Fragrances -Serge Lutens - A La Nuit
chrystelica 4/28/2010 1:02:00 PM
Although I don't consider myself a huge jasmine fan in perfume, this one is amazing. The topnotes and initial smell is a bit acrid and sharp, but about 20 minutes later, it smells fantastic. This is definitely a feel-good scent. It is truly remarkable. I get nothing other than jasmine, but it is a beautiful jasmine. Very feminine and voluptuous. This is one of my favorite scents already (top 3 for sure), and I am quickly going through my 5 mL sample and will have to spring for a full bottle in the near future!! So glad this is in the export line. I get definite cravings to wear this beautiful, rich jasmine....
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Guerlain - Attrape-Coeur
chrystelica 4/28/2010 10:58:00 AM
When I first apply this perfume, it has a similarity to the scent of the pressed powder Guerlain meteorites, to my nose. I get rose and violet accord, maybe I could stretch my imagination and think it is iris, under suggestion, but mostly it is a cosmetic powder scent, not one of a perfume per se. The mid-notes are actually completely non-existant to me!! I never have trouble smelling things, so this is highly unusual for me. It dries down to nothing on my skin. Hours later, a faintly present base emerges. I can smell the amber coming out of nowhere, but it is so slight, it is just a skin scent, only discernable if I put my nose up to my wrist. The last lingering remnants of this perfume are very nice, but not strong enough. It actually smells exactly like some scented pencils I had back in the 80s that were sold at a teacher's supply store. The artificial strawberry scent, perhaps. It is almost fruity-sweet smelling on my skin, very maternal, mature, like a friendly woman in her late 30s would wear this. It is a very basic, friendly, non-offenstive, teacher-like scent. Sadly, I don't get anything incredibly beautiful from this, and while it is decently nice, it's not wonderful how I can't smell it for the majority of the time on my skin (maybe it blends too well with my natural scent?) Either way, it doesn't justify the whopping price tag, in my mind, and I'll probably finish my sample, I may pass it on, either way it won't be a huge loss in my mind and I doubt I'll miss it, although it is certainly nice.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Pilar & Lucy - the exact friction of stars
chrystelica 4/25/2010 11:47:00 AM
Yes- as much as I love the scent of vanilla candles whent they're burning, this fake vanillin makes me smell like a burning vanilla candle. EXACTLY like a burning, warm vanilla candle. Where is the wax? Why would anyone want to smell like a candle? YUCK. Smells like it will be hard to wash off too. =p
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Jean Desprez Bal a Versailles
chrystelica 4/24/2010 9:57:00 AM
This is a review for the parfum. Although I don't totally hate this (I'm not washing it off, there is something semi-likeable about it)-- does anyone else get Avon's Skin So Soft from this? There is a bug spray overtone to this scent I can't seem to get past. That being said, there is an animalic undertone that I do enjoy in this perfume. If the top notes were nonexistant, I would probably love it. If I could compare this animal to L'air du Rien, I'd say it's a bigger, messier, dirtier cat with huge balls. Maybe even a raccoon.... On second thought, forget the cat, this is more accurately a feral skunk. When I smell it in the air around me, I enjoy this smell. However, when I sniff my wrists, or even get close to them, the similarity to SSS is just not doing it for me. It's like how cats seem very interested in a scent, then they get close and sniff and their whiskers go up and they make that scrunchy face and recoil. (Great description, I know). That's what I'm feelin here. I don't get orange blossom, violet, floral anything, spice, Oriental, none of that-- just some civety, perfumey, synthetic old-fashioned vintage grandma-diva scent mixed in with Skin-So-Soft!! The civety-goodness changes to a distinct fecal/ slight halitosis aroma 20 minutes later on my skin, with the top note of Skin So Soft. I bet this repels mosquitos. EDIT: I'm glad I waited an hour on this one-- it has morphed into a beautiful gem of an animalic on me. The bug spray odor is gone. The perfumey vintage smell is gone. It's like an animal that just snuggled up and went to sleep. Now it smells good!!! Not powdery, floral, Oriental at ALL, though-- this is a straight up animalic on me, nothing else!!! Very pretty at this point!! By no means is this weak, you will surely smell it, but it isn't overpowering like some can be, which is definitely a plus. There is an addictive quality about this fragrance, and it is unforgettable. I have regular cravings to wear this scent, nevermind the top notes!! The mid- to base notes are worth the wait. ***EDIT*** I name the EDC 5 stars, the parfum was too strong for me. I *-love-* the EDC though, but it is fleeting, and I don't get a strong note of oily, fecal civet but it is toned down enough to have a hint of that and be still a skanky Oriental. I have to try the EDT next to see if I still like it as much as the EDC, and hopefully it will last longer. Will update later.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Solange Azagury Partridge Stoned
chrystelica 4/23/2010 11:54:00 AM
