Fragrance Reviews by Taolady

A RULLY beautiful tuberose/jasmine combo that is both attention-getting and genteel. No small accomplishment. It somehow avoids that hot house effect that tuberose can bring and the dry down seems to have a hint of muguet. Loverly!

Airy and breathless and PERFECT lavender. Wonderful for summer and early Spring evenings. Alas! On my bod longevity is non-existent and constant re-application is required. Worth every minute of it.

As often happens with my, my bod goes right for the heart notes and the immediate impression is of spicy tuberose.Then the other flowers gently drift in and the whole then gentled with soft musk and cedar. I never feel the fruits or aldehydes...still tender and pretty. Pity it's discontinued.

Strange frag! Opens with a strong blast of pikake and after about fifteen minutes mellows down into a lush and earthy tropical bouquet. I love vanilla and can find it almost anywhere but not in here. Am wondering if the sweetly woody drydown is "Tunisian Opium".

I am a woman of the eighties (and the seventies AND the sixties AND the fifties) and this wonderfully blended exotic floral is PURRfect for me. I am anyway a huge fan of Ropion and his mastery of the assertive bold statement flowers well on my bod. This scent may have been meant for the dark recesses of a Rolls enroute to Le Jazz Hot but I happily wear it with shorts and sandals here at the beach.

Let me begin with my biases. I love "men's" frags and have many in my wardrobe. I like assertive scents that proclaim themselves upfront and continue strong. And this one certainly does. After the first cedary blast it becomes warm and enveloping with a slightly melancholy undertone - the "incense" leans toward the spicy clove rather than the churchy somberness of - say - Avignon. Good longevity.

I'm giving it a thumbs up cuz I think it's great 'fume and great for a guy, but I would not wear it myself.

What Foetidus said.

Beautifully blended florals over light sandalwood - genteel but seductive. Yummy!!

A kind BNer first sent me a sample of this and when I cooed sent me the whole bottle - for which I will be eternally grateful. A soft woody fruity opening with a hint of iris and osmanthus. The subtle drydown introduces a creamy vanilla that hums under the fruits and flowers.

As a great fan of Anglomania I was anxious to try this "doppelganger" which I find totally unlike A!! Where A. is robust and swoopy - exuberant to the point of exhaustion - Libertine is sprightly and almost refined. Citrusy and lightly floral (viburnum is a lovely scent) with a modern twist...you'll never mistake it for something else.

I've been a fan of Chloe since she was launched and am probably on my fifth bottle of the EDP. On me it is nectarines and muguet, with a heady mix of rose garden in the rain and wild honeysuckle. Has lingering warmth and great longevity. Soignee but exuberant and has cats rubbing up against you, purring. Men too.

Ever late to the party I have only just now tried Alien - without expectations of anything. I'm still trying to get a fix on Angel and what all the fuss is about....but back to Alien. The first few seconds after the first spritz were chemically alarming - one jumped back from one's own wrist.

But then! Warm and subtle jasmine with a slightly greenish metallic something hovering around the edges. Its underpinnings are ambery woods and the overall effect is somewhat "alien" and mysterious. I'm a jas-maniac and tis is going to have to join the harem.

Oooohhh! Peaches and plums and berries oh my! Ripe and glistening. Hints of light white flowers I agree with Calchic - it could be a younger sister of First. As a fan of full bodied frags I find this high on my love list...

I've been hunting The Wild Peony for a while and I think I may have found her! She opens light and green like the flower when it's unfolding - and settle into a dusky rose-laden smoothness anchored with musk. A woman for all seasons.

Strong enough for a Man - but I love it too! Oddly, it was Mario put me onto it and I'll be forever grateful. On me it opens with lavender and the zing of geranium and I get more sandalwood and lemon and a lot of skank. Which I adore. It lasts and lasts and right now it's my fave fougere.

I wore (and ADORED) this savvy scent in my early twenties and while this newer version hasn't the pizzaz (who remembers Diana Vreeland?) of it's forbear it is still a classy green scent with just a whisper of flowers and a slightly tobacco-filled-room of a drydown. Totally belies the rather frumpy frosted bow etched onto the front of the bottle. In my opinion.

A generous BNer sent me a sample of this and I was on the computer ordering a full bottle before you could say Jean Michel Duriez. Just LOVE it. The berries pop out on me right away, followed by a hint - and only a hint - of banana milkshake. I definitely get the jasmine (which will make an appearance on my bod whenever it is present - in however small a quantity) and a not-too-sweet shimmery drydown of musky amber.

