Fragrance Reviews by glitteralex

This is a lovely, dusty rose. Reminds me of old, dried roses in a library of musty books. I have the room spray, which is nice on a winter evening.

Although this scent is considered a sharp floral, this and other aldehydic heavy hitters such as Chanel No. 5 and Rive Gauche by Yves Saint Laurent should come with a warning label: “ Caution! This is a superb scent, if you can survive the first 15 minutes”

With a sharp, soapy, and aldehydic top dominated by iris, the floral heart is obscured for the first 10-15 minutes. I have to say I sense more notes than the three mentioned above. There is definitely an herbaceous resin note as well-maybe the bergamot peeking through? I would not have guessed there was any cassis at all. Eventually, the top simmers down and the heart emerges rather discreetly. The aldehydes remain, but take a back seat to the rich floral accord. They eventually fade and leave the wearer with the impression of sweet tobacco-very compelling.

This is a strict, mature scent, for a formal professional setting or an evening out. I can’t see it on anyone under 40. The composition is very tight and precise. Not to be overapplied in public.

1. CREED Fleurs de Bulgarie Millesime (w) Bergamot, Bulgarian Rose, Ambergris, and Musk. This version was introduced in 1980 and is still in production and readily available. This is a 2-stage perfume, not quite linear. First comes the rose, definitely Bulgarian or Otto. Shortly thereafter arrives the most long-lasting and pungent drydown of Ambergris (aged sperm whale puke from eating squid). I never found the purported top note of Bergamot, although maybe it simply serves here, in very small amounts, to provide “lift” for the rose. Creed is one of the only perfumers in the world to still have access to the real ambergris, and it is really is amazing stuff. I disagree with Turin on this one; I don’t find FdB a dead rose at all. Constant, maybe, but not dead. I like to wear this alone, but it also layers well with other scents. FdB is a very comforting perfume that wears all day, even in my dry climate. Excellent sillage. $$

This lovely green scent is made of more than 250 notes, mostly natural. Henry Dunay is a well-regarded American maker of fine jewelry (www.henrydunay.com). In 1998 his brother, perfumer Richard Loniewski, created Sabi for the jeweler. Information on this perfume was not commonly available, so I contacted Henry Dunay directly and received the following ingredient list:

Top Notes of Italian Mandarin, Carnation, Angelica Seed, Orangeflower Absolute, & Bergamot Oil;

Middle Notes of Hyacinth, Jonquil Absolute, Jasmine Absolute French, Narcisse, Violet Leave, & Tuberose;

Base Notes of East Indian Sandalwood, Haitian Vetivert, Tonka, & Musk.

Some compare Sabi to Estee Lauder’s perfume “Private Collection”, Lancome’s “Climat”, the original “Sung” by Alfred Sung, or “Deneuve” by Catherine Deneuve (another of my personal favorites). It is commonly thought of as old-fashioned, but I hardly find this the case. It seems as if any perfume that doesn’t scream “Raspberry Mochachino” is considered dowdy these days. My take on Sabi is that it is a green symphonic floral; that is, the notes synthesize to create a completely new note. It is difficult to separate them out and identify them individually. This often occurs in perfumes where there are many ingredients, such as Joy by Jean Patou and Beautiful by Estee Lauder. For sure, there are green herbaceous notes, with musky white flowers (not gardenia, or trumpet flower, but a unique floral note with that insipid cloying quality that both possess-the jonquil contributes here). It is a somewhat linear fragrance in that the top notes do not give way to the heart or the base, but, rather, join them. The Tonka provides enough creaminess to give it nice body, without the gourmand note that Vanilla would contribute. The Sandal and Vetiver/t also combine nicely to give a woody, spicy base that does not drown out the rest-the Vetivert keeps it buoyant. Sabi manages to be fresh and sparkling, but to have nice weight at the same time. Think of an Alsatian Pinot Gris.

As much as I think this perfume does not match my personality, I love to wear it (as much as I can afford!).

