Fragrance Reviews by CEH

This review is for the original (now vintage) EDT

The scent immediately opens with a faint orange blossom. Since this is vintage bottle (perhaps the late 60's), the topnotes seem rather faded and the scent progresses almost immediately to several white flowers (ylang ylang and carnation I think) and then oakmoss, tonka, rose, cloves, pepper and vanilla settle in smoothly. The basenotes remind me of Nuit de Noel by Caron.

I can only imagine the beauty of this fragrance when it was first purchased. I was lucky enough to find this vintage bottle. I hope to compare the reissued version to this classic beauty.

Strange, when I tried this version of Firewood, it was less intense than some other "firewood" scents: Galliano, Sonoma Scent Studio's Fireside and Fireside Intense, for example. It had a slight hint of sweet/plastic, perhaps from the incense notes. It does not bother me; in fact, it adds to the depth of the fragrance. It is not my favorite version, but is nice and perhaps more enjoyable for those who find other versions of this scent overwhelming.

Mildly sweet, resinous, not the typical "wood" scent. This one has a hint of very light incense. Ethereal, soft, mystical, and absolutely unique! This one works well in the workplace. Applied sparingly, it is unobtrusive and comforting. How I would love a candle in this fragrance!

From the Ava-Luxe Website:

Notes: Cypress, Frankincense, Cedar, White blossoms, Sandalwood, Agarwood, White Amber, Soft spices.

I never thought I'd like a scent with melon in the top note! This one is a sweet and bright floral, but not gourmand at all. It even passes the toddler test - a four-year-old said I smelled "wonderful." The lasting power is decent, at least 4 hours. It's truly the "drydown" that is the saving grace of this fragrance. The green of the vetiver and the moss, plus the very subtle musk keeps this one from being juvenile. In fact, it is an unusual classic and appealing to all ages.

Spicy, sweet, resinous, green, purple, yet glowing with an golden amberous light. This reminds me of the sunlight that glows through beautiful cathedral glass.

Not your garden variety Osmanthus! The pimento adds sharp notes and the cedar and the vetiver keep the osmanthus from being too sweet. The water lilly may be unnecessary in this one - the osmanthus alone is enough to keep the one from being too heavy. I like it. It is not my favorite of the OJ collection, but the use of the osmanthus is different than most of perfumes with the same note.

This scent has a bright opening; I did not get much of the "date" scent on my repeated testings but lots of pink pepper and orange blossom. While pleasant, it can be a bit overwhelming at first. Luckily, once the scent begins to dry down after 15 minutes, the rose and jasmine bloom in harmony with hints of freesia, saffron and amber. A few minutes later, the broom completes the scent, turning what was originally a bright scent into a lush mix, exotic and addicting. While this scent was made for "after dark" I find that even in the dry heat of the afternoon it blooms lusciously!

Pleasanly sweet and spicy, somewhat linear, beautiful carnation. This is scent that the flower industry has bred out of their flowers in exchange for a longer "shelf life." Long lasting, for sure. Clove and Carnation heaven!

This review is for the Extreme version:

No way I could carry this one - I like MKK and Musc Ravageur, but this one stinks like the bathrooms at my work after a potluck. This one also reminds me of an older gentleman friend who has a constipation and gas problem. Indeed, this one also reminds me of the Gastrointestinal Medicine Department at my work.
The fecal notes overwhelm any of the otherwise pleasant florals that accompany this scent.
Perhaps this may work for some who crave this smell, but the musks in this one is too rank for (polite) words.

In the beginning, this scent is truly fruit, with just a hint of spice. Perhaps these are the spicy gumdrops that I cannot find anymore? The drydown turns ambery, and the sweetness and spicy soften to reveal a hint of woods. Nicely balanced, unique, and has none of the floral scents that could wreck this delicate balance.

Let me start by saying I cannot stand cigarette smoke. Yet, somehow I am attracted to spicy tobacco-based scents! I love this clove-based scent. It wears decently on me (several hours), too, which is another plus. Even in the summer heat, this scent radiates pleasant spicy and sultry charms. It reminds me of nights spent sitting outside the coffee shop, watching the other kids smoke clove cigarettes (at a fair distance). My friends were wearing Calvin Klein's Obsession at the time. The mix of the oriental sweet and the clove smoke made for fragrant nights!

For me, this is a "chill-out" fragrance. The incense and jasmine are languid and luxurious. The scent is perfect for hanging out at a coffee shop or cafe with a friend or two and not in a hurry to go ANYWHERE! It's charming and sexy at the same time, exotic and deep.

I wish the scent lasted longer. On a rather warm spring morning, I sprayed myself all over with this scent. I enjoyed the whole 20 minutes it lasted. The fig notes are not overpowering and only enhance the extremely brief citrus notes. This scent needs a stronger foundation to place it in the excellent category but for those looking for a very light spritz on a warm day, this does the trick.

