Fragrance Reviews by chengfun

Notes from LuckyScent: kalamanzi oil, green jasmine shoots, ylang-ylang, sugar cane, Indian tuberose, Sumatra benzoin, papyrus

The piquancy of the ylang ylang and the delicate sweetness of the sugar cane make this quite unusual and unlike the tuberose fragrances I've tried. It is not heady and overpowering, instead it is sophisticated and elegant. The couture in its name seems very apt.

When I first tried this a few months ago I dismissed it as a rather average heady floral. Then I tried it again the other day and started to appreciate it. Yes, it is heady and floral, but it is also extremely sensual; the hot-flesh quality of the tuberose is very prominent. It reminds me of Renee Tuberose, but whereas Renee Tuberose is quite lady-like, this is very sexy. It is definitely not a cool tuberose like Tubereuse Criminelle. I'm seriously considering adding it to my wardrobe.

I really like honesuckle. I liked this immediately when I tried it for the first time. It is light and fresh, great for humid days. The honeysuckle note is also noticeable to me in Pure White Linen but it is a much heavier fragrance than this. Even though this is marketed as a feminine fragrance it is not too floral, so I agree with MonkeyManMatt that it can definitely be unisex. Being an EDT the longevity could be better but it is definitely bottle-worthy.

I agree with the other reviews that this is more tuberose than gardenia. It is heady like Fracas, but they are not too similar. However, Saks Fifth Avenue and Gardenia Passion smell very alike to me. I like GP but as I already have SFA, I'm not likely to add GP to my wardrobe as well.

This starts out slightly citrusy, and quite sweet like candy floss. The neroli is very prominent to me in the dry down. Sillage is quite good, I keep catching wisps of it whenever I try on the sample, and longevity is excellent, same as Beyond Love. For some reason the combination reminds me of Dr Pepper, sweet and fizzy. The overall feeling is happy and cheerful. I can see myself buying this.

Beyond Love starts off quite bitter and green, like Carnal Flower but stronger. I have some tuberose absolute in jojoba which smells like this. I had found this characteristic a little strong for me but I resisted scrubbing and I'm glad I waited, because the dry down was beautiful. The dry down is not heady and heavy like some tuberose fragrances, but ethereal and exquisite. I would say the dry down is similar to MPG Tubereuse. I can smell the quality in Beyond Love. Sillage is reasonable and longevity is excellent. I really like the dry down and am getting used to the strong green opening, so this will most likely be my next purchase.

I'm a big tuberose fan and collect tuberose fragrances, so I really wanted to like this. To me Tubereuse feels grown-up and glamourous, it actually reminds me of Mitsouko in this respect. Tubereuse has a slightly heavy feel compared to Fracas even though Fracas is by no means a light fragrance. Tubereuse a nice fragrance but it's a bit serious and sombre for me.

Of the tuberose fragrances I've tried, this is the closest to Fracas, only less complex. I love Fracas so I like JM Tuberose alot too, I only wish Jo Malone would make Tuberose in an EDP or parfum strength for better longevity.

The aldehyde in this reminds me of Chanel No. 5, except this is alot sweeter and slightly almondy, like amaratto biscuits. The dry down is quite powdery. Longevity and sillage are excellent. I've never been a fan of No. 5 (I must be one of the few since it is so popular) and so too I am ambivalent about this one. I can't see myself adding it to my wardrobe at the moment.

I tried a sample of this recently and immediately fell in love with it. It is truly a BIG white floral, very heady, very sultry. It starts off sweet and a little coconuty, reminding me of Malibu rum. Then the gardenia and tuberose come to the fore in full force. As a tuberose fan I'm in 7th heaven here. The dry down is totally gardenia. It is certainly potent but it doesn't feel tacky to me. In fact it is quite intoxicating. Longevity and sillage are excellent. A day or two later I can still smell it on a shirt I put some on. I'm definitely adding it to my wardrobe.

I like many of the notes in Chinatown so in theory I should love it but unfortunately I just can't get on with it. The spicy dry down is too spiky for me. I got a second sample from another source just in case the first one is off but no joy. Longevity is good though, I've had to wash it off each time I've sampled it. I'm disappointed this one's not for me.

I'm not a big fan of EL fragrances. I recently bought Beautiful Love on impulse because I liked the notes listed. I'm now regretting the purchase, I find it quite synthetic and overly heady with no refinement. Fortunately it wasn't very expensive. After trying Tuberose Gardenia, however, I'm compelled to write this because this is really exquisite. The citrus notes give it an airy feel. The floral notes are blended delicately so it's not overpowering. This is not a run-of-the-mill EL and it's a winner with me, I look forward to adding it to my wardrobe.

Unlike many tuberose fragrances I've tried, this fragrance is very fruity and has a sparkling feel, probably from the orange flower. The dry down is powdery and creamy which I like very much. The longevity on me is great. I can wear this day to day without worrying it is too overpowering for people around me.

I have been testing this along side L'Artisan Tubereuse, and think they are quite similar. Both remind me of Fracas but not as heady. The MPG Tubereuse has more body and depth than the L'Artisan, which is very nice. The longevity of the MPG is also very good, I can still detect it after eight hours. This is definitely a fragrance I can wear during the day to work without worrying it is too overpowering. Definitely one I will consider adding to my wardrobe.

A bad impulse buy for me. This smells quite synthetic on me and there's nothing outstanding about it, just an average heady floral.

This fragrance reminds me of Tubereuse Criminelle but without the strong menthol opening. It is also more feminine. Definitely worth a try for those who like TC.