Sabi is available in Eau de Parfum and Pure Parfum concentrations. One of the main critiques of this fragrance is the high price point-$110 for 50ml of EdP and $225 for 30ml of perfume. $$$

This is a lovely men’s scent-classic, natural feeling, longwearing, and compelling. It has the simplicity characteristic of Molinard fragrances. Classified as a mossy, woody scent, it boasts notes of Clary Sage, Tarragon, Lavender, Juniper, & Patchouli. The earthy sweetness, ease, and comfort of this scent makes it wearable by both men and women. It seems the patchouli is tempered by tonka or vanilla, although not stated in the official notes. It is currently available in eau de toilette strength.

b.n. Madrigal is a vintage 1935 scent from the French Perfume House of Molinard. In 1993 Madrigal underwent a reformulation and was relaunched under the umbrella of the Les Masculins Collection, which includes the scents Madrigal, Vaniteck, and Rafale. Molinard, one of the three famous –ard houses of Grasse-Molinard, Fragonard, and Galimard, is a provider of fragrance essences and bases to other major fragrance houses. They maintain an open studio and perfume museum in Grasse, which can be visited by the public.

LAURA ASHLEY l’eau EdT (w) Rare & Discontinued.

This symphonic, aromatic floral (created in 1994; launched in ’95 under the supervision of Paul Sebastian) is a perfume I love to wear in the spring. The sprightly top notes of lemon and petitgrain are a lovely introduction to a heart dominated by lavender and carnation. The base is very subtle, and serves mainly to fix the top and base notes. As the top notes on this perfume are truly a part of the beauty, it is imperative to locate a bottle that has been stored properly. Top notes are often delicate and subject to deterioration more than the sturdy resins and musks found in the bases of perfumes.

Ingredients for l’eau include:

Top Notes of: Lemon, Mandarin, Petitgrain, & Rosemary

Middle Notes of: Jasmine, Lavender, Lily of the Valley, Carnation

Base Notes of: Patchouli, Sandal, Moss, Tonka


Laura Ashley’s older perfumes- No.1 No. 2, l’eau. Emma, & Dilys-have a cult following, and with good reason. Probably some of the prettiest perfumes ever made, they are still available online from time to time. Online auctions are mobbed by bidders and there is nary a bargain to be seen. (Martecci’s Fine Fragrances has actually re-synthesized some of them through molecular analysis and reconstruction.) These first perfumes have no connection to the current Ashley releases; Ashley’s husband Bernard personally oversaw their creations. Sadly, subsequent issues with distributor Alfin (until ’93), quality control, shop closures, majority Malaysian ownership, and ties to tele-evangelist Pat Robertson have sullied the reputation of LA and brought the quality of its products to outlet-store levels.

This is a reformulation of the first women’s fragrance from the Italian Haute Couture designer Pino Lancetti, launched in 1976 and simply called Lancetti. The original scent was dominated by Labdanum, an anise scented gum resin. MADAME LANCETTI is a polite and lovely rose based reformulation meant to appeal to the floral-fruity preferences of the 1990s. It was not enormously popular in the US, and thus was discontinued here and later worldwide. It is still occasionally available online for moderate prices.


Top Notes: Gardenia, Lily, Rose, Ylang-Ylang, & Freesia

Heart Notes: Peach, Mirabelle (plum), Rose, & Jasmine

Base Notes: Patchouli, Oak Moss, Iris, & Tonka


What I find so enchanting about this scent is the plastic rosy scent that arises after a light lemon balm (mint) sensation in the top. The middle presents some green notes that remind one of an idealized summer garden after a rainshower. The base is very discreet, and serves mainly to uphold the floral-fruity notes. Altogether, Madame seems fairly synthetic to me, but, nonetheless, delightful and yummy. It is everything a lighthearted Rose should be. Perfect for an early summer wedding, but go lightly as it is quite strong even in the EdT. It bears some similarity to l’eau by Laura Ashley and Trueste by Tiffany, both of 1995. I can understand why others may not find this scent impressive, but its sillage and pleasant character make it a warm weather favorite for me.