The leather accord was the first note to stand out when I tried this scent. At the same time I experienced the bergamot and peat moss scents. I expected this scent to be more harsh but it is much more refined. While it is somewhat masculine, a lady could also wear it to invoke the imagery of a beautiful home and manor in Scotland (or even anywhere in the UK). I appreciate the unusual combination of scents and this lady is not afraid to wear it proudly!

Yikes, I should have known a fragrance with "brown sugar" in the title would have been way too sweet. This scent is pretty much a blast of sweet flowers (jasmine and gardenia mostly), a hint of vanilla, and sugar. It leaves nothing to the imagination, nothing subtle; it is just very sweet and the jasmine is strong. I prefer to use it as a room spray as the scent is too overwhelming to use as a day to day fragrance.

Actually, this one is spelled Rien, NOT Rein.

This scent is a cousin to Passage D'Enfer. It does not have the spice of D'Enfer but still has the haunting floral and incense notes. This scent also bears a passing resemblance to Bois Farine, with just a hint of the "flour" note. I am still trying to pin down the exact notes of this scent.

It is certainly unusual and worth a try just for it's uniqueness. I love it but would save it for an evening out with friends.

This is a white pepper, lighter and does not weight down this scent. It is almost like a spicy rose, and then the smooth milk and wood scents take over. On me, the pepper remains for a while but slowly fades over about 2 hours to a very sensual and slightly sweet sandalwood. I am in love with this!!!

Wow, green really sums up this scent. It smells of fresh grass, bamboo, green leaves, with just a hint of musk. It is the prettiest "green" scent I have tried in a long time and quite "natural". I could bathe in this!

Perhaps the only thing missing from this bouquet is carnations. It is a true floral, somewhat of a rarity in today's newer perfumes. It certainly has lasting power; when I used it as room spray the scent lasted several hours!

Fire Island is a clash of suntan oils, musky perfume and sweat. This is certainly not like the beaches I am used to - I love those on the northern and central coast of California. I associate beach scents with fresh woods, sea air, seaweed, and faint background notes of cypress and eucalyptus. Fire Island is more like the little crowded, sometimes polluted river beach in the hot city - the one that everyone crowds to because it is close to home. It is a claustrophobia-provoking scent, but I would guess that a popular beach in New York might feel that way.

I really wanted to love this scent but something in it lingers much too long on me. The sweet and sharp parts of this scent pierced for hours on me. I normally love birch. leather and smoke scents but something gets in the way of this one. It reminds me of an auto repair facility with all the chemical and petrol scents. Perhaps this scent is meant as a former cowboy who is now working as an auto mechanic? The scent also reminds me of my father's workshop, full of dusty electronic parts and soldering tools.

I admire the uniqueness of this scent and I think it would work on some people, but it is not for me. It is like a piece of art meant to provoke rather than soothe.

I love the spiciness of this one. It comes across as a little sweet and aromatic (bay leaf and/or cedar)with just a little musk. I like to scent my home with this one.

Hmmmm...can't find the passion fruit...this one smells somewhat synthetic flowery-fruity with no specific note that comes through clearly except for a very bright musk. It reminds me of some of the Bath and Body Works Cherry Blossom scents but only more woodsy.

This scent starts with a hint of tuberose, but not enough to make it cloying. As one who has smelled pure tuberose, it does not have the powdery scent commonly associated with a tuberose-heavy scent such as White Shoulders or Diptyque's Tubereuse.
While this is not my favorite ceder scent, the ceder is plentiful enough to give the wearer a sense of the outdoors. The amber and spice drydown balances the floral notes.

A sweet mix of flowers, lilac, carnation notes with just a hint of warmth. This is a happy perfume, certainly worthy of it's name Cancan. It is long lasting, even through a shower. Use it sparingly and experience the bright and lively bouquet nearly all day.

Wow, it seems that people either love or hate this scent. On me, the apricot is not that defined. What I smell is a light leather that does not overwhelm, a hint of spicy cardamom, and a refined iris scent. For me it's unbelievably sensuous and not too sweet.

Wow, at first this one reminds me of a less spicy Essence of Galliano. It has the smoke factor of Galliano (a huge plus), plus the vanilla background. It is not a copy - it lacks the Iris note of Galliano. The burning maple leaf is realistic and mostly linear except for a slight mustard scent after the drydown. This was the only negative in this creative fragrance. I would recommend it as a room spray first and as a fragrance for the more daring.

This scent is definitely green, with a sweet violet accord. It is fresh, perhaps a bit "soapy" but in a good way. I could definitely layer this one with something smokier and it would be incredible!

Love the green, fresh scent of this one, blended well with the tangy fruity fig. I enjoy it in the fragrance and the shower gel version.

I like this one due to the spices. It is pretty linear, but that is a good thing because all the scents together are quite lush and sensual.

