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

[Quarry]

For newcomers, here's the lowdown on this monthly online event:

Every member, any gender, novice or veteran sniffer, is invited to apply a fragrance related to the theme of the month (listed below) and share your thoughts on the first Saturday of the month. This isn't a mandatory assignment; it's just for fun. Because not everyone logs in on weekends, you're encouraged to continue to add comments within this themed thread on subsequent days. If you don't join us for this month's discussion, please look ahead at the tentative lineup and join in at a later date.

JANUARY ~ Oriental
(warmth, flowers, spices, woods & vanilla)
FEBRUARY ~ Animalic
(civet-, castoreum-, leather-, or musk-influenced scents)
MARCH ~ Chypre
(used to be defined by oakmoss presence, but ...?)
APRIL ~ Floral
(single solifore or full bouquet of flowers)
MAY~ Fruity
(single sweet fruits or a bowl of fruity-florals)
JUNE ~ Citrus
(hesperidic: bergamot, lemon, orange, grapefruit, tangerine, etc.)
JULY ~ Green
(fresh leaves & grasses)
AUGUST ~ Fresh or aquatic
(cool, dewy notes and seaside scents)
SEPTEMBER ~ Opposite-Gender Fragrance -or- Fougere
("fern like;" lavender + woods + coumarin + geranium + oakmoss)
OCTOBER ~ Ambery
(dark, light or blond amber as feature note)
NOVEMBER ~ Spicy
(warm notes associated with cooking)
DECEMBER ~ Gourmand
(fragrances with a foody note, but not usually fruity--save for May)

Looking for suggestions?
See previous SnS discussions:
Jan. 2007~Oriental • Feb. 2007~Animalic • March 2007~Chypre • April 2007~ Floral • May 2007~Fruity • June 2007~ Citrus • Sept. 2007~Fougere • Oct. 2007~ Amber • Nov. 2007~Spicy • Dec. 2007~ Gourmand • Jan. 2008~Oriental • Feb. 2008~Animalic • March 2008~Chypre • April 2008~Floral • May 2008~Fruity • June 2008~Citrus • July 2008~Green • Aug. 2008~Fresh/Aquatic • Sept. 2008~Opposite Gender or Fougere • Oct. 2008 ~ Amber • Nov. 2008 ~ Spicy • Dec. 2008 ~ Gourmand • Jan. 2009 ~ Oriental • Feb. 2009 ~ Animalic • March 2009 ~ Chypre • April 2009 ~ Floral

For the months of July and August 2007, regular BN was offline and supporters had access to an abbreviated site. We discussed aquatics and greens, but those posts are no longer accessible.

[Haunani]

Hmmm...it's pretty clear that "Fruity" in this case EXCLUDES citrus, since citrus is featured next month. This will be hard. From my wardrobe, I could wear one of three fragrances: Ume by Keiko Mecheri, Mauboussin, or Philosykos by Diptyque.

Or it could be a fun day to break out some samples!!!

[Gblue]

I don't think I've got anything outright fruity to sniff. I don't particularly enjoy fruity florals. This could be one of my most difficult ones I think..

[ineespenes]

I know what you mean, Gblue..Fruity in my wardrobe is Nahema (worn last year) and Diamonds....

[Wordbird]

Hmm, I have a similar problem. Fruity isn't usually my thing, apart from my beloved Tesco fig (one of these days, I'll shell out for a bottle of Miller Harris Figue Amere).
I was thinking of Worth's Courtesan, but I've just spotted the Black Currant in this, whadda think? Does it count?

Neil Morris for Takashimaya New York opens with top notes of Black Currant, Mandarin, Bergamot and Aldehydes for a sparkling and fresh introduction. Heart notes include Plum Blossom, Jasmine Tea, Japanese Cherry Blossom, Bamboo and Dossinia Orchid, accented with the passionate scent of Narcissus. A precious base note of Cedar is enriched with accents of Oak, Tonka, Orris and Oud for a warm, sophisticated finale.

Hmm. I'll have to have a few sniffs around the house to see what else I have stashed...

[Nukapai]

Fruit is tricky. If I get my mitts on Balahe (plummy 80s oriental) before Saturday, that'll be my game I think. On the other hand, I could choose Ume from a sample, or even re-explore some other scents... *puts thinking hat on*.

[lilybelle]

Hmmm...it's pretty clear that "Fruity" in this case EXCLUDES citrus, since citrus is featured next month.

Hmm...I'll be thinking about this one.

