We are heading to Vermont for a wedding this weekend, and as always, I'm running behind...so no review today, sorry! If it turns out that we have wireless internet access, I'll post the latest fragrance news on Saturday, but otherwise, come back next Tuesday for a new perfume review.
Meanwhile, do comment if you've tried anything fabulous from the new fall releases. I'm behind on testing as well, and haven't even seen the new Betsey Johnson or Viktor & Rolf Antidote, or scores of others.
Ok, I realize that I'm behind on trying fragrances out, but I've recently tried Guerlain's Insolence. Didn't pan out for me. I do like the scent of violet but that's all I smelled from Insolence. And it reminded me of a scent from when I was a kid. The scent of those violet candies my father used to love! Hey, I love them too… So in actuality, I do like the fragrance but not to wear.
That ad looks like it should airbrushed on to the side of something. It's so embarrassingly tacky, I almost admire it. Well, that's Betsey Johnson for you…
I would wear it, but didn't love it enough to buy it…
I can't decide if it is horrible or wonderful, LOL…
Uhm.. Is that supposed to be Betsey Johnson??
G-d help us…yes, it IS!
Sad,sad,sad…
Robin, enjoy your wedding and the bucolic setting!
Thanks, and glad you knew that was BJ…I wouldn't have had any idea!
Wow. Talk about being a poster child for airbrushing!!! Man, she's got moxie!
I have tried today Mariage Amarige, as I have a friend who is a fan of Extravagance d'Amarige, cannot find it anymore here (Argentina) andshe wanted to see if it was alike.
It IS similar to extravagance (also the bottle looks similar, albeit rounder), the thing is they have put a top note of MINT, which is not listed on the official description , but is prominent indeed.. and it clashes slightly with the sandalwood bottom notes.
Once it settles I think this frag does remind me of Extravagance a little.
I am looking forward to try Euphoria for men (who knew!
) And YSL L'Homme.
Good luck on the Wedding!!
One of my most pleasant surprises in the gents' department was Roberto Cavalli's Black, whose opening, and the first hour or so, is shockingly similar to another Black, the Bulgari's. It opens on a very mildly sweet liquorice-like note, sans its usual medicinal quality, and a smokiness that is not unlike that in Bulgari. Black tea and burnt rubber, and the accord now universally accepted as “baby powder” are, however, not to be expected in RC Black. I cannot make out where the smokiness comes from, must be the woods, I guess. What I like about it the most is that, as the scent develops, the liquorice turns into the loveliest coconut-y undercurrent of suntan oil. Sure enough, it's very subtle so as not to cross the gender line, but is nonetheless very exotic. It requires more testing, but overall I'd say it is Bulgari Black's well-behaved twin, and I mean it in a good way
As for you, Ma, have a blast at the wedding
One more thing about RCB – I just browsed the blog and found the notes for Black and no woods are listed (!), which actually doesn't surprise me as the scent is quite mellow, but I am all the more puzzled over the smoky bit (ok, I'm probably imagining it). Can it be the tarragon that is responsible for the coconut-y feel, I'm ashamed to admit I've never actually smelled it before. And what I perceive as liquorice may well be lavender. Argh, now I'm so curious to know!
Anyway, I would go as far as to say it also reminds me of Eclix, though I may be dead wrong about that, too.
Recently I have tried Stella in Two, it was ok (the amber was my favorite), Pure Poison Elixir which I happened to love and Ange ou Demon which I also loved. I have also smelt Euphoria for men, I thought it was ok but my boyfriend wasn`t very impressed with it. He is holding out for the new Prada pour homme which I don`t think we will have in the UK for a few weeks. I also saw the My Queen Deluxe Edition, it smells like the same perfume just in a fancier bottle, I would like to know if I am wrong. I have also smelt Agent Provocateur “Maitresse”…….don`t get me started again!! I love that perfume! Just to say that I have also fallen in love with Insolence. I read someone here call it L`Heure Bleue Jr and it was a bit like that. I dont find LHB very wearable though so Insolence is better for me. I am looking forward to smelling Nina (because I like the bottle-tsk, tsk) I would be happy for anyone who has smelt it to give me their opinion. Thats all for now, if I sound like I just pester SA`s well that is true but I am also lucky enough to have excellent perfume retail in my area.
