Oscar (1977)
by Oscar de la Renta

I expected Oscar to be quite rich and heady however this fragrance is refreshing and somewhat soapy.

I can't say whether I like it or not, its complexity and overwhelming freshness has me a little confused.

I think it may be the blend of white florals (which I adore), mixed in with the herbaceous notes of coriander, basil, rosemary, lavendar and patchouli that appears to be shocking to my nose. However, don't get me wrong, this is a pleasant scent, just something that I'm not particularly used to.

After the rather green and strong opening, Oscar develops into something quite powdery and soft, which is certainly appealing. I can now see why Oscar is hailed as a classic.

I must make it known that this fragrance has amazing lasting strength, and I mean amazing. I could smell this on me even after a shower at the end of the day when I had first applied it in the morning.

Despite the fact that this fragrance isn't my cup of tea, I certainly recommend this scent. Very lady-like in my opinion.

26th June, 2011.

Oscar is warm and inviting, richly sweet and a wonder in that it doesn't seem to me like a product of its time. The downside is I find it far too powdery, to the point of nuisance. Other than that, no problem. Performance here is very good, and I would readily recommend this (especially for evening or formal wear) to those who aren't thrown by powder or potency.

1st April, 2011.

WOW!! I had worn this years ago, and recently gave it another try, as I was looking for a new scent. I cannot believe I went so long without this stuff It is amazing!!!!! At first blast, it is way, way strong, do not let the EDT fool ya. It packs a punch. One or two sprays is enough. I also detect a slight bit of a leather smell, but it may be the patchouli I am smelling. It next settles into a sweeter, more floral smell.

I am decaring this my fall fragrance, since fall is my favorite season. Wearing this somehow reminds me of leaves crunching under my feet, along with a cool strong breeze.

This scent is in no way, shape or form a "girlie" scent. More of a "I'll smile politely and then rip you to shreds" kind of corporate scent. I LOVE IT!

30th August, 2010.

Actually, I have never smelled this scent. I wrote a review for the wrong one. Please remove this.

22nd March, 2010. (Last Edited: 28th June, 2010.)

Love this fragrance. Is warm enough for winter and light enough for summer. Smells soft, but not powdery - feminine but not frilly - alluring without being over-stated. Great for the office because it is not overpowering in close quarters.

26th January, 2010.

I have the vintage version of this and would probably sniff the new bottles before I repurchased to make sure that it was at least along the same lines. This is a very nice deep floriental which never fails to make me feel warm and sexy. I recently tried Oscar Red Satin at TJ Maxx and it is the same fragrance with spicy orange florals and aldehydes. I also tried the Summer 2008 version which I found to have very bitter citrus and light flowers on a non existent base.

The original Oscar's notes via perfume.com :

Top: basil, coriander, orange blossom
Middle: jasmine, rose, tuberose, clove and myrrh
Base: sandalwood, patchouli

23rd January, 2010.