[Haunani]

I did find a few samples, too, or I could steal my husband's John Varvatos, which has exotic fruit notes including "Medjool Dates", of all things! I really like that fragrance on him.

Oh, and one of my favorite recently-tried Neil Morris samples is Hologram, which has this interesting combination: Yuzu, Black Currant, Violet, Fig, Sea Moss, Amber, Incense, Musk. I found that I really like the fresh juicy fruit accord in this one!

[Taolady]

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY...MY FAVERT!! :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:
('course I say this with every category practically...)

[Wordbird]

Aha! think I may have cracked it: peaches. I have a few peachy things (mostly that I'm not crazy about, if I'm honest). So I guess that's me set up for Saturday.

'Course, I'm SOOOOOO well-stocked with the citrus for next month it's riddicklus!

[Nostalgie]

Fruity is a tough one for me, too,

I may go with Calyx which doesn't go in that J'adore direction.

I also have 1804 , only because of the association with George Sand (am I not a marketer's dream come true?). It is major pineapple. A bit hard for me to wear, but we'll see....

[Nukapai]

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY...MY FAVERT!! :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:
('course I say this with every category practically...)

I love you. Seriously.

[BlackCat]

I think JM Nectarine Blossom & Honey will work for me. Either that, or Bois de Paradise.

I was thinking of Rochas Femme, but that plum note, while delicious, is hardly sweet.

BTW, all those with easy access to drugstore frags and who can tolerate raspberry may want to try Jovan's Black Musk. It actually was better quality than I'd think--no watered-down raspberry there--and lasting power was good. Sadly, I'm not a fan of raspberry.

[Sunnyfunny]

I think I might go down to the local Nordstrom and ask for a samp of their wildest and craziest fruity floral! I have one in my drobe, but I already know what's in it. In fact, it may be the single perfume I own that I can correctly discern the notes of...

[Therese]

Remember, we don't have to go fruity-fruity. A fruit note would be acceptable. Think Mitsouko, for example.

[chayaruchama]

Therese- you're just bein' SWEET !

I always fool myself into thinking I'm not fruity, or floral-
But I lie.

Outside the 'funky box', I've loads of fruity things- various Ava -Luxes, NM's, Eau Emotionelle, Parfum de Therese, fig stuff, Histoires 1804, 1740, Colony, all those Molinards, Patou Forever, plummy scents, blackberry and raspberry-laden ones, L'Ombre Dans L'Eau, Feu D'Issey [ what's left !], cassis-y frags....
Orangey ones [ Baghari, Maharadjah], lemony ones,....

I think, because I've got to work-
I'll go for Patou Forever:

By JEAN PATOU

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

YEAR INTRODUCED 1998

FRAGRANCE NOTES
Greens, bergamot, rosewood, raspberry, rose, jasmine, orris, lilac, patchouli, sandal, vetiver, civet.


What they neglect to tell you-
Is that there is a lot of pineapple, too-
Though the drydown is nicely chyprey and not sloppy.

It's a shame it was a sleeper.

[mikeperez23]

I just got a used bottle of Calyx by Prescriptives in this week, but I told myself that I was going to save it until my summer vacation (so I can have a new and interesting scent while I travel...it's become a tradition for me). So....hmmm...

Maybe Black XS by Paco Rabanne? My Smuckers Strawberry Jam in a bottle fragrance. Plus the model in the ad's kind of adorable, no? http://secretum.files.wordpress.com/...3/black_xs.jpg

[Coconut]

I have picked Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Tutti Kiwi for SnS as I realised i don't have that many fruitty scents in my drobe.
[Notes from Osmoz]
Top notes: Tangerine, Rhubarb, Frosted Lemon
Heart note: Kiwi, Geranium, Mock Orange
Base note: Sandalwood, Vanilla, Woods
Although it is named Tutti Kiwi, the kiwi itself is not that prominent. It smelled more like lemon flavour candies.

[ineespenes]

I decided to wear Diamonds for the fruity theme.The notes are:

T: Litchie,raspberry
M: Freesia,lily of the valley, rose
B: Vetiver,cedar,patchouli,amber and vanilla.

The scent opens with a fresh burst of something almost minty and very fresh. I guess this must be the Freesia. This fresh burst quickly develops into something quite sweet and fruity. The notes says Litchie and raspberry,but to me this smells a lot like pineapple(but I'm not that familiar with litchie,so that might be the scent I notice) This fruity ,and at the same time fresh element to the fragrance lasts a long time.Slowly the fruity notes take over and the vanilla kicks in.This makes me notice the raspberry all of a sudden.

