Blonde (1995)
by Versace

Blonde Extrait de Parfum.
A big old Roxy Music of a perfume.
This comes in a super-tarty coffret gold and red containing a cute glass bottle,reverse intaglio-ed with the Versace signature Medusa.

The rather delicious fragrance opens with a heady bouquet of flowery delights including narcissus,gardenia,ylang-ylang and much much more.These develop to a slightly musky sharp sophistication which is a little like Van Cleef and Arpels' First's drydown, but much sharper and brassier without the tweed and chrysanthemum which is now so outmoded.
I also detect a slight fruitiness which is common to Versace perfumes and aftershaves, but not the unpleasant Juicy Fruit odours of some modern contenders. This is more subtle and tropical, like a side dish of candied tutti-frutti on a sultry night.

Somehow the whole thing reminds me of going to a plush n'gold cinema on a hot summer's evening with the sun just going down. Or maybe that is just the box.

The extrait de parfum is sophisticated and has an undertow of spellbinding sharp eroticism, albeit pleasantly old-fashioned; as though Veronica Lake rather than Donatella Versace were the inspiration.

I have compared the perfume to Versace's The Dreamer and both have an odd completely indefinable end result after a couple of hours, unlike almost anything else I have ever sampled. Some call it chemical, and indeed both have a synthetic tinge- but this is part of the unusual nature of scents which are highly idiosyncratic and with a panoply of ingredient constituents . Also common to perfumes which contain narcissus, which even in real life always smell like pleasant burnt plastic, (to me,at least, anyway).

This is a fleeting transient effect which makes me sniff and sniff again, as it waxes and wanes like a violet.Unlike most of my preferences, there is no vanilla in this, but a smoky sharpness over flowers pervades after two hours on the skin. It is strong, but not in a horrible tacky blowsy way like the horrid new formulation of Opium. It has a bright quality, slightly dated, but this is good for us ladies who are past 20( or 30 for that matter).

I really do wish this were not discontinued, as it is extremely yummy and intriguing, a little bit showy but in a good way, silk stockings as opposed to fishnets.

8th January, 2011. (Last Edited: 9th January, 2011.)

stale sour overpoweringly obvious ... not sexy at alll!!! im rather surprised there r people out there who love this,cus i think its probably the worst scent ever!!

11th December, 2010.

I usually enjoy tuberose scents. But having sampled tuberose-centric compositions from the likes of L'Artisan, By Kilian, Serge Lutens and Histoires de Parfums, my nose has grown somewhat accustomed to a certain 'style'.

BLONDE's tuberose has a stale oily leftover quality about it as though it has just been scraped off an enfleurage press. And the accompanying neroli and orange blossom don't seem to compliment it well either coming across as sourish but flat. Perhaps all it takes is a dose of aldehydes or white musk to give this sluggish scent a much needed lift.

On second thought, forget it. Just get me a better tuberose, preferably one made with a less anorexic budget.

29th March, 2010.

Top Notes: Green violet, neroli, tuberose
Heart Notes: Jasmine, orange blossom, daffodil, broom
Base Notes: Tuberose, woods

I have bought it blind in sake of tuberose mentioned here. If anyone ever mentioned about the neroli, (or i have checked the notes like i have done a minute ago, just after i have tried perfume and my eye began to twitch nervously because of the neroli) i would even not try it. But i am happy i have tried (not happy to have bought yet though). First this neroli is an modern version and better than the old; bloody killer of other notes. This modern version is civilized enough to let tuberose come to stage in ten minutes. And it is less bitter, spicy more sour orange and sunny. It does not kick the nose so harsh and after half or one hour leaves the show. When jasmine and orange blossoms come, only a sourness is left from neroli. These two are like two middle aged over weight cancan dancers that shake stage when they jump. I like both but here you feel them heavy and over powered. (do i exaggerate, because of the nasty affects of neroli on my nervous system? possible, because neroli old or modern has an affect on perfume, like neon-guava painted walls would do to home decoration. ups i have to cease fire.)
For the first three hours blonde is an versace women; bold and showy, big blonde hair, 5 inch pumps and crystal figures on the denim. It can pump you up without pumps bother your feet. But the best part is the base notes. Tuberose makes a suprise and comes back with some ylang ylang and stays really long.

13rd August, 2008.

This perfume is one of my top favourites. It puts me on a dream state. I cannot have enough of it. As it is a discontinued fragrance, I am planning to stock it. Despite I have quite a large perfume wardrobe, I feel I cannot do without this.

16th December, 2007.

I like Blonde. Yes, it is very "eighties", glamour, crying, like an old italian disco, too much gold, clip-on earrings etc. Smells strong, sultry, like tuberose with a hint of carrot (!). For an extravert woman.

12nd May, 2007.