Fragrance Reviews by misspring

Mahora started out reminding me of some happy little vintage scent-- a tropical for young ladies I just couldn't place. It evolved, and almost reminded me of Tatiana, but so fleetingly I can't be sure.
Mahora's heart notes clearly show that she is the tropical sister of Mitsouko, and the drydown is fabulous.
Mahora's rather unfortunate sounding name:
I imagine some American girl from the south, on her cell phone with her beau: "Did you just say you bought me a bottle of ...My... Whore-ah?...What?"
A woman at a perfume shop told me this frgrance, slightly altered, will re-appear as 'Mayotte'. If this is true, the name will sound better, anyway. If you like Mitsouko, you should like this, and it is currently easy to find both in perfume discount shops and online.

I much prefer the EDT on this one, finding that the EDP was a bit too strong. It is a lovely scent, and the floral notes come out smoothly and slowly. These heart notes are warm and soft. The vanilla- spice- sandalwood drydown lasts for quite awhile and is delicious, yet this is not at all a 'pastry' scent. It is a rich yet quiet & sophisticated floral.

Amarige is a great scent or the winter months; very warm & spicy. This is what I like to call a 'masculine' feminine scent, it is not for a young girl in pink lace and maryjanes. It is more for a woman who can look sexy in a classic business suit. It isn't fruity once the top notes fade, more of a natural woodsy spice scent at heart, and the drydown is very sensuous. This scent comes from the same perfumer that gave us Alien, Amor Amor, and Anglomania.
Seductive? Check! Long lasting? Check?
Reasonably priced? Check!

The fruit notes in Cool Water are just too many. I believe the pineapple & honeydew combine at first to make a not nice blend, and later the muguet and peach join in the not nice, to make it really not nice.
this is the only scent I have ever worn that made me feel bad. Bad combinations, I dislike writing bad reviews, but do try it (more than once) before you buy.

This is Bliss. The Juniper and tobacco notes stand out on my skin and the combo is perfection.
On me the topnotes are fine, and The Dreamer never gets very weird. I LOVE this one.
I trashpicked a half bottle of The Dreamer from a friend who's husband had moved on ( but left a lot of stuff in a box at the curb. ) I used it up pretty quickly and happily bought a replacement bottle. This in in my top 5 of "men's" fragrances that I wear. Tarragon might just be the 'weird' note for some people, I feel if you like Tarragon on food, you will like it in this scent. The Dreamer is easy for me to live with.

I tried this one and it reminded me of "Christmas Morning" sometime long ago. there is something very evergreen and mysterious and old about it, the name fits. I bought the bottle (and received a free gift set of some blah gunk curve stuff) but hey, the Vintage Soul is nice, and the packaging is too.
Not something you'd want to spray on everyday, and a little goes a long long long way. There is something in this that makes a couple of my friends sneeze repeatedly, but they won't have to deal with it too often. The box claims that it is ' A captivating blend of tempting fruits, breezy florals (maybe they meant to say sneezy florals) and sensual vanilla musk.' The box also says 'Pour femme' but several males agreed with me that it was unisex. I'd like to figure out what the notes actually are.

One summer day, when I was a very young girl, some nice ladies at Saks introduced me to Jicky. I was purchasing my fave, Shalimar, and they urged me to try other scents by Guerlain. I tried Jicky and was soon transported to a dry day in November, sitting on a stone wall in a leather jacket, overlooking an herb garden. The trees are bare, the grass is dry, the leaves have fallen and decayed. The last rose of summer, Old Blush, is blooming as if it is only late September. Someone is smoking a cigar somewhere and the wind is carrying all these scents to me, and it all blends together beautifully somehow.
I like the EDT and the EDP on this one,

Champagne sipped in a sunny meadow. Wild roses and the warm moist scents of summer. This is a joyful scent. Caution: may induce euphoria. The bottles should get empty long before they get old.
This scent can bring golden sunlight into the gloomiest dark day.

