Fragrance Reviews by Elf

I love and admire Angel and Rose Angel but can wear them only seldom because they wear ME. Y'all know exactly what I mean. But Eau de Star is a cool and gentle variation of the Angel riff and I find it eminently wearable. I like it better than Innocent, which developed a harsh, synthetic note on my skin. I get compliments on Eau de Star but I don't overwhelm anyone with it, which is often the case with Angel. The only negative is that, being light, it doesn't last nearly as long as Angel, about 3-4 hours (versus 300). But in summer, that's not a big problem. Overall I'm really pleased to find a member of the Angel family I can happily wear to work! Also, melon/cucumber haters, be not afraid, (I'm one of you)- the note, is it Calone? is not heavy, but effervescent and sparkly.

A green leafy sister scent to the discontinued Anisia Bella. Cold, not sweet, and very refreshing. Longevity of a few hours, as is true of most of the AA line. Great for summer.

A cold, peppery rose. I own only 2 rose perfumes, this one and YR Rose Absolue. Both stunning in their own way. This is a unisex chypre with rose and pepper the dominant notes. Yummy woody drydown. Unique!

Another great value from Lalique. This one's by JC Ellena and it definitely belongs in the family with Jardin Sur le Nil and Kelly Caleche. Bracing citrus with enough interesting herbs, spices, and woods to be intriguing. A charming unisex cologne.

This scent is by Bertrand Duchaufour and bears his weird stamp. It's a delightful, unusually cold white floral with his trademark pepper and musk. Comes across as more of a tropical night fragrance than a sunny beach fragrance. It's not sweet on me at all, the vanilla is light and the overall effect is Tropical Island by Tim Burton. A must try for fans of Duchaufour's work.

High quality, natural rose. This one will be enjoyed even by those who eschew rose soliflores. I thought I couldn't wear a rose perfume until I tried this. A great bargain.

I enjoyed the "niche-lite" woodiness of Sensuous for about 10 minutes until it disappeared from my skin completely! It seems more of a ghost of a fragrance than the fully fleshed-out idea. While inoffensive and enjoyable, I found it "barely there" as so many new fragrances have been lately. Hardly worth the money.

I think this may be a scent where personal chemistry plays a big hand. On me, the cypress is dominant, the coconut and vanilla almost nonexistent. Myrtle is there, too, but subdued. Cadjmere is a winter forest that I can walk through in a big comfy coat, and I can smell someone baking something delicious a kilometer away. Fabulous winter staple. Strong stuff, though, go lightly.

OK, yeah, it smells just like Thai yellow curry, but sometimes, maybe you want to smell that way?? For those who want people around them to go, "Hey,where's the curry?"

This one is simply gorgeous and much drier and less gourmand than the notes imply. Comforting and complex at the same time. A great deal.

If you like raspberry, you'll love this. It's raspberry plus. A little vanilla, a little rose, a little musk. I don't pick up any iris. Doesn't last long, but a great price.

This one is very similar to Feminite du Bois. Quite nice, long-lasting.

Another winner from Hermes and Ellena! If you like dry, green, yet natural-smelling scents (no artificial ozone or aquatic notes), do try this. It's a vibrant green, yet earthy and even a little incense-y, though it's solidly in the green, not incense category. Just beautiful and extremely refreshing on a hot, muggy day.

It's not easy to find a warm, spicy scent that can work well on the hottest days. But this is one of them. Carnations, baked earth, spice, and the Guerlinade combine beautifully here. It stays close but lasts well for an EdT- wish they made a parfum version, though! So sorry this was discontinued, it's a gem, and can be found at a good price online.

A cool aquatic that I like as a linen spray in the summer. Doesn't smell anything like a rainstorm.

Very strong on the jasmine and freesia, this is a southern belle floral. Lovely when in the mood for...jasmine and freesia! The notes sound chypre-like, but it's really a heady floral. (Notes: Bergamot, jasmine, orange blossom, freesia, sandalwood)

It's very difficult to combine two such different families as green and spice, but Moss Breeches does it splendidly. A fabulous fragrance that surprises and enchants like the wild forest spirits it's named after! Love it!

