Moments (1990)
by Priscilla Presley

My dark secret comes to light - I have a bit of a bias against white florals. And this certainly is one. The eye-watering level of aldehydes racing from the top doesn't improve my stance on the matter. And instead of relaxing slowly into itself, the sweet, fruity aspects actually begin to grow louder for a good twenty minutes. At this point I'm an olfactory wreck and I stop paying attention for a while. Only because I didn't immediately scrub my skin right off (it had crossed my mind) did I discover a surprisingly pleasant base- one which is rather 70's in style and considerably masculine. It's like a good scent was wearing a scary costume and making annoying noises at me until it stopped getting a reaction and revealed itself once the joke was up. Neat, but I'm in no hurry to do that again.

1st April, 2011.

Once in a while, there is a celeb fragrance that hits it right-Catherine Deneuve, Cher, SJP's Lovely. Moments is on that short list. Officially, I have seen it listed as a Floral Animalic Chypre, and it remains true to that category. The aldehydic sweet floral, herbal, powdery top notes supercede the heart and base only for a few moments, but the combination is intoxicating. The peach/bergamot pairing is reminiscent of Mitsouko by Guerlain (interestingly, they have some heart and base notes in common as well, but the overall compositions are very different). The floral heart is deep and complex, with strong notes of tuberose, rose, jasmine, and lily of the valley, and are anchored by the orris root. The entire composition rests on the outrageous base-it has every animalic fixative out there. The strong base makes this a long wearing scent even in the Edt, although I wear the pure parfum as well (I have lots of this to swap!). Interestingly, there is no spice in this scent. Thank goodness, since it's busy enough in there!

My "panel" says it smells like "old ladies", and I can't disagree. This perfume has the grandeur of an old, classic scent. Frankly, Moments is a perfume created by and for women-it is not feminine enough to please men, or women who are interested in impressing them.

The only thing holding this scent back from notoriety is the fact that it was launched as a mid-level perfume, and later sold in drugstores. Look past the marketing to the genius of its composition.

17th October, 2009.

A very warm & sunny "flower garden" style white flowers fragrance. In the same style as Jardins de Bagatell, but a bit less formal with a warmer base. Nice aldehyde floral if you can still find it. I bought it many years ago as a student abroad because it made me feel fresh and pretty while travelling during the hot summer - and it was affordable. It will always remind me of the Schildergasse in Cologne Germany where I bought it.

27th February, 2009.