 | Aimez-Moi by CaronI have sampled scents from the Caron line, but I never made a purchase until Aimez-Moi. The price is so reasonable that I made my purchase "unsniffed". What a pleasant surprise! This lovely lady opens bright & green. Violet leaf & bergamot give way to a light caraway/anise aroma. Next comes cardamon & white flowers (probably my least favorite part of the progression). Lastly, I smell heliotrope joined by a very light dose of amber & vanilla. The green opening notes still shine through the vanilla and keeps the whole affair from becoming too powdery. The fragrance unfolds over a long period of time and the longevity is admirable. Somehow this perfume is "old fashioned" without being "old lady". I didn't think that perfumers still did (or could do) this sort of thing. I am truly impressed! 8th December, 2011. |
 | Cuir de Russie by ChanelMaybe it's me, maybe it's the new regs, but I am so dissappointed in this fragrance. Yes, it is well balanced like any respectable Chanel, but my problem is that this scent is too well behaved. It starts as a soft floral leather and ends...period. It is not long lasting on my skin and it never "blooms". It is not evil nor is it unusual nor is it beautiful. It's pretty while it lasts, which is not enough for me to buy another bottle. On my third try, I just sprayed over it with Cuir de Lancome. Sorry, Folks. 6th October, 2011. |
| | Bois des Îles by ChanelAfter a floral aldehyde opening, this fragrance settles down and becomes soft & creamy without becoming powdery. I always am astonished by the quality of Chanel sandalwood, and it is at it's best here. I also detect just the slightest bit of incense during the drydown. This scent is sweet but not sickening. Unfortunately, on my skin, Bois des Iles does not last. But it is lovely and would be perfect in just about any social situation. I definately see this as a unisex fragrance. 23rd March, 2011. |
| | Yendi by Roberto CapucciLove at first sniff! This is the softest, warmest green fragrance that I can imagine. The florals seem fresh, buoyed by a touch of citrus & peach. The florals seem new, blended with honey & amber. The sandalwood is beautiful, more beautiful than that of the current Chanels. This perfume qualifies as a chypre, with it's bergamot beginning and it's oakmoss finish, but it is as soft as old flannel. It wears close to the skin and it is perfect for any season or any occasion. Thank you once again, Basenoters. I would never have tried this one without your comments. It is a beauty and it is very special. 5th January, 2011. |
| | Molinard de Molinard by MolinardFresh, peachy citrus top notes are joined by greens, spring flowers, incense & vetiver. This is a light, happy fragrance which wears close to the skin in the drydown. I like it in spite of the fact that the fragrance unfolds too quickly and that some of the notes are lost in the drydown. I imagine that this has suffered during reformulation. I will try to get my hands on some vintage juice, because this perfume is worth knowing better. The longevity isn't bad provided you layer with the lotion. And the price makes this a bargain! 4th January, 2011. |
 | Fig-Tea by Parfums de NicolaïToo sweet. Too watery. Too tame & typical. Not enough tea; no fig that I can detect. Might be better as a masculine. 31st December, 2010. |
| | No. 19 by ChanelThere are more versions of this fragrance than I care to contemplate. The original was a shockingly green floral & brittle leather. I could not envision wearing it at the time. It was heartless and cruel. The reissue that I sampled from The Perfumed Court, my least favorite version, is a green No 5. The limited edition edp from the Chanel website is a very soft (maybe too soft) green floral suede that wears close to the skin. It is beautiful and approachable and the easiest to wear. It captures the idea of the original without really smelling like the original, much like the new Bois des Iles compared with the old Bois des Iles. The limited edition edt is brighter & greener than the edp but still very friendly. All versions of the pure parfums echo their counterparts but are deeper and richer. Nevertheless, all are worth sampling. Overall, I give this fragrance (these fragrances) 4 stars. 27th December, 2010. |
| | Y by Yves Saint LaurentY pure parfum is soft & lovely. Y edt is bright & lovely. But Y edp is the star. It starts with a peachy bergamot (similar to Mitsouko) followed by a floral heart. The final notes give more than a passing nod to leather but never approach an unfriendly, hard leather. It is a classic non patchouli chypre and I can understand why it has a loyal following. Y is not outstanding in any way, but it is a wonderful example of a now defunct class of perfumes. 26th December, 2010. |
| | Envy by GucciWhat a beautiful floral! It is green and translucent. It emphasizes white florals but is balanced by iris. It reminds me of Ivoire but it does not turn soapy or powdery or sour. Envy somehow walks the fine line between old fashioned and modern. She manages to walk that line with unusual grace & charm. The pure parfum is soft & beautiful. The edt is bright & cheerful. My only regret is the modest longevity for the edt. The edp is STRONG with incredible longevity. Gucci no longer carries Envy on their website, so get it while you can. 23rd December, 2010. (Last Edited: 24th December, 2010.) |