This was a gift from a dear friend, so I really should wear it. Didn't care for it much at first, too rich. But over time, I realized it was one of the few florals I reached for, and the only jasmine I could stand. It's a powerful floriental and very intense, but it's just wonderful. It seems to be a fragrance that needs time to grow on one. Just give it 3 tries....

This is just wonderful stuff. A must for incense fans. Very similar to CdG Avignon, but this is a solid. That means you can take it on an airplane! Which is what I do with mine, and it's got a very calming effect. This is also wonderful for layering with other scents that cry out for a dash of incense. The price makes it very economical and it has good lasting power.

Angel's demure little sister. The sweetness level varies depending on chemistry. On me the incense shines through after the first 5 fruity minutes, so I really like it, it has some spice and heft. But try it first. On some it becomes pure treacle. The bottle is wonderful.

Kenzo's Satin Spray (the red satin bottle) is paradise. I like Flower EdT for a daily scent, but the parfum is for special days. If you are an almond lover, do try this. The almond, vanilla, and opoponax are much stronger than in the EdT, and the rather in-your-face, synthetic notes of the EdT (which I like but are definitely an aquired taste) are absent in the parfum. Lovely and smooth....

This is the most gorgeous, sophisticated grapefruit/white florals scent I have ever smelled. Often found at a discount, it's a great bargain and a lovely bottle as well. Though white florals/citrus is usually anathema to me, I reach for this again and again on hot, sunny days. Just beautiful.

This is one of those synthetic-as-an-aesthetic-statement fragrances that is quite strong and memorable. Nothing natural here at all. It's a virched tropical rainforest, like a video game set. So it's weird, it's unnatural,very brightly colored. It's also very sweet. But it's fun and the drydown is softer and quite pleasant. The bottle is absolutely gorgeous and strange, a must-have for a bottle collector.

Sometimes I like the cuddly caramel of L and sometimes the immortelle/candy notes are just way too cloying. This is one sugary scent that I have to be in the right mood for, in other words, looking for a sugar fix!

I love EaudM and it's become one of my most-worn scents. The Elixir has grown on me. It sounds gourmand but it is not in the sense that Angel or any of the Comptoir scents are gourmand. It's much richer, more heady, with far more intense sillage than EdM. It is NOT a day at the beach. However, it's a worthy companion to EdM and I wear it as an evening scent, as opposed to EaudM, which is strictly a fresh day scent. They are excellent companions.

Well, the purple bottle is fantastic. The scent is completely synthetic and odd, but not in a bad way, more like purple neon. It's a virtual jasmine, a virtual amber, very electric, artificial, technological if that makes sense. Like an alien's take on Earth scents. It is unabashedly divorced from Nature. The longevity is incredible, the sillage pronounced. Very different!

This is still available in Europe, though d/c'd in the States. It's a light, soft floral, green rather than cloying, very much a spring garden in the rain scent. Very natural smelling. I don't like strong florals but I'm enjoying this one very much. Not long lasting, but for a floral, that's not a bad thing. Very soft drydown of light musk. In the same category as Les Meteorites, and could be used in any situation.

I love every listed note for this fragrance yet when I tried it, what I got was sharp opening, sickly sweet gingerbread heart, and a nice, slightly gingery incense drydown. A disappointment to be sure.

This one turned very sharp and bitter on me, I'm not sure why, but there may be a tiny bit of cumin in it, which is deadly on my skin. But on others it's a lovely citrus/spice fragrance, so try it first!

Very strong mimosa, then a strong almond/musk drydown, with a milk note. I like this, and it would make a good, peaceful daily wear scent, but so would Amour and that one is a little more interesting, so if I had to choose, I'd spring for Amour. As it is, I use Kenzo Flower (parfum) when I need an almond hit. But this one is very nice, in a quiet way.

On my skin this is pure Goth and I turn into Abby of NCIS (minus the spiderweb tattoo on my neck). On others its just a really good incense. I guess some are graced with the heavy mildew note, and some are not. I am. Best to try it a few times first. Definitely an original and great to wear to a Halloween party, dressed as a vampire or mummy.

