Fragrance Reviews by Kotori

After coveting it for 5 months, I finally bought Mure et Musc Extreme by L'Artisan. This is a fragrance I can really LIVE in. It's not a special occasions or specific season scent. It's not something that gives me a headache on alternate days. It's not too fruity, despite its name, or too musky! It's very breathable, and when I wear it, it lasts and lasts, but I cannot find the source of the luscious scent. I can't say, "Ah hah! THIS is where I sprayed it. This is where it's coming from." Instead, it enters my blood stream (I must assume) and wraps around me like an aura.
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I like this one! It is so much like a pineapple cocktail. It's like a slightly more grown-up relative of the Escada summer editions. It's also a bit more realistic. It fades to cedar relatively quickly, but I still love it.

I just purchased this on impulse during the Chicago "Scent Me" gathering. I love the milkiness of it and find it to be comforting and oddly maternal, even with the tea and the mint. It reminds me of what would happen if you layered Aqua Allegoria Mentafollia atop Premier Figuer. Like Quarry, I enjoy its quiet insistence.

I just sampled Sha yesterday and today, thanks to Quarry. It is a lovely, non-heady Lilac. It is more like the scent of Lilac floating on the breeze than Lilac being held in the hand or worn in the hair. It is a distant Lilac, almost a memory of a Lilac bush. It reminds me of my walk home from school in early Spring as a 5th and 6th grader, passing the neighbor's lilac bush. The clean musky base reminds me of Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely, but without the BO quality I get from Lovely. It lasts for hours, even through a shower, but it is not overpowering, and stays close to the skin.

This mimosa is less high-strung than L'Artisan's Mimosa Pour Moi, and deeper and richer than Eau d'Azur by L'Occitane. It does have a slight powdery quality, which I dislike, but overall this is a very pleasing Mimosa.

I own this one. Some days I love it, and other days I hate it. There is a note in it which can give me a roaring headache on the wrong day, especially cold days.

I find it to be longer lasting than the Jo Malone Orange Blossom, but overall somewhat inferior.

This combination is good. The Jasmine tempers the Tuberose. However, both appear to be synthetics, and I'm not sure they're totally realistic.

This is somewhat of a smoky, powdery vanilla flower. It has a masculine undertone, but overall it is very clean and delicate.

Eau, how I miss this scent! I love how cool and summery it is, and how the amber base just clings to the skin and lasts throughout the day and night. Such a pleasant, lovable scent! I always got compliments when I wore it.

V is just a wonderful, comforting, fresh anytime fragrance. I wear it primarily on weekends. I love the whisper of grapefruit in the top notes.

It reminds me the tiniest bit of Sui Dreams, which I used to own, and has been discontinued, but I prefer V to Sui Dreams any day. Sui Dreams always reminded me of cotton candy, and V is much more grown-up. Anyone could wear this, though-- I could see a 15 year old girl wearing it, or someone who is retired. Very versatile and universally pleasing.

I wanted to love it, but alas. It smelled to me like a fustier version of Mitsouko.

Like Lulu, I also purchased this at a discount retailer (TJ Maxx) and haven't regretted it. Very refreshing and cool. It reminds me of the leaves I used to sniff as a child just after they had fallen-- one part minty, one part earthy. I find it especially invigorating when I am not feeling well, or when I am tired. It's very aromatherapeutic, without the medicinality that most aromatherapeutic scents carry.

I agree with Siren65. This smells like India. It is like Chai and saris. It is so sensual that when I wear it, my husband can't help himself; he keeps sniffing me! But it disappears completely within an hour. How disappointing!

I'm still wearing this from when I spritzed it on my wrists in a store last night. Rush is nothing, if not long-lasting. In my quest to find a fragrance that was Dune without all the brashiness and old memories, I found this, almost four years ago. I did not replace the bottle, as I had grown tired of it. I hate the top notes, and if you can get past the tiresome and heady gardenia, this scent is gorgeously warm and suble. I'll never forget choosing this scent: It was between Rush and Coco Mademoiselle, and Rush won, and still does, hands down. I could swear I detected chocolate in this scent, and when combined with the Cocoa body cream by Origins, the effect is luscious. This fragrance is sexy in a silk camisole kind of way; soft and caressing.