All in all an ok everyday scent.It's very summery. If I'm gonna compare it to something it does share some similarities with the topnotes of Trouble,but a whole lot fresher!

[Nostalgie]

I usually run from fruity scents (with the exception of bitter orange and fig).
Still, I like to go as far as I can with a category on SnS days. I dare to cross my comfort zone

I'm wearing one of the only fruities I truly love: Calyx




I love it for being...
1) Subtle: the fruit is all there, but it doesn't go sweet and no single notes screams out (cf. pineapple in 1804); tropical fruits, but without that Carmen Miranda wearing-a-fruit-salad vibe
2) Harmonious and complex: it maintains balance throughout its development (the top notes never disappear, for example)
3) Fresh: it is clean in an unexpected way:not soapy, not citrus-cologne-y, not a lite blue water scent. It is clean but has depth.
4) Restrained: it is on the verge of resembling a spa scent, but never gives me that I-just-had -a-massage-and-facial sillage

The only problem with Calyz is that it is in a way too easy to wear. I don't swoon when I catch a whiff of myself. Instead my reaction is something like: That's nice. Very nice.

[Taolady]

Had a TERRIBLE time (not really) deciding which one of my faverts EVER to wear for this stellar occasion. It was always gonna be the fruit-licious

On me this opens up like chocolate oranges (you know those Dutch ones - sectioned chocolate oranges that split into segments when tapped - I mean - the Dutch RULLY know chocklit, right??!!) while through the window -on soft summer breezes - come magnolia and peonies and maybe some freezia over a light ambery accord that lasts all day.

And I love the plump little bottle and the fact that - for me anyway - this is so NOT Missoni of the very fashion-forward zigzaggy stripey knits (after all, they INVENTED see-through....)

I am a BIG Roucel fan (Own - or would like to - 24 Faubourg, Attrape Coeur, Broadway Nite, Insolence, New Haarlem...Tocade...etc.) and this one takes the cake. Or rather, my heart.....

Oh. And even the grumpy Turin gives her FIVE 'TARS!!!

[Guerlain-lover]

I agree with Therese - It don't have to be a pink Tutti Fruity We all have fragrances with some fruity notes. I go for Philosykos - My favorite in this category

[ubuandibeme]

Good morning everybody! It's "ambrosia" Saturday....a fruit lovers paradise. This a.m. found me rummaging through sample boxes to find a new and exciting fruit to sample for the S-n-S and I found it...

Yuzu Rouge by Zero Six Cent-Trente (or 06130)

When Tang and I were sniffing our way through the city of Chicago, we snagged a couple edt. samples while visiting C.O. Bigelow in Watertower Place mall. The listed notes I found are:

Japanese Yuzu Fruit, Grapefruit, Cassis, Bergamot
Verbena, Damascena Rose, Nutmeg, Cardamom
Musk, Moss, Gray Amber

The yuzu fruit is an Asian citrus fruit resembling a small orange. It's smell is uplifting and comes to the nose in a similar manner as bergamot. It is widely used in body treatments and baths.

Upon first sniff of this refreshing elixir, it gives an overall impression of a well blended citrus tea...reminding me of Bulgari's Au the Rouge and a bit of Au the Vert. Yuzu Rouge possesses a slightly effervescent quality, but doesn't get powdery or cloying at all. Yuzu is citrusy, but not any particular citrus fruit. (for ex. it is not 'lemony' or 'grapefruity') "Gentle" would be the most appropriate adjective to describe the smell. Yuzu Rouge also remains completely linear from the initial application throughout the entire wearing. It's kind of pricey, from memory I believe it was over $100.00. - and THAT was for the edt.! As a side note, when searching on the computer, I found the edp., and the bottle is EXACTLY the same as the new Keiko Mecheri's Not exactly sure what that means....but it feels as though I've stumbled upon some sort of perfume discovery!

I'd definitely suggest sampling this fine fragrance, and would personally like to try the edp. version. Yuzu Rouge is easy to wear, very enjoyable, could make a perfect 'go to' scent for the hot & humid Midwestern summer days!

[semisweet411]

Someone I barely know gave me a bottle of Curve Kicks last week. It's not something I'd buy for myself, but it's pleasant enough to wear on, say, the usual Saturday errands.

Top Notes
Pear, Melon, Mandarin, Cassis.
Middle Notes
Passion Fruit, Peony, Freesia, Muguet.
Base Notes
Sandalwood, Vetiver, Peach, Cedar, Vanilla.

