Fragrance Reviews by kumquat

Amazing throwback to chypres the way they used to be made. It must be the tarragon, something that is not in many frags I have tried. It imparts a golden rich herbal quality along with the usual suspects of floral & spices, I have absolutely no complaints. This is heady stuff and just gorgeous. I notice there is a reference here to L'Heure Bleu, but this is misleading as there is no heliotrope. And Jubilation is not sweet or even very floral. This is closer to a mossy chypre such as Balenciaga's Cialenga or vintage 'Cabochard' - just to compare, not exact you understand, but more in that vein, I feel. This is really pretty if you like a skin /herbal scent with golden highlights... that's the feeling it gives me when I put it on.

This is very pretty and floral. I like the original Q. Fleurs with its slightly dry floral bouquet. I didn't care for the flankers. If you like sweeter scents, especially violettes, this is beautiful. Violettes, Roses & Ylang Ylang in an aldehyde that is not to dry. The lotions that go with these scents are wonderful, too.

The 1st 2 times I didn't like this, 3rd time was the charm. It grew on me. A little daub will do you. This is sweet, orangey/creamy with a bit of apricot down under, layered deep & succulent fruits. This is a surprise for me. I don't dig too sweet, or overly vanilla gourmands. I don't think this is one, at least not for me. Try first, though because this is just one that you may like or it just might rub you the wrong way. I find it intoxicating!

Pure, intense lemon. This is comparable to Eau D'Hadrien, only without the cypress. In addition, it is much stronger and has fantastic silliage. It's just lemony lemons with a bit of sweetness (vanilla) but mostly tart lemon. You have to really like lemon to wear this one. The unusual thing about it is, you don't get any harsh cleaning fluid, furniture polish, or alcohol notes at all. And there is no overkill in the sweetness category either. It really does put one in mind of a lemon grove & a freshly made batch of lemonade. So refreshing & glorious!

I am usually repelled by the artificial neroli and it's association with suntan products. Often there is a plastic after-note that accompanies neroli. Not so in this masterpiece. The first time I tried this it was love. Fresh citrus flowers and pure sunshine in a bottle. It sounds corny, but I can't think of anything else when I'm wearing this. It is a bit floral and sweet, but not sugary in the least. Just delicious. Siliage is excellent.

Lilly-of-the-Valley and new tires. Odd combination. At first I liked it's smokiness but then the rubber settled in. Definitely masculine, not unisex as I first thought with my sample.

This reminds me of CK 'Euphoria'. Just another take on cranberries. There is a lingering basenote that catches in my throat. Over-all, too sweet, too expensive not at all distinctive and disappointing.

Gloriously complex. A rose for the non-traditional rose fan. I don't care for sweet tea rose. This is the spiced rose made dense and intense with incense & myrhh. The vetiver gives a snappy lemon-like freshness that lingers. I feel I'm getting my money's worth with this one. One spray and I'm in a cloud of this fascinating scent for hours. Very uplifting.

I was pleasantly surprised by the complexity of this scent. The bottle is suspiciuosly clever, but actually well done. The floral top notes are very good. I like jasmine anyway and the citrus is fresh and zingy. It's the cedar and myrrh that give it its personality. All in all a real keeper. I found mine at a bargain $35 for 3.4 oz. not expecting much. I really think it wil get a lot of wear.

This feels a lot like my other favorite Caron; 'Fleurs Des Rocailles'. The notes are shared although the overall effect of the L'Infini is of FDR combined with champagne. It has a lighter greener aldehyldic treatment. Less amber than FDR. It has a beautiful bouquet, never too sweet or strong.

The opening is harsh jasmine & aldehydes. The drydown is light, sparkling & aldehyldic. The black current tempers the sweet narcissus. It helps keep it fresh and doesn't let it get too heavily sweet. I don't find it complex, but it is pleasant and pretty. Slightly green floral.

Hierbas de Ibiza ; The lightest touch of cool lavender, combined with sage & citrus along with verbena give a spicy floral note to the fresh herbal citrus. It feels like summer at the beach with fresh flowers in the garden. I just love this one. It might be my new favorite humid weather choice. It is definitely unisex, although on the light side. Good sillage though for this type of scent.

Bijan--"Be gone!!" This smells like Aqua-Net circa 1972. I can't believe this is considered a classic in some perfume guides. It has a cool bottle. Big deal.

A unique scent due to the use of the 'Madonna Lily'. It is indolent to be sure. A full on floral but captivating.It has a cool white frosty quality that is refreshing.

One of the few non-gourmand treatments of Vanilla. Dry & lightly wooded. I found it deep due to it's lack of sweetness. Close to the skin.