Everyone has a smell that IS her youth, in a bottle. Dune is mine. I wore it from age 16 until age 22, with an interruption of about 2 years. It is harsh. It is natural. It is not sweet. It is not vanilla. It is not floral, per se. It is not any of the things that most fragrances tout. But when I smell it, I smell myself, and my own exotic personality. Dune does not suit everyone. On many women, it smells like men's cologne. In fact, many a man can pull this off. Only a woman with a naturally sweet skin scent can wear this. On me, it smells of amber and wood. I always spritzed it an hour before leaving the house, and loved it best four hours after it was applied. I do not own it now, because now sometimes it smells of sadness and loss, but I think that is only my own memories. I will always love this scent.

I have had my bottle for three years now. I know they're not technically supposed to last that long, but as far as I can tell, it hasn't turned... I don't use it often. It usually gives me a headache, which I have determined is the effect of the Night Queen Flower. However, on certain days, it seems to sum up all of my sexiness and burst it forth in a subtle way, and those are the days that I love it. I see it as a lipstick-wearing cousin to the eau-naturelle Dune.

Cashmere Mist is a very romantic, light, woody scent. It epitomizes autumnal romance to me. I own it in the candle form, and it seems destined to be blended with fire.

I have had a few flings with this scent and am toying with the idea of sparking things up again.

Foliflora is a very green floral. It has a sharp quality that my nose finds interesting. The drydown is surprisingly soft and warm, however. It has a similar fragrance structure to Eternity Moment, although they seem to share no ingredients directly. They both begin with a garden scent, open further into a hint of fruitiness, and close with a woody warmth. I am undecided as to which I prefer. I do find that Foliflora smells more natural, and not at all aldehydic. I do not know yet whether it represents me, as I am prone to floral-orientals. It has, by the way, been discontinued, and is available at outlets/off-retailers.

Champagne-- yes. This always smells just like Champagne to me. A very fruity, very bubbly champagne. It reminds me of a Moet. It is the most sparkling representation of the Mimosa flower around. I somewhat prefer L'Artisan's Mimosa Pour Moi, however, as it is softer and more rich.

I totally disagree with Scenteur. This is not anything like the Dolce Vitas! This is not too sweet. It is highly green and fresh. It feels like wearing a Margarita. Although this site says that Eau de Dior is still in production, it is not; not even in Paris. It is now extremely hard to find. Some comparable fragrances (although never exactly the same) might be Bulgari Extreme, and Ellen Tracey Imagine Shimmer (this one is also hard to find).

I think this scent is whorish.

Eternity Moment-- I have almost finished a bottle. I have mixed feelings about it, though. I do not think I will purchase it again. I bought it more in remembrance of my belovedly aldehydic Eternity Rose Blush, which, alas, was discontinued. I am not much of a floral perfume lover, but Rose Blush carried a sentimental weight for me, as I wore it often when my husband and I were first dating. The warmth and spark of Rose Blush seemed to capture the excitement of infatuation. Moment is great on rainy days. On other days, it can be a bit aloof and ultra-feminine. I wore it today, and it's just not working with my jeans and sneakers!

Love in White is a gorgeous scent, and hands-down my favorite of the Creed feminine scents. Unlike some of the older Creeds, such as Jasmal, Fleurs de Bulgarie, and Fleurissimo, it is soft and gentle, and not at all cloying or heady! It is more of a whisper than a fragrance. It envelops like a down comforter. My one complaint about it is that it doesn't last long.

Woody, soft, complex...
This is really nice, and would work as a unisex, as well.
This was one of my first male fragrance purchases ever.