And interestingly, it lasts forever on my older, dryer skin!!

Thanks to Mike Perez for both his review and for mentioning Bronze Goddess because I now have both (BG in the skin oil) and they are quite close. Also, like Mike, I get a definite briny dried-salt hovering over the hint of coconut and hesperedics. And I get MOLTO compliments whenever I wear it.

On me the Goddess is a bit higher and harsher pitched with a hint of...cedar?

Ditto CastorPollux. Although on me the zesty top is more lime-y than lemon with a zing of bergamot and a get a definite hint of cedar in the middle. And like Dead Man's Hand said.....

In the summertime, when I was little, my grandmother would lightly sprinkle Demerara sugar in just-squozen lemon halves and let me suck on them. This smells just like they did - tart-sweet and absolutely yumsters!!

Ah! The vagaries of body chemistry! I envy Shycat's and how it transports Un Lys into warmed lilies for her...one me Un Lys opens sharp, harsh and almost acidic. Green. I get no lilac or any of the spiciness of rubrims or Casablancas. I do detect (on me) Muguet and a melancholy bit of amber. It's a beautifully balanced scent - but for the headiness of the real thing I prefer Ava Luxe Lily. What can I tell you.

A later edit: none of the above is true in the summertime!! The voluptuous roundness Vibert mentions - being in a room enveloped in the fragrance of thos Casablanca.- now happens in heat!!

Just LOVE Ayala's review of this classic beauty - recently sampled as "vintage", which is not bad but does not live up to the memory of the Femme I adored in the (gasp) fifties. I was blessed that even as a younger woman (mid twenties) she behaved so wondrously for me. The voluptuous base of musk and amber with it's discreet hint of suede simmered under the most rapturous cloud of heady flowers and rich fruits offset with just a hint of citrus.

I'm not gonna mess with the current version.

I don't know how to thumb this one because my only recent experience is with this "vintage" sample..... guess I'll go with "neutral".

Thought I had this fragrance but it is actually Nikos Sculpture - in another review. Don't know how to eliminate. Sorry!!

I sure get the tuberose and jasmine and lily and the honey definitely. For the PurpleBird it comes off green - for me it comes off round and floral and sweet. Ditto on the longevity - this beauty is just plain GAWJUSS - many thanks to the BNer who introduced me to the house and the frag!!

J' adore J'Adore...and I would add "flirty" to Foetidus' "fresh, floral and fruity". It's a Spring Day in a very chic countryside and the absence of any outstanding note (although I get a lot of muguet and violet - peaches and melon) accentuates it's very balanced nature. All through it's development, for me, J' Adore is feminine and alluring. One of Calice Becker's finest!!

A really nice balance of citrus and apricot at the opening - dries to a slightly dusty, green iris. Girly girl without being excessively sweet or fruity - a lovely hot weather companion!

LUVLUVLUV this fresh green scent and am eagerly awaiting warmer weather to luxuriate in it. The verbena appears immediately on my bod - is light and lifting and the basil gives it a verdant airiness. There's lingering whisper of jasmine and - surprise! - the barest hint of cedar over a slightly sexy muskiness.

The combo really reminds me more of the first whiff of Bermuda air rather than Central Park (I'm a Real New Yorker and to me Central Park will always be a combo of leather and crushed greens, forsythia and fresh horse manure!!)

I'm relatively new to the world of vetivers - this one was recommended by a well respected (by me) BNer. And I just love it! Starts out brisk and woodsy with a touch of brine and rum. As it settles down I would swear I detect coconut - at any rate the drydown on me is a creamy amber with an edge....and the smoky green-ness of that sad and gorgeous island.

Golly! Can't believe these reviews. I've worn Joy like FOR(like)EVER (in the EDT as well as the EDP)) and still experience the same high notes of tuberose (I think)underscored by something else I'm not sure of. I'm new here but not new to Joy which I save for special occasions like going to the supermarket. "De Gustibus...."

I love too - and agree that it's more iris and violet than peony. I layer it with YR Pivoine Magnifica - TRES summery.

Really pretty, creamy rose/amber - doesn't scream or call attention to itself. Moderate longevity on me - but for the same effect I prefer Rocher's Rose Absolue.

Wowser!! That dusky almost acrid Lemon Geranium hits the nose right out of the bottle together with a lovely light rose. After just a bit I get a hint of Jack Daniels - but just a hint. Fresh and floral - this is a crowd pleaser and I always reach for it when I need an uplift.

