Fragrance Reviews by lookingglass

I was not expecting to like this, but I really kind of do...for summer...and only sometimes. I am not a big citrus and herbs lover in my perfume, but I had to try SJP. This scent goes on green, sour and sharp (kkkkklllchh!), that reminds me of limes, but dries out to a hot, dry amber like Gap White Amber and ever so more of a stretch...SL Meil de Bois, but more green, wearable and refreshing. It dosn't stay green or get too "dirty" like most of the classic "green"s do on me. I think I will buy a bottle in the Spring.

I LOVE this fragrance. I have wanted for so long to find a sophisticated, light, wearable, complex fragrance and this is it. The berry is not overly sweet and combines beautifully with the mimosa and lily of the valley into a soft, powdery scent. It is much like Chanel#15 but with berries and chocolate. Very springy yet oriental. I must have a bottle for Spring and Summer...and whenever I want to be reminded of being a berry faced child running though my grandmother's backyard in my white nightgown.

I tried this one because I love violet and heard it compared to Apres L'Ondee. On me, it is all neroli (a note a loathe) and soap. Not for my chemistry, I am afraid.

This smells like Burberry and Poeme together on me. Not exactly the most innovative scent on the market. It has that fresh, sweet, fruity vanilla floral thing going on.

I got a sample of this scent gifted to me. It starts out with a rubbing alcohol smell, that dries down to a hot ambery wood, then sweet and chemically smelling. Doesn't smell like tuberrose to me.

Fresh, bright honeysuckle. I bought a mini EDP for $1 at an outlet store. I keep it in my purse for "freshening up" a room or just to give myself a lift throughout the day.

Some call Fracas a heavy hitter. On me it is delicate and lovely, but rich and well dressed. I largely get peach and white florals with a nice fresh lift from the green notes. The drydown is so sweet and lovely, clean, and never cloying.

THE oriental! I wear it when I want to feel unstopable. Feels like wearing a suit and red lipstick, even if I'm not. I must always have an EDP of this fragrance. Power in a bottle!

Smells like absinthe with mint and lime. Very refreshing, but not my kind of perfume.

I think this vanilla smells HOT, like Meil de Bois hot...like wood in a sauna. I really like the dry take on vanilla. There are plenty of scents out there that are thick and rich with vanilla. This is like as if my skin were vanilla incense. Divine!!!

This scent reminds me of a slightly classier version of a cheap white musk, which I happen to love but don't wear very often (I prefer to use them as air freshner). It is fairly one dimensional, light, pleasant, with a skin warmth. DH says on a 13 year old girl he would find it appropriate, but not on a woman. I wouldn't go that far. I would wear it if I were ultra casual and I knew company was comming over during the day on the weekend, or to freshen up at the end of a work day if I had to run the kids to ball practice. It would do the "nicey nice" thing very well, but I usually make my frags work harder than that.

I heard several people compare this to SL Bois de Violette (big love of mine), and I like Angel, though I don't wear it b/c it I smell it everywhere and it can be overpowering for others to smell, so I had to try it. Blech! The violet is too sweet and synthetic smelling, mingling immediately with what smells like cumin. Don't get me wrong, I am all for "the funk" in a scent when it is dirty in a sexy way, but this just isn't pleasent on me. The drydown is not the same Angel base I was expecting. It is like a cheap version of Kingdom (and I LIKE Kingdom!) but with violets. Totally not what I was expecting.

I know it is sacreligious but this scent totally smells very much like SL Miel de Bois! Yea for me! Notes are bergamot, amber and incense woods. I got a big ol' 3.5 oz bottle of the ETD for $12, presented in a classy clear glass bottle; the lable has a "niche"-y feel with small typewriter style font and a #. It has a fresh opening but dries down "hot" and smells much more like honey and woods than amber to my nose. This is not a typical sweet white amber. I truly am loving it.

I am not waiting over an hour for the great Chanel drydown. This makes me and DH recoil in disgust. E. Platinum is fakey fresh and yuckie. It does not deserve to share the name of the great and powerful EGOISTE!!!! I am so angry that this is "the" E. that my local department stores and Sephora carry. Gag. I want a man to smell like a deep, sexy intellectural (aka EGOISTE!), not a piece gin soiled metal.

