After yesterday’s Hannah Montana fiasco, Faith Hill by Faith Hill Parfums is balm to the nostrils. I really like McGraw by Tim McGraw, her husband's first fragrance, and I was hopeful Faith would pull through with something equally well constructed and pleasing to wear. She did. Faith Hill Eau de Toilette has an easygoing elegance that’s hard to beat at twice the price.
Perfumer Caroline Sabas (author of Natori Eau de Parfum and Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy, among others) developed Faith Hill, and it launched in 2009. Its notes include pink peony, pear, neroli, Southern magnolia, gardenia, jasmine, cashmere skin musk, vetiver and iris. The fragrance’s overall effect is smooth, clean, and silky, with a grown up — but not overly ladylike — air. I can’t pick out Faith Hill’s pear, and its gardenia and jasmine aren’t the buzzy divas they could be, but gently complement the magnolia’s barely tart whipped cream scent. A kitten’s paw of clean-soft musk that reminds me of Donna Karan Cashmere Mist cushions the fragrance.
Faith Hill doesn’t break new ground scent-wise, but it doesn’t pander to trends, either. Faith Hill isn’t about making a statement. It’s a graceful, unobtrusive fragrance that could most simply be described as “pretty.” I bet a lot of people who generally don’t like perfume would get along well with Faith Hill. People who generally favor more assertive fragrances might appreciate Faith Hill for their lounging-on-the-couch days when they want comfort that isn’t drenched in amber, vanilla, or sandalwood.
Faith Hill reminds me of the value of the nicely made background fragrance, the perfume that plays a supporting role instead of grabbing the microphone. I can’t say I love Faith Hill, but I don’t think the fragrance is about inspiring passion. It’s more like the cashmere cardigan you keep handy on a hook in your closet to pull on without thinking, the sweater that one day you realize is sprouting holes because you’ve worn the heck out of it without even paying attention.
Faith Hill’s downside is that it’s a quiet fragrance that stays very close to the skin after the first half hour or so. Then again, this could be seen as a benefit. No one will turn his nose up at your sillage, and you don’t have to worry about overdoing it with the spritzer. You can rest assured knowing that the people you’re with may not pick out your fragrance right away, but they’ll notice something warm, fresh, and welcoming about you.
Faith Hill Eau de Toilette is available in 15 ml, 30 ml, and 50 ml sizes. It’s available at drugstores, un-fancy department stores, and online discounters at prices ranging from $7.50 to $31 depending on the size and where you buy it.
i had to laugh at “un-fancy department stores”
I couldn’t think of a way to say it without sounding too snobbish!
I’m so glad your nostrils have been comforted by Faith Hill, Angela. They deserve it! The ad is elegant and inoffensive which sounds like a nice match to the scent. Pear makes me nervous so I am glad to see that you can’t discern it. Next time I am back home visiting I will have to sniff this at the un-fancy department store known in my circle as ‘Tarjhaaayy dahling’.
Yes, Faith Hill is a good one on the heels of Hannah Montana. Besides chez Target, I’ve also heard it’s available at Madame Kohl’s.
Wonderful to hear that you were able to sooth your nostrils, Angela. From you description, Faith Hill sounds like the type of scents the average person would wear to work or school. Inoffensive, pleasant, yet incredibly boring.
Loved that you called yesterday’s entry of Hannah Montana a fiasco. Fiasco, it truly was. Though, it was nice reading everyone’s passionate responses on their discovery of perfume. Who would have ever thought such passion was born from such a hilarious “perfume”?
Faith Hill definitely isn’t exciting, yet I’m not sure I would call it boring–it’s kind of hard to explain. It’s pretty and soothing. And, yes, it would be perfect for school or work!
I love it when a post like the one yesterday sparks lots of stories and memories–like yours!
I tested this at the Walgreen’s near my house last winter: one good spritzola from the tester lasted (much to my regret) six hours.
I usually do quite well with white florals – either gentle or take-no-prisoners – but this one was both high-pitched and harsh on me, all crazy cleaning lady with her eyes bugged out and tripping on too many chemical fumes, screeching something about CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN. Hideous. Hideous. I mean, people actually recoiled from me.
I suppose it’s possible that the store tester may have been off. Maybe.
Oh no! Was the original Faith Hill and not one of the other Faith Hills? This one was clean on me, too, but not laundry soap clean, and, thankfully, not screechy at all. It was pretty soft, actually, once the initial alcohol wore off. I’m sorry it was such a scrubber!
Yes, the original. I did go back and test True at a later date, and it was less screechy but lasted about two hours.
I haven’t tried any of the others, although I’m curious about Soul2Soul (despite the silly name).
‘all crazy cleaning lady with her eyes bugged out and tripping on too many chemical fumes’
um, sounds like me when I try do cleaning…wonderful – must try!
