Reviews of Lovely (2005)
by Sarah Jessica Parker

I can't tell you how CUTE and "girly" this stuff smells on my girlfriend. It's nothing fancy but this is indeed her signature scent. She's never wore fragrances before but she fell in love with this at first sniff. Half of the other perfumes she wrinkled her nose in disgust.

Crisp florals, luscious white musk, caressing patchouli. What's not to like? The first time I sprayed this dazzling creation I immediately wrinkled my nose in dismay. Is this what I had been waiting for? the scent of acetone and biting, rubbing alcohol. After a couple of moments the sharpness retreated and a gentle, creamy, come hither fragrance unfolded. Lovely stays with me all day, subtly and naturally. I smell musk, black pepper, all the things a clean man should smell like. Every man/woman loves this on me, and i have yet to find it smell nice on a woman.

It's lovely. Not as soft and fluffy as the name and advertising implies - it does have some backbone and impressive sillage. It also lasts phenomenally well on the skin and is often still there the following morning. There's a definite crispness and sparkle to the head and heart notes and it clips along like Carrie in her Manolos. There's a sass to it.

I think that's the image to hold when considering this fragrance - don't think of SJP the dancer, fashionista, Broadway actress, Mrs Matthew Broderick... think of Carrie clipping smartly down a sunny New York street in a little bitty dress and high heels, going to meet her girlfriends. It's warm, sparkling, charming and urban; it doesn't put a foot wrong.

Makes a great gift too.

Similar to Narciso Rodriguez for her but softer.Nice for office wear or for a lunch with friends.Beautiful bottle too.I even like the advert with Sarah Jessica Parker as a ballet dancer,although I have never been very fond of her.So different from her other fragance , Covet!

I really love this one of my best friend.

When I first smelt it I was kind of taken by it but I wasn't sure - it had a rather musky sporty kind of smell. It has grown on me a lot (perhaps because of who wears it).

If you like musk - you should like this. I agree with anyone else who has noted this also - it has a unisex appeal.

This fragrance took me back ages when i fist smelled it, it just so happens to smell like something else that was launched decades ago.
This very light musky scent is all good, it's very much unisex and it has a tenacity to it that i admired for a scent that opens rather strongly but fades quickly but stays that way for a long time on the skin. It has a hint of fruits that i found very attractive, and a base of ,well, white musks and rosewood that are very comfortable.
I will mention that Rigaud had a scent called Lovely too, but that one was more about Lily of the valley, jasmin and other flowers than musk.
So, i have smelled this one before, give or take a few other notes, and i think i'll keep smelling it in the future thanks to its success.

It's really nice. The mixture of lavender and musk in a soft sweet way. In fact because of this, I want to stick to the genre, the soft floral subtle perfumes.

Too bad that my friend use this and everytime I wear this, it remind me of her. Not a bad thing, but I couldn't make this as my HG perfume.

I think the opening is a bit strong. It is unique: quite a bit edgy, quite a bit sophisticated, and very much creative — one of those borderline openings that seem to shift between “Fantastic!” and “I’m not so sure.” It’s that borderline thing that typifies fragrances of complexity and character. I find the opening accord abstract (actually all the accords are abstract, as Ayala has mentioned), and I think that the rosewood is the note responsible for the uniqueness / ambiguity of the opening. Tricky stuff, that rosewood, but not as tricky as lavender. Lavender is my most variable note: I often dislike it, in some fragrances I love it, in Lovely, I’m mesmerized by it — it’s juncture with the rosewood is the genius of the top two layers of the fragrance IMO. The “Apple Martini” is responsible for the effervescence, the lemon grass is responsible for its hint of clean, but the rosewood / lavender is responsible for the creative challenge. I love the paperwhite narcissus of the heart notes — so clean and abstract; I dislike the orchid—orchid is always too strong and errrpy for me, but it is presented so…”abstractly” that I can quite overlook it. Very refined base — the most abstract of all the levels. This is a wonderful feminine fragrance, and this IS a fragrance men love.

I know a woman that works with me who wears this and I really enjoy it. It's a little strange at first, but I like women to wear proper perfume and not just body-shop lotion smelling crap all the time, so on the occasion that she wears this, I just enjoy it.

From a male perspective, just know that men find this an attractive smell on a woman. I see some thumbs down for this one but I have to disagree. This one pushes my buttons.

