Fragrances -Escada - Collection [DISCONTINUED]
elfriede 7/14/2004 12:04:00 AM
I can definitely see the appeal, but on me the tobacco note sticks out too much!--like sticking my nose into a bag of tobacco. Otherwise it is a lovely, unique, warm, slightly powdery, lightly sweet, sexy scent.
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Fragrances -Kenzo - Flower
elfriede 7/3/2004 11:42:00 PM
Doesn't work with my body chemistry--I kept getting whiffs of an acrid note slightly reminiscent of B.O. Otherwise it seemed powdery-clean, somewhat sweet, and very light.
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Fragrances -Bourjois - Soir De Paris (Evening in Paris)
elfriede 7/1/2004 2:49:00 PM
Although it's been reformulated, I still got a definite scent memory of the original, my Granny's favorite. Apologies to the reformulation purists (and I tend to be one of them), but this version probably works better on me than the original would; the original was a floral aldehyde, and this has a powdery vanilla base note--mmm. Fairly light, classic (old-fashioned, even--the damask rose note in particular), sweet, powdery floral. A bit soapy too, but that's OK by me. Feminine, but demurely feminine rather than seductively feminine. Has a very maternal feel to me, but that's possibly because I'm thinking of my grandmother. Here's Jan Moran's take on it: Soir de Paris by Bourjois for Women Year Introduced: 1991 Scent Type: Floral "Once called "the most famous fragrance in the world," Soir de Paris, or "Evening in Paris," was originally created in 1929 by perfumer Ernest Beaux for the French firm of Bourjois. In 1991, Bourjois reintroduced Soir de Paris with a new formulation developed by Chanel perfumers Jacque Polge and François Demachy. Soir de Paris opens with a cool green impression of violet, followed by an expansive rose heart highlighted with jasmine and lilac, and spiked with clover. The finale is a comforting base of sweet vanilla blended with woods of vetiver and cedar. Soir de Paris seems to capture the very soul of Paris, and warms the heart like a romantic evening stroll along the Seine River. Rich and long-lasting, Soir de Paris remains a beloved classic. True to tradition, Soir de Paris is presented in bottles of deep violet-blue. "© - Scent Profile by Jan Moran author Fabulous Fragrances II © 2004 - Update---I have tried the vintage version and must knock off a point from the current version--the composition and quality of the ingredients were much better than in the current version. The original had more opulence and depth, and I find I prefer the base notes without that vanilla!
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Fragrances -Chanel - Allure for women
elfriede 6/22/2004 1:45:00 PM
Phew! Don't like this synthetic floral accord ("transparent" magnolia and water lily) at all on me! Smells a lot better on a tissue.
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Fragrances -Guerlain - Purple Fantasy
elfriede 6/18/2004 10:19:00 PM
I received a sample of Purple Fantasy from a generous swapper and put off sampling it because I REALLY disliked Mahora, which also has a coconut note. But the coconut was lovely and subtle and melded beautifully with the woody notes. To my surprise, it was the orange note that didn't work--I usually love orange, but here it was very tart and stung my nose and throat a little bit. The jasmine also seemed more like a cheaper type of jasmine than I would have expected from Guerlain. Other reviewers have compared this to other Guerlain fragrances, but it reminds me of J'Adore. The notes are different but the combination is similar--a plummy, velvety, fruity, woody floral. This is much more interesting and complex than J'Adore. If not for that tart orange sting it would be a keeper.