| | Angel by Thierry MuglerI am late to the Angel party, and I think that I should have stayed home. My first reaction was "Lolita Lempicka minus anise". Actually, this is a strawberry sundae sprinkled with patchouli and topped with whipped cream. And this is the friendliest patchouli that I have ever known! I don't really like it, but I don't dislike it either. It is what I thought Miss Dior Cherie would smell like but didn't. For whipped cream, I prefer Un Bois Vanille. For a slightly gourman patchouli, I prefer Coromandel. I do like the strawberries, but I doubt that I will be in a strawberry mood very often. Having said all of this, you must give Angel a try just for the novelty of it all! 23rd December, 2010. |
| | Cristalle Eau de Toilette by ChanelI was so excited when I found an older version of the edt in my "give away" drawer! My find drives home the fact that the newest version is simply a shadow of it's former self. The soaring top notes of vintage edt shriek. The bergamot is Earl Grey tea, not lemon. The rosewood, vetiver & oakmoss demand your attention. The old Cristalle edt was a bitch; the new edt is a fresh kid. Having said all of that, Cristalle is still a marvel in this age of pink gourmand. And she did not cop out by morphing into a soft, comfortable suede like so many new chypres. 17th December, 2010. |
| | Jean-Louis Scherrer by Jean-Louis ScherrerThis fragrance is Green_Green_Green, with leather lurking in the background. It is not for the faint (or young) of heart. It is complicated & sophistocated. The opening is a shocking dose of aldehydes & greens. Next comes a leathery rose, gardenia & tuberose accord followed by a green oakmoss, civet, vetivier & cedar drydown. Vanilla & musk also are listed in the bottom notes, but I cannot detect softness anywhere in this unrelenting fragrance. Visions of Joan Crawford with a whip flood my thoughts. I'm glad that I found a bottle on Ebay, because perfume like this no longer can be made. I am grateful for the opportunity to own Scherrer and will treasure my "little dose of pure poison". 27th October, 2010. |
| | Beige by ChanelTo my nose, Beige is a sheer lily of the valley fragrance, even though this flower is not listed in the notes. Beige is the Chanel version of Diorissimo. Lovely, but not outstanding. Longevity is moderate. 16th October, 2010. |
| | Sycomore (new) by ChanelSycomore's cypress/juniper/vetiver accord is the first thing that I notice. This is followed by white flowers (with a nod to iris) and incense. I can smell styrax. The styrax, along with the white flowers, provides a touch of sweetness. The fragrance has that Chanel clarity and austerity. In many ways, it reminds me of "Passage D"Enfer" by L'Artisan. However, on this particular "highway to hell", Sycomore takes a limosine. Classy, lovely, unisex and definately Chanel. 16th October, 2010. |
| | Rochas Femme (new) by RochasFemme starts out tart, acidic lemon. Next comes a nondescript floral scent followed by leather. I can see that this has suffered through the new regs. If not for Serge Lutens and the Chanel Exclusifs, I would fear that we will all smell like cheap lemon leather! My favorite leather remains Cuir de Lancome, a beauty that was never popular and probably is now out of production. Sad. 16th October, 2010. |
| | Tabac Blond by CaronI have never smelled the old Tabac Blond. I can only imagine how wonderful it was. However, this review is for the new version. Tabac Blond starts out spicey vanilla tobacco with a touch of vetiver. I thought, "Wow! A refined Habanita with a beautiful brightness & clarity." Unfortunately, this impression lasted only for a few moments until the scent trailed off into an overly sweet, slightly floral memory. 5 stars for the first minute, 0 stars for the nothing that followed. 16th October, 2010. |
| | Coromandel by ChanelAs soon as I received an email from Chanel stating that they were offering a few of their Exclusifs in 2.2 ou bottles, I ordered Coromandel. I don't own a patchouli fragrance and decided to try this one. After the first spray, I thought of Chanel No 5. That impression lasted only seconds. Next came a blast of strong, tart, spicey patchouli steeped in austere incense. Finally, the patchouli was joined by cocoa...not sweet chocolate, but rich cocoa beans. For me, this fragrance is all about sharp angles and not about soft curves. Unlike Coco, it has no heart. It wears like a masculine. Will I replace this bottle? No. Am I glad for the purchase? Yes. 15th October, 2010. |
| | Van Cleef by Van Cleef & ArpelsNice aldehyde floral (orange blossom, rose & jasmine) with just enough gallbanum and bergamot in the top notes and cedarwood in the bottom notes to keep it interesting. In a fit of nostalgia, I bought Tiffany on line, thinking that I was buying Van Cleef. Sorry..I get my jewelers confused :) Memorable, if not inspiring, and one of my favorite green florals. 15th October, 2010. |
