All Invited! ♥ ♥ ♥ Sniff 'n' Speak Saturday, May 2, 2009 ★★★ Fruity

[Asha]

Shiseido Zen (amber cube-shaped bottle):

Top notes are grapefruit, bergamot, peach, pineapple and blue rose; mid notes include freesia, gardenia, red apple, violet, lily of the valley, hyacinth, rose from China and lotus flower; base notes include patchouli, cedar, musk, white musk, amber, incense and marine plant. The "blue rose" note is an imaginary abstract note based on rose and violet and freshened by a lemony note, as perfumer Michel Almairac explained for the original Zen. (from Scented Salamander)

The grapefruit is most prominent in the top notes--a clean, non-sulfuric citrus scent combined with a note that smells sort of like watermelon. I suppose the listed notes of peach and pineapple can evoke a watery, generic fruit note, but to me it still smells like watermelon! There is an ingredient in this fragrance which hints at woody herbs--in fact, it has a vague ammonia note, the one I often smell in fougeres. It is subtle here, thank goodness. The herbal note gives the fragrance a bit of a green, scrubby edge, but it is definitely not bordering on masculine by any means. As the mid notes develop, I also smell something slightly ozonic, and to my surprise, it is completely at home here, not off-putting in any way. What a difference it makes to have a note coming out right on cue and in a context that allows the note to actually WORK. For some reason, the sour, wet fruit notes combined with woody herbs and ozone reminds me of Chanel Allure Sensuelle, except that in the latter case, I feel almost as if the top notes were tacked onto a base that was developed for a completely separate fragrance. Not so with Zen, although I can't say that Zen's base is particularly special, either. Perhaps a comparison to Chanel Coco Mademoiselle might be a bit more apt, although I find that Zen is such a simplistic thing compared to Coco Mlle.

The middle development of Zen is long and linear. Most of the grapefruit is lost, but the anonymous peach keeps plucking away until the fragrance turns into a very high quality "dryer sheet" soap scent. Estee Lauder, eat your heart out--Zen is soft, pleasant, a bit boring, and it does not give me a headache like most of the EL white floral offerings do. It does strike me as strange that a fragrance containing so many floral ingredients can smell so much of soap, though. I'd say Zen is as soapy as Prada Infusion d'Iris but without the lovely refinement that I enjoy in the Prada fragrance. Longevity is surprisingly long--in a separate wearing, three sprays shared between two arms lasted all day and it was still strongly perceptible the next morning.

Shisedo Zen Summer (white cube-shaped bottle):

Top notes: lemon, cedrat, apple, grapefruit, peach, blackcurrant; heart notes: freesia, gardenia, blue rose, lily of the valley, lotus bloom; base notes: raspberry, cedar, musk, amber. The "blue rose" note is an imaginary abstract note based on rose and violet and freshened by a lemony note, as perfumer Michel Almairac explained for the original Zen. (from Scented Salamander)

The summer edition of Zen opens with a sweet fruit melange--I smell mostly peach (or nectarine) and grapefruit, with the emphasis on the peach. Because of the grapefruit, the peach does not become a sweet, fuzzy or ripe fruit, but rather smells watery, refreshing and slightly green. Compared to Zen, which puts less emphasis on the fruit and more emphasis on the woods and soapy florals, Zen Summer's peach fruit stays present through most of the development, even into the soft, soapy drydown. I was surprised that this fragrance actually reminds me of Shiseido's Energizing Fragrance which does not list any fruit notes (that I could find). However, Zen Summer is not as uplifting nor as complex as EF. This is not to say EF is terribly complex, but it is a bit scary that a fragrance I originally though of as straight-forward seems more interesting than this newer composition. Perhaps Zen as a concept is supposed to be minimal, but I hardly think that means the fragrance must be insipid. At any rate, it is enjoyable enough. I thought I would like it better than Zen (in the amber cube-shaped bottle), but it did not turn out that way. Regardless, Zen Summer is very fresh, light, makes very little statement, and lacks any semblance of personality. Longevity is excellent--two sprays lasted all day in a previous wearing.

[arwen_elf]

After thinking for a long time on what to wear today I went with Guerlain's Purple Fantasy (yes I know, one star scent, but I like it) The top includes fresh green tea and bergamot notes and bitter orange. The heart notes are very fruity with apricot, osmanthus and jasmine. The drydown has a mixture of cedar and sandalwood. It is very spring-like to me.

[Leesee]

I am wearing L'Eau de Circe, because I don't know if my other scents that smell of things peachy actually contain things peachy. (And also because I adore L'Eau de Circe.) The peach in this is very shimmering and light. I wrote somewhere else that for me it is like sniffing a peach from behind an expensive silk scarf. Scrumptious.

[pofox]

I'm trying J del Pozo - In Black - a recent acquisition.



top notes - include black cherry and pink grapefruit (also rose or black pepper depending on who is listing the notes!)
middle - either
a: violet, peach (: (fortunately not enough to be noticeable by me), egyptian jasmin and lilac or
b: black lily, jasmin and violet
base - musk, patchouli, moroccan cedar, vanilla and licorice.