At first sniff this seems to be a grownup cousin of Pink Sugar but it is actually quite a bit more complex, and morphs considerably on drydown. Definitely gourmand, but with some dry woods and aldehyde added for balance. So if you like your vanilla, almond, and berries with a little something extra, this might be it.

Woods, spice, a little incense, some aldehydes. It's a "little black dress" perfume, very classy, quite masculine. The new Zen is a completely different concoction, only the name is the same. This one is definitely worth a try, though certainly an acquired taste.

This a modestly sweet and lovely violet with the Guerlinade base. It's perfect for hot, humid days when heavier scents would be, well, gross.It's also a good choice for people who don't like their florals very sweet or in-your-face. Even my perfume-loathing family approved of this one.

This is a fabulously rich olfactory experience and a must-try for incense lovers. I enjoy Flower Oriental but Magical Moon is a much more sophisticated, well-rounded take on the kyara theme. The fruit and flowers are not at all gourmand, they are laid on quite delicately, and are dominant only for the first 20 minutes, until the kyara comes through. I believe this is probably one of the new headspace agarwoods the Japanese have been coming up with, and it's very true to the original, better than Kenzo's, which is also quite good, and on par with Shiseido's. The osmanthus is sweet but not at all cloying, and the patchouli is there but quite subtle. Not at all a linear scent, this one plays with you all day. One of the finest perfumes I've ever smelled, in all its versions (I bought the EdP and the parfum).

This is a major spice attack, in a good way. And I swear there is ginger in this as well as pepper, and basically an entire spice market. It is very strong and lasts well, so it is not for shy folk and possibly not for the office either, but it is very memorable!Perhaps a little wizarding magic, too, must be the mandrake.

I can see how on the right woman this would be a heavenly gourmand scent, but on me, it's just old coconut pudding. Yeesh. I was very disappointed that it smelled so dreadful on me, but caraway is a tricky note. And heliotrope can become quite Play-Doh like on the wrong person, which in this case, is me. The drydown softened the pudding/Play-Doh effect and was quite pleasant after several hours, however.

Though cedar is not always listed as a note in Dolce Vita, the fruit/cedar/spice mixture makes it a close relative of Feminite du Bois. However, there are a few synthetic notes in this composition that do not blend in well, and, depending on chemistry, can smell bitter. Barring this effect, the composition is lovely, so try before you buy.

This fragrance belongs to the same family as 10 Corso Como and is an excellent value considering the fine quality. Very enjoyable.

A lovely lemony apricot or white rose, I've smelled this in several varieties of rose. Very accurate, light and fresh, just a touch of tea and citrus to set it off. Reminds of a rose garden in April in the Deep South. Fabulous.

A love-it-or-leave it scent, very masculine, with many spices, some of which clash with interesting results. Kind of grows on one...a definite try for lavender lovers.

A subtle, multi-faceted, yet never in-you-face leather scent. Very classy,sheer, elegant. More ephemeral than many of the SL line, I see it worn by a Scandinavian blonde.

This is the dark sister of Gris Clair, and both are wonderful lavender scents and musts for lavender fans. The lavender is never overwhelmed by the incense and woods, but becomes a deep, hypnotic shade of indigo. Brings out the calming, meditative side of the herb, while at the same time it is quite lush.

This fragrance never really came into focus for me, and I tried it in two different stores. I was hoping for a dark, spicy tea scent, but all I got was a thin whiff of distant chai, then poof! all gone. Certainly inoffensive, though.

Wonderful bottle, rather ho-hum fruity-floral fragrance. Why it is colored blue I cannot guess. I mostly get Creamsicle. However, on those days when one wants a sweet, orange-vanilla spritz, this one is very nice.

Of all the SL line, I find this the most balanced and multi-faceted. It's warm and honeyed but never cloying, hints of spice and tobacco waft over me the entire day, incense, leather, wool, you name it. It's a North African fairy tale come to life, a real genie in a bottle!This is a terribly romantic scent, and not, I believe, for the office.

