Fragrance Reviews by Brielle87

This is one of my "go-to" summer scents. It is sweet, it is white flower floral, it is sedate and calming. It truly is the essence of a summer day.
It opens up with a crisp floral bouquet, which slowly starts to sweeten and become creamy, it then spends the rest of its journey resting in the background with a cool fresh feeling which lifts the spirits and senses. I find it to be a very long lasting scent, but then again fragrance clings to me, so I am rather lucky in that respect.
A wonderful 80's modern classic

If one is looking for a truly "elegant" classicly styled fragrance, this is it. It is strong, but not a hard hitting scent. The notes meld so well into each other, I rarely feel them transitioning. With this scent, the carnation and oakmoss embrace my skin and warm it up so nicely.
A scent well worth the hunting.

Another wonderfully well balanced floral by Galimard. The notes blend wonderfully and the jasmin is neither too harsh nor too soft, it accompanies the other notes without taking center stage. The top notes are bright, yet not florescent. The base notes are rich without becoming heavy or overly dirt-like as vetiver sometimes does.
A true classic, which brings to mind a softened L'air du temps.

I find this fragrance to be a wonderfully soft, powdery, cool scent. It is classic and unpretentious. i own it in the original EdP formulation by Houbigant, so I do not know how it compares to other versions. I think it is far more powdery than Ombre Rose and the floral tones do not have as much rose in them. Truly a classic.

Warm sweet floral with a rich animal undertone, what more could anyone need. A very wearable scent.

This is wonderfully sweet, floral, ambery, intoxicatingly delicious scent. I receive more compliments on this fragrance than any one of my super pricey scents. It is perfect for the warm weather and it just makes you feel happy. I can not imagine being without this one never.

I have the original Variations from the 50's and it is nothing like the re-issue, are they ever though?
So this is my take on the "original"
It opens with a burst of fresh white flowers and aldehydes, very bright and clean. The heart notes then shine forth and are exquisite, still floral yet not as bright, somewhat richer and more lush, yet not heavy. This scent never becomes heavy nor cloying, nor does it become overly sweet. By the time the basenotes arrive you are still ensconced in a lush floral bouquet, yet you can detect a few animalic notes, a warm soft muskiness, but still no heaviness. This has to be, in my opinion, one of the greatest and most elegant warm weather fragrances ever. It is not citrusy, it is not fruity, it is not sharp and oceanic, it is just a clean, fresh, soft floral bouquet warmed slightly yet gently.

This is one of the departed treasures of the 80's. A huge spicy, woodsy, floral, with a wonderful oriental spirit.
It is a powerhouse fragrance, clothed in opulence. It opens with a wonderful spicy sweet burst, more on the spicy side, then it works its way into a woodsy floral magnificence. As it wears it becomes richer and more woodsy, reveling a deeper oriental heart and base than one would have expected. At the end of the day you are left with a wonderful, warm, woodsy, aura, kissed with just a hint of spice.

This is one of those fabulously dirty, animalic, deep 70's type of scents. Not for the faint hearted, but if you find yourself smelling a fragrance and thinking "Mmm, I wish I had a nice side of animalic notes to add to this, just to give it some 'oomph'. " than this is the scent for you. If one is familiar with the fashion designs of M Cardin, then you will know what to expect of this fragrance. Highly recommended, even if just for the 'time-capsule' like glimpse into what 70's fragrance had to offer.

The fragrance now being sold as Soir de Paris, has nothing in common with the classic it once was. This one is harsh, sharp, not well rounded, smells almost chemically at times. If there is a natural substance in this scent, they have done a magnificent job obscuring it under all the synthetics.
It is worth seeking out the original formula, it is the complete opposite of this mess. It is rich, warm, floral; sweet yet not cloying, elegant but not too over the top. A real treat to experience.

This is truly one of the greatest, yet least known scents. I absolutely adore it. It is really the essence of spring.

I own an original bottle of extrait, and it is an oriental, powdery, spicy, heaven. It opens with a wonderful burst of spicy sweetness, it then settles down into its oriental heart, powdery, soft, exotic and sandalwoody, this lasts quite a while. The base is still warm and a touch spicy, but the vanille starts to really come through. This is a wonderful example of a great 80's oriental scent.