Wow! I'm wondering if my sample may have sat for a long time because it's thick and syrupy looking. But the frag is MAH-VELOUS on/for me. I love Orientals to begin with and they do well on my bod. SOD opens with honeyed vanilla (I get cherries too) with a hint of flowers and - yes! - tobacco!! It is rich and complex - with an ambery drydown that lasted a whole night. SOD does not remind me of any of the loukhoums I've tried (almost no almonds and no powder on me) and I GOTTA GET ME SOME!!!

Weighing in for this elegant spiced floriental. The dusty, musky drydown is phenomenal - and I owe it all to a dear male BNer who kindly sent me almost a whole bottle of the original. It is just SO classy and perfect for brisk days that call for a no-nonsense scent - or for hot ones that need jazzing up!!

Just love this silly sexy juice. Besides raspberries I get a hint of melon and pineapple...it's flirty and fun and l-a-s-t-s-!!

Now I am a HUGE (if inexperienced) fig fan and LUVLUVLUV LaP Prmiere Figuier - but I love this too - it's a creamier figue with the most subtle greeniness and has pretty good sillage and longevity.

So glad I waited to write this review because on first wearing this frag did not impress. Seemed banal...just another floral.

But after several wearings I have grown to appreciate it subtle beauty. I am an older woman (what's wrong with being older?) that delights in scents that have a presence and this beauty certainly does. Opens fresh and slightly green with hints of tuberose. Matures (!) into that "bottom of the garden" note that Foetidus mentions. Classy and classic - guys heads turn (if you care about that sort of thing).

CalChic has nailed the essence of this beauty - luxurious flowers and smoky leathers. At once zingy and sensual - a real woman's frag. I wear it in all kinds of weather and situations - it surrounds me in opulence. Wore the original twenty years ago - this latest version (a gift from a generous BNer) is just as good. A must have...

Mandarin Bourbon and Vanilla all arrive simultaneously on my bod. And dry down in combo - a great summer scent. Thanks to a generous BNer for putting me on to this house and this scent!!

Such a pretty scent! Light as a butterfly kiss...jasmine, tuberose, freesia and a hint of iris over vanilla and sandalwood. Fleeting - but nice for summer.

This quite reminds me of (are you ready?) Britney Spears' Fantasy although they have no notes in common and Missoni is lighter with no gourmand-y shades. I think the peony/bergamot is lychee-like - it's great for summer. Fresh and floral, it wears well.

This scent on me and to me is like a purple velvet cloak - there's a slumbrous, heavy lidded richness that has a sinister quality - a sweet floral undercurrent that may put you in a trance. You've read the notes and as others have said - it's unique. I love it.

Interesting. On me this Labdanum is sweet musk with an immediate powdery accord...no spice. I get a hint of this in some of the loukhoums - it's nice, but doesn't suit my personality - which is how come the neutral thumb.

Had mimosa trees surrounding the terazzo in my home Up North and this glorious frag takes me right back to that sun-dappled place of peace where I could spend warm summer afternoons sipping iced tea suffused in the scent. Very evocative - with good sillage and surprising (for and on me) longevity.

This seventy-plus lady just snagged an EDT of this powerhouse for minimum clams and is again happily reveling in its - voluptuousness. A refined voluptuousness. On my bod and to my nose it is like other DLR's in that it is seamless and sort of "settled" like it knows itself. A mixed bouquet of summer flowers in the late evening air.

After my fourth or fifth wearing of NY, I gotta second Flathorn's take on this miraculous frag. On me the opening note is a creamy rather than acidic citrus with a breath of sweet herbs lingering underneath. Each time I wear PdeN New York it seems to morph in a different way - perhaps due to the weather.

Today - the beginning of a warm seaside mid-June - the subtle ambery, embery glow is already starting to emanate.

This is just so new York in it's complexity and subtlety and air of cosmopolitan chic. Very Guerlain - like she said!

This Rose has got everything in it that my bod responds well to (let's hear it for old-er age!!) so the sunny mix of linden and mimosa and melon in the head notes bloom on me, with the young fresh roses right on top. Apples and citrus are missing, but not missed. Ditto galbanum. A fave!!

Was really anxious to try this because of the many glowing references on the womens' threads. Was disappointed at first whiff and on first application because I wasn't getting the hit of roses I love (hadn't read the reviews yet}- just a hint of roses over fresh earth with something like rotting vegetation (which I also love!!) Roses bloomed more fully and then faded into a sort of melancholy woody spice. Very interesting - but not something I would want to live in. I really appreciate VdeR - but I don't like it that much for me.

