This week, we're helping Ammy. Ammy is in her late teens, and she lives in Asia. She wants to find...
...a daily wear perfume that's also an extension of my personality (or rather an extension of who I think I am). Something that's fun and flirty with a wild side that's slightly sultry.
She'd also like something long-lasting but not overbearing, and "sweet without smelling like I was doused in cotton candy". Ammy says she's fussy and rebellious, and she likes to party but still prefers a good book at the end of the day. She wants to be mysterious, but she's very predictable. She likes to dress up, and she wants a perfume "that stands out".
Ammy loves honey, vanilla and cherry blossom notes, but she hates green tea and musk, perfumes that are oceanic, breezy, chocolate-y, overly tropical or feminine or fresh, and any perfume with an alcoholic smell. She also doesn't like perfumes that end up smelling like a garden or food.
Here are some of the perfumes Ammy has tried:
Yves Saint Laurent Elle — too heavy for day wear, but love how long it lasts and how sexy it is without being too girly,
M by Mariah Carey — smelled good, but not very me.
Dior's Miss Dior Cherie — very sweet and feminine.
Be Delicious by DKNY — great for everyday wear, but not really me.
Dior J'adore — plum/peachiness was nice, but its a bit mature.
With Love by Hilary Duff — loved the creaminess and exotic fruitiness, but hated the musk and incense, and too boozy.
Lancome Magnifique and Hypnose — she liked them but got bored of them quickly.
Cherry Blossom by L'Occitane — liked it, but single notes are boring and it doesn't really have any mystery.
Britney Spears Fantasy — didn't like, all I could smell was the sugary sweetness, nothing else at all.
Clinique Happy — not a big fan of citrus, very bland and safe and for a more mature demographic.
Gucci by Gucci — the musk was overpowering and too heavy and mature.
Nina by Nina Ricci — too girly and too young and smelled generic for some reason.
What say you?
Note: image is letter box by leo reynolds at flickr; some rights reserved.
I probably recommend this one too much, but She Wood by D Squared is a beautiful floral that people always ask me about. I don’t smell any wood in it, either. This might be too obvious in an Asian market, but Kenzo winter flowers is really gorgeous, girly, and always gets attention.
Sorry, I meant Lolita Lempicka Forbidden Flower (which isn’t musky on me, but might be on other people).
Thanks for the suggestions! I’m a big fan of D Squared, wasn’t aware that they came out with a perfume line though.
How about MAC Naked Honey? The florals in it give it an interesting depth and it’s not overly sweet. I find it long-wearing too.
Oops, your comment appeared just as I was writing mine — but you even remembered the name!
I’ve heard about Naked Honey for a while, never tried it before. Sounds promising!!!
How about Kenzo Amour, or that MAC honey one that came out recently (limited edition, I think, but probably around somewhere online)? Also, I like how you describe yourself as wanting to be mysterious but actually being very predictable — you’re very self-aware!
Relieved to know my brain is still functioning, Lilydale! Kenzo Amour is another great choice…luv that one.
I second (third?) Kenzo Amour, it has vanilla and cherry blossom, it’s slightly but not too sweet, and not too many people wear it. I used up a whole bottle last winter! I love the rice steam note.
I also love the body milk, it’s very true to the scent and moisturizing but not greasy.
Also Kenzo Amour Indian Holi is great if you want more complexity – rice steam, rose, pink pepper, vanilla, sandalwood, peony and frangipani. It’s very warm and I cannot stop smelling my wrists when I wear it. Good lasting power and sillage too!
I love pink pepper, cherry blossom and vanilla notes. Kenzo Amour sounds really amazing too! So many choices!
Yeah, I’m very very preditable despite my efforts not to be!
Have you tried By Kilian’s Back to Black? It’s quite sweet but not foody, with vanilla and (to me, at least) a strong honey note. There is a very strong “sweet tobacco” scent to it, like pipe tobacco. Definitely not fresh or oceanic or tropical!
Never really smelt a perfume with strong sweet tobacco notes before. Is it very overpowering though?
How about Sensuous by Estee Lauder? If she wanted something with a touch of fruits, a little sweet, warm and cozy, this is it to me.
If the spray is too much, maybe just the lotion would work. It has low to medium sillage and probably last for several hours without being over-powering.
Good suggestion!
Is Sensuous the one with burnt amber and musk notes?
Although it does have some slightly sweet/musk on my skin, it didn’t smell like burnt amber (to me, anyway). It was very smooth and had a nice drydown. I did get quite a few nice compliments on it, and it wasn’t a sillage-monster.
Not much help, but I wondered if Ammy tried GbG in the edp or edt concentration? I didn’t find the edt very musky or heavy *or* very mature; if she tried the edp, the edt might be worth a shot. For one that could either be very right or very, VERY wrong… POTL’s Luctor et Emergo. I think we’re probably evil scent twins, lol, so that’s the best I can come up with.
Love In Black – Creed (tarry violet – funky but nice)
3 – Comme de Garcon (Floral, light, fun but unusual)
Nu EdP – YSL (dry, peppery, floral)
Good Luck Ammy!
Hanae Morae Pink Butterfly(or Blue), or Guerlain Insolence.