I think of this as a wonderful, fresh floral scent. It is unpretentious, it is not an in your face floral, nor a loud green one either, it is just a breath of springtime air. The galbanum note is definitely the star in this scent, but it is softened by the florals enough to feel light, and the touch of fruit gives it a brightness that prevents it from becoming to ephemeral.
I guess I would consider this my "clean" type of a scent, it just makes me feel fresh and clean.

Every note in this glorious nectar is exquisitely mingled to create an aura of another place, in another time.
This is the scent to wear when you want to feel at peace, and start trying to attain a state of nirvana. The patchouli is the note that shows itself most prominently on me, but the fig tempers it and ads a sweet clean roundness. The floral notes adjust the tempo of the scent but never lead one to say, "oh, such a nice floral", they give it an aura of openness. Now the castoreum grounds the fragrance, it keeps it warm and comforting, never harsh nor heavy.
Neil has created a heavenly aroma for us to enjoy on this earthly plane.

Florals, tea, woods, a touch of citrus, and some spice; where does all of it go? Nowhere!
This was such a disappointment for me, I cannot even say. I had tried so hard to purchase it when it came out and here we are 9 years later still not able to find redeeming qualities with it. I hesitate selling this, keep hoping that I will one day have an awakening of sorts, but I guess I will have to let it go.

All the notes seem to vie for attention at the same time, I could not really discern the head, heart and base notes, but I did not even enjoy the intermingling.

Arabie is all things wonderful, sweet, spicy, syrupy, and exotic all mixed up in one gorgeous cocktail. This scent starts off very sweet, and candy like; much like one of my favorite treats "Fruits confits" (candied fruits). If you have ever had theses french delights, you understand the comparison. Then it goes into a delicious woody, sandalwood, rich, candy feel. It lasts forever and keeps growing warmer, more ceder-like and exotic as it wears. I do not think everyone will love this, but for the lucky ones who do; this is a top pick from the Lutens' line. I know others have mentioned a marzipan like note; I adore marzipan and could eat it forever, but I cannot detect the note.

A very nice 'eau' in the classic sense. I myself am much more fond of Eau de Rochas, which takes the classic 'eau' to the next level.
A great scent for those who want to feel 'clean' and refreshed all day.

Like the glorious scent of a tin can being warmed on an old steam radiator. A very uninspiring fragrance; no clue why it is still being produced.

A true marvel of the parfumeur's art. This is a wonderful aldehydic floral in the classic sense, but it has a surprising animal quality one would expect from a floriental dry-down. This scent is all furs and champagne; romantic evenings dancing under crystal chandeliers at a glorious ball. It truly is the essence of a bygone era, yet it has a thoroughly modern quality to it. It has a truly seamless transition from head, to heart, to basenotes. A masterpiece which, much like many others, has gone to the great fragrance Valhalla in the sky.

This is the scent of the first days of summer. It is all green with touches of bright flowers peaking through, and a lovely depth lacking in most 'green' scents on the market. Truly a timeless scent. Such a great tragedy it is out of production, a true loss to the fragrance world.

I always love this scent on a hot summer day. It is a wonderful floral fruit composition, but not the generic type so guilty of inundating the market, but a well crafted one.
It's name always summed it up for me "Les enfants du soleil" (Children of the sun), it makes me feel carefree, youthful, and gives me a sunny disposition.
Truly a masterpiece of the fruity/floral genre; what all the others could be if they were not envisioned for Lolita's, or 50 year-olds parading around as if they were coquettes.

The name is misleading; this hardly make me think of a palace, nor does it remind me of the Riviera. It makes me think of some quaint, and very prim, ladies dressing-room from another time; all white flowers, with a bit of heaviness, and the requisite powdery finish. For a much nicer white flower composition, without the dressing-room allusions, No. 22 Chanel is so much of a superior scent. It makes one feel happy that RP is now only a memory.

Interesting rose scent. I feel it is far better as a masculine. As a feminine, it is far too medicinal, and astringent for my tastes.

It starts off, for me, as an 'imitation vanilla' right out of the spice drawer. Not a wonderful "Williams-Sonoma' type of deluxe vanilla, but rather a generic 'super market' imitation one, in my opinion. I feel that this scent longs to be a vanilla sugar cookie embodiment, but it falls short in many ways; seems someone took the cookies out of the oven too soon, hence the lack of yummy food-like character.
There seems to be a vision here, but it falls far short of the intended goal.