This perfume, like the name, is indeed a "lovely" floral/musk with decent staying power. Unfortunately, it's a little too "nice girl" for me...I prefer something edgier. Try it, though--it's very pretty.

I didn't expect to like this one and it really is not my type, but it does have a beautiful smell to it. I would highly recommend it to someone a little less stuck in their ways than me.

Love this one and wish to obtain it very soon! Wanted to say that it's similar to Narcisso Rodriguez but I've seen that Ayala allready remarked this. Lovely though!

This has been on my wish list for a while and I'm happy to report I now own it. Every time I pass the perfume counter at my local Macy's, I stop to re-sample this delicious perfume.

When I smell this, I feel like I'm walking through a Parisian flower market in the evening, the melodious swan song of a hundred flowers, gently subdued but poignant. Lovely!

Highly recommended.

Lovely is everything a celebrity scent wants to be, but more than that: it’s not only popular and fits beautifully with the character of the woman who created it, but also – it is original and oh so chic. It might just be the first interesting celebrity perfume since, say Denevue (by Catherine Deneuve). If I missed something along the way, please let me know.

The first thing that strikes me about Lovely is the unusual use of lavender and patchouli in such a light hearted context. This was no tutti-frutti fragrance as you may expect judging by the hundreds of perfumes (even more so with celebrity and drugstore fragrances) released recently. It had an original, elegantly rough edge to it. Lovely is modern chic, sharp like clean-cut like a tailored suit, yet flowing like a satin gown. It’s prettied-up only by an ornamental fabric rose - and more importantly, the bright smile of the person who wears it. Despite the fact that it does have florals, it is not floral in the traditional sense of the word. You don’t think of flowers when you wear lovely. If anything at all, you think of textures and fabrics such as crepe and linen and dull, brushed silk.

Now, about a year after its release, my patience to hold off a purchase has paid off: a new version has been just released. It’s the same fragrance, only based in an alcohol-free, silicone-based medium, and titled “Lovely Liquid Satin”. And liquid satin it is indeed. This formulation allows for a softer presence without the alcohol that usually interferes with the top notes, and also the bottle is truly lovely – a frosted, light pink hued bottle, or a golden “perfume wand” – a roll on of 30ml that fits into any purse or pocket. I am a big believer in small packaging for perfumes, so I was sold quickly on this one.

The opening of both formulations is a heady and clean, crisp mélange of rosewood, lavender and apple martini. The apple martini note is brilliant. It really adds an unusually vivid, effervescent quality to the opening and thankfully lacks the mustiness that some other apple scents uphold.* It’s boozy only in an elegant way – like sipping on the cocktail to appreciate the flavour, without getting drunk.

The Liquid Satin has a slightly different opening, in which I can detect top notes of lemongrass (which I do not smell in the alcohol based fragrance), which is sharp and grassy, but thankfully fades out rather quickly. The patchouli note is also more pronounced at the opening. I have a feeling that this silicone based version is more true to the original concoction by Ms. Parker. It just has that authentic impression of a perfume enthusiast blending scents together that will bear her own character.

The heart notes are abstract florals – orchids and paper whites. Paper whites are not fancy silken paper sheets as I was almost lead to believe, but rather refer to a flower from the narcissi family - Narcissus tazetta. I can’t say that I smell narcissus in there, but there is a light floral impression that is hard to describe. As I said – abstract.

These soft, ethereal florals bridge into an even more abstract base of highly processed patchouli (dry and clean rather than earthy and musty), amber and musk – together resulting in an effect that is very close to the skin. An original, clean musk skin scent, subtly surrounding the wearer with a mystifying aura that is clean and pleasant. I prefer the Liquid Satin over the alcohol based formulation. Although the scent is essentially the same, this version is softer and even more subtle.

Lovely has been compared often to Narciso Rodriguez, and while I agree that they are very similar, I still think of Lovely as an original fragrance. These are both light musk scents, very modern and abstract, with a suggestive floral heart, and an effervescent, boozy opening. But Lovely has a certain dry, almost rough edge to it that makes it stand apart and prevents it from looking like an imitation of Narciso Rodriguez (which I intend on reviewing very soon).

Celebrities and their scents come and go, but there is something about Lovely that makes me want it to stay. And if it wouldn’t stick around forever, I am certain it would be talked about and missed and longed for much like other old favourites that have disappeared into the abyss of discontinuation.

