Estee Lauder • Spellbound • Fragrances

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*TOP REVIEWER* Ruby2003 on 12/13/2006 11:04:00 AM more reviews by Ruby2003

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I cut me teeth on Estee Lauder fragrance, Spellbound in particular. My first foray into a truly woman made scent. Heavy spicy and sexy oriental, I wonder how my 17 year old self pulled it off. This was my first “Signature” fragrance but far to strong to sustain me for long. I realized after the bottle was empty that I was more of a gourmand girl than a spicy oriental. Although I have a miniature to remind me of a once dear scent, like visiting with an old friend. Still wear it in the evening only and when I want to feel sexy!

"It is passionate, thanks to delicate, slightly spicy heart of the composition: orange blossom, daffodil, carnation, cardamom. In the top notes there are rose, citrus and apricot. The base is made of sandalwood, vetiver, vanilla and amber"

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debbrumb1 on 10/15/2006 3:06:00 AM more reviews by debbrumb1

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

Guys love this! I wear it to night clubs when I want to meet men. This and VS Amber something (can't remember the name) the guys flip for! They are both musky and remind me of winter wearing a cream thick turtleneck.

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sardonic_girl on 10/5/2006 11:14:00 AM more reviews by sardonic_girl

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal   Hair: Red   Eyes: Other    

Spellbound has become my signature fall and winter scent. It is not for the faint of heart: it is decidedly spicy, oriental, woody, warm and rich. I definitely detect carnation and clove. In my opinion, it's a warm oriental that doesn't smell "old ladyish." The sharper notes keep it from being strictly cloyingly sweet. I can't quite expalin what it is that makes it so irresistable to me. If you like oriental fragrances, you have got to check this out. I agree with another poster, this definitely smells like something you wear on a romantic autumn evening. Of course, I wear it nearly every day in the cooler months. I hope they never stop making this.

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*TOP REVIEWER* GlamDiva on 6/16/2006 12:41:00 AM more reviews by GlamDiva

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Other, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

Spellbound is a rich fruity floriental
with great sillage. The EDP has a brassy incensy quality that I prefer over Bond9 Chinatown and over Boucheron and VS Rapture. I love a small spray, or a dab of Spellbound lotion in very hot weather. You'd
think it would be too heavy, but Spellbound wears well in the heat and I get surprisingly many
compliments. The heat brings out the fruity part of the floriental and it has good sillage in large spaces then. Man howdy! Spellbound is one rockin' perfume!

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allred on 7/8/2005 12:22:00 AM more reviews by allred

Age: Unknown   Skin: Oily   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I have loved Spellbound for a very long time, and it hasn't lost its mystery. It's the only spicy oriental that I really like. Cloves, soft peach/orange, carnations, a little rose, and it lasts all night on my skin. My husband is always happy to smell it on my neck too. It always reminds me of autumn nights, but not in a heavy-handed way; it's wonderful.
Update: I'm still wearing this (for 17 years) and still get enthusiastic, over-the-top compliments from strangers and friends. Every stage of it is so good; top notes, middle and drydown.

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*TOP REVIEWER* MyBuddy on 6/6/2005 8:16:00 AM more reviews by MyBuddy

Age: 44-55   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

Run of the mill quality, yet stands on its own? A little cognitive dissoance there. I'm familiar with tuberose because I've worn Versace Blonde in the past, but I don't detect any in Spellbound, even if there is any. This is not a tuberose-type perfume. I never heard of Pecksniffs and I don't drive a car that resembles an insect. But I can tell you that Spellbound has been around since the 1990s, and it is a strong sophisticated oriental in the same class as Opium and Cinnabar, with a bit more spice thrown in. It is for a dramatic woman who knows what she wants. Not for the faint of heart.

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sands1974 on 5/5/2005 5:35:00 AM more reviews by sands1974

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

Despite IMO poor packaging and at first glance a little run of the mill quality about it, Spellbound is for me quite a stunner. It is sweetly deceptive...to me not as simple as it first appears. The thing about it is that it doesn't smell like other department store scents out there, it seems to stand on it's own. A clove-y, Amber-y resinous quality about it makes it feel syrupy on application, and the lasting power is great. Although I have recently begun to delve into the more rarified niche perfume sector, it's good to know there are some mainstream scents that hold their own and are more easily obtained.
A strange and compelling winner, suggested to me by an SA as a replacement for my beloved La Prairie Original Eau de Parfum.
Layers well with Guerlain's Aroma Allegoria Apaisant...Body chemistry, as with all perfumes, seems to be the determining factor in how this comes across.

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thebev on 3/23/2005 3:43:00 AM more reviews by thebev

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

I LOVE this scent! But let me clarify 2 points... 1:It is very much a "night" scent (eg, not for the office). Very sexy ;). 2:The aroma relies on your body chemistry meaning on some people it smells like Lysol. On others, prepare to be inhaled by him!

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*TOP REVIEWER* Journey03 on 1/16/2005 3:36:00 PM more reviews by Journey03

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Olive, Warm   Hair: Black, Relaxed, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Absolutely HORRIBLE! My MIL wanted this so bad for Christmas, so when my DH and I went to the store shopping for the holidays, we decided to pick this up for her. I was curious to see what it smelled like since she really, REALLY wanted it. I sprayed it only once on my jacket sleeve, and got an instand headache from it. It smelled disgustingly rancid and heavy. Even my DH commented on how gross I smelled. All the way home, I couldn't get that smell away from my nose. My poor Beetle stunk and even though I washed my hands, it lingered on my jacket(yeah, it was my mistake for spraying my JACKET instead of a card!) Will definatly never, ever purchase this (what was my MIL thinking?!?!?) HORRIBLE< YUCK!!