The ozonic notes in this one are refreshing and striking at first - but begin to wear on one's nerves after a few days. I love the pine, bergamot and moss notes, refreshed with bergamot and fruit. I first wore this on a trip to Death Valley in the spring. The temperatures were in the 80's and the air was quite dry. I wished I had picked something else for that trip, something less ozonic.

This one is too potent for me. The jasmine did not come through; all I could smell was the ylang ylang, narcissus and the tonka.

Mimosa is not my favorite but the Almond and Rose give this one class. It is a cheerful perfume, happy, one that I would expect to smell at parties; perhaps a bit too happy for me! I have only smelled the newer version.

A little strong. I can appreciate the violet but I did not like the drydown.

I appreciate the vanilla that tones down the leather. The mandarin note adds a little pizazz to the scent. It is long-lasting, too. It is a different leather than in Dzing or VIP, softer, more suede-like.

Hmmmm...for some reason this one reminds me of New West. I thought it was clean, refreshing.

This was one of my favorites as a teenager. It was already an oldie by the time I tried it. It struck me as powdery floral and sharp at the same time. I would not wear it now but it certainly is still striking, a great achievement in fragrance.

Just a little too sweet for me. Again, this reminds me of the 80's. The drydown was the pleasant part. I enjoy insence scents.

This one is not that sweet, just slightly. The guys seem to like on me. I think it blends well with my chemistry. I first tried it with a sample and then was given a small bottle. The fruit scents are not overwhelming like some other "younger" scents.

Alas, I am tired of this one but I still like it. Civet? Really . . .I should spray it around my cat. Hee hee. Seriously, it is creamy spicy and sexy.

I bought this one for the bamboo, the green scents, and the woods. It is a little strong for me so I enjoy it on the weekends when I am not at work.

Clean, understated, beautiful white musk. This one also layers wonderfully. I like so much more than CK Be. None of the scents stand out more than the musk. Definitely long-lasting (7 to 8 hours)!

Sweet, like orange candy. This could be annoying after a while but the scent makes a good lotion or shower gel when less concentrated.

I smell a little lavender and rose in this one, with just a hint of Freesia. The base has musk, for sure, mixed with the Lily and Jasmine. It's okay for the price, but just a little too sweet.

Long lasting, classic patchouli. In addition, it also repels ants. Seriously!

Slightly peppery, but not as peppery as I'd like. I prefer L'Artisan's Poivre Piquant, but this one is a less expensive decent substitute. Poivre Rose includes ginger, cardamom, amber(just a little), tonka bean and sandalwood. I swear I am smelling a rose scent but perhaps it is the peppery scent that is confusing me. Not bad for the price and one of the more sophisticated scents produced by the Body Shop. The lasting power is good, approximately 4 to 5 hours.

Bergamot and Jasmine - not really unique but pleasant to smell! I like the musk dry down. Yes, it is expensive but it is well-blended and more refined than a lot of other similiar scents.

I like Bergamot, and this one certainly starts on such a good note. The woods overtake the sweeter notes, which is a good thing! The espresso is in the background and blends well with the rest of the scent.

I like this one. It is light and works well in the summer. I like the lemon top note as it is refreshing and blends well with the Rose; it is not sour like some scents. I do not find anything soapy about this scent and it is NOT like Philosophy's soapy clean scents.

I can only hope that this one is brought back. I've smelled a sample. Just a heavenly mix of violet and woods and a hint of oud.

My only wish is that this one lasted longer! It's spicy, sandalwood and cedar scent is rather linear. It only lasts about 2 to 3 hours! I mix the oil with my unfragranced shower gel for a spicy wake-up call in the morning.

This one is for amber lovers. It is "medium" in the amber category and nicely accented with wood and musk. It's not really for me as I prefer a lighter touch of amber, but for those who enjoy amber it would work. It lasts about 4 hours.

Smooth, slightly spicy and sweet, vanilla and light amber, with a hint of musk. The title Cashmere is befitting for this scent. It lasts about 3-4 hours.

This one has been renamed "Sueded Woods." It is indeed a suede-like essense with a hint of musk and sandalwood, definitely unisex. It is light and lasts about 3 hours with the oil version. It does not scream leather; rather it is a refined leather scent.

This is a linear scent and very realistic, like dark chocolate with raspberry jam filling. Not too complicated and true to it's title. I appreciate reality in gourmand scents and this one lives up to the promise. It sure beats the fakey stuff found in some department stores!

I thought this one might be a little smokier, but I still really like this scent. It is a mix of insence, sandalwood, and a little spice. The oil stays close to the skin and lasts about three hours on me. It is much smoother than the title implies.

This scent starts with a light floral citrus, quickly drying down to smooth sandalwood and cedarwood. It is moderate in lasting power; on me it lasts about 3 hours. I enjoy it and plan to wear it throughout the year.

This was given to me as a gift. It's okay, nothing too special. After it dries down it is gone. It lacks anything distinctive.

Wonderful, sweet pleasant scent. I wish it was still available!