Jennifer Lopez launched Glow After Dark late last year. It is her 7th fragrance, and the 4th in the Glow franchise (following Glow, Miami Glow, and Love at First Glow). The notes feature mandarin, melon, white cherry, passion fruit, jasmine, peony, freesia, rose, orange flower, pink musk, tree moss, blonde woods and patchouli.
Glow After Dark is being advertised with the tag line "wild. sexy. breathless.", and as a late at night, out partying 'til dawn sort of perfume, rather like Britney Spears' Midnight Fantasy. Britney's fragrance, despite the sexy advertising, seems largely geared towards an audience that probably isn't allowed out that late, so I was curious to see what J Lo would do with the concept.
The requisite sweet fruits are there in the top notes, but not for long: this isn't the girly-fruity floral that was Love at First Glow, and it doesn't even begin to approach the sugar levels of Midnight Fantasy. The heart is that sheer blur of nondescript florals that characterize all the recent celebrity releases; the dry down is lots and lots of pale woody musk. The notes call it "pink musk", and that is exactly what it smells like. It soft and velvety-plush, more clean than not, and too bland to describe in any more detail than that.
It is marginally more sexy than Midnight Fantasy, I suppose, but only because it leaves out the grape Kool-Aid part. The truth is that if you put Midnight Fantasy on one arm, and Glow After Dark on another, after an hour you'll be hard pressed to remember which is which — they smell slightly different, but neither has enough personality to make it worth sorting out. After two hours, it might take a trained perfumer to correctly identify them from a line-up. Of the two fragrances, I like the Glow After Dark a bit better, but I'd much rather wear Glow, Miami Glow, or Live, any of which have more spunk and vitality than Glow After Dark.
Glow After Dark by J Lo is available in 30, 50 and 100 ml bottles of Eau de Toilette (with matching bling), or in Night Bright Body Lotion, Liquid Pearl Shower Gel and a Wearable Solid Perfume Pendant. Unlike Miami Glow and Love at First Glow, Glow After Dark will be an addition to the regular line (i.e., not a limited edition).
At the moment, you can request a free sample via the Jennifer Lopez Beauty website, and don't forget to vote for your favorite Glow Girl.
To me, this seems like the first genuine dud from the JLo stable. I didn't much like Live or Love at FG, but they were inoffensive, and Glow is not all that bad. This one made me recoil from the tester – it was cheap, strong and repellant. But what do I know? It'll probably be the top seller in the range.
A comment from violetnoir which I somehow managed to delete:
R, I don't even have to read this review to know that this stuff is nasty! A friend of mine recently received it as a present for her birthday. I was curious, so I spritzed some on my left hand. EEEWWWW!!! I had to wash my hand several times to get that stank to go away! Hugs!
LOL — you hated it way more than I did, R. I mostly just thought it was dull. But yes, these modern musks are near impossible to remove by normal methods, and I now keep a small jar of liquid Tide under the bathroom sink for just such emergencies
Her stuff is lame at best. The only one of all her perfumes I would ever use is her original one, Glow. Miami Glow and Live and Live something or other are so awful! Love at first Glow – urgh! so mediocre. I don't even need to try this one to know I won't like it.
You hate them more than I do — I thought Miami Glow & Live were both fine for what they were, in other words, I might like them if I liked beachy scents or sweet fruity florals, it just happens that I don't. Live Luxe and Love at First Glow were less impressive, and this one is firmly at the bottom of the barrel. It isn't looking like a good year for celebrity scents so far…
I like both Live and Glow. But how many spins can you do on something that isn't genius in the first place;-)
Just reading “pink musk” made my stomach lurch.
How many spins: apparently, the possibilities are endless
I agree that Miami glow should have been permanent instead of this one… This one isn't abhorrent, but Miami Glow is a lot better. I didn't like it the first time I smelled it, but I tried it another time, and bought a bottle for my grandmother becase I knew she liked coconut… turns out its a very unique fragrance (love the Drakkar Noir-esque dry-down). But I don't think I'll be buying a bottle of Glow After Dark for anybody.
Will be curious to see how it sells, or even more interesting: which sells more, this or Britney's Midnight Fantasy. Have a suspicion it will be Britney just because she is in the news more than J Lo.