Am a rose-aholic and love all kinds roses. My reaction to a generous sample of RP was similar to that of MikePerez. Opening blast of pepper and citrus with only a hint of tearose. The pepper seems to morph into cardamom on me, with a hint of cucumber and the roses a lingering memory. No animal for me. Great scent for a summer evening - I accorded it a neutral because I would not invest in it, although I am enjoying it this day.

This was a blind buy from a fellow BNer and boy! am I glad I took the plunge on the d****t. As others have had happen - an opening zing of fresh lemon with coconut and a soupcon of rum. Mellows down sweetly to sugary beach lotion. Creamy - tropical. A total winner!!

So haute!! So couture!! Chirrupy and young and fresh and ..."green tangerine, violette, & pink jasmine mingle with soft patchouli, musk, & delectably sweet strawberry leaves & caramelized popcorn for a delicious scent that's truly irresistible." Got a sample from a generous BNer and had to rush right out and get my very own.

After sampling several Loukhoums I settled on this one because it is so refined yet yummy. Honey and almonds and rosy cream. I too got the Body Milk and and the combo is warmly seductive in the most ladylike way! Veiled seduction - so to speak.

This beautifully blended floral was the original composition of Francois Coty - credited with birthing the modern fragrance industry.

From Scripophily.com - "The story of how Coty actually managed to get the stores to carry his new perfumes is nothing short of legendary. At the Grands Magasins du Louvre department store in Paris, he tried in vain to convince the buyer to display his new fragrance, 'La Rose Jacqueminot.' Then, perhaps by accident, perhaps on purpose, Coty dropped one of the fragrance bottles on the floor. It shattered. Women in the area -- some claim they were hired by Coty for exactly this purpose -- excitedly demanded to know what the scent was and where they could buy it. The incident convinced the Le Grands Magasins and all the other department stores in Paris to carry Coty's fragrances."

La Rose was re-issued by Coty in the late 80's or early 90's which is where and when I first encountered it. I got my present bottle of vintage from an online store to which I was directed by fellow BNer Lightnin'rod, to whom I will be forever grateful.

It has a bit of an edge to it - but is still glorious. Opens on a bright floral note that is primarily tea-rose, subtly underplayed with a heavier rose (Bulgarian? Damask? My nose is not that educated), just a hint of greeny lavender and violet and a tender, light ambery musk. Like many classics, the dry-down is just a richer "cello" version of the middle notes - no surprises, just deeper pleasure.

This is the one fragrance I have ever worn that stops people in their tracks and elicits everything from "Mommy, you smell so-o-o-o-o good" to things I won't mention!

Superb!!

A fellow BNer traded me an elegant little mini - square, clear glass bottle, coin shaped clear glass top of same outer dimensions and depth - charming!! Love the frag - just my cup of floriental. The cumin opening blossoms into a rich floral anchored in woodsy patchouli. She's a full bodied diva - and you can take her anywhere.

First found this in a sample from LuckyScent which led immediately to the roll-on and premiere place in my heart and on my shelf! On me this gardenia works really well - rounded and creamy. I continue to think that one of the many benefits of old(er) age is that one's bod tames/absorbs/deflects whatever it is in some frags that make them strident and unwearable for others.

Oh well. This way there's more for me!!

To me this is absolutely beautiful - a light, authentic lilac with a hint of fresh green. Takes me back to our summer house, lazing in the hammock - ice in the mint tea slowly melting - "Swanns Way" having slipped to the ground. Never fails to elicit compliments - wearable anywhere, any time, any season.

These reviews remind me of the story of the three blind men describing an elephant relying solely on touch. I don't mean that the reviewers - respected BNers all! - are blind (sensorily - I think I just made up a word) but that they seem to be experiencing different aspects of the same fragrance.

With Carl999 I ".. do very much like these heavy, rich opulent spicy niche fragrances", but with Julius Caesar I find that "This is a very dry fragrance....The predominant note to me is nutmeg, and some dried fruits, figs, orange peel" and for me, an opening note of licorice.

Go figure. This is from a sample - I've had it on for only an hour - don't think I'm headed for the vault looking for things to pawn to ransom this one.

I received this as a sample from Malle and why they would part with a drop of it is beyond me. What a class act. On my skin, no notes predominate - it is a lovely rounded light floral sweetness that never cloys....a "lingering kiss" as Purplebird7 says. If Vibert stalks me, I ain't gonna call his wife - I'm going to hang onto a man who appreciates a "masterpiece" like this. Definitely FBW.