After reading Calchic's review, I purchased a bottle of Ici. (I actually went out of my way to find it, had to hunt it down!) The bottle was weird, design wise, and the sprayer malfunctioned so you got "a whole lotta Ici" but it was Ok because it smelled delicious without being obnoxious in any way. Maybe it is the magnolia combined with the gourmand notes that makes it just right--I don't know, but it is a good scent.

I can't believe no one has commented on this one. I hesitated to try my samples (Lord & Taylor was suspiciously generous with them.) The bottle looks like it was designed by Mattel for Barbie (and not for Astronaut Barbie or Fashion Barbie, either more likely it was designed for Kooky Hello Kitty lovin' Barbie) If the bottle was a turn off for me, the sample itself was sad. There was an illustration of Betsey Johnson trying to look like Tina Turner riding on a large white and purple bird.
But hey, as always, I was hopeful. I love perfume! OK, thisperfume itself started out smelling like a roll of "Five fruit flavors" Lifesaver candies. It all became one sticky smell, like a melted roll of lifesavers. I could not pick out the tangerine or grapefruit or blackcurrent as separate notes, although I imagined I did get a whiff of pear.
thankfully the floral notes (freesia, Lily) kicked in and things got milder and almost semi-nice. You could almost smell "floral" and it wasn't sugary sweet anymore. The drydown was uneventful. It was not headache inducing, not industrial strength and not horrible. It went from mystery fruit to bland pretty quickly. My husband's opinion was "blah" as he said for once he really couldn't sniff out any notes of interest. We would have thought Betsey would have made a BIG FRUIT SPLASH of a scent, but apparently she lost interest too.

I was so disappointed with this one. The pepper, mango and juniper notes make it a lot zippier than I expected, and did not allow me to enjoy the coffee, cocoa, cardamon and nutmeg. With a name like Double Black I was not looking for a scent that might have been named Zesty Sporty.

I remember being wowed by the Terracotta line of cosmetics ( Soft earth tones for a natural, unmade-up look.) I imagined that more than one scent was originally planned for the line, and seeing that this one is Voile D' Ete, I had hoped for fragrances representing the other three seasons. To me the Terracotta name referred to relaxed village life, carefree and close to nature, not to a clay pot note!
I pictured the villages in the south of France: standing on a hilltop looking down at all of the Terracotta tiled rooftops, watching the slow pace of life, and smelling the fresh minty-floral summer air. When you try Voile D' Ete, you get mint right away, blended with carnation and maybe (?) almond. I couldn't find notes listed anywhere, But it is a floral scent. There is definitely a soft rose in there, and I'm sure I am missing a lot, but I don't get any baking spices here at all. I think the mint and florals combine to seem spicy and perhaps can be deceptive. It is the scent of minty summer air. Applied normally to the wrists & neck it certainly isn't a strong scent, although the first few moments with the topnotes seem strong. The real magic happens as time goes on, and this scent is definitely addictive. I enjoyed wearing this during the summer months, and am still wearing it in cooler weather. It is a very mellow scent with fantastic sillage. People are drawn to you when you wear it. Someone told me it was a very nataural, 'alive' scent when they smelled it on me.
The mint makes this soft floral very unique, the drydown is a soft wonderful gourmand vanilla -mint combination that I really love. This scent is in my Guerlain top ten. Too bad there isn't a Terracotta series of seasons, like the Aqua Allegoria series of scents. This is a unisex scent, as it isn't too sweet. The mint keeps it fresh from start to finish.

Despite the name, Corduroy is not all that groovy.
Citrus, Cardamon, and lavender topnotes are nice.
It is mild and not too sweet.
The Bay Rum note saves it from being just another scent, though. It does have sex appeal and a very, very nice drydown with the Vanilla, Woodsy, Tonka base. This is a good gift scent for a young man who tends to splash just a bit too much man perfume on, which is why I purchased it for my son. He should be writing this because he absolutely loves the scent.