This scent exemplifies a transitonal perfume from the 70s green chypres to the 80s heavy floral-animalic chypres.
Mila Schon is an absolutely gorgeous perfume. Not as heavy as some of the later 80s scents, but certainly not a light perfume. It boasts a full bodied citrus top (maybe mandarin + bergamot-reminds me a wee bit of Diorella's introduction) followed fast by a round, almost gourmand note. There is spice (nutmeg or mace?) and ylang-ylang, rose, possibly osmanthus in the heart. Sandal, Vanilla in the mild base.

Hoping someone has the official notes out there.

Very similar to the original except for 30 minutes of musty violet in the top.

The opening notes are of a waxy lemon, shortly followed by deep florals-I guess Jasmine, Ylamg-Ylang, and Rose. A resinous incense base, maybe with rosewood. Have to agree with the previous reviewer, it is fairly linear, and very strong. I favor the top and so keep reaching for more...

A light and lovely citrus rose, with a soft sandalwood base. Very pretty. If I was a June bride, I would wear this.

A recent obsession with violet, in combination with the sale rack at Ross, led me to a 4oz bottle of GF EdT.

I have to say, it is a beautiful interpretation of violet. The dry herbs in the front are so fleeting, and bear semblance to those in Weil's iconic Antilope-hot, dry, abrupt. Within moments, the violet charges in. It stays for a very, very, long time. Incredible depth and concentration. This surpasses even an EdP in strength. The sillage, as we all know, is outrageous. While the eventual polite mossy drydown is definitely Scottish Grandfather and a bit dreary, I don't care, because at $10/bottle, I'll just apply more liberally!

The fact that this was created in 1976 has absolutely no impact on its freshness in character. My new bottle has excellent ingredients, and smells just as I remember from back in the day. However, the simplicity of ingredients is very contemporary and "niche" in nature. If we took this juice, packed it in a smart minimalist bottle, and called it "Labdanum Violette", we could get $200 an ounce for it. People would note its nod to Grey Flannel, but say it was a "newer, fresher" take on Geoffrey Beene's old scent. Don't fool yourself, this is the real thing-then and now.

As a woman, this scent pulls the meek florals out very nicely, more in the style of JPG's Le Male than Dior's Farenheit, two other frags to which this scent has been compared here by others. Both those scents are in my closet, as well, to be sure.

After reading this thread, I have decided that, before I write I a review, I will not read either the "official notes", or more importantly, the opinions of others. It's obvious here that reviewers are not just considering the impressions of others, but are actually lifting ideas/terms/phrases from them.

This frag strikes me as a lemon leather with a deep floral heart. Imagine Boss Spirit and Duc de Vervins in bed together. Top notes are compelling, even from afar. What I perceived as lemon may in fact be the mixture of bergamot and pineapple. The heart is rather strong and flat, and as mentioned above, very vintage in feel. The top notes persist throguh the heart. The base contains good fixatives, likely birch and civet?

....The bitter orange gives way almost immediately to the sweet incense and ever-present tobacco within seconds. The top and heart of this scent bear notable similarities to JPG's Fleur de Le Male, with the orange blossom in FDLM and the bitter orange here. In Tabacco, however, the entire composition is smoother and the base richer-in comparison to FDLM, where the base remains the sharp ashtray note that we meet early on. Here it wears off with the heart....I do find Tabacco fairly potent, unlike other reviewers, but maybe that's because I am comparing it to women's frags instead of men's.... The eucalyptus and vetiver are used very judiciously and do not present as individual smells, but rather as part of a larger harmony. ..I have been keeping a tin of Bay Rum tobacco next to my bed for years to remind me of my dear Grandpa Taylor. This scent is as close to that tobacco as ever I have smelled. I would definitely wear this, mostly to bed ;}. It's about as comforting as hubby's big camelhair cardigan.

Wondering what comprises "Somalian Incense"?

Have to say, I am not wildly impresssed with this at first. It seems odd to me that there is spice sandwiched between a rather skinny top and base...clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, seem oddly out of place in a citrus/lavender with a thin white musk. More to come as I retry....

"Aimed at sporty youngsters"-?