Bought this in solid edp - forget why, it is not what I would normally try. I mean - Britney SPEARS??? But it's really yummy. The immediate note is the lychee - brisk and pungent with the jasmine hovering close by. The chocolate is light and inviting and the the musk/orris gives it a solid under-thrum. I really really like it! And snaps for the packaging!!

As a lover of weighty, tuberose-laden frags I am a pushover for this heady scent. Luxurious, somnolent it hovers over me in a cloud of creamy opulence. Am willing to pawn my polo ponies for this one!

To me this classy scent is all silks and jewels and dinner by candlelight and then off to the theatre in the Rolls. Delicately floral with a powdery musk underneath (as has been said elsewhere - the satin interior of Mother's beaded evening bag in which nested her enameled powder compact and - yes - cigarette case!) - tres raffinee!

My first Burberry experience from a sample from a generous BNer. LOVE IT. I got the citrusy, rosy jasmine right away then a hint of the gingerbread layered over with the rhubarb others have mentioned. It dries down warm and cozy and I JUST LOVE IT.

I am a jasmin-iac and this is at the top of my jasmine loves. It has been said that this is for a strong willed woman - which is not necessarily how I would characterize myself - but I AM of a certain age and have dry skin and I DO tame strong willed frags and on this one blossoms into a flowery creamy opulence that lasts and lasts.

Just LOVE this juice - the flowers in the opening are fresh and lively - the hint of ginger and leather (!) hover for a while and all settle into a luxurious warm-body cover. Tres luxe!!

Autumn - although the ingredient list is short - Arabian Spices - this is not really spicy at all on me (But I don't bring out spicy notes anyway - Bellodgia is quite tame on me) - rather a honeyed amber/musk with a hint of deep rose. Round and slumberous - autumnal without being somber!!

Henna - came out smelling citrusish and vaguely sharp and dusty. Settled into a haunting floral - lightweight peony with a honeyed amber undertone. Rully nice!!

Olive Flowers - light frankincense with a hint of lemon. The amber note is not very pronounced on my bod and the vanilla-ed drydown is pleasantly sweet and powdery. Leaves a nice wake! I can see how it might be cousin to Shalimar!

Mokhalate Malaki - opened with a blast of saffron on me and over an hour or so bloomed into a delicate mellowed rose with a dusty undertone. Strange scent. Think I gotta give it time.

Orange blossoms pure and simple. A poor man's Fleurs de Citronnier - "rich" man's rather!! Warm and round without acidity and - as always - great longevity!!

Billed as "citrus, myrrh and amber" I get ambery, vanillic citrus right away. Plus a bit of that "dirty" note I love. Perhaps it's the myrrh/citrus combo. A keeper!

You are probably too young to have experienced the sandalwood incense that pervaded the seventies - and it doesn't matter 'cause this isn't it!! That sandalwood had strong presence, this is - as Purplebird7 has said - light and dry. Like freshly sawed-hardwood but with no hint of pine or cedar. It's distinctive on me and very sportif!!

A very subtle musk rounded with subdued vanilla. Not at all sweet on me, and I got no hint of the citrus. Like a light silk duvet that sits close to the skin. Lovely!!

Hanane dries down to Je Reviens on me!! From the many notes I get the galbanum and roses, the jasmine, sandalwood, and clove. The patchouli/balsam are more discreet - have no idea why it ends up being a powdery JR - but it does.

Beautifully composed, Hanane's on my hit list right now.

Don't you love the differences in body chemistry!! On me (78 year old - slightly dry skin, living at the beach) this beauty is honeyed vanilla and white flowers with only a whisper of green. Very round and elegant, like the classic French ones. Sits close to the skin but has great sillage.

This was the first Creed I bought for myself (for a long time I been gifting the men in my life with Creeds)- a FB blind buy at that. Talk about chutzpah!On my older, dryer skin - over a film of (scentless)jojoba oil - she blooms forth all roses, exuberant and lush. My bod loves bergamot which shimmers underneath here and the amber/musk is present almost from the first. I just love it.

Found this as a result of BN thread comparing it to Musc Ravageur. What a find! Exuberant Floriental headed up with bergamot and jasmine and (for me) a vanilic balsam drydown. Quite similar to MR without MR's raffinee. Didn't get any of the chocolate and mocha that emerged in Sweden! Hmnnnn.