That’s hilarious!
That sounds like me too especially after the skunk incident last weekend. Lol.
Uh oh. I have a suspicion there’s a good story here.
5am. 3 dogs. 1 skunk. The skunk won and my whippet Mel finally lived up to his nickname Smelly Melly. He was wearing the natural Secretions Magnifique and I’ve been a crazy cleaning lady ever since.
Oh no! That sounds like a funny (and very sad) cartoon! I hope Smelly Melly knows now not to mess with Mr. Skunk.
After reading this review and knowing that I like many of the same scents as Angela, I scored a bottle on evil bay for $3.99. Now after reading Mals’ comments on it, I’m wondering if I wasted four bucks. At least it was only 4. Couldn’t resist at that price.
That’s a terrific price, true! Well, I hope your experience is closer to mine than mals. Be sure to report back.
Nice review, Angela. I’m intrigued! One of the Caroline Sabas perfumes you mentioned, Natori, feels a lot to me in spirit like the way you describe Faith Hill. I thought cashmere and finely milled imported soap when I first smelled Natori, and it is just elegant, perfect comfort in a bottle. I also quite like and own some Midnight Fantasy. *cough cough*
So far, the only country musician’s fragrance I’ve tried is Phoenix by Keith Urban and while I originally bought it for Mr. Ab. Scent, I wear it too. It’s splendid in cool weather and really smells like it cost more than it actually does.
Would you say there’s something of Britney Spear’s Curious in this? That is still one of my fave celebrity scents were I forced to choose. It came to my mind especially with the magnolia and pear.
I’d say Faith Hill is less aldehydic and a little more suede-like than Natori (which I also like a lot, by the way). I haven’t smelled Curious in ages, so I can’t comment on that. Do try the Tim McGraw scent, though, if you get the chance.
Angela, your review brought to mind when my mom called me last year and told me that I wouldn’t believe it, but she bought a bottle of Faith Hill perfume. She also said how pretty she thinks it is and that the bottle is elegant to boot. Unfortunately, I keep forgetting to sniff it when I visit her. Next time I’m in Walgreen’s, I intend to. Cheap thrills are great! I will also check out the Tim McGraw one – I had never heard anything about that one.
That’s so nice! Well, now you know what to get her for Christmas, and it won’t cost you an arm and a leg, either.
Oh, if only! It’s a tradition for me to get mom perfume for Mother’s Day, and it’s *always* the good stuff she requests. My mom is no dummy.
Drat! But then again, I don’t blame her.
I’ve never sniffed this one either. I don’t know why but I always had it in my head that it would be dreadful so I never picked up the tester. I will give it a try next time I see it. It doesn’t sound like something I’d like but you never know.
I end up smelling a lot of things I doubt I’ll like, but that I just want to be familiar with, you know what I mean?
Absolutely. I do that just to try and pick out certain notes in scents. I like to know what people are talking about when they mention different fragrances too.
Exactly! Although I still miss so many fragrances thanks to the gajillion releases every year.
Great review, Angela. I was impressed with Faith Hill’s fragrances (not the way I am impressed with classic Guerlains or the By Kilian’s obviously). They are pretty scents, nonthreatening “wallpaper” fragrances that do not offend, do not seem like knitting needles or crochet hooks up the nose, and are soothing. I do like the one you reviewed better than the second, but I have worn both. I bought both with their body lotions in a gift set from Kohl’s for $4.00. The gift set was on clearance for $13.99 and I had a $10 off coupon. If I grow tired of them, I have a pre-teen niece who loves Faith Hill and the scents. Better these for her than Justin Bieber.
What a terrific deal! It sounds like you and I share the same opinion of Faith Hill (the first one). And yes, you’d be doing your niece and everyone who has to smell her a big favor by passing it along!
I got a 2 bottle box of this at Target for $4.99 if I recall correctly.I get nice safe light floral .Good for wednesday mornings when I’m going to chior practice in the eve(supposed to be scentless then.).
At that price, you can’t lose!
I have to say there’s a massive market for ‘just smells nice’ perfume. For work, the school run, social situations of the choir/PTA variety and -as you said – snuggled on the sofa days.
I currently have bottles of SJP Lovely, Arden’s Blue Grass, DK Cashmere Mist and Sonja Rykiel For Women Not for Men that perform exactly these jobs for me. They are not scents that are going to turn a perfumista’s head with an ‘ooooooh, what’s THAT?!’, but they are cosy, quietly chic and utterly appropriate. I’ll keep an eye open for Faith Hill if she ever crosses the Atlantic.
I agree. Probably at least half the time I want a perfume that is comfortable to wear rather than a real show stopper. Faith Hill totally fits that bill–and so does your list!