Hi Ammy! I absolutely agree that Kenzo Amour is likely to be a winner seeing as you like vanilla and cherry blossom. Also worth a try may be Dior Addict as it is vanilla, with slightly masculine notes whilst still being a very feminine perfume (but it isn’t very fruity and you might find it too mature). And Love in Paris by Nina Ricci is a very nice fruity floral, that is girly but has a personality. Finally, you could try the young ladies’ failsafe perfume of Coco Mademoiselle, but it is ubiquitous and may verge on being too feminine and a bit dull. Good luck
I like all your suggestions, but Coco Mademoiselle is a bit boring though and yes overly feminine.
Ammy, i second the NR Love in Paris – it’s what Miss Dior Cherie only WISHES it could be! absolutely delicious, feminine, sweet and sexy.
I also recommend the Lolita Lempicka, it’s still light, fresh, and feminine, but the violet and aniseed makes it slightly different, will stand out amongst all the similar fruity-citrusy-floral-same-smelling frag’s on the asian market.
believe it or not, Britney Spear’s midnight fantasy is actually very tantalizing yet girly; strawberry, raspberry, and mango for your cherry dreams. it’s indulgent and even fragrance illuminati Chandler Burr highly rates it! http://themoment.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/scent-notes-midnight-fantasy-britney-spears/ I’ve smelled this on grown women as well as teens and it never fails to make my head turn and smile.
And for a stronger, sexier, more mysterious “night” fragrance, Narcisco Rodriguez for her. it drives men CRAZY, in my opinion. just a tiny dab will do it! The Asian market in general tends to stray away from “strong” “musky” scents, deeming them too mature, but NR is so modern and sexy it will change your mind.
How about Etro’s Shaal Nur? It’s got vanilla but in a nonfoodie way. But you gotta love incense… I also love TokyoMilk’s Honey and the Moon; it’s a gorgeous honey fragrance and it lasts like crazy.
Shalimar Light? It has a fresh fruity smell in the beginning that transforms into vanilla without being too foodie.
Guerlain Insolence- The violet and raspberry is heaven. Its a showstoper.
Gucci 2 EDP (pink bottle)- If she like Miss Dior Cherie chances are she’ll this.
MAC Naked Honey- Is a very pretty honey flower scent. It very unique.
Juicy Couture- Although it varies on people.
I do like Miss Dior Cherie, are the notes similiar to Gucci 2? Insolence sounds really good as well. Juicy Couture, what are the notes like?
Gucci 2 edp focuses more on dark plumy berries and has a somewhat asian feel to it, as Miss Dior is more Strawberry….
Juicy Couture is a sweet white floral fragrance… but contains tuberose which sometimes can make or break a perfume…
Go with Insolence if all fails seems like almost everyone is suggesting it…
I totally agree abouth the Guerlain Insolence, but do try the EdP if you can get it. It’s much smoother but watch the sillage with this one a very little goes a long, long way. If you put too much on it can really make you not like the scent. My daughter has completely taken over my bottle now and I agree it suits a younger woman better than it does me. Best of luck with all the choices!
How about Chinatown by Bond N9. It’s got that sweet fruitiness without being too overpowering or smelling like every other generic fruity scent. I just checked the notes to make sure my memory wasn’t deceiving me and there’s vanilla there also.
Awfully pretty bottle too.
I think something tuberose dominant could accomplish all of those things. Tresor, Fracas, Carnal Flower.
How about Narciso Rodriguez For Her? It is warm, spicy, and, in a way, sultry, without being too sweet or overly flowery or fruity.
I second Sensuous by Estee Lauder, which is a soft, woody fragrance, with some gentle notes of honey, but not really sweet. It is good for the everyday purposes. I am not sure it would “stand out,” though, at least not in a way For Her would.
And while you are it, you may check out Badgley Mischka Couture. It is a modern fragrance that I think would fit a young person’s casual style, and it is soft and smooth.
These are all readily available.
Kilian Back to Black might be an interesting choice, too. It is a youngish, modern chypre. On me, though, the fruit notes become quite prominent quickly after application.
Even before I got to the comments section, I started to think of EL Sensuous, so it looks like you have that covered!
Regarding Kenzo Amour–as long as you are trying things along those lines, Bulgari Black is funky in the two-sided serious but fun way. Another fragrance that is similar to BB but without the rubber is Kenzo Vintage Edition Peace. It was limited edition, but I’m pretty sure it is in the online discounters. And for some reason, Guerlain L’Instant has the same vibe for me as Kenzo Amour. That one may be worth a sniff.
Now to get some really interesting stuff–how about Parfumerie Generale? Perhaps Cuir d’Iris or L’Oiseau de Nuit as both are somewhat sweet but well done leather scents that do not violate any of the criteria above
I immediately thought Kenzo Amour, so this must be a try for you Ammy. Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf. I’d also would recommend X by Clive Christian. You may be able to get this on ebay for a decant. This fragrance is definitely a mysterious scent, very beautiful and could definitely be a daytime fragrance.
Thanks for all the suggestions!!!!
how about lolita lempicka L or elizabeth arden sunflowers?
Lolita Lempicka, love the name, what are the notes like?
Elizabeth Arden Sunflower- Didn’t really like it at all, it smelt kinda bland and very safe.
It smells kind of like a vanilla cake with some sweet orangey undertones- not alcoholic at all. My absolute favourite perfume ever.
Lolita Lempicka is a woody oriental with a blast of sweet licorice… it sometimes can read masculine but try it anyways…
Late in responding but Delices by Cartier, which is reviewed here has a dominate note of Cherry. The review is good for a fruity floral.
How about Chloe? Doesn’t it have honey notes?