I am an avid tea lover, have teas from the world over, this however dois not tickle my 'taste' buds. It definitely has an aura of nice quality Lapsang Souchong, but the smoky quality is sometimes so overpowering it is disreptive to the overall impression; as if I had enjoyed a cup of tea in a burning tea house, not my favorite way to enjoy a cup of tea;).

Reminds me of the scent in Notre Dame; which I will say is truly intoxicating.

EEk!!! I have been dipped in a jar of jam, then went frolicking in the woods with a musk deer, then we both got ill from the overall impression.

For a better 'jam' or 'berry' note, try Eau de Charlotte by Annick Goutal.

In the most simlple of terms; this is coming together of Femme and Mitsouko, with a touch of Parure. It is such a lush and elegant fragrance mere words could not do it justice. Only one word comes to mind while wearing this "sublime".
It is such a shame it has been discontinued for so many years, it should really be the standard of an elegant classic scent.

A wonderfully romantic floral with a sweet edge to it. It is a great fragrance to wear if you like a floral that tends not to be too sophisticated. It is a terrible shame that this is no longer made, it was a perfect scent to wear on a casual day; it makes you feel polished.

I hate to say this, but: "Lancome continues it's trend of marketing 'turnips'!" This scent was so sickly sweet, it was depressing. The only thing I can compare this scent to would be one of those cherry flavored cough syrups; it had that overly sweet feel to it, which is not pleasant at all. I was hoping that the newest release from Lancome would be a throwback to some of their older, elegant scents, but alas it continues down the sickly gourmand path. I am truly disappointed with Lancome, and have given up hope that they will ever release anything ' magical' again.

This is by far one of my favorite scents from Diptyque. It is a perfect combination of bitter-orange, lavander, and herbs of which the coriandre comes across nicely. I find it to be one of the most enjoyable summer scents, as opposed to all of the eaux/citrus scents which are most common. Pure perfection.

A dazzling gem from the seventies. This scent manages to combine wonderfully fresh green note, with rich sweet florals, then gives it just a slight bit of powder to soften the whole affair. It is pure olfactory candy; it is sweet without being cloying, green without any sharpness, and powdery without any of the aldehydic roar. I find myself contemplating this scent whenever I wear it, it is 'that' complex, and that delightful. It truly is a shame it is no longer in production, but as we all know; ingredients for these classic masterpieces are not used any longer due to regulations (cost cutting). Therefore it is better that this grand old dame is remembered fondly and will not suffer the fate of many of her contemporaries; "a 'bad' face-lift"/ re-orchestration.
This is definitely one to not overlook if you stumble upon it, it will not let you down.

Have worn this since I was a girl, and have always loved it. I find it to be one of those scents that enters the room before you, and lingers for a while after. It has feel to it, as if the top notes, and some of the middle notes, of Shalimar have been amped up by at least 1000, and made to sparkle ever so subtly. It also will not dry down with the warmth of Shalimar, but will dry down towards a darker, less welcoming place. The dry-down makes me think more of vintage My Sin, than any other scent.
It is not a scent one should choose, it is one that will choose the wearer.

Have worn this since I was a girl. Still have one bottle left from Payot, it is intoxicating. Not a fragrance for everyone, but if you can wear it...it is amazing.

Infinitely sexy, yet very wearable. An olfactory delight.

The violette in Le De is amazing. It is the fragrant equivalent of a Monet. Beyond words...

No matter who tries to revive this fragrance, nothing can compete with the original extrait. I think it is so sad that Lanvin does not still own the rights to this treasure, it would compliment their fashions perfectly. Well then again we are well aware of the travesty now being marketed as Rumeur, not a pinch of the original in that. We now live in a fruity floral world, how sad for anyone over the age of 17; who wants to be fragranced as a woman and not a dessert.

One of my favorite fragrances. Thank goodness there are still plenty of vintage bottles left, if one searches, nothing is quite like the original extrait

On par with a DaVinci. This is the Mona Lisa of scents.

This fragrance could only be described as "Liquid Happiness". It is one of those rare fragrances which has touches of freshness, a healthy dose of spice, and a warm yet sparkling drydown. It is definitely one of those fragrances that is unique, and is hard to compare to another. It is the one that you could pick out of a crowd. I enjoy it most in the summer, when it contrasts nicely with the warmer air.