Fragrance Reviews by ComDiva

Tom Ford White Patchouli is a weird one on me... At first I thought I was in love, then it quickly became medicinal, and the white flowers/jasmine that hates my skin chemistry made an unfortunately persistent appearance. But thorughout the drydown I also get these wonderful whiffs of incense, and *clean* patchouli, and then the medicinal/camphorous element (also the patchouli, I think) is a nice contrast. Hmmmm. This is very interesting! But I'm just not sure I smell _good_ in White Patchouli, which is generally my goal with perfume.

White Patchouli notes: Peony, Mandarin, Bergamot, Jasmine, Rose Absolute, Coriander, Ambrette Seed, Sandalwood, Incense, Golden Amber. And, of course, patchouli.
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Guepard is described as a fragrance of "moss and light woods." I think this description is accurate, but it is MUCH lighter than I expected, with some soft roundness I can only describe as "French" going on, and a pale, powdery background that I expected to hate but actually find very classy. I will be wearing more of this, particularly to work when I'm hoping to throw the other meeting attendees for a loop but don't want them quite to be able to put their finger on why they're suddenly finding me so compelling.

Quite possibly one of the best perfumes on the planet. I was expecting a gourmand, and got rich coffee, spices, wood... and magic.

[b]Notes:[/b] Black coffee bean, Allspice Berries, Cardamom, French Lavender, Attar of Roses, Cedar, Patchouli, Vanilla, Mocha, Sandalwood, Siam Benzoin, Ambrette seeds.

Mousse de Chine is a cheerful, dry and unexpectedly light chypre. I think it is a very nice summer scent, though it doesn't quite make my heart sing. Still, I LIKE it!

With eternal gratitude to Twolf for sending me a sample, Apres Tout is one of the truest and most interesting honest-to-goodness rose scents I've come across. On my skin it is spangled with violet and berry, just to keep things fun. This one glimmers, glows and sits happily in a sun-drenched garden. I agree that the sillage is not great, but this is a fragrance I envision being worn to please oneself, and perhaps one's intimate companion.

This is your basic, straight-up amber on steroids. It is the clear, sweet and intense amber I particularly love, especially for layering in cooler weather.

A non-descript disappointment after the wonderful Andy Warhol Silver Factory.

Very lovely! A soft, floral-and-dried-fruit suede, which I like even better as the powdery notes burn off and the "pressed flowers in a leather-bound book," labdanum and light creamy vanilla notes move forward during the drydown. Don't think I need a full bottle (good thing since it's nearly impossible to find!), but am grateful for having the chance to try it and would definitely wish for a decant!

So many notes I love, though the inclusion of what I perceive as anise and the overall melange ends up being a bit... jumbled to my nose. I suspect this will be delicious for those who enjoy anise with their flowers.

Notes include: Redwood, red sandalwood, black pepper, blonde tobacco and frankincense. Elegant, mysterious and with a touch of hopelessness. Love this stuff!

Love this stuff, watermelon note notwithstanding. Makes me feel like I'm actually IN the classic young adult book "The Secret Garden" all over again. Beautiful, light spring florals. Perfect for spring.

I like this one very much, though the overall impression I get is "generic masculine fougere," with mint standing in for lavender, which I'm not entirely sure isn't in there anyway... My favorite bit is the nice use of geranium and mint here...Giving it a positive vote although for me it's not a super standout. Nice, but not a "must have" for me.

Very pretty, just too darn sweet. I want my gourmands with a twist, and need something... more here. SOD is nice, but doesn't "wow" me.

Notes: (according to Luckyscent): Mysore sandalwood, Bulgarian roses. Some say there is also oud.

I like this one very much. A true rose that isn't sweetened with anything but itself, and the sandalwood simultaneously rounds it out around the edges and gives it depth and nice grounding. If there is oud in there, it's very subtle (which makes me wonder whether it's in there, oud being what it is), and lovely. Overall a simple, elegant, and very classy rose.

I had high hopes for this - amber and leather! But they took a beautiful, light leather fragrance and pimped it out with hyper-sweet vanilla (I couldn't even find any amber notes under the cotton candy smell). Ambre de Cabochard smells like any of the hundreds of benign, sticky-sweet gourmands making the rounds in department stores and other chain establishments trying to cater to a wider crowd. Gres should have know better.