Oh, this is great! I love the orange smell. It's the brightest orange scent on the market right now. I have tried Orange Magnifica (Guerlain), Mandarin Tout Simplement (L'Artisan), Sanguine (Keiko Mecheri), and several other more bland citruses. This is the most true to an orange that I've found. The L'Artisan is equally good, but not nearly as long-lasting. My only displeasure about Arancia is the bottle. It doesn't look nice on a dresser.

I owned this for awhile, but something about it wasn't quite right. Something about the sweetness of it and the spiciness didn't mix well. It is either too spicy or too sweet for what it is trying to be.

This is pretty. I owned a mini, and I wore it a few times, then gave it away. There was too much amber. My skin tends to turn amber sweet, and amber is sweet, anyway. This just got heady on me.

Ooh... This is one of those that just feels like a knock in the head! Must be the jasmine... but like Fracas, Songes, Chloe Narcisse, and some others, I just get an instant, pounding headache!

Its scent reminds me very much of a girl I once knew who wore cheap floral body sprays and constantly talked on a cell phone.

Gucci Eau de Parfum II is a perfume I have toyed with owning for some time now. I suppose that when my current Escada limited edition runs out, that might be the time. This reminds me of an Escada summer fragrance with its use of berries and sweet florals, but it is much drier than Rockin' Rio, Island Kiss, and the like. It is a classier fruit scent, with a lot of powder and a significant amount of musk. I am in my mid-twenties, and I find that it appeals most to my age group. Again, sweet, but endearing. It won't knock you off your feet, nor does it really seduce, but it does make you feel rather light.

I see that many of the reviewers primarily notice rubber in Bvlgari Black, but I do not notice rubber at all! It is definitely an unusual scent, and far more masculine than feminine. I love to smell this on a man. It is woody and aromatic, with the slightest tinge of aniseed (although I don't know if aniseed is actually in it). It is sexy and mysterious, and its name is fitting.

This is a dry oriental. It begins with an intense, spicy, delightfully complex tea scent. However, the dry down is very flat, and it dries down within about 30 minutes. On my skin, at least, it becomes boring at that point, and almost masculine. Although the opening is lovely, the drydown discourages me from a purchase.

I bought this for my mother-in-law. She loves it!! It is a soft, wearable jasmine scent, with an airy quality. It is a very universally appealing scent that speaks with a delicate voice.

This is amazing! And different on everyone. On me, it smells sharp and green til the end. This smells so much like an orange, I feel like I'm in Florida when I wear it. Unfortunately, it doesn't last nearly long enough! Fortunately, there are 8 oz. of it. I just found out yesterday that there were only 100 sent to the U.S., and it will not become a part of the permanent line. I'm wondering where I can come up with $125 before the last 5 bottles at my local store are gone!

I bought this for my mother, who was previously a wearer of Angel Innocent. Neither of us can pull off the original Angel, as we find it much too strong. This is a much more palatable gourmand, in my opinion, with peonies being the best complement to the Angel composition. I do enjoy Le Lys, however, but I prefer the Peony Angel to all other Garden of the Stars fragrances. I find that like in Dune by Dior, this fragrances masters the art of blending peonies so that they do not stand out on their own. Usually, peony fragrances carry a strong resemblance to rose fragrances in their sweetness and strength. However, this peony prefers a supporting role.

Hm... This is not lovely at all! Too musky; all I smell is musk, musk, musk. It is similar to Britney Spears' Curious in the floral/musk composition. To me, it smells a bit like sweaty Secret (yes, the deodorant). However, to be fair, my friend who loves light florals loves this.

This begins like Lemon Pledge or some kind of floor cleaner, but give it time. The dry down is beautiful. This is a very neutral citrus. If I were to buy a bottle, it would probably replace my current "office" fragrance-- Bvlgari Extreme. I actually prefer Les Nuits d'Hadrien, however. It is stronger and sexier, as the name would indicate.