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amethysteyes on 11/2/2004 3:00:00 PM more reviews by amethysteyes

Age: 19-24   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Headache! Sorry but this stuff is right up there with Youth Dew on Lauder's Worst Scent List.

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Avocet on 10/20/2004 5:02:00 PM more reviews by Avocet

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I tried this after having read rave reviews (although I had clearly chosen selective word-blindness about the tuberose notes). I hoped to find a missing jewel, something rare and luscious, dry,sensual,mysterious. the top note of clove was kind of carnation-like but then the tuberose rose up and really dug itself in for the duration.Ghastly if you don't appreciate tuberose, and did you already guess that I don't? It reminded me of what Pecksniffs did to their lovely Classic Chypre - they hurled in top notes of tuberose to give it broader appeal.Hah !!

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acherre on 10/20/2004 1:09:00 PM more reviews by acherre

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

oh YUK! This is the worst thing to frequent my wrist since I don't know when. I was embarrassed to go back to the office wreaking like cheap tramp and scrubbed my wrists vigorously to no avail. I think the only think this fragrance has going for it is enormous strength and disturbingly long lasting power.

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dianakelley on 10/12/2004 7:48:00 PM more reviews by dianakelley

Age: 44-55   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Spellbound is an earthy, organic scent. It's strong but doesn't smell of anything chemical. Like a cedary incense, a bit dark, and very smooth. It is much stronger at first and changes a lot over the 30 minute dry down. Please don't judge it from the bottle. Let it melt into your skin.

I think this is a *love* or *despise* sort of scent. For me - and perhaps for others - an *only* scent. Most scents become chemical (who sprayed the lawn fertilizer??) or amber-powder dinge foul on me. But this blends perfectly into my skin and has become a scent that every man I've been with has said, "Why do you smell so good??" about. Bottom line - my soul mate can't even smell another scent on me without wanting Spellbound again. I've had business colleagues tell me they know I've been in a room because the scent of Spellbound lingered. Try it! If it works for you - it could well be *your* signature scent (year-round - no way it's only for winter) - if it doesn't - apparently you'll know right away.

All I know is - it's the scent that everyone in my life associates with me and I very much hope Estee Lauder never discontinues it! And I wish olfactory adaptation in humans wasn't so adept because I miss the inital *wow* of it now that, after 10 years, it's become a central part of me.

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allureveil on 8/20/2004 4:16:00 PM more reviews by allureveil

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

This is too syrupy for me, and sorry I am about it, too, because if it were a good match for me, it would be everything one could wish for as far as staying power goes. Unfortunately, it stayed and was an embarrassingly bad smell on me, not lovely as on others. It's heavy, so go lightly unless you're very sure!

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*TOP REVIEWER* thalia on 5/31/2004 1:28:00 PM more reviews by thalia

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

Yum. This is fruity in a peach/soft orange kind of way. It has spices too, but again, soft. It's pretty strong, but one or two sprays? Really divine. A get-closer, snuggle scent, warm and soft, with foody elements but not a lollipop-y flatso. Well-crafted and compelling.

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*TOP REVIEWER* sherryba on 4/7/2004 1:38:00 AM more reviews by sherryba

Age: 36-43   Skin: Oily   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

I love this fragrance!...Unfortunately the first day I wore it I got a terrible migraine...I am serious. However, I have worn it several times since and have had no similar reactions. It is strong, but irresistible! I wear it occasionally and get compliments!

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kylah5 on 3/12/2004 1:04:00 PM more reviews by kylah5

Age: 25-29   Skin: Other   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I wore this scent in high school. I always received compliments on it. It is the only one of the EL line that I like. Most Estee Lauder scents are too fruity, sweet, and strong for my liking. Spellbound is a musky oriental with a hint of vanilla.

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*TOP REVIEWER* takemyhusbandplz on 1/3/2004 4:03:00 PM more reviews by takemyhusbandplz

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

I started wearing Spellbound in High school and have continued through college to present. I love the sassy spicy scent. Not to mention I love it when the men I work with say how good it smells! I will be wearing Spellbound for years to come!

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kaylar on 12/30/2003 7:51:00 AM more reviews by kaylar

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

This is a spicy/smoky fragrance. To me, it smelled like mandarin orange and spice, with some smokiness in the drydown. I applied it last night before going to bed, and I thought Spice...orange...smells more like an herbal tea I'd drink than something to wear, but it's OK. As the night went on, though, the spice part became stronger and stronger, and to me, it smelled very like the cinnamon spice carpet sprinkle deodorizer I used to buy till a carpet installer explained (and demonstrated!) that if a person uses carpet sprinkle stuff repeatedly over the months or years, some of that stuff stays in the carpet....And forms a highly successful mold breeding ground. (We're talking mold colonies several inches long, in the mat of carpets vaccuumed twice-weekly.) This morning, the scent had died away to a stale, smoky , faint odor on my wrists-I reapplied, to refresh my memory so I could write a review-and this time, I noticed a sweet (almost sickly sweet) fruit juice-like note, under the clove/spice. This note smells like the pineapple/coconut fragrance added to tanning lotions that have the word "tropical" in their names. Or maybe like Jergen's original scent lotion gone bad. Anyway, I'll probably *wear* this again, but once the bottle is used up, I doubt I'll rebuy.

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Kyahgirl on 10/14/2003 12:15:00 PM more reviews by Kyahgirl

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

This is the only fragrance I've worn to work where men consistenly come into my office and tell me how great I smell. I love the unusual spicy/clove scent.
Unfortunately, my husband told me he's not crazy about it so I put it away. I have lots of others to choose from!

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