Kretek- the Indonesian (and also found in Russia) clove cigarette. OK, I don't smoke, but I just love this scent. And, though clearly reminiscent of clove cigarettes, it isn't a Demeter-type exact replica of the inspiration. A spice market lingers here in the background, warm woods, and lots of little surprises that keep popping up for hours. Lasts a long time too and the price is excellent considering the high quality.

Blah blah blah, another fruit and vanilla pudding mixture. OK, it's pretty, it's inoffensive, it lasts a long time. Help, I'm sleeping while I'm typing, I'm typing while I'm sleeping....

This is the most aggressive honey scent I've ever smelled. My entire family went, "Ack!" I think this would be the right perfume for the 3 Bears, but not for me. I love many SL scents and I applaud his courage, but this one crossed the line for me.

This is the perfect scent for a cool, misty day hiking in the Alps. More melancholy and austere than L'Heure Bleue, sharper and fresher than many lavender-based scents, this is a poem, this is Goethe in a bottle.

I agree that Douce Amere is a relative of Lolita Lempicka, which I own. However, I found it very sharp on the drydown, with a little too much aldehyde. Though I found this quite interesting and very classy, I prefer the softer Lolita.

I have to say at the outset that I dislike floral fragrances but this is one that I really like. It is a fresh white, yet creamy floral, not exactly osmanthus, yet charming and subtle. Longevity is average, about 2 hours on me. I find it cheerful and quite a bit more attractive than many "white florals" on the market. Very natural smelling as well, not at all synthetic.

I love Feminite du Bois yet I actually like Silk a bit better. FdB has a little "pencil shavings" in the opening few minutes, Silk does not. Silk is also a bit spicier, a little less fruity. Very lovely and perfect for an Alpine winter in front of a fire!

I love opoponax but this is the first fragrance featuring opoponax that I have purchased. It is just lovely, a gorgeous comfort scent. Rich yet subtle, just a little spicy.

This is my favorite orange blossom scent, heightened and spiced with elemi and resins. Good lasting power, and very elegant. An extremely light touch of laurel gives it a good lift. Very bright and rich.

This is definitely a scent that depends on chemistry. On me it is resinous, sharp, even harsh. Not that that is always a bad thing, but there is no softness in it for me. Very hard scent. Nothing like Avignon at all on me. I get no floral from it whatsoever, only resin.

This one is just unreal. I hate tobacco scents but I crave this. The tobacco is very dominant, naturally, but other notes play and intertwine and do all sorts of magical things. I've really never smelled anything like this before and it's well worth the retail price from Paris. Just save up and get it!

I love smelling actual roses but I am put off by practically any rose-centered perfume. Stella gives me an enormous headache. Yves Rocher Pur Desir de Rose is minimally acceptable because it's closer to a carnation. All that disclosed, I really liked this rose scent. It's not overpowering, it's gentle, with just a little spice, and a little powdery sweetness to accent the central motif. I'm still not willing to wear a rose perfume, but if I had to, say, for a rose party or something like that (OK, no idea why I'd have to wear rose perfume) I would choose this one. And for those who love roses, I think this one is really quite special.

A decadent, Arabian-style perfume with rich spices and dusky floral notes, with the "Ormonde-ade" drydown. This one is strong, heady, knock-your-socks-off beautiful, to be worn with black velvet on an evening at the opera. Though classic arabian oils are used, it's very much a Pilkington scent,and just a little English around the edges.

A lovely soft white floral with a delicious drydown. The pepper and cypress are present but very subdued. The lily is quite dominant. Very pretty and elegant.

Flower and Flower Oriental are staples in my colllection, so I was very excited to try Amour. It is a very pleasant, but exceptionally quiet, scent. For people who project perfume well, and do not like strong fragrances, this might be the one. The rice note is lovely and comforting, and the entire impression is peaceful and serene. It's just too quiet for me.

This began as Jungle L'Elephant without the spice, and it was very pleasant indeed. (Elephant is one of my staples.) But after an hour or so, I too got the mothball note. I think this is one that must be tested on skin prior to purchase.

