detail. Yawn.
Jennifer Lopez Love and Glamour was developed by perfumers Honorine Blanc and Harry Fremont; the notes include mandarin, guava, nectarine, water lily, coconut orchid, orange blossom, jasmine, sandalwood, sensual musk and amber. It is available in 50 ($49.50) and 75 ($58) ml Eau de Parfum (although the lasting power is closer to an Eau de Toilette) and in matching body lotion.
Jessica Simpson Fancy Nights
Fancy Nights, a flanker to Jessica Simpson Fancy, came out earlier this summer. Jessica Simpson called it a "more provocative" fragrance, and for once the juice lives up to the billing. Fancy Nights is a relatively bold woody oriental, heavy on the spices and dark woods and (clean) patchouli, with rich jammy fruit in the opening and an almost-smoky dry down. It isn't going to make the history books, and it doesn't smell like anybody spent a wad of cash on the materials, but it's a nice change for a celebrity fragrance. It's probably better suited to fall-winter wear, and you'll have to apply it carefully if you want to wear it to work (or anyplace where your fragrance might overwhelm someone else in close proximity). Very worth a try, although as is nearly always the case, if you don't need a celebrity name on the bottle you can undoubtedly do better.
Jessica Simpson Fancy Nights was developed by perfumer Steve De Mercado, and the notes include bergamot, papyrus, patchouli, rose, night-blooming jasmine, vanilla, sandalwood, amber and oak moss. It is available in 50 ($49) and 100 ($59) ml Eau de Parfum.
I did manage to sniff Fancy Nights in August, as well as the original Fancy – they’re both quite sweet but (surprisingly) not awful. But I’d agree on the “if you don’t need a celebrity fragrance, you can do better” description.
Both are way better than I would have expected, although I know nearly nothing about JS other than that she has huge bazoongas and used to date John Mayer.
She is mostly famous for being beautiful and entertainingly dumb – as in “I don’t want any buffalo wings – I don’t eat buffalo.” She, of course, got her start on a reality show.
Jessica Simpson didn’t get her start on a reality show. She released her first cd in 1999.
Fancy Nights is the original Prada. If you don’t want Jessica’s name on your bottle just get that
ITA – v much like original Prada; that’s what I wrote on the strip on spraying it. Same on my skin as on the strip, FWIW.
Ah, sorry – I guess I never heard of her before she was with Nick on that show.
Flying buffalo!
I loved the “Newlyweds” show she did on MTV with ex husband nick lachey.
On one chapter she stated that the word ‘”camaraderie” meant “accolade” (If I recall correctly) she was pretty convinced and even corrected her husband on it. That and the buffalo wings were the highlights of the show 🙂
Ouch!
I love that Fancy Nights is only $10 more for twice as much – how can one resist? Actually it does sound worth a sniff if I see it, like it might be a good one to wear to bed (like I do now with Midnight Fantasy). Haven’t smelled any other Simpson offerings.
Haven’t smelled many of J Lo’s either. I have been on the lookout for Miami Glow based on description alone. Otherwise I pretty much pass them by.
I’m pretty sure it’s been discontinued – I bought some off eBay a while ago since it sounded like something I would like. Unfortunately, the hubby does not. I’d be happy to send you some samples – I’m jasouza9 on MUA.
It’s out & about again (mostly at mass market stores), although I haven’t smelled it so don’t know if it’s changed.
I liked Miami Glow the first time around, and liked Glow, too. Deseo was well done but don’t think it sold.
A bit off topic, but since you mentioned it, how do you choose a fragrance to wear at night? To bed, that is. I’m just curious. I sleep alone, and so one of my more expensive ones seems silly, but are there ones that just are made for night-time sleeping? Please let me know your personal habits, here. I love spraying myself at night, but feel a little too self indulgent. Is it a time for one’s less used, less expensive scents, or just whatevertheheck you want to wear? Any opinions welcome.
Isn’t perfume all about self-indulgence? And not that I would wear something to bed that a partner loathed, but really, unless your favorite perfume is out of production, wear it to bed, spray it on your letters (or over your keyboard while emailing)…
Seriously, I like to wear Youth Dew to bed. It just makes me feel all cozy and wrapped in a fur blanket. That it’s cheap is besides the point. And I need every excuse to use up a bottle. My vanity is getting crowded. Chanel 5 is for when I have company at night. Very bombshell like 🙂
Thank you, Marsha, for your support and encouragement. I sat in the bath and thought, you know, I feel like a good strong jasmine. By Gum, that’s it, for tonight. And I have a sample vial of just that, 100 proof stuff, or so it says. So armed with your enthusiasm, I’m doin’ it. It’s a …dark time of the month, hormonally, so that might help that area, too…Nighty, M
I wear anything I find calming.
Tama, if you have a Gordman’s (discount store of the same sort as TJMaxx & Marshall’s) in your vicinity – go! At my local store they have pretty much every JLo and Jessica Simpson fragrance. I even occassionally run across an great obscure bargain like the large bottle of Givenchy Pi marked down to $22. Score!