I had very bad luck with sampling Insolence. Every store seemed to be giving out lotion samples, and they were so bland. I read positive reviews here, and tried sampling again, and finally found a store that would allow me to spray from a tester. I thought from the ititial blast that it was too strong and too sweet, but it did smell good. An hour later it smelled much better and it made me feel really happy. I bought a bottle and did comparison tests with Les Meteorites. Insolence is fresher and sexier.
It also lasts longer. It just works with my chemistry and is keeps changing, it gets warmer as the hours go along, just like a lot of Guerlain scents do on my skin.It is subtle, but it lasts. I can't compare this scent-wise to L'Heure Bleue or Apres L'Ondee, For me they have such different character, it is worth owning all three. I was doubtful of the berries in the topnotes, but Mr. Roucel, I am sorry I doubted you, and I'm glad I really gave this one the time and testing it deserved. With so much sugar and fruit out there, it is getting easier for me to dismiss scents without really living with them and giving them a fair sampling. The body lotion on this fragrance is not something I can recommend, but the fragrance gets a thumbs up. I have to add that the topnotes seem to revisit the scent, in a milder form, many hours later. This may not make sense, but even during drydown I felt some of the initial blast come back in a haunting way.

This is such a rich romantic scent! It would go perfectly with a Badgley Mischka wedding gown. Very strong, very sweet, and dark. It smells like some sort of delicious brandy concoction made with sexy florals and patchouli.

I agree with Margareta. I sprayed Bright Crystal on my wrist at a department store and thought, yeah, OK , nothing much going on here! I ran my errands and after a while was thinking what IS that heavenly magnolia scent? It was me, well, my wrist anyway. nice sillage! I like magnolia so this was an unexpected surprise. A week later, I ran to the store just to re-try it, sprayed it on both wrists, and sniffed it all night. that settled it, It goes on my main wish list. I thought the bottle was kind of gaudy but it grew on me once I liked what was inside.

Miranda was the first "whipped dessert" fragrance I ever bought. (It came in a sampler pack of bottles)
It did smell like a dreamy coconut cream pie, but it softened and mellowed. After awhile a single friend asked for it, so I gave it to her. She too smelled like a pie, but a very high class pie that attracted men.
Like all of the Fragonard scents, it is hopelessly romantic.

I got the lilac right away with this fragrance, and yet it is a formal evening perfume. A full-blown floral extravaganza that reminds me of Givenchy florals. delicious, refined, sexy. Dazzling.

Fragonard just knows how to do it.

We returned from Grasse with a large selection of fragrances, despite the fact that we were traveling on a strict budget. I never saw my husband so keen on perfume until visiting Fragonard. We brought back dozens of bottles of perfume. I have to be honest and say they were all grand. However, the one I really adored was Lune De Miel. If memory serves, I believe there was coconut in the formula, or something like it. It seemed to pop up as the one sweet edible note. It was a stand-out fragrance and my husband's favorite from Fragonard as well. I savored it, wearing it one-drop-at-a-time, until it was gone. I haven't been able to afford to get back to the South of France, but dream of it and Lune de Miel.

Guess Gold is a floral oriental created by
perfumer Claudette Belnavis (who also created Live Luxe for Jennifer Lopez).
The top notes include a soft muted apple, pink pepper, and pineapple.
the heart notes include rose, lily, and hyacinth
The base includes sandalwood, amber, vetiver, patchouli, and a musky vanilla.
I picked up a 1.7 oz. bottle of Eau de Parfum at a department store for $45.
This is a very wearable fragrance, well rounded, soft, and warm. Excellent sillage,
and good feedback from those who sniffed me at intervals. (I asked them to sniff me, and they are my very honest sniffers) The top note of pineapple is muted so you can enjoy it without any "candy" effect. The apple is a gentle note, not a sweet or a tart apple, but a mellow fresh apple. By the time the florals kick in there is already the scent of vanilla and maybe honey which soothes the hyacinth note. A very smooth transition from beginning to end and the rose is present throughout. A slight hint of pineapple continues to waft up from time to time. The drydown is soft and rich. It seems like a daytime scent when you're wearing it, (it doesn't wear you) but it is sophisticated enough for evening wear. I was surprised by this one when I sampled it, and after a few tests with sample vials, I had to make the purchase.
This would make a lovely gift because the packaging is elegant: a gold box with a rose-wine colored chamois pouch.The bottle design is quite nice, gold ( metal over glass) with a cut-a-way 'G' initial, which allows you to see a bit of the perfume , a rosy lilac hue. Because the bottle is mostly metal, it travels well in a handbag or backpack that might get a lot of rough handling.