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Fragrances -Jean Patou - Joy
elfriede 6/17/2004 1:57:00 PM
I've used the Eau de Toilette, which is very rich and long-lasting for a floral. I adore these exquisite florals (equal parts rose and jasmine to my nose), but the starchy aldehydes in the top notes are problematic for me--harsh and dusty--as I'm becoming more sensitive to some aldehydes as I get older, I'm sadly giving up on this one. Joy smells best to me in spring and summer--in cool weather it becomes sharp.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Madini
elfriede 6/15/2004 11:36:00 PM
These scents are marvellous, fresh, complex, and rich, and develop wonderfully on the skin. HENNA: (soloflore) MUAers have described this as clean--I get that, but also find it a second-skin scent. It's delicate, rich (almost oily), and warm--I feel warmth in the back of my throat when I sniff my skin. It reminds me of the sweet caramel scent of a baby's head. Becomes a bit powdery in the late drydown. MIRAGE: (sweet spicy citrus-floral) goes on strong but settles down after the first 10-20 minutes and continues to gently evolve on the skin over the next three hours. Starts with fresh citrus and green notes, then green *floral* notes kick in--honeysuckle and gardenia?--very fresh, heady, and springlike, almost sharply so. After 10 minutes it becomes much gentler--cool, sweet, delicate, ethereal floral, reminds me a bit of Hiris but I'm sure the notes are very different--this is sweeter and less earthy. After an hour, gentle, sweet oranges emerged, not tart or bitter at all. Then wood notes--cedar I think, subtly spicy. Occasionally I got what smelled like sweet green grass--not at all harsh or stemmy--and whiffs of warm, sweet henna. Two hours later I got gentle spice--cloves I think. This is where it finally seems to settle down--sweet gentle floral with orange, spice, green, and woody accents. NOOR: Noor is a very gentle and comforting floral with herbal (chamomile), fruity, and woody notes. [NOTE--this one was discontinued sometime in 2006.] Smells like honey in the vial. On my skin, chamomile stands out first and persists through the drydown. Gentle, sweet, velvet-powdery floral notes emerge next. There seem to be green notes as well, but so subtle, like late spring on a sunny day when the air smells green and sweet. I keep thinking of being outside in a meadow even though I'm inside breathing filtered air. Lovely powdery sandalwood in the base notes.
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Fragrances -Molinard - Molinard de Molinard
elfriede 6/13/2004 2:31:00 PM
I found the green notes too persistent--very stemmy green notes that lasted about four hours. Otherwise, this has a lot to recommend it. It seems dressy to me, but is neither stuffy nor stiff. I love these delicate fruit notes, the strawberry in particular. The incense and sweet wood notes are fascinating. I'm sure this would have grown on me in a big way if not for the stemmy notes.
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Fragrances -Lanvin - Eclat D'Arpege
elfriede 6/11/2004 11:42:00 PM
I was also reminded of air freshener. Powerfully fruity, very diffusive. Thick, tangy peach dominates the floral notes. Seems artificially "fresh." Lasts over a day on me.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Nanette Lepore
elfriede 6/10/2004 11:18:00 PM
As I sniff my arm, the scent seems to jump back and forth between nose-tweakingly tart and powdery-sweet. This scent reminds me of a brand of bubble bath I had as a kid--don't remember which, only that it was pink. The peach note is very pretty.
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Fragrances -Ormonde Jayne - Frangipani Absolute
elfriede 6/10/2004 11:00:00 PM
It's a sad quirk of my chemistry that many florals turn sharp on me. I tried wearing this another day, hoping it was something I ate that made it so sharp the first time, but alas! that nose-tweaking sharpness reappeared. Other than that sharpness, this is gorgeous, fresh, moist--not a powdery note to be found here. The base notes, which still linger at the end of the day, are beautifully soft, with a lovely whisper of vanilla.
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Fragrances -Salvatore Ferragamo - Salvatore Ferragamo Pour Femme EDP
elfriede 6/9/2004 12:38:00 PM
Starts out green, with a hint of piquant citrus and neroli. Dries down fresh & clean, but the floral notes seem too subdued (and fade too soon) and the woody notes seem to be nonexistent. Pepper and (non-sweet) raspberry notes dominate the drydown.
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Fragrances -Bulgari - Green Tea
elfriede 6/7/2004 11:34:00 PM
The hefty dose of cardamom in the Extreme makes it seem more masculine than the Eau Parfumee (the regular green tea fragrance). It's more spicy/peppery and less floral. This seems like it would smell good on a man--I like it on me, too (love cardamom). I also smell more green tea in this than I do in the Eau Parfumee.
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Fragrances -Bulgari - Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert
elfriede 6/7/2004 11:23:00 PM
To my nose, this is more feminine than other unisex citrus colognes, possibly because of the rose and jasmine. Very refreshing, subtle, clean, crisp. I wasn't sure about the pepper at first, but it has grown on me. Much better sprayed on rather than dabbed (as from a sample vial)--dabbed on, it can become unpleasantly sharp. UPDATE: as others have said, this scent must be very fresh and has a short shelf life--the citrus notes don't hold up well over time. If I repurchase, it will be a new bottle, boxed and sealed. Maybe I'll pick up a mini next summer.
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Fragrances -Tiffany - Tiffany
elfriede 6/3/2004 10:57:00 PM
Heavy & too sweet at first (pineapple I think), The sickly aspect fades in a minute, thankfully; the fragrance slowly becomes lighter and more powdery as the day goes on but stays too heavy-sweet for me. Very long-lasting (EdP). This seems like it could be very classy on someone else, but it's not for me. Makes me think of a sweet, bosomy aunt who always carries candy in her purse.
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