A beautifully composed white floral with honeyed undertones of lilac and herbs. It takes a while to develop, but when it does it flowers on that "luxe" base particular to the Madinis that I have tried and that is so missing in many modern 'fumes. In my never humble opinion. Very classy.

A brown viscous liquid that opens on a note of medicinal echinacea and takes an hour to develop into THE most sensuous, smoky amber that is almost edible. Sexy and extremely female - this will definitely join my Winter stable!!

Based on the previous - and other BN mentions - I invested in this unlikely (for me) scent and am thrilled. Beachy without the curse of sun-tan lotion overcast, light hearted and fruity with pretty good sillage and better longevity than most light scents. I "bring them out" so I got a lot of the orange flower and orchid notes.

This is a walk through the canvases of Monet in South of France. Lavender, bay, rosemary - with woods and herbs. Beautifully composed, "tres raffinee" - definite must for me for Spring.

This opened as a "shadowy" fougere with a bit of smoke and a hint of leather. Smooth underpinnings of - ambergris?

A "quality" frag - reminds me in the best way of how my Granddady - The Counselor - smelled. Vests and watch fobs and bespoke shoes....leather wing chairs, haze of smoke...

On me this opened with a whiff of citrusy green and then bloomed into a flowery fruit that is more apricot than mango. Nicely underscored with what I think is frankincense, it is overall breezy and light and not very long lasting for a perfume oil. (Couple of hours.) Good companion for a summer day!

Reminds me of my visit to Chartwell. Opens to a gust of conifer/citrus and settles into a gentlemanly herbal freshness which is totally appropriate for a lady's summer afternoon. Gone in an hour or less, one needs to carry it with. Aloof, aristocratic - a nice relief from more intrusive frags.

Just today reconnected with this long-time favorite of mine and I have to say that I am with Foetidus on this one. Fracas, (I never could understand this name a "fracas" is usually thought of as a brawl - and this frag is a voluptuous "grande dame" if ever there was one)on me, is a beautifully composed, complex floral with no dominant note. There are hints of gardenia and muguet and tuberose but they are a bouquet - and the overall impression is at once fresh and full bodied.

I wore Fracas a lot in the sixties when my body chemistry was different (I am in my seventies - an "antique"!!??) and she was therefore a lot "louder" than now. It is so wonderful for me to read all these varying impressions - wish we could be in a room together sharing the wonder!!

Beautifully blended musky musks without any sweetness, an undercurrent of ...iris?...and some rose. Dries down into voluptuous warmth. Sexy!!

Smooth indeed - luxurious and evocative. On me the rose bloomed over the leather and I got a whiff of tobacco. VERY "Brown Derby"!!

At Christmas, In NYC, the entire Cartier building is wrapped in a giant red ribbon, an elegant present for Fifth Avenue. I would be VERY happy if Cartier would wrap and equal-size bottle of this beautiful frag and deliver it to ME. My bod brings out the heavy roses and gardenia, underlaid with the slightest musky amber and a whiff of patchouli. To quote Goddess Dreams: "When I wear this fragrance I really feel like a woman..."!!!

The reactions to this glorious, gutsy, passionate frag are SO diverse and SO interesting! On my older body and to my older nose this rich and complex scent is irresistible. On me it opens up to smoke and roses, segues into the light leather of a new pair of gloves and settles into a very light rosy vanilla supported by suede and tobacco. Close to the skin, it lasts a lo-o-o-ng time. Great bedtime companion - it is SO sexy!

Muguet is my birth-Month flower and I first wore it as a teen-ager in the forties! Haven't tried it recently (am almost afraid to) but I remember it as light, very linear and innocent with a hint of green. Still lovely for a dress of flower-spattered crepe de chine and taking tea with cucumber sandwiches on the lawn!

Color me weird - I loved this mixed-up frag. Got a half-filled sample from Apothia and used it all up in one fell swoop. First I got a burst of grapefruit with a green rosiness that quickly segued into a creamy and sophisticated vanilla musk with a hint of - yes - tobacco, and that sweaty, "private parts" smell that turns some people off with the grapefruit still hanging in there.

I think there is some Latin lurking in my otherwise Wasp-y background because I LUV all things from the Iberian peninsula and its diaspora. Flamenco - meringue - paella - I'm your girl. And Rumba fulfills all my Latin longings - the heady flowers mingling with the amber and musk and woods and especially tonka (a favorite note of mine) blossom on my bod and I could live in it - summer or winter. I especially love to go to bed in it. Despite this opulence there is a sort of holding back - a refinement worthy of the great Cristobal.