The first time I smelled Royal Pavillon, I got interesting creamy flowers. Thereafter, every time I've put it on, it's been... suntan lotion. Pure suntan lotion. Ugh.

Notes (according to Luckyscent): Cassis berries, lemon geranium, turkish rose.

This is a very interesing one on me, as I get a quick blast of lemony floral that is probably geranium, but it's gone so fast I have trouble defining it, and then the lemony quality stays (very nice), and I am hanging out with an extremely solid though friendly smelling rose. There are more spicy dark notes hinting around the edges of the fragrance, giving me hope for a re-appearance of the geranium with more as the drydown proceeds. Ah! There's a tiny little boozy note!

The drydown is worth the wait - a clear and watery geranium note full of pepper does indeed make an appearance and the overall effect is a smooth, rain drenched spicy floral with dark earth and hint of booze.

Geranium Bourbon is a VERY fun one for warmer weather, though I'm still on the fence about whether I need this one in my full-time rotation. I still want more geranium!

En Passant, created by Olivia Giacobetti, is light and clear -- white lilacs smelled outdoors just after a rain, in a small town somewhere in Europe. I adore this fragrance. It's gentle without being weak in any way, and smells like promise and hope.

Miles and miles too sweet -- even for me! I like my gingers spicy, and found Ginger Musk far too cloying. May work better on those whose skin chemistry doesn't automatically bring out sweet notes, but this is one I will not be wearing.

A second of Vibert and Foetidus' comments that there is nothing earth-shattering here, but Carre d'As is a lovely, elegant and well-balanced fragrance.

Notes are:
Top: Spanish lemon, lime bark, leather.
Middle: Spices including thyme, nutmeg and pepper.
Base: Chinese ginger, tobacco, frankincense and musk.

Carre d'As is now being marketed as a unisex fragrance, and I believe it works well on women who are comfortable wearing men's fragrances and unisex scents that skew traditionally "masculine" (myself included), and that Carre d'As probably comes across as a more unusual fragrance on a woman.

Long Lost Perfume's version of this one's VERY nice on me! Rich, dark honey anchored in some spices and the flowers from a formal European garden. Not terribly long lasting, but lovely while it's there.

Described beautifully by the folks on Bois de Jasmin, Parure on me starts off slowly and a bit musty, but very quickly opens up to a beautiful, dark and clear floral chypre with marvelous plum and leather notes. I love Parure's simultaneous "lightness" and depth - there's all kinds of stuff going on in this one! This is one I could definitely see being worn successfully by a man and taking on a whole different aspect.

Head Notes: Italian Green Mandarin, Cardamom.
Heart Notes: Myrrh, Incense, Opoponax.
Base Notes: Madagascar Vanilla, Australian Sandalwood, Patchouli.

For me, this is a lovely and unexpectedly light amber (probably because of a combination of the citrus notes, the lack of actual ambergris(!) and a light touch all around). Very nice for early spring when the weather can't seem to make up its mind.

Another one of the new Guerlains, from the "L'Art et la Matiere" line, where different perfumers create a scent based around a "raw material." Rose Barbare is ottoman rose, with honey-chypre notes. Now, I love rose notes in fragrances, but rose-dominated scents generally don't float my boat. Rose Barbare, however, is really lovely -- and despite not having that sharp/sour start that I often associate with the Guerlainade on my skin, it still smells like a "true" Guerlain to me. The roses in Rose Barbare are lush bushes of wild roses, probably growing in rocky soil or even sand. And somehow the dark green/woody, elegant chypre base seems natural, even though I can't say how that could work on sand. Rose Barbare stays very close to the skin, and lasts for several hours but not longer. Very nice, though I don't think I need to own it. Yet.

I love this fragrance. On my skin, Bois d'Armenie opens with dark woods on a sweet patchouli/musk base, with light whiffs of incense and spice. Elegant, gorgeous. Not for really hot weather, I think, but for autumn through the first spring flowerings, I believe BdA will be WONDERFUL. It is marketed as a men's scent, which I think is a mistake. To my nose, this is a unisex fragrance, and I highly recommend it to my fellow wood-note-loving women! As it dries down, the benzoin takes a bow. Mmmmmm... The woods fade, and the base mellows into the most comforting deepness. Still, while intense, it's not heavy.

Parfumer Annick Menard apparently based Bois d'Armenie on the room-freshening incense paper of the same name that's readily available in Europe, but not so much in the US, and IMO the perfume is indeed a successful version (of the PRE-burnt paper) for the skin.