Fleur De Fleurs starts out with a generous rush of citrus, greens, and bergamot. As it calms down you can relax and enjoy the blend of bright white florals including jasmine, lily -of -the -valley, and magnolia. The drydown will reveal a rich sweet sandalwood, smoky civet, vanilla, and a light musk reminiscent of Kiehl's musk oil. This fragrance has a true Southern Belle feel to it, sultry enough to fall in love with.

Light Blue starts out beautifully with a Granny Smith apple note providing the zest, a touch of florals, and some very lovely cedar.
Presently, it begins to fade, but is still nice enough. The drydown comes quickly, and a bit of musk lingers.
This would be a nice gift scent if given at the beginning of summer, as most women would make use of it then and appreciate it.

If Flower by Kenzo were a blind date, the evening would evolve like this:
He arrives and is better looking than you'd hoped, he has sex appeal and he is so incredibly charming. At the beginning of the date you are in heaven. Then he quickly starts to lose his allure and you begin to feel let down. "Is it me?" you wonder, as you are still hopeful. But after a short while, you find him definitely dull and even slightly annoying.
You end the date by shaking hands like it is a business meeting. Your blind date with Flower wasn't a complete waste of time, because he was nice and polite. But he was also superficial and he faked you out with that initial burst of wonderfulness.
Your friends who fixed you up with him suggest that you were too harsh. Flower by Kenzo is worthy, they tell you, but then they admit he does have these flaws that would prevent them from getting romantically involved with him.
So what do you do when he calls you for another date? You fix him up with your cousin.

Herba Fresca! Freshly cut grass ...heaven...just a hint of mint that seems to come and go. -- This scent is so delicious I feel I am outdoors in the sunshine on the gloomiest overcast day. This is something on a cold winter's day!
This series of fragrances are so pleasant and agreeable, they don't scream perfume at all. Does the perfumer decide if something is unisex? Anyway, mmmmm.

Those great little DVF wrap dresses came back, so why can't Tatiana come back also? It is a great little scent. Is there any NON-discontinued perfume that smells a lot like it? I have been searching, but have not found it yet. I find it depressing to order discontinued scents...I feel like a fragrance junkie when I get them.

Yuck. Even the bottle design is creepy>

This was my man's favorite scent for awhile after he picked up a bottle in France. It didn't last him long, because I kept spraying it on myself. (Yet another addicting scent) If you like Guerlain's Imperiale and Vetiver, you will like Cedrat, as it is in between these two in a way, not as sweet as Imperiale, and not as tart as Vetiver, but still a sexy melange. It has been awhile, but I have only pleasant memories of Eau de Fleurs de Cedrat.

This is a great scent that I fell in love with when it came out. Sadly, a supervisor at a new job doused herself and her scarf collection in it every hour it seemed, every day. Until I met this horrible person, Ysatis was my second favorite scent. This just illustrates how subjective one segment of a perfume review can be. (it doesn't matter how elegant and wonderful it smells on me, she just flat out ruined it)

I often look at Ysatis as I pass the perfume counters. It has been nearly a decade since I have smelled this vile woman. I wonder when I will be ready to embrace the lovely Ysatis again.

I haven't worn this one enough to give a fair assessment. It is light, a nice gardenia, citrus floral blend. Possibly a little almond in there. The drydown comes quickly, anice musky vanilla, a little sandalwood, and it is gone. I haven't tried this at all in winter, or in multiple dabs, but the previous reviews put it back on my list.