This scent is so sexy, commanding, yet approachable. My favorite on DH, and luckily his, too! The top notes are a warm yet fresh and the creamy, woody drydown is musky but not cloying (like Musc Ravage can be...). It is pure, well bred class...without even trying. It instantly dresses up rock and roll t-shirts and jeans but insists you wear your finest Italian loafers with them. It feels just as comfortable in the boardroom, going out for sushi, or enjoying a romantic evening at home. Everyday, anytime of year...bring it on...

First to review Kadota?! For shame all you forbidden fruit lovers. This is the masterpiece of figs, and it is niche to boot. This is not a sicky sweet, girly, fruity frag. Yes, the fig is ripe and juicy, but the greeness adds lush sophistication, and the depth and heat from the musk adds tons of sex appeal. I thought I would be all over Guerlain's Figue-Iris, but Kadota wins out by a mile. Hot skin cooled by dark juices and a shady green breeze: summer never looked so good.

I recoiled from the sharp citrus topnotes when I first sprayed it on my skin, but I noticed its wonderful sillage on the drydown (while I was conciously trying to avoid smelling it). The magnolia was very distinguished: big, white, and creamy. I thought I smelled a bit of almond in its sweetness, the citrus began to smell more like Southern mimosa, and I was reminded of Champs Elysee. Then it got deeper, sultry, more "Guerlain-aid"-y, very much like Shalimar. It dried out to a consumation of powdered faerie tea cakes, drizzled in musky honey served in a fresh flower. Enchanting and very much worth the 5 minute drydown!

Head notes : citrus honey.
Heart notes : magnolia inclusion.
Base notes : crystalline amber.

Someone said that Insolence is like Apres L'Ondee with nail polish remover. I can see that! Drying out though, the violet quickly disappears, and what I smell is raspberries, very ripe and realistic with even the tiny bitter seeds adding a distinct muskiness. This fragrance is sassy, but far too fruity to be considered sophisticated. I just can't take it seriously. Hours and hours later, I get a faint detection of Apres L'Ondee, like a distant moan saying "How could you doooo this to meeeee.....?". I shake my fist at Guerlain for making AL nearly impossible to find. If you really love Insolence, please just buy AL and wear a raspberry body lotion with it, so Guerlain will see that AL still has an audience!

This is my second favorite pure, true violet, after Serge Lutens Bois de Violet. (I love Apres L'Ondee, but it is in a class of its own...more sweet with the anise...). It is both fresh and green, yet very violety, not too sweet nor too earthy. It is not as complex or deep as the SL, but quite, quite lovely! There are lots of notes listed, but I don't detect them much. There is just enough balance there to keep the violets from getting sour, as they often do on me, that is, if they aren't behaving like bad little gummie bears! I am so sad that this is discontinued! Why, oh why must I fall in love with these unattainables?!

So many tobacco scents smell dry, almost papery to me. I'm thinking specifically right now of Habinita at Jolie Madame, but I know there are many others. Fumerie Turque is nothing like this. It is deep, sweet, thick, and enveloping. It is the scent of the silk lapel of a rich man's smoking jacket (is he wearing MKK?), or the beautiful lady on his lap, sitting in his favorite leather chair, with wafts of the finest cherry tobacco, fresh out of the canister, billowing in the air. Swoon...

I thought I was going to love this. I am all over musk and many heavy hitting fragrances, but this fragrance seemed like a ruined mess to me. I have a general aversion to top notes, especially citrus, and this dearie blasted them out. The sweetness was cloying...it actually stuck in my throat! The muskiness, from the woods and tonka combines, fell a little flat, and seemed a bit nutty,which was not pleasant, reminding me of old, cheap shoes. Their bite got lost in the citrus for me, which seemed to sour on both me and DH.

If you want a dark, sweet musk with no "modern" topnotes, please try BPAL's Snake Oil, MKK, or even, and yes I dare to say it, Coty Wild Musk.