Love this! Especially in cold weather, I find myself tending toward gourmand fragrances, but have a problem with the concept of smelling too much like actual food. New Haarlem is a great scent that balances "delicious" and "elegant" very nicely. The coffee and lavender blend is terrific. Definitely see this as a unisex scent.

The start of it all for me. Flowers, spices and mystery all in a bottle. Opium was the first scent I had a gut "YES!" reaction to when I was 16, remained the only scent I wore until age 35. When my mother missed me, she would go to the nearest department store, spray "Opium" into the air in front of her, and walk into it. I don't wear it that often now, as the reconfigurd scent isn't *quite* as delicious (to me) as the original, but I still adore it. You never forget a first love, I think.

Further proof that the Guerlain base and/or unsweetened grapefruit notes generally do not work on my skin at all! Bitter, almost metallic tangy start, moving quickly to a combination acrid/sweet powder smell on dry down. I could imagine it would "open" nicely on those whose skin can tolerate high levels of sharp citrus, though.

Three words to describe Orris Noir: Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. Lighter than its name implies, but spellbinding nonetheless, ON skims along the surface of the skin so deftly I kept expecting it would disappear entirely any minute. Instead it became creamier as it opened up, and was still marvelously "there" hours after I first put it on. It is a beautiful blend of light spices and delicate exotic florals, the pink pepper, coriander and powdery iris (fortunately more iris than powder) definitely come through on me. I must also compliment the presentation -- Even though I only got a sample, it arrived in dramatic all-black, tied with a black grosgrain ribbon. Very classy, and made even better because the scent lived up to the packaging!

Guess I have the nose and/or the skin chemistry of a peasant (or the masses who adore VW in other venues) -- On my skin, Vera Wang is a lovely, rose-dominated scent. Through clothing, it smells a bit synthetic, but on my skin... bang on gorgeous rose floral. Not subtle, but okay with me!

My very favorite ginger scent to date -- light and delicious! (Any other suggestions, folks?) Effervescent ginger, balanced with lime, bergamont and cucumber. SO much more sophisticated that Origins Ginger Twist (too much orange and grapefruit!). For a complete springtime indulgence, I blend this with Annick Goutal's "Chevrefeuille" (honeysuckle).

I thought I would love Royal Bain de Caron since so many of the notes I adore are in it: lilac, opopynax, rose, amber, incense... Plus the Caron "base" is one that tends to work well for me. Unfortuantely, it's just too powdery and sweet. I may need to try again later, but I was disappointed.

Speaking as a woman who tends toward spicy/androgynous scents in addition to the "usual" florientals, this is a winner. I actually received this by mistake, having tried to buy "Eau Noir" as a possible substitute for Serge Lutens' "Bornero 1834" (miserable failure of a comparison, by the way). Honey, iris, butter, all come through, with just the faintest hint of powder.

I want to try the new 2000 Fleurs, but the "old" version is still lovely -- lots of violet and multiple other florals, all piled on what I consider to be the "Creed mint base." I like this a lot, but I want more depth here. Perhaps the revised version adds this? Opinions or testers, please.

I love this scent! Straight up, non-white floral: rose, lilac, violets... delicious and romantic. Grace Kelly is, of course, one of those women like Ingrid Bergman that I aspire to, so any scent she picks for her wedding is okay with me (though I'd kick in some ginger and perhaps a bit of other spices, myself). A true floral winner.

Very pretty, which is high praise from a spicy, "floriental" lover. There's something of a vanilla pudding note at the base, which makes this a gourmand-floral to me. And I am also getting a spearmint note on all the Creed multi-florals I've tried.

I took my middle son to Vermont for his 10th birthday, and over our "weekend away" I tested Cielo Napa Valley and came away enchanted. I have tested a number of Dawn Smith Hurwitz's other fragrances (she co-created this with another parfumier), but all of the others have had a base that goes so powdery on me, I cannot wear them. Cielo, however, is a delight. Sweet pea, fig and cassis, without a trace of powder. There is also Daphne odora, which I'm told includes jasmine notes, although generally that is the one scent I cannot abide, and this works fine for me. I adore this scent for spring, especially just before the leaves and snowdrops bloom.

