This is how far behind I am: Paco Rabanne has already got Olympéa Aqua on the perfume counters, and I'm just getting around to reviewing the original Olympéa. I've actually had the sample for a bit, but it's mostly just sat there, waiting while I reviewed other, more likely candidates. The folks over at Paco Rabanne have done a great job of keeping the brand relevant with the youth market, but have not shown much interest, so far, with the not-youth market, which of course includes me, and partly explains why the lack of interest is pretty much mutual. I did review Black XS For Her (way back in 2007) but I skipped Lady Million altogether.
Kevin, however, gamely reviewed Invictus (ugly, he said, and I wholeheartedly concur), so here I go1 with Olympéa, the fragrance for the 'modern day Cleopatra'. As is so often the case with these big designer launches, it took a team of big name perfumers — Loc Dong, Anne Flipo and Dominique Ropion — to put it together. It's advertised as a fresh oriental and as a "a unique fusion between a sensual salted vanilla accord and refreshing floral notes",2 and that's all reasonably accurate. Olympéa starts with a very juicy, very green citrus overlaid with a decent lashing of ginger. It announces its fresh orientation right out of the gate, with vague allusions to Glade and L'Eau d'Issey, but it's otherwise a nice enough start. It sweetens up as the top notes fade, with candied but watery floral notes and then creamy vanilla over a woody musk with salty / solar undertones. It has a summery, almost-beachy feel — neither caramel popcorn nor coconut are listed in the notes, but there are faint strains of either or both, and there's just enough powder to lend a velvety finish to the far dry down.
Verdict: It's just fine. It's reasonably wearable and reasonably pleasant if applied in moderation — despite the fresh and watery notes, it is not really a sheer scent. Not surprisingly, I found it both too sweet and too synthetically fresh for my taste, and in general, it called up modern youth on spring break more than Cleopatra. Still, not bad, and a far cry better than Invictus. If you want something along the same lines, but maybe a little more sophisticated, you might try Calvin Klein Reveal. If you want more fruit and less fresh, you might try Thierry Mugler Womanity.
Paco Rabanne Olympéa is available in 30, 50 and 80 ml Eau de Parfum and in matching body products. (I think there was originally an Extrait as well, but perhaps it is already sold out?) The notes include mandarin, ginger lily, aquatic accord, jasmine, vanilla, cashmere wood, sandalwood and ambergris.
1. Just in time for the upcoming award season, in which I assume Olympéa will be a serious contender.
2. Quote via the Paco Rabanne website.
Today’s analogy: L’Eau d’Issey is to Aparatchick as garlic is to a vampire.
So, with Olympéa thusly ruled out, I need give Womanity a try.
Ha, you are even more behind than I am!
Womanity does not seem to have taken the world by storm — although admittedly I’m assuming that based on the dearth of flankers and collector bottles.
Oh, I’m miles behind. I’ve been meaning to try Womanity because I love fig, and fig is to Aparatchick as dark chocolate is to Robin. 😉
I love fig, and I like salty notes, and I found Womanity no more than “nice enough”. It doesn’t have enough fig.
I wonder what you’d get if you layered Philosykos with Eau de Merveilles — I’ll have to try that!
Now you mention it, Womanity does seem to be a bit washed up. Remember the fuss when it came out – it had a dedicated website an’ all? It was the first time I had seen that so it has stuck in my head. The perfume itself I find vile.
Huge fuss, and huge effort to take off on social media. Don’t think it paid off.
Womanity is to Marjorie Rose as day-old baguette is to a French baker.
LOL!
How interesting that the recommendations for similar scents are Reveal and Womanity. I love both, but have never thought of them as similar. Perhaps I’ll give this a try just to know what the middle ground smells like.
I would not have called them similar either, but they do have things in common, primarily the salt / iodine-ish notes.
I had never heard of Paco Rabanne until recently…..when I got a sample of Black XS from the Perfumed Court. I have to admit that I kind of like it! I wouldn’t seek it out, but if a dirt cheap bottle was located at Marshall’s, it might make it until my shopping buggy! 🙂
It used to be a very popular brand, and they are still doing fashion!
I am curious about this one. Thanks for the review! I think a sample might hit the spot.
Never hurts to try!
I wish Paco would do more interesting fragrances like the original X/S, and Calandre.
I do think that this one, is nicely don’t. It won’t hurt any. But I really do like to see a challenge from this brand (and a lot of other mainstream brands). Bring back the late 90’s-2000 😀
Completely agree!
Just looked up this review because I received a free sample of this from Ulta and tried out this morning. I nearly scrubbed it off because all I could smell at first was cotton candy, but I was curious what the drydown would be like. While it’s still too sweet for me, I almost like the drydown, which does slightly remind me of Womanity. Still, the rest of the sample is going right in the trash. I can’t endure that first hour again.