Reviews of With Love... Hilary Duff (2006)
by Hilary Duff

I get a very different result than others have with this, so I'm giving a neutral rating. It's not for me, but apparently HD and I just really, really don't agree. All I got was pepper - spicy, sharp, freshly ground black pepper. I eventually washed it off after a few hours because I was getting ready to go out and didn't want to smell like I'd scented myself with a pepper mill. I was actually shocked when I read the notes list and didn't see any pepper, or the ubiquitous (nowadays) pink peppercorn, because the note for me was so overwhelming, I couldn't detect anything else. No fruits, no sweetness, no vanilla...just pepper.

What a beautiful bottle, and even the box I received was frilly and fantastic, although I noticed that other versions of it are coming out in less fancy packaging.

However, we're here to talk about the juice inside, and it's taken me a while to put this one together. At first try, I detected no spice, and it came across as a nice melon/fruit floral, with only a very slight hint of annoying aquatic notes taking it into the spa/salon/toiletries realm. The candy note quite pleasant, not overpowering, and not so strong as to make it too girly. My conclusion upon first sampling was that it was a "rich teen" fragrance, smelling richer than it's price tag, but indeed a young fragrance.

Something, however, haunted me. There's a note there that reached for a memory. I couldn't place it, but somehow I *knew* it. After quite a bit of searching, and waiting and sampling With Love again on a different day, it finally hit me:

In the early 1990's, there was popular suntan oil, that despite it's brown plastic bottle and cute palm tree logo, had no noticeable coconut. No coconut at all, and instead was all exotic fruit aromas. The internet thankfully yielded the name in no time: Hawaii Blend Tropical Blend SPF 15.

And THAT is exactly what Hillary Duff With Love heart notes are. A clone of this suntan oil. Must be the mangosteen. Not a bad thing, actually. But definitely curious.

I have to admit, I first smelled this in Seventeen magazine the year it first came out. I think Hilary was some kind of guest-editor for that issue. I was a freshmen in college and I loved it on paper... I didn't smell any too-fruity top notes and there was this warmth! It smelled so mature and non-celebrity that I went out and bought it. (My first non-gift non-mini!)

But then... I was confused because this wasn't the With Love... that I loved. It was so dang fruity in the beginning and even when it faded, it still didn't quite have that soft warmth I was looking for. Reading the complete lists of notes online, I think I love the cocobolo wood, incense, and amber...

Well, it's still a lovely fragrance, and if I lift the cap of the Jessica McClinktock my aunt got me, and sniff that first, before sniffing the "With Love..." bottle (without spraying it), I think I can smell that something that I fell in love with... But I can't go around sniffing the bottle...

To me it smells like apple pie... Nice, adorable, but somehow weak, not long-lasting at all... Can't feel it after 15 minutes... Maybe only on my skin, don't know...

It is an okay fragrance. It smells like a light-weight Versace Crystal Noir - however, it lacks a lot of things....like uniqueness. It does not stand out. It does not have it's own personality. It is a "safe" fragrance. It is a fragrance that I would wear to bed because I love smelling great ALL the time - even in my sleep. Other than that, I would not wear it anywhere else. It just does not stand out. The price is good though, however, because the scent does not last long, the price fits what it offers which is a nice fragrance for shy girls that refuse to stand out. I am not such a girl.

Like others, this one totally surprised me! It is so unique and warm. I barely know who Hilary Duff is, but after getting a sample--I just had to buy a big bottle. As I wear it the 'milky' warmth continue to radiate from my skin. I've even bought a second bottle to keep in my purse! I JUST LOVE it!

Update: After wearing this for a month or so, it has become one of my top 3 scents. I'm hoarding it now--won 2 more great deals on ebay, and got the gel and lotion.

There's something about this scent that reminds me of my favorite food--Thai food.

In the celebrity fragrance niche, this is by far my favorite. It's a warm, slightly dark, vanilla-y fragrance with top notes of some sweet fruit, but after the dry down the fruit is gone. It's actually a very comfortable smell and perfect for perfect for girls (like me) who don't like to wear big, bold, sillage monsters on a regular basis.