OK, despite the packaging, (and the name, which is like a joke-- "I just can't wait to get Stoned")....I LOVE this scent. I tried a sample and am having a hard time waiting to buy the FB. It is the most beautiful, changing perfume I have smelled to date. Totally non-linear. I do hate the bottle, which is red, and reminds me of the red bumpy phallic-shaped character on Yo Gabba Gabba that looks like Gumby with a full-body STD. When I get this perfume, I will certainly decant it into another bottle so that I don't have to look at it. Initially, it's a gorgeous chypre, a bit fresh and bright. Very lovely, even though I'm turned off by many chypres. Then, about 20 minutes later, it's an entirely different scent. It opens into a sweeter, slightly sparkling aldehydic powder scent, like KM's Loukhoum, but less sweet. If you love vintage powdery scents, this is it!! But then-- about half an hour after that, you get this sexy, stunningly beautiful vanilla skin scent. After that wears on for about another 45 minutes-- you are left with this trail of sweet, wafting musky animalic scent, that changes back and forth from more animalic predominant to vanillic. Gorgeous. It is like some type of philosopher's stone or amazing feat in chemistry. A must-try for every perfumista. You haven't experienced what perfume can do on the skin until you've tried this!!!!! Stunningly gorgeous, sexy and voluptuous. Everything you'd want in a fragrance, packed into one bottle.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Acqua di Parma - Iris Nobile
chrystelica 4/23/2010 11:45:00 AM
Very, very beautiful. The citrus opening is not incredibly so, just enough to give an uplift but not shocking. It has an airy, breezy quality initially and also throughout. The iris is definitely the focus-- I do not even detect the anise, which I'm not a huge fan of, nor the orange blossom. Initially it is round, juicy, ripe, like a fruit, but a floral. As if you could eat a fruit salad of these flowers and it would be delicious..... The mid-notes seem to turn slightly musty on me, which makes it seem softer and inviting. I mean this in the best way possible. Like you could lay down on a bed of softly purple irises and cover yourself in them. It almost turns slightly animalic, which I'm loving too. Exceptionally gorgeous-- this is the first perfume with an iris/ orris note that has worked on me. It is fantastic...
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - La Via del Profumo "African Night"
chrystelica 4/18/2010 5:34:00 PM
I get mostly ylang from this. Very essential-oil smelling. I used to wear ylang ylang essential oils and do steam therapy for my face with this. Only undertones of rosewood emerge from the huge onslaught of ylang.... it doesn't last long, it has a "fresh, green" quality that doesn't open up or dry down to anything. That being said, I enjoy this scent, because I do like ylang ylang, but since I get little else, and it feels like an essential oil to me, it really doesn't seem special to me. I received this as a sample with my order from Profumo.it. If you love ylang ylang and are looking for something that will relax you to such a degree that you feel like sleeping constantly throughout the day, here it is!! It would probably be a nice fragrance to go to sleep wearing, it is very soporific and calming. Something about the quality of this fragrance feels cold, damp, like it is a cool night and you just got out of the shower. The ylang has that "fresh" quality, like covered in cold dew. It makes me really want to take a nap. Badly!!!!
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Fragrances -Yves Saint Laurent - Y
chrystelica 4/16/2010 8:57:00 PM
Mixed feelings on this one. If you're in the mood for a heavy, old-fashioned chypre, look no further. It is strong on the oakmoss, yet still light enough to wear on a warm day and not feel too overbearing. However, it does have that very perfumey, almost "old lady" kind of smell (that, I know, is not a good term to use on here). If you'll excuse my saying that, overall it is a lovely fragrance, a 'blast from the past' sort of feel. There is something likeable about this one. Something almost mysterious. It is kind of nice, I will probably wear it again.....
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Fragrances -Hermes - Hermessence Vanille Galante
chrystelica 4/11/2010 11:11:00 AM
This is AMAZING. It reminds me exactly of the freshly blossoming honeysuckles my grandma used to have growing in her backyard in North Florida. Also reminds me of when I was little, sitting outside next to a bush of yellow jasmine in my neighbor's yard, just so I could be outside in the sun and the breeze, smelling the flowers all day. It is perfect----- this could never be too strong, it smells real, like I am there. I am transported to that perfect place, back in time, all the memories are coming back because it is so real. The essence of this memory for me is captured perfectly in this scent. The honeysuckle is wafting to my face in the breeze, I am smelling a fresh yellow jasmine- but it is captured in reality- this does not smell like a perfume, it smells like I am enveloped in a warm, breezy garden. Completely blown away. I get no vanilla, lilies, nothing like notes or scent or perfume. I am just taken back to this place. I was searching for this for SO long. Maybe my entire life. Wow. Unbelieveable!!!! I already bought the full bottle unsniffed, I was a little uncertain, but now I realize this is heaven in a bottle for me. Maybe my grandma is looking down on me right now enjoying this and smiling.