They even have JLo’s Still, which I *still* really like, Miami Glow in the large bottles and Sunkissed Glow of which I’m still on the fence. They also had Blue Glow and one of the Live series called Platinum that I’d never heard of. Both were pretty rank, IMHO. They almost always have testers, so it’s a great place to stop and try stuff out. Just a word of caution, if you can find the fragrance you’re looking for at TJ’s or Marshall’s it is almost always cheaper there.
Also, something I just disovered: if you have a Burlington Coat Factory (another discount store and yes, they have more than coats lol) in your area, this is also a great place to get hard to find, older fragrances. I got a bottle of Bijan there for about $20. They had a big bottle of Pavlova for $14.99, Je Reviens for $9.99 and of course for the holidays they’ve got all their gift sets out, too. Just a friendly, enabling FYI. 😀
Hey Tama-
The only scent of hers that I’ve tried is Glo, and isn’t that bad. I’d call it a non-offensive safe for work scent. To me, it smells very mild floral with a gentle musk drydown, and it’s similar to a scent Terra Nova makes called China Lily-and one can get that scent in oil form for less than 20 dollars for (I think) .5 oz.
It’s not bad, just a bit tame for my tastes. But I love leather and rubber-like scents!
Glow is a knock off of Body Time’s China Rain fragrance.
I’ve smelled JLo’s L&G and it reminds me of a B&BW body spray. The mango takes over and it pretty much stayed juicy on me the whole time. My 7 year old sister loves it. 🙂
The BBW body spray would be MUCH cheaper!
I smelled Fancy Nights on a scent strip in a magazine and it reminded me those Russel Stovers chocolates with fluffy fruity filling. Not good. It must smell better in person.
Well, E, I still wouldn’t wear it… but it wasn’t hideous.
My dad LOVES those Russell Stover things.
I would say yes, probably better in person!
I think some of the appeal of celebrity scents is that you can get them CHEAP. That Fancy Nights is going to show up at Marshalls within three months for under $20 — can’t say that for Prada!
Of course, that doesn’t explain why people buy them full-price at Macy’s or Sephora when they first come out.
True enough, although you can find Prada at the discounters for a very reasonable price.
(although personally, don’t think the Fancy Nights is close enough to the Prada to satisfy someone who really wanted the Prada)
AAAAND, someone just told me they found Prada and Prada Tendre at T.J. Maxx — so much for that theory!
Is the girl in the picture supposed to be J Lo? With all the airbrushing these days I can’t tell who people are supposed to be. The arms look awfully thin…another case of bad photoshop?
Yep:
http://amygrindhouse.com/jennifer-lopez-love-glamour.html
Not to get off subject….However, I was browsing an In Style magazine (November) and noted that on page 246 they mention this blog and all of the wonderful information it provides to the readers. Congratulations Robin!
Thank you!
I couldn’t believe that I like this scent. I call it my Baby Shalimar or Baby Emeraude–no insult to the two classics intended. I do get the Prada vibe as well, but I like Fancy Nights more. And if Prada bottled this same scent and named it something like Nuit, I’d pick it up for 75+ dollars. It’s a comfort scent for me, probably all that vanilla.
How nice!
what happened to voluptuous gorgeous jennifer lo?
See link I left for VanMorrisonFan above!
As far as the J-Lo frag… *yawn* But the Jessica Simpson perfume has me very interested. Not only because I love the original Prada (and pretty much everything else I’ve tried from the brand), but because it isn’t another typical tropical fruity-floral-musk sort of perfume and takes a llot of risk being a spicy woody blend instead. It doesn’t seem to be getting a lot of love on MUA, but given it isn’t the typical celeb offering, that doesn’t necessarily bother me. That she/the company behind the launch took such a bold step counts for a lot in my book, though I do really love the original Fancy for an easy comfort fragrance.
Fancy was well-done too. They’ve done a good job so far.
Yeah I was disappointed with Love & Glamour. It’s just blah. It’s YAWN city! LOL! Fancy Nights is far much better. The lasting power of L&G is just horrendous. It would have made far more sense to release it for the summer. It’s a waste of time for me JLO. On to the next one I guess. Congrats to Jessica on Nights! I have no idea how it is going to sell though. If anything L&G will do better than Nights. Sad. : (
Yes, L&G in the spring, and Fancy Nights should have come out in the fall!
Yes, a late post, but I snagged a bottle of this for $10.01 on eBay. That being said, has no one noticed that this smells awfully similar to Hypnotic Poison, just less focused?
Good price, congrats!
They’re in the same ballpark, sure.
Jessica’s new I Fancy You is on fragrance.org. I am really LOVING that light blue and silver bottle so I am hoping it smells nice enough to get. Who am I kidding, I’m gonna get it just because of the bottle! Haha. : )
Here are the notes for her new Love and Light, via HSN. : )
Top Notes: Mandarin, pomegranate and red currant
Mid Notes: Rose crystal absolute, velvety apricot and jasmine petals
Base Notes: Patchouli, sensual musk and praline
I just posted it, but thanks!