I tried this a year ago, courtesty of my good friends at Colonial Drug in Cambridge Mass. My first response was, "YUCK! I like complex florientals and vetivers, and you told me I needed to try *this*?!?" However, about half an hour in (give it more time, FragranceFan255), the civet and powder and leathery scents all melded and softened, and a delicious, slightly rose-scented overtone came through, grounded in leather. I went back a week later and bought a bottle. It's a tough scent to wear easily, but I view it (along with McQueen's "Kingdom") as one of my "connoisseur" scents.

I tested this and almost immediately begged my father (a classical musician)to buy me a bottle at duty free during his next trip to Europe. Blood orange, gold light, pepper and mulling spices in a bottle. Yum! If I'm going to go gourmand, this (and unsweetened cocoa, though probably not together) are the the way I want to do it! There have been moments when I've worried I would smell like a pomander ball wearing this, but I'm willing to take the chance. Unfortunately my Dad's latest European excursion coincided with the "no liquids" nonsense, so I don't have this yet.

I first tried this during the summer, and was completely under-whelmed by the spice/tropics combination. However, trying it again in the late fall, I am much happier with this scent. Allspice for sure, as well as touches of cumin and a bit of soapy overtones. This is one I will save to buy a bottle of to have in chilly weather to remind me of both the sun and smell of burning leaves.

Caron is one of my favorite houses, but Eau de Reglisse has the misfortune of being completely reminiscent (for me)of Annick Goutal's Les Nuits des Hadriens. So, been there, done that. Nice option, however, for those who don't already own a bottle of comparable scent (and the Caron undoubtedly lasts longer!).

I love and own Caron "Poivre," and a tester of Coup de Fouet was given to me as Poivre's "alter ego." The heart of the scents -- spicy carnation -- is the same, but the Coup de Fouet is to my nose more feminine (floral), lacking both the spiciness and complexity I like so much in Poivre. It's a very pretty and well-constructed scent, with the classic Caron base. Just not enough to make my "A" list.

There is SO much going on here! Profumo almost changes minute-to-minute. For the most part, I love it - delicious chypre with florals and spices (especially cinnamon) playing around the edges and coming forward to take a bow over the course of dry-down. One of the few perfumes with a somewhat powdery base that I actually adore anyway.

4711 is one of my absolute, all-time favorites. Come warm weather, this is my default scent. A perfect combination of bergamont, other citrus, and rose/floral with hust a touch of woody/spice. It smells to me like sparkles in a bottle. My daughter loves it, too.

Fleur de Chocolat Lucia is delicious, and that's part of it's problem... One ends up smelling like a bakery confection (a croissant came to mind for me). Too gourmand and sticky sweet for me. I kept hoping the ginger notes would kick it up a notch or two. Unfortunately they never did. A nicely constructed scent, but very food-ey.

This one *almost* made it to my list of favorite scents -- held back by the fact that it is just the slightest bit too fruity for me, propelled by the fact that it was among my late mother's favorites. It smells to me like grey silk: elegant, a bit restrained; but "come and get me: at the same time. Wish my Mom had left me a bottle, along with her "Ma Griffe."

A very BIG deep green ivy scent. Single note all the way, but it captures what those who adore ivy love most. Not for me personally , but I can see those who wish to be lost in the greenery wanting to *bathe* in this stuff. You can literally smell the waxiness of the leaves here.

As a spicy/floriental tendency person, I was both delighted and a bit put off by the gourmand elements of Borneo 1834. The chocolate and coffee/cinnamon overtones delight me. The camphor... too much. I want perhaps peppermint instead. But is there a way to do this without smelling like a bakery? Inquiring minds want to know.

For me, Un Bois Sepia embodies the woody/sweet notes of "Un Cedre" but in softer and slightly more complex tones. I'm hoping a friend will bring me some home from France.

This is a delicious scent, very reminiscent (to me) of YSL's original Opium. Lovely notes of opopynax, cinnamon, and myrrhe. If I didn't have a backlog of Opium, I'd be all over this. Go see the film "Impromptu" with a sample of this in hand... buying the bottle will follow.

Having "taste-tested" a number of Serge Lutens fragrances (and others), this is my cool-weather lavendar delight and companion to DelRae's "Eau Illuminee," which is such joy in warm weather when more floral notes are needed. The incense element in "Encens et Lavnade" is the most accurate I've come across, without being overpoweringly smoky.

As somoene who loves "florientals," I went in expecting to like "Cedre," but ended up loving it. Spicy, sweet, delicious and elegant. Yum!

