Attraction (2003)
by Lancôme

I bought this blind without testing it and I like it. Although it is a sweet smelling perfume and not particularly fresh, it is not sickly sweet. The flowers dominate the scent and I don't really smell the vanilla. Attraction to me is a mature scent and I mostly wear it on formal occasions. The scent lingers around me for a very long time after I have sprayed it only once, as is the case with other perfumes by Lancome. I suspect that someone who is sensitive to fragrances might not like Attraction because it is not light and might cause a headache especially if oversprayed.

The shop where I use to buy perfume (the entire region actually) didn't sell Attraction anymore by the time I got fond of it. So I bought a bottle on ebay. And I still like it. Allthough I can't seem to put an occassion on it. It's a smell you have to be in the mood for. Warm, sensual and very smooth. No surprises, just warm and feminine. Something you want to return to.

There is a very sweet element in the floral and green opening—I’m surprised that there are no fruit listed in the pyramid, but it could be that what I smell are the vanilla and amber rising up from the base. Whatever the sweetness is, it dominates to my nose. The opening accord lasts quite a long time, to the point that it deserves to be called “linear.” The sweet floral accord itself is quite strong with full-bodied sillage; so strong that I would have guessed that it’s a fragrance from the ‘80s. The middle notes remain floral—perhaps a little less sweet than the opening—but I don’t get any patchouli, and I can’t separate out the individual notes, not even the iris. And in the base I don’t get the cedar wood—usually I can smell this note in my sleep. I’d guess that, to my nose, the sweetness is drowning out many of the other notes. For as strong as Attraction is, it seems to be very short lived. This is the first Lacôme fragrance I’ve smelled, and, if this is typical, I’m not going to hurry to test any more.

This is a sexy fragrance that really smells fresh and beautiful. Very similiar to Chanel's Chance but a little more tart and lasts longer on the skin. I never tire of this fragrance. Just gorgeous.

The first thing that this fragrance brought to my mind was Christmas -- midnight mass to be specific -- wreaths and maybe a whiff of incense, and spice cookies baking down the street.

I like woods, incense and spice notes individually, but something about the combination is slightly off-putting on me over time. I think the scent seems more like room fragrance than perfume -- like something they spray in an upscale gift shop to encourage holiday spending.

In fairness, haven't had much luck with Lancome fragrances over the years, but this might be nice around the holidays.

I see that most people are saying that this perfume is sweet on them, but I don't get that at all. This is a very warm fragrance with lots of vanilla and amber. Love the patchouli in this one.