Sadly I my nose isn't developed enough yet to tell which of these is right. The opening is strong on me and I like it much better when I've got over the first 20 minutes. It's not as sweet as I expected but that's actually a bonus to me.
Sillage seems quite strong and it has lasted well so far 4 hours and counting and it has settled down nicely. I don't know that it will be at the top of my favourites list but it is very different from anything else I own so it will broaden my horizons

[ChantillyLace]

I'm wearing Guess by Marciano TOP- Star fruit, Curacao orange liquor, Sparkling grapefruit and Cardomom. MID- Peony, Pink honeysuckle, Jasmine. BASE- Vanilla, Musk and Woody accords. I think this is a fun frag. Fruity Spicey carmel goodness. This would be a great scent to wear to a carnival or the fair!

[Sunnyfunny]

I'm wearing Miss Dior Cherie from a sample. The SA who made it for me yesterday described it as strawberry sorbet and caramel corn, and on the blotter this was accurate enough. On my skin it is all this.



It begins as if I am biting into a big, sweet, juicy, fresh-picked strawberry. I applied to my wrists and to my inner elbows, and this juicy sweetness is still going strong there. On my wrists it has calmed down into less sweet and bright, more pristine, maybe, like the smell of a strawberry plant, leaves and all, that has been recently moistened by water from a sprinkler. This perfume is like visiting a strawberry patch in reverse!

If first wear means anything (which I'm doubting more and more... ) I like this one a lot, and can easily see it fitting into my summer rotation.

[mikeperez23]

Got home now...and it's FULL ON Sniff n Speak Day and I realized the only fruity fragrances I have are samples. So, I'm divining in headfirst.

On my left wrist:

Nina by Nina Ricci (from a sample)



On my right:

Aqua Allegoria Groselina by Guerlain (from a sample - thanks arwen_elf)



I smell like I'm locked inside a tub of powdered Gatorade. Seriously, Nina is very, very fruity and the fruit notes smell candied and sweet. There is something that reminds me of cake icing and bubblegum, and I don't mean that as an insult, rather as a point of reference. I love chewing fruity bubblegum, personally. If I had to single out one fruit, I guess I'd have to say the apple is the most dominant, with a fairly blurry berry note (not sure which berry?) which completely trounces the supposed peach base note (what peach?).

Gimme some time to process the AA Groselina...

[Nukapai]

(I kind of cheated and went for Daim Blond... I get apricots in it, so that counts, right? ).

[kess]

Wearing Mure et Musc Extreme -- it's either extremely subtle or I'm anosmic to parts of it. I put half a sample vial on, but could just smell a light berry scent. Very pleasant still. Need to go refresh it!

Update: after reapplying over the same points (my arms) I'm getting the musk finally, and I don't like it as much (musk is not my favorite note).

But it was good to finally make up my mind about it, so I won't be tempted to buy it if I see a bargain.

[Haunani]

Well, I ended up going with two of my Neil Morris samples today. This morning I had hula class, so of course I couldn't resist: I spritzed on HULA . Listed notes are Papaya, Mandarin, Green Tea, Plumeria, White Ginger, Gardenia, Heliotrope, Tonka Bean, Ocean Musk, and Light Musk. For me, the papaya/mandarin is light and refreshing, nothing cloying at all. I do pick up the green tea note. The tropical flowers are dominated by the plumeria, to my nose - and it is a very nice plumeria! I'm looking forward to trying this again when summer is in full swing.

My SotE is HOLOGRAM . This one has emerged as one of my favorites among the Neil Morris fragrances I've sampled. Listed notes for this one are Yuzu, Black Currant, Violet, Fig, Sea Moss, Amber, Incense, and Musk. The bright, sunny Yuzu at the beginning is just lovely, and then I get a wonderful purpley-pulpey smell that I attribute to the mix of the currant, violet, and fig. This is one fascinating fragrance, rather mysterious and engaging to the brain cells. Love it!!!

[shadesofbleu]

I had a really hard time coming up with something for today's fruity SnS. I didn't feel like citrus and nothing else I had really sounded good either. My wardrobe is really skimpy on fruity scents. While I was visiting my Mom today, I spritzed a little of her Délices de Cartier. Technically, I think it will count, since there is a cherry note. The fact that it smells more like cherry liquor than fresh cherry is beside the point. Fruit is fruit, right? Even if it is slightly liquored up. It never really loses the cherry either, it is still hanging in several hours later. The floral notes are more for background and are very well blended, with no one note outshining the others. The drydown is thickly sweet and musky. I really enjoyed wearing it today. Another big plus is the bottle, it is gorgeous!

Notes: Iced Cherry, Bergamot, Pink Pepper, Violet, Jasmine, Freesia, Amber, Tonka Bean, Musk, Sandalwood.

[mikeperez23]

(I kind of cheated and went for Daim Blond... I get apricots in it, so that counts, right? ).

You totally cheated N. I'm just saying.