Can't imagine anyone under the age of 25 appreciating this. If JPG's Fleur de le Male got into bed with Chanel's Egoiste (mace?), they would create Body Kouros. Absolutely scrumptous Fresh Woody Oriental. However, the middle notes seem missing-goes from a yummy top to a soft, powdery base with just a fleeting glimpse of a heart. The official notes seem to exclude any floral notes, which are surely there-maybe Orange Blossom like the le Male series? Anybody know?

BTW, I am a 42 y/o woman who wears some men's, such as M7, le Male and Fleur de le Male, & Egoiste. Shocked that this very affordable and forgotten scent made my short list within moments of application.

I tested this blind-all I knew was that it was a Creed scent. The initial impression was rather unisex-couldn't pinpoint whether it was going in a masculine or feminine direction. It's the cinnamon that caused the confusion, I see now. After 10 minutes I had a flashback to my grandfather's pomade-but instead of the mineral oil base, it had a softer, beeswax note. A pleasant olfactory trip. The drydown is very classic, sort of stodgy Newport. As a woman, I would not wear this, but find it interesting. It is very clearly an older style scent, I would say late 1940s-early 60s, although I know it was done much later. Good longevity, as all Creeds have on me.

Very synthetic and pharmaceutical. No body or roundness. Poor sillage and mediocre longevity. I adore Rose scents, and can tolerate the original Eternity, but find this awful.

Despite being flat, as Iris-focused scents can be (Think of Hiris by Hermes), I do like this archaic scent. In this simple and decidedly unisex frag I find Violet Leaves, powdery Violet Flower and Iris (I note Iris only in the form of Orris, the aged root used as a fixative; I get no fresh Iris). Orris can create a soft powdery floral, as well as woodsy fixative notes. I do not classify this a a Floral scent in modern terms. The Armani site deems it "Sensual, Floral, & Woody". It is a little dreary, but very comforting, like a rainy day.

Interestingly, PdL's drydown is eerily similar to a bottle of vintage 40s Narcisse Noir pure parfum that came in a coffret I received as a gift, although the two bear few note similarities. I will do more research, but welcome any thoughts.

My first impression of this frag in the edP is medicinal banana...a caramel gourmand/bananas foster arrives after the initial shock of something akin to chloraseptic (which I love) dies off. The dry down is more classic than the top or heart, with incense notes, but reminds me of the lingering presence of a drugstore perfume. Pour un Femme is incredibly pervasive- hubby is complaining of a single spritz from the other room. It has 80s style body, but with odd notes. I rather like it, but would never have pegged it as a Caron. Have to say, I disagree with Quarry's take on the pedestrain fruit/patchouli combo- it is quite unusual, but not necessarily great. I give it a thumbs up for originality.

All I can seem to get off this is a lean scent of pencil shavings-I live in a dry climate, so maybe that is contributing to the scarity of substantial notes I am sensing. Have to say, it strikes me as totally synthetic and steely, in a bad way.

If you gentlemen have not tried La Nuit, the sister fragrance to Tenere, you must. Released by Rabanne 3 years earlier, in 1985, it was as trendsetting for its animalic-rose-leather as Tenere is for its unabashedly floral heart. They are masculine and feminine mirror images of each other, but neither too far down the end of the spectrum. I wear both La Nuit, dark for a woman's frag, and Tenere, warm and floral for a masculine, and enjoy them equally.

It's a warm, dry summer afternoon, and I wanted to try something feminine. The usual water and tea inspired scents don't do it for me, so I swung by my local perfume shop, and picked up the QR EDT. As an admirer of rose scents, I was disappointed that the main (persistent) note in the top is guava! With a little watermelon and light citrus thrown in.

As for the heart, I got some jasmine, a gourmand berry and cream note, and some deep rose-maybe Bulgarian, Damask, or Moroccan-but the rose still does not play a major role.

The drydown is sweet and sharp, with powder, vanilla, orris and a little amber. A delicate perfume, altogether, but certainly not what I expected.

Incidentally, I have no idea what the official fragrance notes are for this scent, nor could I find them. I would be interested to find them.