I’m reviewing the “bookends” of the Ralph Lauren Polo men’s line of fragrances: Polo (1978) and Polo Explorer (2007). Though I’ve bought lots of Ralph Lauren products over the years, everything from paint to jeans to a pair of canary-yellow-and-lime-green cowboy boots (hey, I was 19!), I have only owned (and worn) one Ralph Lauren fragrance: Monogram (1985). I remember Monogram as a quiet, slightly powdery, wood scent with beautiful blue juice. Monogram was suddenly discontinued (some conjecture the blue coloring in the formula caused allergic reactions on skin). Since Monogram, I’ve never been tempted to buy a Ralph Lauren cologne…
Gres Caline Sweet Appeal, Ann Taylor Possibilities ~ new fragrances
Caline Sweet Appeal is the latest fragrance from Grès. The new limited edition follows Caline (2005) and Caline Night (2006), and promises to “make heads turn”.
Caline Sweet Appeal is a floral-chypre-oriental fragrance…
Donna Karan DKNY Delicious Night, Ralph Lauren Polo Explorer ~ new fragrances
Donna Karan will introduce DKNY Delicious Night this October. The “sexy floriental” fragrance…
…opens with frozen pomelo, crushed ginger and a chilled blackberry martini accord. The heart features purple freesia, night-blooming orchids, satin jasmine petals and purple iris. The scent’s drydown is of molten amber, incense, myrrh extract, patchouli and velvet vetiver…
Davidoff Happy Summer, Avon Imari Seduction ~ new fragrances
Davidoff will launch the Happy Summer collection in April…
Juicy Couture fragrance review
Juicy Couture, the first perfume from the Juicy Couture casual-wear line, is to launch early next month. The fragrance was created by perfumer Harry Fremont, and features watermelon, mandarin, pink passionfruit, marigold, green apple, water hyacinth, crushed leaves, tuberose absolute, wild rose, princess lily, caramel crème brulée, vanilla, precious woods and patchouli.
Juicy Couture starts with sweet — make that very sweet — fruits, heavy on the watermelon. As it dries down, the sweetness is cut momentarily by the water hyacinth and a vague touch of green, but it is amped up again as the white florals take the stage, and again later as the caramel and vanilla come into play. The tuberose predominates only for a short time, after that, it smells like indistinct white florals. The base is rather light, at least in the Eau de Parfum concentration, and is painted in tones that are more cool than warm, so despite the sweetness and the caramel crème brulée and vanilla, it does not have the feel of a gourmand scent…