A charming, lightly sweet, fruity oriental with a nice cuddly drydown. This is quite a pretty perfume and will absolutely offend no one. The fruit notes are not at all cloying or overwhelming, and basenotes are sweet but not candystore. Light and charming are the two best adjectives for this one.

The rhubarb (and I swear, lime) make this a very interesting, and I will venture to say, unisex fragrance. The green notes combined with spice and vetiver make are rather beguiling.

This floral begins with great intensity, almost headache-producing, then backs off very quickly into a soft musk drydown. I don't detect much woodiness at all in the basenotes, and no oakmoss. Just vanilla/musk. A big whomp, then a little whisper. It was gone in about an hour.

I have both Jungles and I cannot decide which I prefer, both are exquisite. Elephant is softer, rounder, more powdery. Tiger is more fruity and sharper. Elephant is a gourmand scent but it has a very eccentric, spicy manner (the combination of caraway, heliotrope and licorice is unique, I believe). Yet it does not overwhelm or annoy. It is never cloying and, though exotic, could be worn in the office. Highly recommended!

I've bought this off and on since girlhood and it's still one of the nicest, simplest and freshest musk scents around. Kind of a staple. Layers well with so many things, too. Good bargain as well.

This fragrance is actually quite sweet and buttery. It has many interesting notes, and many which offer contrast, sweet and bitter, sharp and smooth, and so on. However, it was just a bit too much for me, a little overwhelming. During the right season, to a party, it might be perfect.

This is certainly a little girl's perfume, but in a good way, not in an over-the-top fruit and floral overdose manner. It's lemony with a little bit of soft white floral. Great for spritzing. Not long-lasting but ephemeral and oh-so-pretty.

I am commenting on the essence de parfum designed for meditation (15 ml bottle with glass wand). A strong but true burst of white flowers followed by a compelling scent of valerian (a strange scent except for those involved in aromatherapy), and a soft drydown of (very subdued) kyara and lovely white musk. This really does aid meditation, and can be used in place of incense for those who don't like the smoke. Even my young children find it calming and centering. And it's very beautiful as well. The EdT was light and fresh and ephemeral compared to the essence, but quite pretty and wearable.

This is a soft, comforting, in-grandma's-embrace type of scent. Very soft, very close to the skin, not too sweet yet absolutely lovely. Though very quiet, it is nonetheless unique....

Well, this will be a strange review, but when I tried my sample, it brought back many memories, then I remembered where I had smelled this before...the soap used on Soviet trains! Almost identical. For those with Soviet experience, it might be more of a memory trigger than a comfort scent....

The opening of ususual fruits is actually not at all annoying, it's a bit peculiar, in a good way. Then the osmanthis takes over, a very odd flower indeed, though tempered by the ylang-ylang. The drydown is lovely. I'd swear there was a little cumin in this, too. It's quite unique and great for those days you want to wear something a little different.

Blah to this rose. The top notes were very...drugstore-ish. Not impressive. No spice to this rose. The heart notes disappeared on me, the base was bland.

This was my husband's first cologne and he really liked it (and still does) but when he discovered niche frags the Miyake went bye-bye! Now it's pretty much just Frederic Malle....ouch to the bank account!

This is a sister to Laura B's Roma. Lovely orangey topnotes with a hint of spice dry down to a sweet, bright amber. The eau de parfum lasts about as long as an edt on me, but that's rather typical for YR. I think this is one of their best creations.

This is a lovely licorice fragrance of similar kind to the Guerlain Aqua Allegorias. It's fresh, lemony-gingery with lots of springy, not sweet, licorice. I'd say this was definitely for women. Since I'm using a sample sent by Caron, I cannot comment on problems with the bottle. I'm a big fan of licorice and I was not dissappointed with this one.

Very fruity, very fresh. Though I'm not a fruity/fresh kind of gal, I liked it. It's not over-the-top, and has a very true redcurrant note. Very natural smelling. Does not last long, however. But a nice addition to the AA line.

A classic, traditional eau de cologne. Quite a lot of sillage, lasts even through a shower. More suitable for men than for women, I think.