Have owned and worn this classy Floriental off and on since its introduction in the 60s when I was riding high (in more ways than one!) the glam world (arts - theatre - broadcast) of NYC. When I need the comfort of other-world craftsmanship and the hot-house effect of being enveloped in fruits and flowers and ambery musc - I go to Bal a Versailles.

Read the previous reviews before I decided to step in. One of the many benefits of having aged is - perspective. And I would add, detachment. Get past labels and assumptions and deal with the here and now.

Just paid $15 for 1.08 oz of the EDC to be part of a current BN project. Remembered my reaction to it 60 years ago at the age of 17. Yuuuck! Forged ahead.

To quote Ayala: "Tabu is the definition of a good buy – a high quality, original perfume (in fact, an Eau de Cologne!) with class and lasting power that any great name perfume house would be proud of, for prices as low as $10-$15. It’s also very reliable: it’s been around since 1932 and haven’t been altered as far as I know. In fact, it is written in the history of perfumes as the trendsetter for perfumes such as Youth Dew (1952) and Opium (1977) that tried their hand at this Oriental greatness only decades later."

That dry, almost aldehydic note quickly transforms into a honeyed floral with deep amber note - sumptuous, provocative and VERY identifiable. Would love to have a blindfolded panel of frag lovers experience this!

So age changes - perhaps - your chemistry AND point of view. But what do I know???!!!

Just fund a bottle of this in my guest bathroom! Where and when did I acquire it? Love the mimosa accord in this very feminine Coty. Dries down to a creamy amber. Great on longevity. Serendipity!

I'm with Robyogi...and I'd add "sexy".

Top note: Eden mist, jaboticaba berry, orange blossom, blue hyacinth;Middle note :Crepe jasmine, laelia orchid, pink honeysuckle, Japanese mahonia Base note :Natal plum blossom, golden melaleuca, zebrano wood, ambrette seed according to OsMoz.

After staying away from Lauder for YEARS because on me anything from her was too loud and demanding I tried this because it was showing up so often on BN.

And I'm glad I did. First spritz smelled oddly of machine oil (ambrette seed? The most expensive ingredient in the world?) Anway, that quickly dissipated and the honeysuckle took over, quickly followed by the jasmine. After a couple of hours it settled into a warm, unobtrusive (!!) and complicated floral. Guess it's all in the body chemistry.

Never realized it's considered a cheap drugstore scent - guess I'll have to gain weight, acquire some pink and white glitters and head for a disco.

I would say Opium's younger sister - more retiring with a fruity roundness. Not as long lasting either (if I remember correctly. It's been almost thirty years since I wore Opium!) Nice enough, but a runner up in my opinion.

The card accompanying the sample says: "FLORAL - SOFT. A fresh and crispy breath (green notes, violet, hedione) A refined floral signature (freesia, white lily, concrete tuberose) A soft and enveloping trail (white muscs, heliotrope, liatrix)" And yes, I have carefully checked the spellings.

The freesia/violet/tubersoe showed up right away on me and lasted through the quick musc-y drydown.

I really like it - a more tethered L'Air du Temps.

I love this too, without quite knowing why. The figginess comes out right away and settles into the church incense sort of smell with underpinnings of brine and...vanilla? Strange. Great!

Wore my sample for one day - refreshing every four hours or so because I like the first impression. Floral and ethereal -somehow made me think of muguet. One of those fragrances that elicited a "oooh. You smell so good!" as opposed to "WHAT is that perfume you're wearing??!!" Meanwhile I loved it.

Another thumbs up here! On my bod GM is powdery, with a slight hint of vanilla and cedar and - apricot? Doesn't last at ALL though - and when my decant is gone I doubt I'll buy more. Lovely for Spring.

A tender, gentle but persuasive floral that asserts it's jasminity (is that a word?) from the get go. Yasmin has a lovely roundness that is deepened by the amber and sandalwood notes. A year-round favorite for the jasminiac (is that a word?)

WALGREEN'S!!!???...you say? But guess what - it's not that bad! Initial burst of berries and florals - peonies? Roses? Orchid and tuberoses in there somewhere, drying down to a light woody musk with berry overtones. Not awfully memorable or long lasting but nice for Spring and certainly worth the money!

First sniff of the sample is slightly ananas-y, but not much. Copy on the card says "exotic cocktail"...yeah, kind of. More alcohol than fragrance. It's light and refreshing but lasts approximately three minutes and forget sillage. NOT memorable.