((trailing fruit sillage from my afternoon SnS application))

[ChantillyLace]

SotN is Lu Lu Guiness ~ Cast A Spell, Notes are Dark berries, Frosted Blackberry Pulp, Mulberry, Red Currant, Iced Lavender, Lilac Petals, Davana Blossoms, Black Velvet Fig, Bourbon and White Patchouli. I Love this! It reminds me of the dark spicy gooey liquor blackberry pie I make in the fall. The blackberry note in this is to die for. What a great find at Marshalls for $8.00!

[Nukapai]

You totally cheated N. I'm just saying.

((trailing fruit sillage from my afternoon SnS application))

I know. But wait for the citrus one, I'll go to town with that!

[Guest 3]

Insolence by Guerlain
Top notes Violet, Raspberry Pulp, Mixed Berries; Heart notes Violet, Rose, Orange Blossom; Base notes Iris, Tonka Bean, Resins

Last night’s SotE and today’s SotD…
This is what I should have worn as SotD yesterday. There is only a tiny bit left in my decant, and I’m still loving it, so that makes it full bottle worthy. Every time I wear Insolence I fall more in love it more, even though the wearings have been few and far between. I think it's the combination of the violets and red berries with the champagne fizziness of it that makes me feel happy. To me, it’s a celebratory scent. It just smells good to me from top to bottom. A brilliant fragrance, imho. There's a glacee version out now for summer, which I haven't tried yet. I will when I get the opportunity.

[Gblue]

I didn't know what to try on yesterday, so I grabbed my geneology chart and worked my way through a bunch of feminine fruit scents (I'm saving the masculine Dune for aquatic).

Ralph by Ralph Lauren
I don't know if it actually contains anythin vaguely fruity, but it's in the fruity floral section of the chart. Smells sugary-sweet, and reminds me of cranberries, as well as Magnolia and Tea notes. Find it suited to very young girls. Eventually it turns into a sugar and musk prominent thing. Not unpleasant at allbut very, very young.

Fantasy by Britney Spears
With notes like Lychee, Quince and Kiwi, I think this qualifies as fruity.
But it mostly smells of Cotton-Candy, with something like Raspberry (but not dry or tart), but coated in sugar. It's creamy, rich, and over the top. Also, a Watermelon note appears in the heart, and it dries to a strange Vanilla/Creme Brulée like creation. I don't like it at all. It's far too much.

Midnight Fantasy by Britney Spears
Cherry, Plum, Raspberry are all noted. It's like sniffing a bag of skittles!! Unashamedly fruity and sweet but doesn't smell like any kind of real fruit - more like fruit flavourings. Cycles through the different colours of the skittles rainbow, getting steadily more and more watered down. Reminds me of skittles vodka (when you put skittles in vodka and get the "flavour" infused). Boozy, sweet and fun fun fun. It's great but not a chance I could wear it.

Live by Jennifer Lopez
Pineapple, Redcurrant, Orange, Lemon.
Opens with bright, sharp and juicy Pineapple and Mango, with Bubblegum undertones. Turns into a caramelized sugar note with the fruitiness hanging around, and a Musk-wood is the drydown note. Fuzzy, warm, sweet and Vanillic. Some Coumarin too but could be a fruit-punch with Vanilla pods in. The note pyramid is a really accurate description (except Sandalwood)

Baby Doll by YSL
Grapefruit, Rhubarb, Redcurrant, Peach and Grenadine.
Mostly a Grapefruit-Musk with a soapy Grenadine (Pomegranate), and Citronella. Also quite tart (possibly from the "Rhubarb"), but then the Rose note comes forward to join the Grapefruit-Musk.

My Insolence by Guerlain
Raspberry
Fig, Raspberries, Iris and Hairspray all at once. Embraces the fruit note and turns it into the star, surrounding it with Vanilla and Almond notes (it actually smells like a tree blossom that I know of, but I'm not sure what kind of tree it is), and making it smell like a Raspberry Tart.
The heart is a marshamallow like sweetness, with powdery floral notes, similar to Ghost Sweetheart (Iris, Heliotrope). Smells so much like a "treat" that I had to go and buy one from M&S after wearing it all day. There is even a hint of the Guerlainade- dusty soft Vanilla!
Feels very much fun and girly, but I don't think I'd have any problem wearing it. Although it's incredibly sweet, I don't find it cloying and think it could be great for summer. My favourite of the bunch (although, I do already love Insolence and Insolence EdP)

so I had fun exploring the fruits!

[Haunani]

Gblue, you just jumped in with both feet, didn't you? I admire your courage!!!

[Gblue]

That's the point of these days, isn't it? To go all out and try things you normally wouldn't. I'm going to end up buying the whole range of Insolence though, I just know it!

[Guest 3]

That's the point of these days, isn't it? To go all out and try things you normally wouldn't. I'm going to end up buying the whole range of Insolence though, I just know it!

I love Insolence too. And I've been lemming a bottle of JLo's Live or Live Luxe (not sure which) for a couple of years or so now. I should just cave and buy one for summer. Fruity and fun.