Fragrance Reviews by BlueDevilSF

Absolutely vile. It smells like household cleaner. Thankfully it didn't last on my skin.

What can I say about Demeter's Play-Doh other than...it smells like Play-Doh? The initial blast is strongly chemical and then dries down to the smell so many of us know and love(?).

For a Demeter product, the fragrance is surprisingly long-lasting. Today I put it on around 5:30AM; as of six hours later, I still notice it.

For the novelty factor, it's a fun fragrance to wear occasionally, but I certainly wouldn't want it to be a regular part of my rotation. I think I'd rather sit down with a few cans of Play-Doh and make stuff. :)

I have yet to find a chocolate-centric scent that I like. I really wanted to like this one, but I was very disappointed.

The intitial citrus blast with the chocolate was the best part, but within minutes it dried down to the cloying sticky-sweetness that develops no further.

If Love's Baby Soft ever went gourmand, it would smell like this.

This is competing with Amor & Psyché as my favorite scent from the Coffret. I suspect, though, that the pyramid as shown here may be wrong. Yes, there is a sperm accord, but it seems to dissipate very quickly, indicating it exists in the top notes.

The notes also suggest this has gourmand qualities, but it certainly doesn't smell like it. It is the complete opposite to Human Existence. It is definitely a "body" smell, but an idealized smell, if that makes sense: Everything one could want without any of the offensiveness.

The provocative presence of the sperm accord will likely kill any chances of this scent being sold separately (especially in the puritanical United States), so I'm going to enjoy my supply while I can.

This is a simple, light, inoffensive jasmine scent. I'm not sure what else goes into it, but it has a very dry quality to it. Jasmine without the cloying sweetness.

Sea is pleasant enough but it is nothing special. It smells very much like Aramis New West, with the difference being the presence of a salty/saline-like note. Out of the wearable scents in the Coffret, this is probably my least favorite.

If Paris 1738 elicits a cacophony of scents from the streets of Paris, Human Existence represents the people. This is the second "unwearable" scent of the Perfume Coffret. If one has lived in a city with a homeless population, you've smelled something like this, and this is no exaggeration.

The scents in the Coffret are referred to as "atmospheres" and is a perfect example of what I think the perfumers were trying to accomplish with the set: create scents that aren't meant to be worn but instead enhance the experience of reading the book or watching the film. Either way, I can't imagine anyone wanting to smell like this on purpose.

I do like the original Youth Dew but only from a distance. It reminds me of old ladies in church, probably because that's where I first smelled it.

Now, with Amber Nude, there is a Youth Dew that has all the potency of the original without the cloying quality. To me it smells fiery and carnal.

I really like it, but as a guy, I'm undecided as to whether or not I can pull off wearing it.

I like heady scents and I have a difficult time finding something to wear that doesn't have such a heavy presence.

Citrus, woods, and spices, there is nothing terribly remarkable about it, but I love its unobtrusiveness. It makes me think of a comfortable tweed coat.

This smells of clean sweat, wet clay. I detect a sweet hint of fruit, probably a reference to the yellow plums described in the book. I found it to have an uncanny organic quality. I can remember girls smelling something close to this when I was a child.

It is one of the most potent scents in the coffret.

I didn't care for this one at first, but then I couldn't stop smelling it. There is a lot going on in it, and the color red just shouts at me. It's floral, but not really. It's spicy, but not really. It's kind of fruity, but not really. The top notes are evocative of something an old lady would wear to church, but then it smoothens out...but still has a bite.

The key word to describing Atelier Grimal is *earthy*. I'm not a fan of leather scents, but I think I could wear this one. I grew up around farms, so I'm no stranger to the smells of one. This has the earthiness and animalic characteristics of a stable with the medicinal notes evocative of tanning chemicals. It's the pleasantness of such an atmosphere without the foul smells.

It is wonderfully light on the skin, as well.

This is one of at least two "unwearable" fragrances from the Perfume Coffret, meant to represent the multitude of putrid scents from the streets of Paris in the 1700s. What is interesting, though, is how the combination of notes works to make something so foul. Apparently blackcurrant was used to add a urine-like note, and that in and of itself was enough to turn me off of it.

BABY smells exactly just that: a freshly-bathed baby. It simply smells clean and natural. The scent isn't cloying by any means, and I honestly don't detect the milk or caramel notes this is reputed to have.

The original Uninhibited was my first try at wearing a "women's" fragrance. I think it's equally suitable for either gender. I remain surprised and dismayed that it was discontinued.

I don't find it strongly floral, and it's definitely one for the vanilla lovers. The added element of heliptrope enhances and strengthens the vanilla note.

I'm sorry to say, though, that the Long Lost Perfume version doesn't quite live up to the original. It's a reasonable enough facsimile for those who missed Uninhibited the first time around, but I think it lacks the smooth and creaminess of the original.

If you have the money to spend and you liked the original, I'd opt for that. If you want something a little out of the ordinary that nobody else is wearing, give it a try.

I've waffled on this scent ever since I got it. My first impression was really enthusiastic, so much so I shelled out the bucks for the smaller bottle. I wore it once and liked it just as much as I did when I sampled it. Then the next time, I didn't like it so much. Then I started liking it again. I can't explain it.

Then I realized what I truly like about this scent: As the name implies, it is a bright, sunshine-y fragrance, but it definitely has a carnal, animalistic subtlety to it from the musks. It is a well-balanced scent that doesn't change character like some of the other Bonds I've tried.

I think it smells best after it's been worn for a few hours...and it lasts a long time.

I usually despise scents heavy on citrus. I am happy to say, though, that it appears Little Italy is the first citrus-oriented scent I like.

It is redolent with orange and tangerine, but the addition of grapefruit and especially jasmine combines to make what seems like a citrusy cilantro note.

It's a perfect summer scent. I just wish I'd tried it sooner!