Took a while for me to "get onto" this scent. Nice and fresh and vaguely woodsy/gardeny right out of the ebottle - then slightly citrusy and MORE floral - finally a heady undertone. Very romantic. I wear the EDP over the EDT and it lasts all day. Into my 70s I think nothing of wearing this frag and the most compliments I get on it are from my younger men friends. (Stop thinking naughty thoughts!)

Acquired a bottle of EDT of this now discontinued frag and am having a happy affair. Right out of the bottle I got hit with alcohol and the Vetiver (go figure) and my first impression was Wow! another big "signature" scent, but within minutes the heady geranium showed forth and then it settled into a warm rosy, sandalwoody Persian nights kind of glow. Good longevity. Nice for a nippy Southern Autumn - "nippy" being 70 F!

Was given this in a sample bottle and so have missed out on the packaging aspect - but for me the fragrance stands on its own and is definitely investment-worthy. On my bod it started on bright and spicy with a sort of electric zing...in a couple of hours I got a nice sweaty-armpit undertone (which I find terrif-kick) then settled into a nicely floral ambery warmth. Lasts really well. LOVE IT.

Opned up quite spicy, flowers drifted in and then the musky incense settled in. Wafted nicely. On my skin didn't last very long which is why I weighed in at neutral.

I echo Tovah! Started out real sweet-pea-ish and ended up a pleasant apricot kind of powdery musk. Like a stroll through a flower garden tended by a gifted horticulturist. Good staying power for a floral, too.

Right out of the bottle it smelled like grapeseeds (??!!) then like a strong gust of freesia. Settled into a warm sort of gardenia and wafted up like Bermuda breezes for the rest of the day. LOVE this for summer!

Agree with Robyogi that this fragrance is more gardeny than beachy but it is sweet in the personal not the nose sense and has a nice breeziness. Since I live at the beach where deciduous trees grow right down to the water's edge and the summer season lasts until October - this is a winner for me!

Well, there's all kinds of roses out there (I work in a flower shop) and while lots of the commercially grown ones have no fragrance, a couple do and Rosamor is very reminiscent of one called "Attache". Underneath that (in the EDT) is something powdery and soft and not much else. Forgettable.

Ditto, Flathorn. Although I've only ever used the EDT - a real classic for the beaches of SC, USA!!

Hmmn. Mossy - pond-sy. Think dragonflies skimming dark waters - fresh clean.
Lasts approximately five minutes. Keep dousing.

A Grande Dame painter lady first introduced me to this luscious fragrance and I've been an addict ever since. The EDP on me erupts in roses and quiets down to neroli and gardenia. It grows warmer and more intimate as the day wears on. I get "loopy" like deepthought!

I'm with Tovah on this one - enjoying Paris in EDT for the years since I first experienced it on one of my favorite designers. It's one of those that elicits "You smell so wonderful!". Little kids bury their noses in it! I guess I'll never get used to the notion that some fragrances are for the "young and hip" and some for us "old ladies". I live a casual life at the beach - own and have owned innumerable fragrances and mist on whatever I feel like when I get up in the morning. "Paris" is perfectly suited to a day in the park as far as I'm concerned - and it need not be Parc Monceau.

Hard to believe there are so few elements in this fragrance - it seems so complex and strange and beautiful. When my late husband and I were courting I told him about the French love of "l'heure bleu" - that magical semi-twilight time that seems to exist only in Paris and nowhere else (not even Venice). A few days later he presented me with my first EDT bottle and I have kept it at the top of my fragrance wardrobe ever since.

Opened up with a blast of citrus and...???...lead pencils? Settled quickly into the Arabian-nightsy frankincensey/wooden whatever. In the EDT didn't last at all well. After the hype, a bit of a disappointment.

Oh, this fragrance is SO bubbling fountains in the sunlight. The carousel - the venodrs selling those lattice work cookies - the beeping horns. I MEAN. For me this is one everyone wants to know what it is. Course I love florals and the bottom not rose is what stands out and lasts on me.

Wandered into some scent shop in snooty Bryn Mawr PA ten or twelve years ago and bought this fragrance on the basis of a blotter sniff and have bought two more bottles since. Takes me right to Arabee - wherever that is. Got intially blown away by the peachy, flowery heaviness - and what remains is almost pure sandalwood. But then our bodies are so fickle. When I first encountered MaGriffe (could it be 50 years ago?!)it smelled like cat's - - - - on me - now it settles into a nice warmth. Go figure.