Basenotes - Reviews by Katrinket

United States

Showing 1 to 13 of 13.

Une Rose Chyprée by Tauer

I tried this yesterday, and I'm smitten. This is a comfort scent for sure. It is a gourmand to me, but not in the usual sense. You wouldn't actually want to EAT this, but it does make me think of chai, or vanilla steamers. Main notes are cinnamon, vanilla, and rose, incense base. Rose is almost in the background, despite the name. This is a fall/winter scent, I think, and yet I was very happy to be wearing it on a 90 degree day in July. I felt like someone had slipped me a feel-good drug, and I wanted to share it with everyone I came in contact with. I wanted to thrust my wrists under the noses of passersby, as it seemed selfish to hoard it. Wonderful stuff. Lasting power, great of course, although not as tenacious as LADDM. Amount of sillage, just right I think. Projects a wonderful sense of well-being. Lovely aura. In fact, it was the aura I enjoyed the most--I just kept smelling this gorgeous scent all around me, didn't feel the need to huff off my wrists.

23rd July, 2009.

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Vent Vert (new) by Pierre Balmain

Bought this for my mom, who loved the 1947 version. This version I'm reviewing is undoubtedly the 1999 re-revision. I love greens, and thought I might like this too, but it was a scrubber. Gave me an instant headache. First 30 seconds seemed promising, but then I just wanted to escape.

I tried spraying it onto a paper towel, and letting it waft, just to give it another try. Ended up taking the paper towel all the way to the trashcan outside, and washing that area of the countertop. Gave it to mom, she loved it, and instantly applied 4 spritzes, oh my aching head.

The bottle did have the "blowing grass" top, not the plainer lid I've seen pictured elsewhere. I had thought the grass lid was the 1990 version look, but mine must be the 1999 one, since I just bought it? (from beauty encounter)

6th January, 2009.

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Element-of-Surprise by Beth Terry Creative Universe

I really think this could be a beautiful fragrance, if only the volume could be turned up a lot. I know my smeller works reasonably well, but both times I've tried this, it's been so annoyingly light. To be fair, I was dabbing on with a tester, no spray. I'd put some one, catch the tiniest whiff of something really nice, and put on a bit more, but still it's faint. Kind of like the whos in Horton Hears a Who. I expect citrus scents to be fleeting, but I'd at least like them to be strong in the beginning.

This seems like a really nice scent that has been dilluted by at least half with water. If you find almost everything you smell completely overwhelming, then perhaps this is the scent for you. I, for one, would rather have Din Dan or i profumu limone di sicilia for lemon, or L'artisan Thé Pour Un Été for tea.

18th December, 2008.

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Borneo 1834 by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido

I'm glad he made it, and I'm glad I've smelled this, but I don't need to smell it again. I went through my sample slowly, waiting, waiting to love it, but no. For me, the anise is very off-putting. And the patchouli. Actually, the more times I tried it, the less appealing it became. It's not a scrubber by any means, but it's not right for me. And yet, I can see why it's beloved by many. No blind buys on this one, understand me? Sample first.

16th December, 2008.

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Din-Dan by Lostmarc'h

Lovely stuff, a warm comfort lemon scent, if you can believe there is such a thing. You could wear this anytime of the year, not just for the warmer months. Din dan smells like lemon sugar cookies, with bits of lemon zest in them, after the initial blast of lemon. Don't let this description scare you away! More lemon than cookie, and just a touch of sweetness. Very nice, not complicated, don't try to overanalyze it, just enjoy it! (If you want a more serious lemon, try Limone di Sicilia by i Profumi di Firenze. That one is more lemon and zest.)

13rd December, 2008.

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Do Son by Diptyque

This Is Tuberose. Tuberose. and a little more Tuberose.
Now, I don't have a tuberose sitting here next to me to compare to, but I have smelled them as cut flowers, and as flowers growing in the garden (in So. Calif), and this is precisely what they smell like. If you are looking for a soliflore tuberose, here it is. If you don't know what they smell like, hie thee to thy nearest florist, and have a sniff. Yes, I'm sure there are other notes in there, but the big impression here is tuberose. Tuberose is a smallish flower in real life, but it thinks it's B-I-G. I love the slight saltiness of it, which balances the sweetness (don't worry, not cloying) and warmth of it. very strong at first, with lots of sillage, almost an elevator-clearer, but later, STILL very strong, just not so in-your-face (nose) anymore. Dry down loses some sweetness, and saltiness is more pronounced. (think salty as in cracker jacks, not marine.) Not a gentle, light fragrance to me AT ALL. Lovely, impressive. I do think it wants warmer weather. Note to men, wear it if you please, but this should really be listed as a women's fragrance.

