Fragrances -Elizabeth Arden - 5th Avenue
stayce 12/1/2012 2:21:00 AM
This is frequently compared to Pleasures, Happy and even (to my nose) Jessica McClintock, but I actually like 5th Avenue better; these other ultra-clean floral fragrances all seem a little too sharp and bright to me. 5th Avenue opens up on a nicely natural-smelling bouquet of prim white flowers: a little lilac, a bunch of lily of the valley, and fresh green stems. The flowery effect blurs a bit and becomes more 'generic clean floral on a soapy-clean musk', but it stays light and pleasant on me throughout the (kind of short to my nose) drydown. I sniffed the body lotion and that seemed richer-smelling and more Big White Floral than the EDT. Also: VERY inexpensive, and I always see it at the big chain discounters.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Guerlain - L'Instant de Guerlain
stayce 11/21/2012 10:11:00 PM
Pretty! A nice, orange blossom-magnolia with a sweet vanillic-honey (but no uric acid) base. I'll probably get a full bottle once it makes its way down through the discounters.
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Fragrances -Bill Blass - Nude
stayce 11/21/2012 10:09:00 PM
The EDC has a lovely, ripe green-skinned pear note and a lot of jasmine up top, and swiftly turns into soapy baby powder (not that I'm complaining). I might try to see if any stronger concentrations of this are still around. Unfortunately, unless I spray it heavily on clothing it pretty much disappears within 30 minutes. It's like the best body spray B&BW never made.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Monyette Paris - Monyette Paris
stayce 11/21/2012 10:07:00 PM
I've never been able to talk myself into $40 for an oil-based roll-on, but maybe I should. This toggles between vanilla sugar, Play-doh, and a soft gardenia-jasmine floral, but I looooove it.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Jennifer Aniston
stayce 11/21/2012 10:00:00 PM
I tried a tester of this at Target. Light, not-very-expensive-smelling jasmine over light, not-very-expensive-smelling clean, flowery musk. It was all right, nothing offensive, but nothing I'd ever particularly want to wear myself.
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Fragrances -Guerlain - L'Heure Bleue
stayce 11/11/2012 9:53:00 PM
Apres l'Ondee's older, melancholic sister. The delicate heliotrope-lilac-anise open feels like a cool evening after, yes, an early spring rain. Then the classic Guerlain vanilla kicks in. Some days this reads as play-doh to my nose, but today was chilly and I was feeling blue, and this was the only scent that could comfort.
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -LUSH - Orange Blossom Perfume
stayce 11/11/2012 3:43:00 PM
I couldn't really smell much from the solid, but both of the liquid perfume strengths start off with a great orange blossom and then quickly burn down to a really pungent, flowery honey scent that also smells strongly of, well, urine. After a while that lightens up and I get a orange blossom-musk, but yikes.
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Fragrances -Estee Lauder - Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia
stayce 11/9/2012 10:44:00 PM
All right, I am officially throwing in the towel on Estee Lauder (except for maybe Private Collection). This is a beautifully done gardenia, and I hate hate hate it. It doesn't have that strong base that many of the old-school Lauder perfumes have, but sadly this is definitely not for me.
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Fragrances -Chanel - No 5 Eau Premiere
stayce 11/9/2012 10:23:00 PM
I guess I'm right in Chanel's target audience, because I would wear this over the traditional No. 5. I notice much less of the aldehydes (not a fan), much more citrus, rose and jasmine, and kind of a coca-cola note. But: I wouldn't buy it in that giant, expensive bottle. If Chanel ever decided to make this and No. 19 EDT in a one-ounce bottle I would snatch them up, but until then I think I may hold off.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Robert Piguet Fragrances - Fracas
stayce 11/9/2012 10:17:00 PM
I've been wearing Fracas for a week, and every day I seem to register something different. For a long time, all I got was Smarties candies. Then on a hot day, it suddenly blossomed into a giant bouquet of tuberose, narcissus, gardenia, every white flower you could think of, and a touch of dirty musk. Tonight I got a weird gasoline-like edge, and it feels kind of thin. I think I would like to own it, but I don't know if I could wear it on the regular. *edit* after trying an armload of big white flower perfumes, I keep coming back to this one. It doesn't tip too far into skanky, honey-urine territory, it doesn't get the shrill, sharp note I get with less-expensive gardenia and tuberose perfumes. It's balanced, rounded and radiant.
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Fragrances -Thierry Mugler - Angel
stayce 11/9/2012 10:12:00 PM
I've never met a fragrance that confused me as much as Angel. One tiny spray from a sample vial and I could practically see the halo of Angel's reach, like I'd sprayed radium on my arm. This actually confuses my brain: smells like pine and candy! Smells like a chemical spill! Smells good! Smells bad! Ultimately, I found a tiny drop both enticing and nauseating. The high rating is because I don't run into perfumes that make me think very often. But I don't think I could ever actually wear this.
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Fragrances -Guerlain - Samsara
stayce 11/7/2012 1:46:00 AM
This started off with a very nice (if potent) vanilla-jasmine-tuberose with a hint of spice, but I don't care for the drydown. The vanilla become too sugary and thick and slightly chemical without a lift from the florals or spices. I would believe that it smells good on other people, though.
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Fragrances -Guerlain - La Petite Robe Noire
stayce 11/6/2012 10:10:00 PM
I was intrigued by the notes in this (black cherries, rose, patchouli, tea), but... it smells like Hall's cherry cough drops, and it never really goes away. Every once in a while there's an intriguing hint of tea and smoke and anise, which makes me think this is supposed to be Guerlain's gateway drug for my generation and lead us to bigger and better Guerlainade. Cough drops.
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Fragrances -Chanel - No.19
stayce 8/10/2012 1:06:00 AM
Man, I'm really not getting any of the wire mother/ice queen vibes that other people have written about. The EDT I tried today opens with a nice little whack of galbanum and greens, but no curving talons or icy daggers in sight. Then it quickly smooths out into a very pretty early spring day, a mix of bergamot, hyacinth, narcissus, hay and dirt. After a few hours this is just a wisp of powder on my skin. It feels very similar to Parfum de Nicolai's Le Temps d'une Fete, but with less of whatever made me sneezy. It's really growing on me and might need a bottle to cheer me up when winter comes. I should also note that (as a committed Guerlain girl) Chanel's perfumes strike me as awfully good value. The 3.3 oz EDT I was eyeing was $90. It's not cheap, but compared to so many niche perfumeries it's a bargain. And the parfum is something like $105. $105! Every time I look at what a bottle of L'Heure Bleue parfum would cost me (hint: three times as much) I cry a little.
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Fragrances -Chanel - No.19 Poudre
stayce 8/6/2012 8:01:00 PM
I inadvertently received a sample of this from Nordstrom when I was meaning to try No.19 proper. It opens with a big cloud of rooty iris and then settles into... well, like a surprisingly soft Deep Woods Off. And I usually like green scents! I keep catching whiffs and getting confused, thinking "I didn't put on bug spray today... did I?" No dice.
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