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Keiko Mecheri - Loukhoum du Soir
chrystelica 4/10/2010 11:08:00 PM
Notes: Rose absolute, Wardia rose, oud, patchouli, white almond, vanilla Madagascar absolute, tonka bean, benzoin This is a very unique fragrance. It is smouldering, powdery and quite sweet, although not a strict gourmand. It is too powdery/ incense to be edible. It is more of a smouldering-sweet, like a freshly baked almond baklava coated in confectioner's sugar, next to a lit, flaming rose candle and burning benzoin and oud incense. The overall effect is sexy, flirtatious. The rose is dusted with several layers of soft, deep powder like snowfall, inlaid in a strong, dark base of incensy aoud. It is warm and ravishing, would be great for winter. Quite beautiful, I couldn't stop smelling my wrist. Even though it is a bit to sweet for my tastes now, I might just grow to love this one and have to break down and buy a full bottle. It's just that lovely. Perfect evening fragrance for a date or going out..... neither of which I do more than once a year anymore =)
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Histoires de Parfums- Tubereuse 3 Animale
chrystelica 4/10/2010 10:48:00 PM
Notes: tuberose, neroli, and kumquat; a heart of tuberose, aromatics, and plum; and a base of tuberose, blond tobacco, and immortelle I wish I enjoyed this more!! But I do NOT. I am a big fan of tuberose, and this, to me, smells fake. It smells too mature, over-ripe, too sweet. In a word, obnoxious. I did not like the wafts of this I kept getting all day. It smelled too middle-aged woman with conventional values. How could I get that from a perfume? I couldn't even discern any notes, other than a cloying, fake sweetness. Will not be trying this again. I hope I like Virginale, because Capriceuse was a scrubber on me too.
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Fragrances -Caron - Or et Noir
chrystelica 4/8/2010 10:17:00 AM
This unfolds a bit bright on me, due to the chypre. It does turn soapy, but simultaneously retains the full, rich oiliness of the roses without being overpowering. The middle and base notes are evident in the beginning, it must be the geranium that I'm getting, but it adds a green sharpness to the rose. A friend mentioned to me she couldn't take the 'seriousness' of this perfume, and I will admit, it is hard to find particularly agreeable, but at the same time I don't find it disagreeable. I'm having a hard time deciding if I like or dislike this one. It is very well crafted, and it is nice, but it probably isn't me. Caron's Tuberose didn't work on me either, the spiciness of the classic Carons just aren't completely to my taste. This is still better, but I am just OK with it, wavering one way and then another. It has a definite beauty, nonetheless, and I prefer it to the Caron Tuberose. I would give this a 4, if I weren't so turned off by the sharp soapiness that makes my eyes want to water when I put my nose to my wrist.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Profumo.it- Rose Heart
chrystelica 4/8/2010 9:52:00 AM
This is a subtle, spicy damask rose, made from the absolute. It feels comfortable to wear, because it feels light and not artificial at all. That being said, this is not a typical perfume, it is an absolute formulated into a perfume. It is great to go to sleep wearing, I found it soothing, comforting and slept wonderfully. After the drydown the next morning, I notice that it smells like a newborn baby on my skin. It is a very surprising scent, because I haven't smelled that in awhile. I wonder how it could exactly mimic the scent of a newborn baby. It is rather odd, but somewhat likeable.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Profumo.it- Mecca Balsam
chrystelica 4/8/2010 9:45:00 AM
Notes: tonka, Arabic frankincense, labdanum, raw tobacco, Indian tuberose and Damask rose I assumed I would like this one, which is always the case when I absolutely hate something =) Upon first application, it smelled of fir, or some type of pine balsam. Immediately it grew into a very familiar smell, one that did NOT in any way smell like a perfume on me. It smelled like dinner. From about a week ago. On me, it smelled exactly like this "red chicken in asian-spiced broth" I made a few days ago. It used a sauce made of chicken stock, soy sauce, cinnamon stick, star anise, ginger and garlic, among other things. While that smelled delicious on a chicken, on me it really smelled gross. I had to wash it off pretty much immediately. I thought for sure this one was going to be beautiful!!
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Memo- Sundance
chrystelica 4/7/2010 9:56:00 AM
In two words: "whoreably whoreable." Total scrubber. Although I love Carnal Flower, Tuberose Criminelle and Profumo.it's Tuberose, I still want to try others out there. This makes me not want to try any more. It is cheap-smelling, fake, I'm sure uses artificial ingredients (fake tuberose, probably fake pear too). Smells like Mahora again. I'm amazed how many dupes there are of this fake, cheap tuberose. Whore-endous!!! Extremely oversweet and cloying, like a desperate prostitute. Better scrub this off before another migraine comes on.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No