The first time I applied I thought--Oh,no "Lemon Pledge." Don't let that dissuade you. Let it cook for 1 hour before deciding. If you do like lemon this will hit the spot. The cypress was a new experience for me and a gorgeous combination it is. With the other mediterranean spices and green herbal blast, a fresh warm sunny lemon that cheers me every time I wear it.

Blue Amber--Another one I changed my mind about. I like the simplicity here. A sweetness from the amber tempered with depth. It has to cook on you for the full effect. A gourmand but not the annoying salivating kind.

Oriental Extreme--This is also a male fragrance. At first it is very like SL Amber Sultan. However it is less unisex. Less amber and more sandalwood.
As it dries the masculine side develops. It's very sophisticated with spices that are woven together and difficult to isolate and identify.It would be great for someone wanting to try different and bold. You couldn't go wrong.

Rose Petals--Tea Roses with some green which gives a lifting sensation. this isn't a favorite rose of mine. I think this kind of rose is best in small doses and this is too over the top for me. If you love the sweet girlie rose, you'll flip for this. Very sophisticated but dangerously strong.

Powder Flowers--Almond is strong out of the gate, then it turns more powdery. I'm talking big powder! It is like Johnson's Baby Powder but then it gets better and reminds me of Chanel #5 without the aldehydes.
--This was my first impression. On a second try, I liked it better even though it is not very complex, the warm ambery dry-down is very appealing and yummy. I'm liking it better all the time. Worth a try.

Chypre Vanille--This has a split effect difficult to imagine...green and vanilla. The two are distinctly together yet separate.It reminded me of something, then it hit me--cream soda with mint leaves. Kind of nice but not my favorite. Definitely male.

Soleil di Capri--I'm reminded of Dolce & Gabana Light Blue at first, but then there is less sweetness and none of the green apple. As it turns out, this is definitely a fresh clean male scent. It gets smoky and the balsams or sages kick in at the end and seal the deal. Great for men who like a smoky grapefruit. Very sunny.

Patchouli Leaves--This was the best and biggest surprise. I tried this a while ago and didn't leave it on long enough. This is yummy and different from every other patchouli I've tried. The bergamot and lime forms a fresh green opening that unfolds as they're fused with the amber and musk. There's probably something else holding them together but whatever it is, the effect is mesmerizing. I couldn't stop sniffing my arm. A fresh gourmand effect without the hunger or overly sweet feel.

Attar--Earthy, warm rose. Sexy and leathery and slightly green. A very reasonable rose. Spicey,not too girlie or perfumey.

Cuir d'Arabie-- Fresh leather with a bit of hay. There's a light mint, maybe vetiver? This goes flat on me and reminds me of those red erasers on top of yellow pencils. Weird.

I'm imediately reminded of a brighter more 'lemony' 'Shalimar'. It must be the bergamot since lemon isn't listed. That accounts for the cool green in the opening. A lovely scent. On me it's an improvement over 'Shalimar' due to the less powdery aspect which I prefer.

Black Aoud-- This reminds me of Paestum Rose by L'Italie but it is a bit cooler, with an almost mint or menthol effect which may be due to some pine or resinous base. It ends a little more musky and I think I'm getting myrrh and balsam. I think I prefer Paestum. This is higher pitched , in general a leathery damask rose with musk.

Very sweet melon scent to my nose. I have seen raspberry included in the notes for this. It dries down to a pleasant dry musk. When I wear this everyone asks me about it. I lke the fact that it is so different from anything else. The jasmine and cyclamen must be the top notes. A green aspect keeps it from being too sweet.

I aquired this from Long Lost Perfume. It is my favorite scent from them. It is called Duality in its recreated form. I don't know what the original was like but this is a very yummy amber and vanilla to me with a kind of nutty woodsy quality that is quite pleasant. I'm not sure what the floral notes are but it is warm in general.

This is a most unusual scent. It is both green and floral. I agree it is pretty subtle and probably would be great in a parfum. This has such a strong sense memory for me of playing in the garden in spring as a child. A very innocent kind of scent. Gently sweet without being cloying.

Every time I wear this people notice. It has a crispness that is also a fascinating non-floral. My only problem is that it wears off quickly and I seem to have to reapply frequently. At one time they had a perfume which I loved but I can't find it now. I never get tired of it. Winter seems to be my favorite season for this one.

I have always loved this. I wish I could remember how I found it. I never knew it had rose in it. It seems like such a non-floral to me which is the main attraction. It is fresh without the ubiquitous freesia ala Calvin Klein. There is also a kind of quirky citrus tang. I am remembering the old version and have not tried it lately. I just hope it still works for me although I'm very afraid. Haunting!