Purchased this in the past few months. Nothing has changed. I tried to sniff out some change, but it still hits all of the same notes. My best friend in Jr. High wore this, and I often borrowed some. For me, Emeraude will always be associated with her-- a little blonde haired blue-eyed innocent. (Well, somewhat innocent.) It is still as green as a Granny Smith apple with that high almost lime note that makes it fresh and clean. Emeraude also lingers on skin and clothing pleasantly. I tried it on bed linens with great results. I found this for less than $8. A small bottle in new packaging.

Something not-quite-right with this one. It smells better as a light aftershave than a women's fragrance.

First impressions often being... so wrong... I decided to try my gift-bottle of Addict again after disliking it.
After all, conditions vary, and Dior can surprise you.
So I gave it another shot, wore it for a few days and sad to say, it is nothing special. It has something to do with the way it just flattens out, the way it just lounges around on your skin, too lazy to really do anything. Not addictive, despite the name.

Vetiver and I go back a long way. I enjoy wearing it in cold weather, as it is a very warm, peppery scent that is refreshing at the same time. I began buying it for my man, and of course, I steal his whenever I am wool-shirt casual. It smells SO good on him, it is manly, sensual, sexy, (refined and rugged at the same time) Nice sillage... it floats off the skin.
Try it in weather when you are craving warmth. If you try this on a sweltering summer night, you may not care for it at all.
The coriander and tobacco notes work some kind of magic together ... very manly, ( but I like it too. )

I was happy to find that Allure is one of the Chanel scents that works very well with my chemistry. While it is warm and just sweet enough, it just does not have the sillage or the drydown I was hoping for. It smells more like a generic perfume than anything special. I reccomend it for casual daytime wear.

This is one modern fragrance Scent Fanciers should have in their wardrobe, and the beautiful packaging makes it a welcome gift as well. For a moderate price, you can find the EDP in a stunning bottle. I have tested this scent with a group of friends and it has been purchased by a number of them. It clearly outshines many scents that are trying to achieve the same combination of refined sensual warmth.
L'Instant settles in smoothly, and hours later people will step closer to breathe it in. It isn't strong in a sweet or overpowering way, it is just there, harmonious.
You can compare it to other scents but they will always fall short. I could list a half dozen very good scents that disappoint, as they are too close to being 'almost as good as' L'Instant. L'Instant has the the sillage, the blend of florals, and the dry down that are all perfect. Perfumer Maurice Roucel has created something magical here.
This is one that I have to buy on a regular basis, and I have to say it gives me a lift everytime I buy some. I am glad to invest.

I enjoy both Shalimar Light and Shalimar very much. I do think the light version is creamier, and better suited for casual wear. Shalimar Light does make you feel pretty.

My kids call this "Batterfly" .
They first sniffed it out on me, saying "OH! You smell just like waffle batter"- a compliment, as
I do make these delicious waffles, & realize the batter does smell like Hanae Mori Butterfly. Pure vanilla extract, a few drops of pure almond extract, the smell of the batter as it slowly begins to warm up. Butter, eh, Batterfly! I got a large bottle of this as a gift, & can only wear it once in a while. Like other Sweet Baked Good scents, it will probably always be popular. A lot of People prefer yummy or refined or sexy.

A beautiful scent. Mitsouko has a definite presence on the skin. Maybe you're in a peach orchard, but it is an overcast day and you also have the woodsy, spicy, mossy smells of the earth. The peach does come up again later, warmed by a vanilla-like note.
An intense experience, a very refined fragrance, some memory you can't quite recapture. Purplebird 7 said it best-her review 0f Aug. 11, 06 is perfect.

I love Rose Essentielle, a true rose, shy, but it clings and is perfect from start to finish. This scent is addictive. The name says it all!

If you're looking for a light, young, romantic perfume, try L'Heure Bleue. When I spritzed some on my college-age niece, her boyfriend said it smelled like sweet love. A romantic, he asked her what it was, and bought her a bottle. Later I told her the story of "the Blue Hour in Paris" and she told him.
She has worn other Guerlain fragrances, and like her aunt, she sees them as timeless classics. She knows the trick is to not overdo it. People should have to get close to inhale the sweetness.
I think a great deal of the time people put too much perfume on, and the topnotes just overwhelm, esp. with a powdery scent.