I really enjoyed this as an alternative to Lolita Lempicka, which can be a bit cloying in warm weather especially. I think this is a very nice gourmand scent for a woman which does not overwhelm like Angel or LL can at times. I'd really call this unisex. Very enjoyable.

This is a perfume of intense contradiction. There's a pleasantly sharp, thoroughly unreasonable note in it. It should be warm, an orangey-spice scent followed by warm woods, but it is not. It's like looking at a warm fire in the hearth while you're still outside, bundled up in furs in the snow. And for this reason, I love it!

What a lovely, clear, clean rhubarb. Takes me back to my grandma's garden in midsummer. Very refreshing. Nice vanilla-warm drydown, very subtle. My only complaint is that the whole lovely experience lasted only 30 minutes. I guess you can just spritz again.

Quite a complicated, woody scent. Too masculine for me, quite sharp in the opening, but there's a lot going on here and it's all very interesting!

This is a very cool, light anise, on me it was almost bitter. I think if you like anise/licorice but are not a Lolita Lempicka fan, this might be for you. Not long-lasting but that's true of all the AAs.

Along with its spicy sister Mitsouko, LHB is at the pinnacle of my collection. I would never want to be without it. It doesn't belong to any category, it's impossible to describe. On me, it's almost bitter, but in a good way. Everyone who catchesa whiff of this seems to become contemplative and introspective. Anise lovers will particularly like it, though it has nothing in common with Lolita Lempicka. Weird and wonderful stuff!

A little too sharp, even in the drydown, for my taste. Pleasant opening, and nice use of spices. Just comes across as for the more mature woman at the opera for the evening. There's no "fun" in this fragrance. Terribly serious and quite linear.

In my opinion this is a would-be lovely scent completely ruined by the overuse of aldehydes. Could have been a winner, but quite an unpleasant drydown. A little heavy on the vetiver, and not one of the nicest vetivers, either.

I find this to be a very close, slightly spicier cousin of Feminite de Bois by Shiseido. This is slightly more ephemeral, doesn't last as long, and involves, how can I say, a less intense relationship than one develops with FdB, the latter evoking much stronger reactions, both positive and negative. If FdB is too much for you, but you like that family of scents, this one would probably suit very well. Personally I prefer having a love-hate relationship with FdB, but I'd certainly wear this if I found a bottle at a good price. It's delicious.

Very long- lasting, of medium strength, obviously very strong on various amber notes, though a little too soapy on my skin. Sticks around even after a shower!

A single flower note with a little background to make it shine. Very true carnation, just a touch of pepper and clove to give it a buzz. If you love carnations, this is it.

Well, it's definitely not an Angel clone and that's a good thing, though they are certainly cousins. The anise/licorice is lovely but overall it is just too sweet and cloying after awhile. If you can carry off gourmands like Angel, you would probably like this one, though. It would be lovely on the right person. Great bottle, too!

A floriental? Actually I think Body Shop's Altaro had more oomph for about 1/4 the price. Totally inoffensive vanilla. That's about it. Didn't get much vetiver, just a tad of passionflower for about 20 minutes. A good choice though for teens/pre-teens.

The Liturgy in a bottle. This is one evocative scent, and depending on your experiences with a sacramental Church (Catholic or Orthodox), you'll love it or loathe it. I believe it can be worn by women as well. The frankincense and vanilla are strong but not overly sweet. The notes blend into one another beautifully. Certainly the perfect choice for high holy days. A very fascinating fragrance!

This is a light, but fairly long-lasting, very cool EdT. Although it's not listed I get a strong tea note as a heart note. The mandarin/bitter-orange combination is lovely. It could be worn by either sex, I suspect. It seems to me the perfect thing for a day of golf or tennis! Not too sweet, and delicate, but with good sillage and longevity.

The Elixir is definitely more interesting than the other formulations. Still, even in its strongest form it's a light floriental, not terribly memorable but pleasant. The Elixir also has the best bottle, satiny red. Lasting power is not great, an hour or two.

A true verveine and wonderful for very hot, humid days. Can also be used as a room spray. The big downside is that staying power is about 5-10 minutes. It's more a spritz to pick you up when you're feeling wilted.