Haven't yet tried the MA, so thanks for the mini review! Looking forward to the YSL & CK men's scents myself. Love the YSL bottle…
If it is close to both Bvlgari Black & Eclix, then I need to try it, thanks! And ignore the notes, so to speak…they are NEVER complete, and for that matter, it could be a woody synthetic musk or something. Going to have to try it myself!
And just looked at the notes myself…there is almost nothing listed for the base, so surely that is an incomplete list.
Thanks, didn't know Pure Poison Elixir was even out yet! Didn't care for Ange ou Demon much, although I've only tried it once so far so too soon to tell. And still waiting for Maitresse
I had a sample of Ange ou Demon. Didn't care for it either. One minute, it smells feminine and then it starts to smell masculine.. Maybe its only on me.
Gotta look for this Pure Poison elixir!!!
Euphoria Men / YSL L'Homme
I tried both. Euphoria Men is rather disappointing. It's said to be a fresh oriental, but sincerely, it is not. It's a kind of interpretation of aromatic and fougere fragrances of the 80s with new raw materials in the drydown. Mint, ginger, dihydromyrcenol, etc. plus a pleasant patchouli musky trail. That's all.
For Yves St Laurent, the result is better. Easier to wear than M7, which I liked however, the scent contains floral notes (violet, basilflower/linalol…) and aromatic/spicy tones. The drydown is rich in coumarin, woods & musks. It reminds me Dolce & Gabbana pour Homme in a certain way. I would say :'Pas mal!'
When I first sprayed Ange ou Demon on my skin I thought I had picked up a display bottle filled with water by mistake because I couldn`t smell a thing, it took about 20 mins for my nose to realise it was there! I thought that was a bit odd, but I was smelling it and thinking “Oh, it`s ok” and my boyfriend said he thought it smelt like Alien. It took about 3 hours for me to realise that I loved it! The Pure Poison Elixir is absolutely fab (to my nose, anyway) I loved it straight away but it is quite expensive, I was a bit shocked: 30ml is £36 and 50ml is £53 (I don`t know what that would be in $$`s) I would expect to pay that for other houses but not really for Dior. Maybe it has expensive ingredients, or maybe it`s the packaging (it has one of those lovely atomizer pump thingies) or maybe it`s so people will say “Expensive=must have”. I don`t know but I want it and I want it now!!!!
I have no idea what Pure Poison elixir would cost here but I can imagine it'll be expensive too. I have to sniff Ange ou Demon again and then sniff Thierry Mugler's Alien. Alien is pretty popular. Everytime I'm in Nordstrom's fragrance dept here in San Francisco some woman is buying Alien. I didn't think that one was for me either. As for Ange ou Demon, I can't tell which fragrance notes it contains. Do you own a bottle of it?
You know it's quite possible that there aren't any other fixatives except the tonka bean because the scent is truly short-lived and subtle, almost demure. I got three hours tops with minimal sillage. But then maybe it's only my skin chemistry?
Do try it, if for no other reason than to prove me wrong about its similarity to Eclix hehe.
I don`t own a bottle of it but a website I love called Escentual gives a good list of notes, white thyme, saffron, lily and oakwood are just a few of them. I am guilty of loving Alien aswell i`m afraid! I was just overexcited when Thierry Mugler launched a perfume that had nothing to do with Angel! I do love Angel, but I was getting a bit twitchy for something else.
I would be very surprised if there wasn't musk of some kind or another, but who knows…will certainly try it when I can find it!
Been wearing Antidote off and on this week. You know, it's not exactly earthshattering, but I like it. I think it'll be big especially around the holiday season for some reason.
I'm still curious to see the new Betsey Johnston one. Although, I”m thinking I hope I see it without the sci-fi/fantasy art ads
I'm so behind in catching up with the new releases, though. I'm somehow disinclined to think this fall's releases are going to be any more interesting than last years. Oh well. Sniff away, we will, as is our wont! This year has been kind of lackluster for me overall. Maybe I'm just getting jaded by now?
Glad to hear Antidote is wearable, at least!
I agree it has been a lackluster year — either it really is, or perhaps we're both jaded?
Baby Jane:
I too am looking forward to smelling Nina! The magazine advertisement is just dandy and the bottle is beautiful! I guess that's the first reason I tried Pure Poison, but it's become my signature scent, so I am looking forward to testing it out! what did you love exactly about elixir?