To me this smells like a relative of Trouble by Boucheron. It is also distant cousin to Fracas, L'Instant de Guerlain, and Hypnotic Poison. It is not very unique in my opinion. Additionally, the strong frangipani note gives me a sinus headache.

Ick, Ick, Ick!!! This is the most disgusting thing I have ever smelled. And Guerlain is my favorite fragrance house! I own 5 different Guerlains in my collection of about 15 fragrances, and this is not at all like other Guerlains. I knew it would be youthful, but I am 26, and it's too young for me. In fact, this is not just youthful; I never would've liked it. It is a sugary sweet violet-y headache in a bottle.

My mother picked this one out for me, knowing how I love Guerlain fragrances in all their forms. It is definitely not the typical Guerlain. It is less complex and more bold. It contains none of the usual cocktail of Jasmine and Rose. It is youthful, befitting a woman in her twenties or thirties. I love it, and am heading into a second bottle. I disagree with takemyhusbandplz, who said it is an office scent. I stopped wearing it to work because of the reactions I got! I am a teacher, and my male students were always commenting on it. Perhaps it's a chemistry thing. Overall, a beautiful new classic.

I love citrus, and am a sucker for the rare category of citrus-orientals (see Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune), so I had to have this, also being a long-time Shalimar wearer. Although maintaining the base of the original, Shalimar Light adds a lemony top-note that shimmers. It is not a replacement for the original, however. It is more like Shalimar's spontaneous, fun-loving granddaughter. I use it during the day, and then apply Shalimar the Original for the evening.

Shalimar and I have a long history. When I was a little girl, the little bottles of Chanel No. 5, Shalimar, etc., that were on the ladies' dressers always enchanted me. My aunt and my mother would give me the empty bottles and I would display them on my dresser, smelling the empty bottles occasionally. One year when I was a teenager, my aunt decided to give up Shalimar for good, so she gave me a half-used bottle of EDT. I kept wearing it. Not all the time; just when I feel mature and sensual, like an archetypal woman. Last year she bought it again! Now we share her signature scent. It is timeless.

I am devastated that this has been discontinued. I wore it for my wedding. It is the perfect bridal scent-- floral and crisp, whispering... My bottle is now almost gone, and I'm afraid if I buy it again, it will be stale.

It is so gorgeous. A rose reinterpreted. None of the others in this line compare.

At first I thought she was too old for me (I'm 26). But I kept being drawn back to her. She grew on me, and now I love her.

I smell mostly moss on me, with a very little bit of dry peach. I love the moss. It smells earthy and natural. After awhile, it doesn't smell like perfume at all, just like a woman's skin. This is not for people who like bold, modern fragrances. It is for people who want to smell unique and mysterious.

This is the most unique fragrance I have ever worn. I just bought a second bottle. (I rarely repeat.) It is so SEXY! The grapefruit and patchouli combination is erotic on me, with none of the BO smell some seem to encounter. My husband just breathes it in with a sigh whenever I wear it. Definitely try it on your skin before purchasing, and let it metamorphose. Patchouli is not a basenote that works on everyone, but if you generally wear orientals, you should be fine. This is a modern Guerlain masterpiece.

My signature special occasion scent-- My now husband picked it out for me when we were dating only two months. He was in Spain at the time, and it did not come to the US market for another two years, as far as I know.

It is a soft, metropolitan, classy, oriental-floral, with an emphasis on the Bulgarian rose and the myrrh (Oppoponax). It is a whispering fragrance. I always get compliments when I wear it. I am on my second bottle. I also have the Flower Le Parfum, which comes in a red bottle, and is heavier on the vanilla and the incense, therefore better for winter.

This is my everyday fragrance. I wear it to work. I find that if I hit all of my pulsepoints, this fragrance lasts all day and into the night. It is usually wearing off around 6pm, just in time to apply something different for the evening.

I really pick up the citrus in this when I wear it, and I can often smell the rose peeking out. On me it is very complex, not just a flat "green."