This does not at all live up to the hype. I passed my sample on.

I am completely smitten with this fragrance. It is so ellusive, so beautiful...All other violets fall short in comparison.

Snake Oil is love for me. It starts out almost medicinal, maybe even almondy, but quickly dries down to a deep, dark, spicy, musky vanilla. It has increadible sillage and staying power. I often get complements. Sometimes people think its Shalimar! It is a comfort scent but it also sophisticated enough to wear out to dinner. It is sweeter and more complex that Coty Wild Musk, but I think they are definately cousins. She is my "go to" scent. There is a reason it is the most popular BPAL!!!

This was one of my first "bad girl" fragrances, and my grandmother wore it, too! I wore the oil (stunk up the whole house!) and my GM wore the EDT (nice and powdery, musky, and sweet). I could feel comfortable in this scent anywhere, as I do in many of my sassy granny's frags (Shalimar, Cinnibar, Chantilly). It reminds me of first discovering that I had sex appeal. It can be overt, like if I wear a lot of the oil, making me feel bawdy and flirtatious; or it can be soft and sensual, which is easier to accomplish with the EDT. I'm buying another bottle tomorrow!

I wanted to love this. 'No reason for me not to with every single one of the notes being ones close to my olfactory heart. I thought it was my holy grail and almost bought it blind. BUT... if there were such a thing as violet gummy bears, this would be it. I simply cannot wear it. It's a thick, sweet, sticky, artificial smelling mess on me. I am so sad!

As a BPAL fanatic, the first thing I thought of when I smelled this fragrance was "ALICE!", with its carnation and sweet milky notes. I actually like Bellodia better. It opens very crisp, like carnations fresh out of the florist fridge, but dries out powdery and creamy soft. It feels innocent, in the way that a Victorian woman who has birthed 7 babies is innocent.

I have fallen in love with this perfume. I find it perfect for spring and summer when I want to feel fresh and green. It opens with a sparkling green and dries down to a powdery earthiness, not too sweet, not too "dirty", like vetiver can do on me sometimes. DH says he loves this frag b/c it does not smell like anything else. I think it departs a bit from the Caron "feel", but a favorite of mine nonetheless!

I love Y. It is walking on a woodland path and finding a section lined in honeysuckle. There is a freshness in the air, a stickyness in the humidity, and a heat that brings up the tanginess of the earth and woods. Brilliant.

I tried to love this, but I just don't. Muget, hyacinth, and lily of the valley (? or something very like it), are just not doing it for me. It's a bit too sour, cloying, really. I like the orris and woods part, it is powdery, almost incensy, but overall, I just feel like I am wearing someone else's perfume.

This scent is amazing on my husband. We do not smell jello, hamstercage, celery, or bug spray. It does not have a sharp blast of pine or herbs that I was wary of. If anything, it is the northern, wooded, more masculine version of Chergui.

The forest notes are amazingly natural, both light and deeply fresh, blending seamlessly with ambery spice and the hot honey SL note that we love so very, very much. It is like no other, and everything that we were looking for in a fragrance for my DH.

A fairytale of a fragrance, indeed: mysterious...timeless. Bravo!

I just don't love this one like I thought I would. Ah...the search for the most wearable tuberose continues for me.

It reminds me of Children's Motrin, the liquid, at first. Fruity...pleasent. The tuberose and vanilla make a nice enterance in the drydown, but it is very soft, close to the skin, and the whole composition seems to sit very flat on me. The spice remains for quite a while. Pleasent...I will keep my sample and wear it casually. It just dosn't have the ooomph or sex appeal that I am demanding of my fragrances lately.

Notes are listed as:
black currant bud, peach blossom, jasmine, tuberose, vanilla, tonka bean, Yemenese incense

I tried this before I knew I liked chypres, so it is like a gateway fragrance for me. I tend to dislike topnotes in general, as many tend to be overly citrusy, fake, or just too "loud". AM was none of those things. I found that is was a very interesting mixture of fresh, floral, and woody notes that was suprisingly wearable. Now I know that I love Mitsouko and Chypre Rouge more, but I did like experiencing this fragrance, and like it much more than the other Givenchy's I've tried.

