Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - CJ Scents - Sunshine
Mandella 3/7/2013 9:32:00 AM
This really is *such* a comforting scent! The edp is much more than the sum of its parts. Way to go CJ!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Estee Lauder - Knowing
Mandella 3/2/2012 11:54:00 AM
I had trepidation before trying it because it's supposed to be a BIG 90's affair. I heard that one spritz and walk through are more than enough...so I spritzed and waited for a full-on attack. Smelling this fragrance was like walking up to the biggest,nastiest-looking bouncer in a club and being met with Mr.Manners. The juice is powerful, but it is so well blended that you can almost forget it's there. Kudos to Estee for her great nose!
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Laura Biagiotti Venezia
Mandella 2/19/2012 6:57:00 PM
This review is for the original Laura Biagiotti version. It opens with a floral 'bite',I assume, from the wong shi blossom. The florals and oriental notes swirl together until the rich, ambery notes take over in the drydown; the Italian honeyed fruits add to this scent's overall warmth. The smell of the fragrance reminds me of golden crushed velvet; very smooth and plush. Sillage is mediocre but persists 8+ hours after application. I typically still get faint whiffs of this in my hair and on my clothing the next day.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Five Star Fragrance Co. - Royal Secret
Mandella 2/19/2012 4:56:00 PM
This excerpt taken from 'To Kill A Mockingbird' came to my mind the second I inhaled this scent, "Ladies bathed before noon, after their three-o’clock naps, and by nightfall were like soft teacakes with frostings of sweat and sweet talcum. . . . There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, nothing to see outside the boundaries of Maycomb County." Royal Secret is a simple, pungent,and powdery oriental; it's easy to like and suits anyone who has a soft spot for this type of fragrance, little money, and little patience for fruity-floral horrors on the market today.
11 out of 13 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Elizabeth Arden - 5th Avenue
Mandella 12/29/2011 3:33:00 PM
I just browsed through most of the reviews and didn't see where anyone mentioned the reformulation of 5th Avenue. I wore this when it was first launched (96'?) and it was the kind of fragrance that stopped people in their tracks so they could ask what I was wearing. The last time I smelled this it was empty;devoid of the beautiful drydown that trailed for days.I'd love to smell the original.Perhaps I am mistaken.Maybe my olfactory factory has become snobbish.
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Parlux - Jessica Simpson Fancy
Mandella 12/29/2011 3:22:00 PM
From the first time I sniffed this in a magazine ad and had to purchase it (it was being sold at a high end department store then) to the drydown that is wafting from my shirt now, I have had a love for this perfume. Of course the novelty has worn off some, but this is the mini that I carry in my pocketbook. The notes I smell in this are faint fruity florals that agree very well with the warm vanilla, and amber on the bottom. I detect caramel, almond, and peach as they swirl but can't pick out one note from the rest at any given time. I don't have access to many niche fragrances unless I order them unsniffed or wait for generous swappers to send them (Thank you to those who have!) but this perfume will always hold a special place in my fragrance wardrobe.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Guerlain - Habit Rouge
Mandella 12/14/2011 1:01:00 PM
There is beauty in perfumery, and there is je ne sais quoi. Guerlain has an accessibility and "certain something" that most fragrances lack. Habit Rouge is so comforting in it's manner, as are Shalimar and Samsara, that most find them familiar, even on first sniff. This is a fragrance that will never become obsolete; only now do we realize the care that early perfumers took when creating compositions.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Elizabeth Arden - Taylor Swift Wonderstruck
Mandella 11/23/2011 4:54:00 PM
Smelled this on a strip and on my hand while I shopped last week. I can't recall whether the scent was even passable. I'm guessing it's a typical tween dream come true.My 7 year old would probably love to have this for Christmas, but if I remember correctly, the price tag was a little bit inflated. Threw in an extra lippie because the bottle was so darn cute.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Badgley Mischka
Mandella 11/23/2011 4:30:00 PM
Now Smell This: the notes include wild berries, peach, creme de cassis, osmanthus, peony, jasmine, caramel, sandalwood, amber, patchouli and sueded musks. Found this for a steal at TJMaxx, and wasn't completely sold on the scent when I first smelled it. I could cognitively enjoy it but didn't want to wear it on anything more than the back of my hand. The first time I actually wore it, to go on a date, my husband had his nose stuck in my hair all night.:) The more I wore it, the more my heart caught up with my head. It gets heavy rotation now, and the dry down, imo, is seamless. That initial fruity blast is still hidden in the background, and marries beautifully with the base.This is perfume at it's best.
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Katy Perry - Purr
Mandella 11/20/2011 3:33:00 PM
Tried this today for the first time. Both my husband and I agree:Room Freshener!Smells like the brand that came in both spray and carpet deodorizer; perhaps Glade? It's very familiar to me, like one I used in the early 90's. Cute bottle though; that's why this gets any lippies, though the lid kept falling off.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Tocca - Bianca
Mandella 10/29/2011 8:58:00 AM
I have an aversion to tea and rose fragrances, possibly because the quality of these notes in the scents I've sampled was median. However, Bianca is a beautiful tea/rose/lemony scent, very well constructed, and perfect for Spring or Summer. I've received several compliments the few times that I wore it. My reason for purchase? The bottle of course.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Kenzo - Jungle L'Elephant EDP
Mandella 10/29/2011 8:43:00 AM
My first impression upon sniffing was 'Christmas potpourri', but the top notes quickly faded to a warm, spicy, comfort scent. This does have a lot of sillage, but imo it's not enough to scare innocent bystanders. This is a nice winter fragrance, well constructed, and fun spirited. This would make a great scent to dab onto a scarf, as someone else mentioned.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Guerlain - Mitsouko
Mandella 10/27/2011 9:10:00 PM
Ok,I dont really like it.*wincing* Call in the firing squad! Seriously, I've smelled it twice and there was a note that smelled "off" to me. However, this is definitely one that I will try a couple more times before I throw in the towel. **update** Ok, I've had an epiphany. Mitsouko for a novice takes several tries to fully appreciate and, like with any good melody, the hearer has to develop a love for the tune. Wow . I can't wait to see how much more this multi-faceted scent sings for me! Just used the last of my decant and will definitely be hunting for a bottle soon.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Yves Saint Laurent - Cinema
Mandella 10/27/2011 8:49:00 PM
Purchased the edt in a discount store and was pleasantly surprised when I smelled it. Bought sight unsniffed, but Cinema is hard to dislike. In short, it smells of powdery, vanillic mimosa. Most will not be the least bit put off if you wear this to the office. Projection is moderate but wont bowl anyone over. Great fragrance!
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Rochas - Tocade
Mandella 10/27/2011 4:57:00 PM
After reading the review of Tocade in The Guide, and finding it for a steal at a discount store, I bought it without testing first. I remember sitting in the car, because I can never wait until I get home, and spraying some in the box so I could smell it. My first impression was slight repulsion. Since then, I have grown to love it. There's a place in my heart that only Tocade can fill. That initial "plasticky" note gives the fragrance an angle that other typical rose/vanilla frags don't have. Imo, it adds an element of dimension, like the juxtaposition of animalic vs. vanilla notes in Shalimar. I often spray Tocade on the back of my hand, even when I'm in the mood for something else, just so I can smell it throughout the day.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No