| | Zagara by Santa Maria NovellaNice orange blossom while it lasts, which is not long. 15th October, 2010. |
| | Lily & Spice by Penhaligon'sI was certain that I would love this. I don't. The fragrance starts with a nice oriental lily note and ends with an unpleasant watery patchouli. Possibly a casualty of the the new regulations? 14th October, 2010. |
| | Chypre Rouge by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal ShiseidoThis is the first Serge Lutens fragrance that I cannot appreciate and that I will NEVER wear. I get none of the notes listed. What I do smell is salty coriander, cumin & curry. Chili, anyone? 13rd October, 2010. |
| | Feminitè du Bois by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal ShiseidoI expected this fragrance to be an over the top, bowl me over, knock me down fragrance. Instead, what I found was a beautiful cedar gingerbread...a translucent oriental. My first reaction was camphor, a little startling but not unpleasant. Next came the cedarwood, which reminded me of the old, great department stores with the oak floors & mahogany display cases, all polished & brightly lit. Lastly was the gingerbread...not the cheap cookies from the grocery stores, but the homemade gingerbread men, spicy but not too sweet. A unique and lovely fragrance that does not last on me...I may need to revisit this in the summer. 13rd October, 2010. |
| | L'Instant de Guerlain by GuerlainWhat Tocade is to the rose, L'Instant is to the lily. Both were created by Roucel. Both are florals. Both rely on vanilla. That is where the similarity ends. Tocade has a lovely peach "lift" which brightens what could be a dull fragrance. L'Instant has no such lift. It is a lateral lily. I kept waiting for something more, something else (I mean, after all, this is a Guerlain! ). I did a side by side comparison with Anais Anais, another lily fragrance, which seems positively cerebral now. Anais Anais starts out a citrus lily and ends a lovely leather/suede lily. L'Instant goes through no such metamorphosis. Having said all of this, I do own L,Instant and will wear it on those occasions when I am not feeling up to any challenges. 12nd October, 2010. |
| | Balahé by LéonardAt the initial blast of greens, anise & bergamot, I was VERY impressed. Unfortunately, this exhilaration lasted for about 15 seconds. Next came pineapple & plums, quickly followed by jasmine, rose & vanilla. Soon, the whole thing turned into sweet, fruity, powder.....Bubblegum! I am so disappointed. 8th October, 2010. |
| | Moschino Couture! by MoschinoWow! I am in the minority here. I do not like anything about this frag, but I do admire the fact that the longevity is excellent. After an initial burst of green, I smell sweet, sickening anise which is not listed anywhere in the notes. It is inexpensive but smells absolutely cheap & common to my nose. To be avoided... 3rd April, 2010. |
| | Kai by KaiMy first reaction to Kai was a rush of every white flower that I had ever experienced...lily of the valley, Casablanca lily, jasmin and finally Gardenia. The combination did remind me of Hawaii where the air smells of ginger and plumeria. I did not notice any green notes, but I did notice an intense sweetness which settles down after a few minutes. Very linear, but very nice if you like uncomplicated white floral fragrances...kind of a well behaved Fracas! 2nd April, 2010. |
| | Joy by Jean PatouMy favorite form of Joy perfume is the edp. (I understand that the edp is the same formula as the old "Eau de Joy".) It is a lovely ode to jasmine; it is prim, proper, uncomplicated and beautiful. The pure parfum is more of an interpretation of jasmine. It is complex and intelligent and it, too, is beautiful in a sort of abstract way. Both are classics that move slowly into your heart the more that you wear them. 30th March, 2010. |
| | Chypre Green by Pecksniff'sI actually love this scent which smells amazingly like Diorella or Eau Sauvage. In fact, I use the bath gel & lotion with Diorella for extended longevity of that fragrance. This has a fresh green herbal accord with just a bit of sweetness. 29th March, 2010. |
| | Classic Chypre by Pecksniff'sI use the lotion & bath gel with Mitsouko. The classic chypre gel has a fruity accord that I like. The lotion has more of a leather quality. Using both before applying any fruity chypre perfume extends the longevity of that perfume. An added bonus is the moisturizing. 29th March, 2010. |
| | Création by Ted LapidusEither Ted Lapidus did not get the memo about oakmoss or I purchased a pre regulations bottle. Upon my first spray, I felt a flood of recognition of my old friends oakmoss and bergamot. This fragrance explores the minty aspect of bergamot and the salty aspect of oakmoss. It soars through the lovely top notes, but it fades into a juicy fruit gum sort of thing that dissappoints. It is only at the end of this pleasant adventure that the perfume smells cheap (which it is). Three cheers for the top notes and a big boo for the bottom notes. 27th March, 2010. |
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