Top notes: Rosewood, Apple Martini, Lavender, Madarin, Lemongrass
Heart notes: Paperwhites, Orchid,
Base: Patchouli, Cedar, White Amber, Musk

I'm not usually a fan of chypres, but this I really like! It's very versatile and can go from the office to a night out easily, and could be worn in all seasons. Will definitely be a staple of mine.

Lovely is a very special frag. It is always right, can be worn at all occations, every day, at work, at partys, and also when one want to make a serious impression. I think Lovely is a clever, an intelligent frag with great personality! There is no vanilla in it, so it is, IMO, very suitable to layer above other frags, witch opens up very many new frag-possibilitys. I hope this one stays on being popular, so it don´t disappeare from the stores after a year or two.

Very nice. This is another one of those scents that men will love on you because it's not too sweet (like Euphoria by Calvin Klein or Chance by Chanel). I like it, but my fiancé really, really likes it. I wouldn't make it "my scent", but it's great for days when I'm feeling energetic and bold.

I've come so, so close to buying this, and I'm surprised that I don't own it yet. Unfortunately every time I've tried it I've gotten a raging headache, so I'm afraid something in Lovely causes it. I'm not ready to give up on Lovely yet, though. Lovely is often compared to Narciso Rodriguez For Her (I own NR edp) but they're not very similar on my skin. On me, Lovely has a clean patchouli base and bright notes of fresh lavender flowers and apple schnapps. The lasting power is terrific, and this fragrance feels classy. It may just be worth the headache!

I agree, one of the best of 2005.
Though I don't find the name "Lovely" to match the composition very well. It's much more "Daring" than sweet and lovely. It has this rose-patchouli note which reminds me of L'Artisan's Voleur de Roses but also the musky rose from Maroc by Ultima II.
Quite daring too for Coty to have chosen a chypre composition for a product with a mainstream target.
Lovely is the best celebrity fragrance with Elizabeth Taylor's Passion (Yes! I can see your eyes rolling) IMHO.

Lovely is fantastic! The individual notes of this blend are all very subtle. I might say it's casually sophisticated. Appropriate for ANY occasion, I find this to be wearable by the masses. (Women & Men) Delicate fruit notes blend effortlessly into muted florals - which include lavender - AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH - drydown elicits the slightest patchouli layered with the perfect notes of musk and cedarwood. Not a single note is overdone - the entire evolution is clean & clear. BTW I have not detected any vanilla in this arrangement. Exquisitely done!

Love the fizz in this fragrance, keeps it energised and uplifting. The scent of Lovely reminds me of the Lush bath bomb 'Big Blue' which I adore also.

I also (at 61) find this so easy to wear, is really just "lovely", not sweet, but light, with a bite of sophistication. Always uplifting. So pleased I found this and purchased immediately upon trying!

This certainly lives up to it's name. A very femminine floral scent for all types of women. Every note layer smells gorgeous too. Although there are a lot of other scents which have the same ingredients, this one manages to be distinct and individual. It's hard to dislike it.

I LOVE this! Yes, ok, so the bottle is very girly, as is the name, but the fragrance is a patchouli and white musk mix that is absolutely addictive. If either of these notes interest you, then u gotta try it. One of the best releases of 2005!

I have to admit that at first LOVELY is not at all what I'd expected! I guess I was thinking it would smell flowery, connecting Sarah Jessica Parker to it and her pink tutu's. Having said that, I think Lovely is a 100 times better than I thought it could ever be. Lovely is definitely a scent for a confident woman, it's not frilly or girly smelling (this is what I thought it would be however, and was very pleasantly surprised when I found out that it's not!). It's intoxicating and alluring and has a power of its own. The lasting/staying power is just remarkable, but the best part is that it only smells better and better as the day goes on and the fragrance mixes with your own chemistry. One of my favorites! I guess SJP really knows what she wanted when she was assisting in making this potion. Oh and it's really unlike anything else that's on the market right now, especially as far as the newer fragrances go!

I am 55 and hardly the Sex in the City Stereotype. I think this is a wonderfrul new fragrance!! There are Hundreds of fragrances to choose from today and 99% of them smell alike. This one is soft, femine and not to over powering--I applaud the maker of this wonderful perfume!!!