Melon is probably the note I hate most in any perfume (now watch SL come up with a Bois de Cantaloupe and force me to reconsider). I'll avoid this one, just as I avoid J.Lo herself.
I quite like Glow, I've never owned it but it sort of reminds me of Anais Anais, but I didn't like Glow After Dark at all. I'm not trying to be bold but when I sprayed it on my wrist it actually smelt a bit like vomit! I haven't smelt the Midnight Fantasy yet but I don't really hold out any hope. My neice likes the original Fantasy and she's only 6!
LOL — Bois de Cantaloupe! Honestly, the fruits in Glow After Dark are pretty indistinct. Just smells like sweet fruit flavors.
I like Glow too, it was well done, and the same goes for the original Fantasy. The follow-ups seem like considerably less attention was paid to the fragrance, and considerably more attention is being paid to the advertising & promotion.
Yes, I think maybe when you are in the age range they are trying to appeal to you may possibly pay more attention to the poster than the fragrance. Not to be rude or anything, but maybe kids are buyibg more into the celebrity than the product itself, and maybe this is taken advantage of sometimes?……….I know thats probably not new thinking or insight but there you go!
Oh, I think that is totally true — and so perhaps it doesn't even matter that so many of these celeb scents smell so very similar!
I too will be interested to see how these sell. I work for a national perfumery chain in oz. Neither Glow after Dark nor Midnight Fantasy has been released here but there is a definite buzz for Glow After Dark, no one seems to be looking forward to Britney's new addition. I did get hold of a sample though, and I think they might be trying to attract slightly older girls/women from the anti-sugar movement.
Ah, interesting. Wonder if it is the same here?
Mixing up esters was part of the mandatory stuff you got to do in high school chemistry. Most of them tended to smell like acetone or gasoline, but you'd also get a few with extremely synthetic-smelling fruit and flower notes. After a class had done that particular ester experiment, the entire school would reek of vomit; the mixture of several different esters always produced a funky synthetic vomit stench. Maybe something like that happened in Glow After Dark on your skin?
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SELL IT TO ME?
Hi Chrissy, I'm not sure who above you're asking, but they may or may not see your note since this is an older article.
This scent is slowly growing on me. When you FIRST spray it, it smells soo good. After like 50 seconds, it starts to smell different
Jennifer has a new perfume coming out called “Desire”
Oh dear, I do hope you're wrong about the name! Anyway there is already a Dunhill Desire, so perhaps they'll sue her and stop her from using it
Robin, where did you read this Glow wouldn't be a limited edition?????
I'm sorry but I don't remember.
Get a bucket…dump a couple cups of coffee in it, rasberry jam, and a big stack of french toast with maple syrup on them…and voila: Jennifer Lopez Glow After Dark. It must be the morning glow you get in a diner, after hitting the bars all night.
Frankly, this is the first J-Lo scent that didn't smell like the fragrance used for toilet paper. I still don't like it. The “Glo” part is, well, more like a searchlight in intensity. Nose-piercing and synthetic, for sure.
Sorry for the *very* late reply, I missed your comment! But agree with all of that
LOL! I rather liked Glow — not terribly interesting, but well done, and thought the same of Miami Glow. This one I didn't like so well.
is it true that a limited edition of glow comes out in fall?
and right after this, next year comes out Desire/ Deseo ??
Sorry, no idea — sounds like you know more about it than I do
Yes, Glow Shimmer comes out in October. Its limited edition. Its supposed to celebrate 5 years of Glow
the limited edition includes glow after dark, too?!
Yes, Glow After Dark is limited edition. I think they stop selling it in Jan. I think Desire comes out in Feb
Can I jump in here among mostly negative reviews and say that I really like this fragrance. I didn't the first time I smelled it, but someone bought it for me as a gift, and after using it, once the obligatory fruits and flowers are out of the way, it dries down to almost a masculine scent. It's very sexy, and I love it. Well done JLo and team!
I agree! When I first smelled it I wasn't Crazy In Love with it either. I looove it now! This is definetly a scent you have to spray on you and not on a piece of paper
Hi nicenin, of course you can! Always good to see an opposing viewpoint, and glad you loved your gift.