5 Stars and a Big Thumbs Up:
Bulgari has made a love potion with this one. It is intoxicating and seems to work magic with everyone. A friend told me about it, "You HAVE to try this!" she said, and pulled a bottle out of her handbag. The next day I was buying a bottle for myself. It is nearly gone, as it worked very well on hot summer nights.

Viole de Jasmine would make a good gift perfume. It is light, does not last long, and won't offend in any way. I wouldn't use it for any fabuolous occasion, as there are so many other Jasmines out there, but it is sweet and pretty. Delicate and shy, it is a nice daytime scent.

It is Chic, not Toothache sweet. I have field-tested this one because I kept waffling on it, (Is it OK for me to put something young & sweet in my top ten when I am more the woodsy oriental type? That was the question) But I love it, & others love it on me. Absolutely at its best in the summertime. The sweet note that is supposedly 'strawberry' seems to drift off the skin like something in nature, not like a strawberry sorbet at all, but some sweet plant in a sunny meadow. It settles down nicely. I didn't get the grapefruit in this one at all.

What a blend, it does drive me crazy. I like wearing this in cooler weather, it is intoxicating. Beautiful.

A lovely fragrance that goes everywhere & is noticed without being overbearing. This is my 'go to' scent when I know I'm going to be in a meeting or with new people. It isn't over the top sexy, it is just fresh and lightly sweet, but it has something special. You can still find it here and there.

I can't seem to stop buying this one. It gets warm compliments and feels so lush and fresh, and yes, youthful, in a good way.

Jaipur Saphir is delcious. I would normally pass up this type of fruit blend ( peach, yuzu, tangerine) but it seems to work effortlessly, gorgeously, and has this sweet little mystery note that lingers.
Magnolia, Stephanotis Jasmine and Heliotrope are at the heart of it, The drydown is warm, sensual and pleasant. Amber, Cinnamon wood, Sandalwood, Vanilla, and Karmir wood.

This a a great spicy scent. My wearing it lead to a friend buying it and now it is currently her favorite.
There is that first blast of peppery spice, and it settles in, smooth, tea and a hint of the chocolate.
I like the way it lingers.

Shalimar is sneaky. It settles in and becomes so sensual. It feels like it is nuzzling up to you, though you are barely aware of it. This is my numero uno scent.

I love this scent and start to wear it as the weather cools. It is too spicy for humid summer nights, but is lovely and sweet in the right climate.

Yes! I now own a bottle of the new Nina, thanks to a friend. It was way better than I expected.
Anyway, I can tell you what it isn't-- it is NOT the big blast from the 80's past, as the 1987 version was, and you won't smell like caramel corn, rubber, chocolate, or pink cake icing...far from it.
The New Nina is old fashioned, and a Sharp Lady. She's well-dressed and going out for the evening, but she is more Kate Hepburn than Audrey. She has that snappy comeback.
The florals here are very soft, as is the vanilla. The New Nina: Ylang Ylang, Bergamot, Jasmine, Some citrus fruit, and nice green notes , also woods, vanilla, and last but not least some incense that seems to wrap around the vanilla and linger.
Once in a while a nice floral note drifts up out of the incense and vanilla , but I cannot identify it.

I like Lolita Lempicka and find it easy to wear: light, sweet, lasts about 4 hours on me, & just a touch of aniseed scent wafts up from time to time.

A little is enough, and a little bottle of Muguet de Bois is magical. It is the Lily -of- the Valley. Pure and simple. I wore it first in High School, then revisited it a few years ago . I wonder who bought it back in 1942 ? All kinds of women, no doubt. It would great to have a time machine just to visit the perfume counter of one Department store back then.

Tabu is from another time and place. It has been around long enough to gain an unfair reputation. If it was put into a well-designed expensive bottle and re-named, a lot of trendy people would be snapping it up. Tabu is rebellious, strongwilled, and wild. With anything like that, a tiny bit goes a long way.