A friend bought me this fragrance when I was entering graduate school and she was moving across the country. Whenever I smell it I think of that bittersweet transition in life. I wore Hiris nearly everyday for 3 years. Like churning up the irises in the garden to seperate them, it is green, warm, and rich with an undeniable freshness. It will always be dear to my heart...

This fragrance is a staple in my wardrobe and it always draws attention. It is a clean but hot, complex animalitic that is uniquely feminine without being sweet.

Madame X is the mysterious, seductive woman that everyone wants to come to their party. Men love her, women envy her, and she could give a damn.

I have on Lea "Extreme". It is a "mmmmmm" frarance for me. A pure comfort scent to wear snuggled up on a Sunday morning. This is not a perfume that I could feel dressed in. It is fuzzy slipper fare.

My grandmother wore this fragrance. It reminds me of her. After she passed, I craved it for myself. I have the dusting powder. Wearing it makes me feel like I am lost in a soft, warm hug. It layers beautifully with everything in my wardrobe. I never want to be without it.

This is not your average cloying rose. It is vivacious, young and flirty with a creamy, delicious drydown.

My little sister, (who works in a caberet), is visiting for X-mas and she just attacked me with this fragrance. She litterally chased me down and sprayed me with it.

She thought that was funny...

I can see why the "girls" go for this scent. It smells like fresh cotton candy with a sassy little fruity/musky drydown. It is the personification of teenagers eating candy and making fruity drinks. I have to admit that I do like the drydown...on HER,though, not me!

It is way better than the drugstore cotton candy stuff she was wearing last time I saw her, but it's only one step up, like a girl's first "real" bra after the training bra. Not quite ready for womanhood but wants the sex appeal... Yup. That's Pink Sugar.

This fragrance is living, breathing art: from the designer himself and his collective works, to the sleek chrome and red glass bottle, to the controversy about the cumin note (!!), to the fragrance itself, I am completely taken.

This scent in no way smells dirty or skanky. It is rich and spicy, yet completely wearable for both sexes. My husband and I are sharing a bottle.

The cumin is listed as a middle note, but I find it most prominent in the top. Interestingly, the citrus notes come out after the inital cumin dries down. The complexity at this point is clearly evident: it is peppery, slightly floral, deep, musky, with a clean sparkle of fruit and a round vanilla sandalwood sweetness. It only a bit of silliage when dry, but that is fine with me. It is a gift for the self and only chosen others.

I feel honored to have this scent in my wardrobe.
Instant Top 10...

I took my darling husband out to the department store to try this one yesterday. I was suprised to have no trouble finding it!

I loved it from the start. It is warm, musky and complex. One spray on a test strip wafted all around us in over a 5 foot radius! I commented that the silliage was amazing and a woman out of arms reach said, "Yes, it does smell nice!". LOL!

Drying out, my DH said that he was afraid that he smelled like he "wet himself". I assured him he did NOT: The oakmoss and civit notes are indeed earthy, but not at all foul. I still like MKK better, but this is a wonderful fragrance.

I don't think it puts MKK to shame (oh, my dear SL, I love you so!), but this is a wonderful alternative if you cannot afford MKK. It is down and dirty, sexy musk and to me it smells more masculine to me because of it. It dosn't have the complex drydown of MKK, which makes me somewhat less interested. I still give it a thumbs up! It's a great musk.

This is the wonderfully soft but sophisticated oriental that I have been searching for!

I work in close contact with people in the mental health field, and while my heart is true to heavy musks, gourmonds, and creamy florals, I don't want to overpower the fragile of mind, or make myself seem too seductive in the office. HP stays close to my skin and blends beautifully with chemistry(vanillas and musks often feel that way to me). The jasmine, moss, and woods give a complex and earthy lift to the delicious oriental base. I have to sniff my wrist to really enjoy it,but that is completely what I needed in an office fragrance.