Eau Illuminee is the perfect warm weather scent for those who love spice and herbal elements, with just a touch of floral elegance. I "taste tested" a number of scents to add to my collection over the summer, and when the Eau Illuminee sample came in, my hair stood on end, it was so right. Lavendar, rose, basil.. no white flowers and yet so sparkling. An honest to goodness W.B. Yeats "Yes!"

I absolutely adore Idole de Lubin. This to me is the perfect blend of sweet/spicy, mystery and in-your-face passion and delight. I think the rum/burnt sugar elements that anchor the scent aare what make it differently perfect for me. I am saving to buy the full bottle, this one is next for me. The perfect cool weather scent, which can also be worn as a summer indulgence.

I don't know if my bottle of "Montana" is the origianl or the new, but it comes with a great story from a man I do not know, that begins, "In my previous life, I had a wife and mistress. The mistress wore "Montana," so I bought a bottle for my wife, hoping not to have her smell it on me otherwise..."

Lovely spices, but a bit too fruity in the mid-notes for my taste. Some delicious soapy/spicy reminiscences of Givenchy's Ysatis, IMO.

The bottle is fabulous.

I bought Racine looking for something more woodsy and "green" to add to my fragrance wardrobe. In general, it meets those needs, though I've discovered I personally need more spice to feed my soul. Interestingly, the "base" of MP&G tends to go a bit to (generic black) tea on me. I like it, but don't love it.

Lovely though very, very evanescent on me. I like the spicy, citrus elements with no weighty undertones. Great for summer, but I'm looking for more "weight" year-round.

When I was nosing around this summer for a non-white floral, citrus scent, Les Nuits de Hadrien is the one I finally settled on. No flowers to speak of, but such lovely citrus with a touch of the Silk Road spices at the back. I generally don't care for scents that have this much of a powdery overtone, but Nd'H has enough other interesting things going for it that I'm willing to cut the powder notes some slack here.

A delightful, straight-up honeysuckle scent. Very light and clean. I combine this with The Thymes Ginger Milk for a spicy-floral extravaganza, or by itself in the very early Spring when we're all just aching for a reminder of what's to come.

Ysatis is a delicious, spicy surprise! I tested it in a department store based on the bottle and a quick sniff, walked around the store and came back and bought a bottle. Intense hot spices and soap notes with a slightly sweet undertone. Very long-lasting on me.

As someone who cannot abide white florals, I adore D&G's heady freesia/vanilla start, with delicate rose and woody undertones. Not for the feint of heart, this is a very "in your face" fragrance, it lasts forever on me. Perfect for a day (or evening) when you want to treat yourself well, and remind yourself of it every step of the way.

I swapped several Guerlain scents for one bottle of Poivre, and have not been disappointed! Took me ages to figure out the spicy floral note was carnation, which was a nice surprise. This is a favorite for all seasons when a slightly spicy floral is what's called for.

I adore the original Caron Pour Une Femme! I recently smelled the newer version, and found it too heavy and unwieldy. This one, however... Mystery and myrrhe with a big bouquet of exotic flowers nearby in a bottle. One of my cold weather favorites.

I had great hopes for Hiver, as all the notes in it are things I love. The first 9 minutes on my skin, the scent was great. Unfortunately, by 10 minutes, the predominant note was cardboard on me. I tested Automne a while later, and the same thing happened. Ah, well.

I bought Kingdom blind after reading reviews here on Basenotes... and it turned out to be a great "leap of faith" for me! When I first sprayed it on (at the crook of my elbow), I felt like I'd walked into a Middle Eastern fast food joint, the cumin was so over-powering. After 15 minutes, it was better, but I still didn't feel comfortable wearing it "out," so went to bed, disappointed. In the middle of the night, I woke up, because I was smelling something gorgeous - rose and other florals, deep spice... Oh, my goodness, I had covered my eyes with the arm I'd sprayed with Kingom, and the dried down perfume was sensual, sweet and hot enough to wake me from a deep sleep! I think the trick is to apply Kingdom about 30-60 minutes before you need to be anywhere. :-)

A lovely, light and deep green scent, plenty of ivy with some delicate spice underneath. It dries down a bit papery on me. However, it is both lighter and more complex than the Dipytique Eau de Lierre, which doesn't work on me personally but will make single-note ivy fans very, very happy.