Dazzling Silver (1998)
by Estée Lauder

I think Dazzling Silver is successful for the same reason that No 5 is. They both play with the notion of a flower or a bouquet of flowers using floral references, then add something else entirely. For No 5, these references are famously from actual botanicals, ie. Chanel’s own rose & jasmine harvests. For DS, I image the floral references are more chemically derived. To this floral understructure, they both then add heavy doses of aromachemicals that are recognizable more for their specific nose-tones or qualities rather than for their floral reference. No 5’s famous aldehydes, DS’s helional. In both cases, floral is the start, not the goal.

25th May, 2011. (Last Edited: 26th May, 2011.)

Behold, the wonder of an age: a perfume which does exactly what the name on the package promises. It really is dazzling, and it really does smell "silver." If you like the combination of metallic and floral, as I do, then you will love this. Others may find it too synthetic. Smelling it is a bit like seeing everyday events in a dream. Everything is familiar, but suffused with a subtle wierdness. Perfect for those times when you want something pleasant, but not pedestrian.

25th January, 2009.

I had to smell it after Turin gave it such a good review ... he, unlike myself, seems to love Lauder. I always used to buy my mom the compacts for x-mas, and the scents never really appealed to me, they always seemed to be in the way of what I was actually buying.

Strangely, this smells exactly like a self-tanner I use ... Sun Dial ... though it came out nearly 10 years before my Banana Boat. The fragrance is beyond synthetic, which usually kills my buzz immediately, not so in this case. Dazzling Silver is so smooth and clean. Its very American and very department store. Its a little too clean for my tastes ... kind of like someone put a bouquet of flowers in the sink and started scrubbing them with dish soap. The lilies are a bit funereal and overall the scent is a bit too pure, but I like this more than I should.

On the right girl, in the right sweater set, with the right ring on her finger, this could just be the perfect scent.

26th April, 2008.

There are a only a few perfumes from Estee Lauder that I can wear. Most are way too loud and give me a headache. Dazzling Silver is one I can wear comfortably. It is not one of the knock you to your knees delicious scents. It is light and clean floral, the drydown is a little powdery. It is good for the office. Nice but not great. I keep it around for those times when I am not sure what to wear, or where I will be, in the crowded mall, or lunch with a friend, etc. It lasts a long time and like all Estee perfumes, go easy on the application.

11th December, 2007.

This smelled SO YUMMY on one of my friends...I loved sniffing it when I was walking past her dresser, it was so nice. But, of course, as always goes, when I buy something for myself it never works out well. It smelled very heavy and wasn't nice at all.

13rd October, 2006.