Knowing I am wearing Dior (especially on a difficult day) makes me feel just that fantastic, too...

I used to wear this when I was a young, budding hippie. It suit me very well. A young and fruity top leads to a smokey sweet base. I don't wear it anymore, but I did really love it.

Spicy, smokey, fresh tea. It's not as complex or dark enough for me to buy it again, but it is my favorite tea scent to date.

I love this scent on my husband. Leathery, sweet and smokey. It dosn't smell like any circus I have ever been to!

For being a heavily fruited scent, I find this to be quite raw and complex. It is not sour or bubbley, but rather sophisticated and even a tad leathery. I was very excited to see another complex honey musk blend.

Dirty, dirty, dirty!

It evokes images of all things sexy and lurid: hidden unclean parts, back rooms at adult video stores, the heat of bodies romping together, and wild dancing. A beautiful animalitic!

I think this is my holy grail. Chergui opens with a puff of spicy flowers, not too overpowering or age defining, slightly green. Drying out she actually warms up with the honey note that is so very feral in Meil de Bois; here the note sits closer to the skin, adding an undeniable sex appeal that does not scream out like MdB. The sweet amber is golden and lovely: not too masculine, stuffy or hippy (all things amber can do on my skin). It is such a wonderful fragrance...perfect for any occasion.

I think this fragrance is wonderful for everyday wear. It is not too spicy, a bit sweet, with a smokey drydown. The violet and musk combination make it smell classic while being sweet pop at the same time. Flirty and not too heavy. A great gift fragrance for a younger sister or friend.

This litterally smells HOT at first. I have never experienced a honey note like it...more animalitic than I expected, and I LOVE it. I don't usually wear sharp woods, but they play beautifully with the honey. I do not think that I smell like a lumber yard at all. This will be saved for times when I want to feel extra sexy in my own skin.

Definately a tropical scent, but oh, it is wonderful. I love the almond with the tuberose! A very creamy white floral for fancy parties in the summer.

The bright bay and orange topnote was initally offputting to my nose, but the spices soon take over. My husband says it smells like his Papaw at this point, so I make him wear it. It dries out and he begins comment that he feels like he smells like a rich man. He will wear it to the black tie event this Christmas. I like it on him. Not an every day scent for my darling art lover, but it is quite enchanting.

Upon inital application this smells like straight labdanum to my nose. Then it is remarkably like Eden Botanicals amber. However the drydown is much more complex and deep. A bit woody, musky and sweet.

This scent is at once grassy, resinous and comforting. It is like sitting in a clearing having a picnic of sweet almond cakes at a Pagan gathering. Drying out to a milky skin scent, it is soft yet complex...not too floral, powdery, or sweet, almost like not wearing perfume at all, but only smelling like a delightful time. This scent is perfect for times when you will be close to people and don't want your fragrance to really speak out loud; it is a mysterious whisper.

The nuts and musk in this Loukhoum make this scent very gender neutral. Creamy, soft, and delicious...not overly foody.

Another staple in my perfume wardrobe...AL begins as a waft of dusty violets that dries down into a cozy vanilla musk that stays very fresh and light.

I have yet to find a tea scent that matches this for me. It's smokey, yet light, and slightly sweet, with a tangy but not piercing top. The drydown is musky and dark. This is one of my favorite all time perfumes.

I wore this as a cocktail waitress in a jazz bar. It was just perfect for me at the time: close to the skin it was sweet honey and leather, but threw a powerful floral that cut through the smokey haze of the bar and kept me feeling fresh. I got complements every night. I don't have a bottle anymore, but even thinking about that time in my life brings back the scent of Fendi...

I wore this scent when I got married. I found it to be light and clean yet creamy and sweet. It is very floral, and not something I would wear now. At the time though, it made me feel like a well cared for maiden. The mimosa is predominant, and the scent captures the very color of the blooms: bright pink with a creamy white center, a touch of green towards the stem.

This was my "breaking into the corporate world" scent. It is fresh and young while still being sexy and powerful. Tuberose dominates, but not in a cloying way. My sprayer broke as well...