Fragrances -Guerlain - Apres l'Ondee 
DrDorothy 12/14/2011 12:45:00 AM
This is the only fragrance I've met that legitimately breaks my heart; it's also--to date--the only fragrance that has made me feel ravished at the first sniff. Is it stupid to be almost moved to tears by a smell? Apres L'Ondee is pure beauty: damp violets, delicate, transparent, a trifle melancholy. It's like Monet or Debussy for your nose (stealing the latter comparison from Luca Turin because it's apt). It's also fleeting. Only the EdT is in production, and even that is hard to find. Plus, the smell vanishes within half an hour of (generous) application. That's why it breaks my heart. It's the most beautiful perfume I have ever smelled in my life. Not the greatest, not the most interesting or complex, just the most beautiful. And I can't afford it, because even if I did shell out the cash for a whole bottle, it would vanish in no time. I can't justify it :( If you have bottomless pockets, then I congratulate you; buy gallons of this stuff and go swimming, because that's what it'll take. Guerlain--bring back the parfum, if you have any mercy!
12 out of 12 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Sa Majesté la Rose
DrDorothy 12/2/2011 2:18:00 PM
Well, the juice looks like pee, but it does smell pretty. Like pure, fresh rose. And...that's it. Straightforward, linear, greenish, garden rose. There's nothing wrong with that, but I feel morally bound to say that you can get pretty much the same thing--a plain, pretty rose perfume--for a tenth of the cost if you buy Tea Rose by The Perfumer's Workshop. Sa Majeste isn't worth the money, in my opinion, especially because it fades completely on my skin after only a couple of hours. (Gotta give SL props for the great name, though.)
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Fragrances -Coty - Lady Stetson 
DrDorothy 12/1/2011 11:03:00 PM
Would I buy it again? Sure, why not? It's $5 at Wal-Mart. I wore it all summer long with a smile on my face. I'm not the world's biggest fan of aldehydic florals. Chanel No. 5 has never worked for me. But Lady Stetson is so upbeat and cheerful, and she turns into such a pretty peach at the end of the day, after an initial blast of aldehydes that doesn't last too long for me to bear. She's got far more lasting power than many fragrances that cost 20 times as much. Who could resist smelling so good? And at that price, why would you bother?
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Bulgari - Black
DrDorothy 12/1/2011 10:57:00 PM
Stop panicking--it's not being discontinued. Unless "discontinued" means "still being sold at Sephora, Off 5th, Bulgari's own website, and who knows where else." On to the good stuff. Black is a masterpiece, and it's truly unisex. It doesn't depend on your naughty bits, it depends on your personality, and it's definitely not for everyone. Yes, it opens with burned rubber and ends with vanilla. I also find it spicy and very warm. Black dares me to wear it with a cute floral dress and pearls, just for the sake of contrast, but somehow I always put it on when I don a business suit instead. It's assertive. It's not like anything else I've ever tried, and there are days when nothing else will do. Highly recommended.
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Cartier - Delices
DrDorothy 12/1/2011 10:48:00 PM
Bottle: 5 stars. It's gorgeous and I enjoy having it on my shelf. Which is all I have to console myself with, considering the actual smell. Fragrance: Ick. I've had it on for 30 minutes now, and I can safely say that this smells like cherry cough syrup--one of those that's sweet and gag-worthy at the same time. Seems like Cartier spent their budget on the packaging. My enormous bottle was a gift and I can't return it, so let this be a lesson to everyone during the holiday shopping season: never buy anyone a full bottle of perfume unless you already know they love it. Sure, it's the thought that counts, but do you really want to give someone something they'll have to PRETEND to like? Note: this review is for the edp.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Tubéreuse Criminelle
DrDorothy 12/1/2011 10:41:00 PM
In general, I suppose I'm not a tuberose kind of gal--Fracas is way too much for me, and Beyond Love is nice and pretty but that's all (certainly not enough to justify the outrageous price tag). Noix de Tubereuse is just a powdery "hmm, whatever." I admit that I haven't yet tried Carnal Flower, which is the other "big one." But I don't really feel compelled to. This is the tuberose for me. I'm ecstatic that it's briefly available in the export line and I snapped up a bottle ASAP--thinking about going for another one before it's gone again. TC, like everyone says, opens with an unpleasant blast, though not as awful as I was led to believe. There's definitely menthol and camphor, and, yes, the faint odor of gasoline (though it's far from overpowering). It really doesn't take long to dry down: 10 minutes on me, max. Then I get an absolutely beautiful white floral. It's not hot or cloying like Fracas, and it's far more interesting than Beyond Love or Noix, perhaps because the menthol fades into a faint wintergreen. This gives the tuberose an edge that never really goes away. Tubereuse Criminelle should definitely appeal to real lovers of tuberose, since the flower is unmistakeably in there. It's also great for unbelievers like me, as well as anyone else who appreciates unusual fragrances. Get it while you can!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No