This is a lovely light scent with lots of neroli. I didn't detect the mint, but the lovely fresh citrusy topnotes (not at all harsh) mellow into a sweet, orange-tinged vanilla (not too sweet). The civet is there but very subtle. My only complaint is that the EdT does not last very long on me, and it costs a bundle in Europe. I'd buy it again at American prices, though....

Soft and warm, the cedar, thankfully, is suggestive but not overwhelming. Settles down to a sweet melange of woodsy spice. Delightful!

Here in Europe I've noticed this is a scent young men wear. It's for youth. At my favorite perfume shop I received a sample of it to give to my oldest son. So I hope it doesn't contain pheromones, he's too young for all that!

Certainly inoffensive but absolutely not memorable in any way. Just another fruity floral out of hundreds out there. Yawn.

Whereas Angel knocks your socks off (in a good or a bad way), this one is very inoffensive and much softer, but still definitely the "big bowl o'fruit n' custard". It's an alternative for Angel lovers who want a softer version for the office or wherever. Not my cup of tea (or bowl of fruit).

I love Flower as an everyday scent, and this one is a nice alternative for evening. The pepper was a little too strong on me, but it dried down to a fabulous agarwood. Really lasts, too. Not as bright and bubbly as the original Flower, but lovely nonetheless.

Although I don't wear florals at all well, this one is truly beautiful and classy. A delightful garden, old-fashioned and gorgeous.

I find the Body Shop's Altaro a dead ringer for Gloria at half the price. A low-key, warm, foody scent. Pleasant, especially for autumn.

Very sweet and strong. Nothing special really strikes me with this, and some of the notes are harsh, particularly in the top notes. The drydown is unexceptional and the sandalwood not all that great. I couldn't detect the heliotrope at all. A letdown.

Very sharp, harsh top notes (yowch!) drying down to a nice, bland, vanilla. Bit pointless,really. Smells like most everything else on the market these days.

I love this on my husband, and it smells completely different on me, so I like to wear it once in a while on a cold winter's day, too. A little goes a long way and really lasts. Walking through a cloud of it is a good way to apply so it's not too strong. Lovely woody drydown.

Definitely young girl scent. As a no-longer-20-something I wear this at home, yes a guilty pleasure. It's just a fun boppy fragrance and little kids and babies love it, so it's good when I volunteer at school, too. When I need a serious break from my Guerlains, I go for this for a few hours.

A nice, quiet, hanging out at home with a book scent. Not really a full oriental, more of an aromatherapy scent, but very pleasant and soothing.

Wow, this one's an aquired taste, or a great signature perfume on the right woman. Sadly, I am not she. It dries down to a strong tobacco smell on me, like I've been hanging around my grandpa while he's smoking his pipe on the porch. Too bad! It's very unusual and has many layers.

Dreadful on me, like an entire candy shop that's been melted and poured over my head. But lovely on other women. Try before you buy! I was really disappointed, but the way, love the bottle....

Well, I didn't think I'd ever find a perfume with my favorite scent in all the world, kyara, but this is it! I'm hooked. I think this perfume has drug-like effects on me- I'm unreasonably happy when I smell it. It must the the kyara wood. I collect incense based on very old recipes and much of the incense from the Shogunate period of Japan contains kyara, a very refined form of aloeswood. This perfume dries down to the fully kyara scent and wow. It's worth any price in my opinion. Not daily wear, though- too rich and exotic.

Spicy, spicy, could use some vanilla or amber. Not at all offensive, however.

This one is lovely and unusual, very very fresh, but I don't smell like an herb garden either. Very worth the price. Not too long lasting, but you can always reapply....

Oh, how I love this! In Florida during the hot season, it really gives one a lift, and keeps one cheerful and energized. My sisters and my mother wear this now, too. We really got hooked. Sort of discordant in the cold moutains where I usually live, though. Prefer oriental scents there.

Wonderful, but I'd swear there's a scent of mango in there, which I love. Anyway, great for the summer!

True to life gardenia scent, and nothing else! Very nice and reasonably priced.