11th December, 2008.

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Route Mandarine by Manuel Canovas

I smelled some promising opening notes, but quickly turned heavy, sweet, overpowering. I was trying to give it a good try, but after 20 minutes there was just too much patchouli, and it had to come off. Like wearing too many perfume oils at once. Lacks balance. Sad, because it had some interesting stuff going on at first, but it's just TOO MUCH of everything. You know how Dior Poison can smell nice every now and then, if you catch just a whiff, but you don't actually want to stick your nose in it and inhale deeply? It doesn't smell the like that, but it has the same effect. If you love this, enjoy it, but be careful not to overdo it! One spray behind a knee might actually be nice for the rest of us, to catch a whisper of it.

9th December, 2008.

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Mandragore by Annick Goutal

My four year old summed it up: "Whaaaaaat? Pepper?!"

I only tried a spritz of it on a card, along with about 10 other AGs in rapid succession, so I won't try to review it. But the black pepper is the big first impression for me, too.

27th September, 2008.

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Neroli by Annick Goutal

I'm surprised that others found this to be a short-lived fragrance. Really? I tried 4 AGs on my arms, and found the Neroli to be the longest lasting, by far. But it's a close smell, very strong at close range, not wafting around you.

Also surprised it's listed as a unisex scent here. I would think it'd be too sweet for most men. It's not terribly sweet for a women's scent, though.

This smells to me almost exactly like some neroli extract oil I had, from Bath and Body Works. But more complex, and long lasting. 95% neroli, but other stuff going on. Doesn't change a whole lot after opening, consistently smells like neroli.

It has nothing to do with amber, but it's warm and comfortingin the same way, to me.

27th September, 2008.

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Iris Silver Mist by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido

My first thought after spraying was, "Interesting, nice, but why would I want to smell like a rutabaga?" I tried to like it, but didn't. Tried again, still no. Then I kinda liked it, but would never actually buy it.

And now I must buy it. It grows on you. It really does. I was told it would, but I didn't believe it. This will be a perfume just for me, as those around me may well wonder why I smell like a rutabaga. Oh well.

27th September, 2008.

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Gardénia Passion by Annick Goutal

Huh, I smelled this yesterday at the perfume counter, and I thought it smelled exactly like a gardenia, only warmer. I have smelled real gardenias and tuberose, and in retrospect, I can see that it may actually lean more towards tuberose. Just may go to show the power of labeling. It said Gardenia, so I smelled gardenias? I'll have to try it again.

Anyways--I'm going to give it a thumbs up, because I really enjoyed it, and you may too if you love warm heady rich florals. BUT I wouldn't buy it. It's intoxicating, but I don't want to smell it constantly on my skin. I feel the same way about tuberose and gardenia flowers: I adore them, but I don't want to smell like them all day long. Really, I'd love if a friend of mine wore it, so I could just get a bit of it every now and then.

27th September, 2008.

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Must de Cartier by Cartier

I second the recommendation to find the old version, if you can.

Must was my first big perfume love. I found it in about 1990. Bought a bottle, a large extravagance at the time, and loved every drop of it. I have since bought another EdP and the EdT. They are nice of course, but I've wondered why I didn't get the same overwhelming sensory experience as I did with that first bottle. Now I know it was reformulated in 1991 or 92, using cheaper ingredients. But try the new one--if you love it, go searching for the older version. The modern version is only disappointing if you remember it being better...

25th September, 2008.

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Cabotine by Grès

Finally, a floral I can love! Finally, a daytime scent I can add to my wardrobe! I usually shy away from florals, but not this one. When I first smelled it, I though, "nice, but not quite my thing..." But it grows on you. It's got enough complexity to keep you interested. Others have said it's all one note, all ginger lily. I have never smelled an actual ginger lily, but I would never have labeled it soliflore. Especially in the beginning, I get a lot more green notes. Not a woody scent, but like a flower you'd expect to find covered in raindops in cool, lush forest. Later, more soliflore perhaps. Long lasting. Loving it.

8th April, 2008.

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Showing 1 to 13 of 13.