[lilybelle]

I'm wearing Pomegranate Noir.

“Pomegranate Noir combines the sweet fruity notes of raspberry, plum, pink pepper and pomegranate with patchouli, frankincense and spicy woods…” ------from the Jo Malone site.

I have a sample I received in a swap with a fellow BN’er. Upon first application all I get is a medicinal clove bomb, then the woods blasting in close behind. After a minute or two it begins to dry down and I can smell some tart red fruit. I can’t identify all of the particular notes listed. Mostly, I smell like Lavoris mouthwash (if anybody remembers that), or chewing gum. I’d like to smell more of the tart red fruit and a little less of the spice/woods overload – just my preference. It’s not until much later that I pick up the frankincense, which is nice. Each time I wear this fragrance I like it better, I must admit. The first time, I didn’t care for it at all. I’m not sure I would ever do justice to a full bottle, but it’s interesting as an occasional thing. It’s different than my usual floral or classic - but for me it’s a bit too odd to wear on most days. It’s a dry-fruity scent because of the woods (cedar?). It’s definitely gender-neutral. I might love it on my husband. Or in a candle.

[Adding: My husband just came in the room and gave it a big thumbs down.]

I really wanted a tropical Carmen Miranda fruit cocktail (Nostalgie! ), but I didn't have one like that. Now that's a hole in my summer wardrobe that I am determined to fill.

Taolady, Missoni sounds great! I'm a Roucel fan, too (mostly).

I'll post again with my SotA/E. I hope everyone is enjoying their day!

[Lian]

I finally tried one neil morris fragrance, I have had a bunch of samples sitting around for ages but today I wore woodland strawberries. I think it's a rather strange perfume and I don't think strawberry really fitted the cedarwood. Although I didn't smell strawberries for long I have to admit. It dried down quickly to a feminite du bois type of fragrance, nice but I expected more berry and fruityness than a woody perfume. I think more green would have done nicely as well, a wet fresh note of green might have lifted the entire thing up and gave it a more forest and berry feel than dry and woody.

[Therese]

I know I mentioned Mitsouko, but I woke up today in the mood for something lighter, even sillier. So after the gym and a shower, I slathered myself in BNeverTooBusytobeBeautiful's Love body cream, followed by the fragrance. Lots of apple here. The topnotes can be screeching for some, but the drydown is just peaceful and lovely.

[Quarry]

I finally tried one neil morris fragrance, I have had a bunch of samples sitting around for ages but today I wore woodland strawberries. I think it's a rather strange perfume and I don't think strawberry really fitted the cedarwood. Although I didn't smell strawberries for long I have to admit. It dried down quickly to a feminite du bois type of fragrance, nice but I expected more berry and fruityness than a woody perfume. I think more green would have done nicely as well, a wet fresh note of green might have lifted the entire thing up and gave it a more forest and berry feel than dry and woody.

We're scent twins! I just didn't have the stomach for anything too sweet this morning. I appreciate WS's syrup restraint. You speak for me, Lian, in that there's something yet missing in this fragrance. For me, a green tea note might just make it perfect.

[tdem1961]

I'm wearing Parfums de Nicolai Balkis today. It has a raspberry note that is jammy and luscious, yet there is also a certain lilting freshness that keeps it squarely out of cloying territory. Rose, coffee and pepper make it a sophisticated take on the genre. The hazy, powdery blur of iris and benzoin smooths it all out and lasts well into the drydown. Just delightful.

Notes: raspberry, Turkish rose, black pepper, coffee extract, iris, benzoin, vanilla pods

[aezikely]

Fruit notes are tricky for me - there are some I like and some I hate, yet there is no clear parameters defining what I like and don't. One fruity floral I'll hate, but the next one I love.... odd...

Today I'm wearing my new [B]Guerlain La Petit Robe Noir[/B]

Starts off with a cherry/rose burst that lasts for hours. I applied 3 sprays last night and my wife yelled from across the house "did you just light a fruity candle or something??" It's that strong. This is a fruity fragrance I like (obviously, I bought it...), but I believe it's because even while the cherry note is very vibrant, the fragrance is not sugary sweet.

After a couple hours of cherry/rose some subtle citrus notes appear with some light florals and woody/tea notes in the background. And then....well that's the problem...then nothing. The base isn't well formed, there isn't even a Guerlinade/vanilla base, which would wrap up the fragrance well.

[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!

[lilybelle]

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!

[lilybelle]

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.