I guess I'm out of the target market for this, being in my late 30's. I was surprised to find that I do like it. It is an unexpectedly sophsticated amber scent with just a hint of sweet. The EdP doesn't have a lot of staying power, but it's not such a loud scent that you can't reapply it later in the day. Another good one for daytime/office wear.

The smelling is lovely and different but I like it.

Well, at 40 years old, I'm not one of the "younger ladies", but I enjoy and will wear this perfume. Nicely balanced, with a spicy/woody drydown that is wonderful and will be especially nice for fall and winter. The perfumer that developed it, Rodrigo Flores-Roux, also created Donna Karan's Black Cashmere and her new Gold, so although they used a celebrity to market this, it's still a quality fragrance developed by professional perfumers! Well done in my opinion.

Don't really know what made me try this one...but it's actually nice. This composition reminds me of In Control Curious (Britney Spears). After sampling With Love, I was suprised to find amber in the base notes. It really dries down to smell more like Bath & Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar than any amber I'm familiar with. All in all it's a warm, user friendly fragrance in a pretty package! Decent price too. With Love is receiving a thumbs up ~ for the younger ladies!

Celebriscents either smell clueless or cheap...With Love is amazing, probably because it's done with careful restraint and balance. Nothing like a composition ruined by spiking it with fruit and/or florals that are overly voluptuous and headache inducing. Funny how I like WL...HD a lot more than the overly done Black Orchid by Tom Ford, which costs twice as much and not at all impressive to me. Because With Love has a woody amber tone at the base, there's also a familiarity to L'Occitane's Ambre and Armani Attitude for Men. With Love is well done, sophisticated and not at all girly-girly smelling of fruity gum drops and botanical hair conditioners.

I obtained a sample of this because I've heard some positive comments about it despite it being a celebrity fragrance. Although I think the bottle is beautiful and very classy, the fragrance was too sweet for me. It's got this fruity exotic sweetness and warm oriental base.

To Clare (the previous reviewer): I agree with most of your review but don't knock it for being an "artificial mango scent." If you just look up the pictures and some info - better yet, taste a fresh mangosteen - you'll realize they are about as similar as apples are to pineapples. Although both mangoes and mangosteens are have that tropical sweetness to them, they are completely different fruits with different scents.

This is one of the most wonderful fragrances I have ever owned or worn. I love how rich it smells. It's so complex unlike other celeb fragrances like heiress by paris hilton or fantasy by britney.

I love the mangosteen in the top notes and the amber is so light but with alot of kick to it. I also love it because of its wearability, I got it for christmas and not a single relative turned their nose up at it. my mom and I both love the vintage gold topped bottle and the perfect amount that it sprays.

I totally recommend this fragrance to anyone over 13 and under 35. a great investment that you will love wearing.

i'd just like to note that mangosteen is NOT that similar to mango. i had it this past summer in the philippines; it is a yummy white fruit in a purple shell-like skin that has a subtle, tangy edge contrasting nicely with its soft meat.

as for the perfume, it is alright but not too unique, nor do i detect anything particularly reminiscent of mangosteen. it smells mostly like a generic sweet candy.

An artificial mango scent...the promo material says mangosteen, an exotic fruit I've never tried, but it must be similar. With Love is pleasant enough, but not something you really want to smell on yourself, unless you're a teenage girl. Doesn't last long either. Luckily, mine was a free sample.

I needed some help from wikipedia on what Hilary Duff has actually done in her career.. but nevertheless fell in love with the olde world bottle design- meets-the contents of sweet amber notes more typical of the adventurous naughties. I find the basenotes somewhat similar to the male fragrance 'Laguna' by Salvidor Dali.

On the test strip 'With Love' smelt too sickly sweet, but blended with my skin it is quite subtle, feminine and alluring. A pity the yummiest topnotes don't last longer.

Very Woodys and fresh. I love this, seems to be a bit of fruit in it.

Fun, Loving, Beautiful just like Hilary Duff herself. This is a must buy for any Hilary Duff fan, good for ages 14-21

This perfume smelled nice on me for about 15 minutes, then was just way too much to handle. I had to run for the restroom to wash it off because it was so strong it started making me nauseous.

One of the worst thing I have ever smelt this year. Overwhelming mix of hot milk, cinnamom, vanilla, coconut, pinapple, and mango. Smells like a car air freshner. Or a pinacolada.