Miracle by Lancôme, 2000

Miracle was my first perfume, and it's one of the very few spicy perfumes where the spices actually smell distinct on me rather than being supporting actors. Opens with a blast of pepper, which either comes from the black pepper mid-notes or the freesia, with a good dose of ginger. But though they're strong spices, they're not overwhelming or too sharp. There's a little bit of floral that just takes the edge off the opening. After a while the pepper/ginger die down and I get more flowers with a bit of musk and warmth. This is not at all a heavy floral though; the spiciness persists throughout and, though mellowed, adds interest and depth to the flowers. I get some quiet, sweet amber and a touch of musk in the drydown, adding warmth and depth to the spice and flowers. So, overall, a spicy floral that's interesting but good for everyday wear. Pretty good silage and longevity, and best suited, I think, for spring or summer. It might also be spicy enough for early fall but probably isn't heavy enough for winter.

Miracle is kind of "meh" on me. It starts off with spiced orange, but with a heavy dose of something plasticky that gives it a really strange artificial feel - not cheap, mind you, but just weird (like Malle's Outrageous). The freesia note is sort of a round aquatic rose smell that mixes with the spicy plastic orange to remind me of semi-expensive beauty products (specifically Peter Thomas Roth, if you've smelled his stuff, or some of the current Estee Lauder skin care). If you wait through the plastic portion, you'll be rewarded with a really nice rounded dewy citrus & spice rose that's the highlight of Miracle. But, given a few hours, I'm left with a sort of weak rosey fake citrus smudge flavored with cinnamon and pie spices. Were it not for the terrible plastic smell, Miracle could have been a really nice citrus and spice rose/freesia perfume, but with the plastic intact, I'm afraid I'm going to have to vote thumbs down, but with all due respect for the nice spiced floral middle notes.

Good projection, good sillage. Like many before, how this perfume smells is dependent on the wearer. I personally came across this on a heart-broken lady. It suited her and she brought it off well. Its a "grey" kind of sweet perfume IMO.

A cold, prim, older woman that wears the pink and girlish affectations of her youth like an unsettling time capsule on legs. Not bad, but a little scary. Guess by Marciano for Men in a poodle skirt. Professor Umbridge from the Harry Potter series wears this.

I was rather disappointed when I smelt this. I had imagined Miracle to smell slightly sweeter and more flowery, since the pretty pink bottle had misled me. Instead Miracle is a strong burst of peppered fruits, a little like spicy orange juice I thought. In some ways it's quite sour and unpleasantly strong. I think it's one of those scents that rely on its wearer to smell good. I've smelt this on a few people who managed to make this fragrance smell softer and more flowery. On a positive note I like that Miracle is different. The spicyness mixed with the fruits is interesting and original. This fragrance would make an excellent Summer/Spring or casual scent.

I have a small bottle of "Miracle" on my dresser and I've worn it a few times.

It's light, fresh and certainly interesting and very, very floral. Although it is not listed, "Miracle" has a grapefruit/citrus vibe. It's breezy and refreshing, like the Uma Thurman ad campaign promises.

However, "miracle" has failed to find a place in my regular rotation. There is something very sharp and almost "old" about the fragrance. It's boozy like straight-up vodka and I'm afraid the strong freesia note isn't helping matters.

Amber, amber, amber, from top to bottom- and reminds me a great deal of one of the most popular shampoos of the 70s- "Gee, Your Hair Smells Terrific!" Somehow, it doesn't match the pink color of the fluid at all, to me- it's much more of a golden scent-
If you love amber or the smell of GYHST you will definitely like this-

Staying power is good- but these notes don't agree with me-

I liked this! Good staying power.

My mother loves this scent. For me, it iss headache in a bottle. It has something strange and strong about it that unfortunately does not wear off...

This is a fine fragrance to wear to work. Won't offend anyone and is not overpowering. I won't be repurchasing it though. Too ho-hum. I like the pepper accord in Notorious better and I prefer a sexier fragrance for most of the time.