any love for Givenchy's Amarige...

[Ivan D' Great]

Hi ladies,

I'm asking because yesterday I did one spray on my neck, from a distance and went out for a walk. I kept on smelling it even when I got into bed late night.

I am always delighted with the flower power on this one. Amazing silage and longevity, even my daughter thought I was wearing Poison. But iI don't see much talk about here or in other forums, I think there's only one review on youtube and it is in russian. Please share your thoughts.

[Longexact]

Amarige was a big fragrance in its day and still has many fans (of which I am one -- it's a classic, although it definitely requires a light hand on the trigger). But it's also controversial, cf the 1-star review (!!) by Luca Turin in Perfumes: The Guide. You can find lots of reviews if you do a Google search; here's one that I like.

[Ivan D' Great]

Yes, I know it from the eighties I still remember that girl. But I think it deserves more it is very strong and Unique.
I do not agree with most of their "reviews" which are more like snobbish or sarcastic comments on fragrances, to me anyway.
Thanks for the link, i'll check it out.

[jujy54]

I get a frisson of "sez you" glee when I like anything LT hates, and I like Amarige. Very 80s, but better than Giorgio. Loud and proud stopping short of wrong and strong.

[sfmedusa]

I like the scent, I just need ear defenders when I wear it because no matter how gently I apply it, it always seems to shout very loudly indeed.

[Guest 3]

I never wore Amarige so I never grew tired of it or became burned out on it. Recently, I sprayed some on a card in a department store (and also Ysatis) and fell in love with it. I kept the card on my desk for a couple of weeks, enjoying the rich, honeyed floralcy. I couldn't stop sniffing the card. I also fell in love with Ysatis. Both are on my wish list now, though I haven't tried them on my skin yet.

[badarun]

I actually love Amarige, my ex used to wear it on many occassions and I loved every second she wore it...Brings back the sweet old memories...

As for the scent itself, I somehow can't categorize any parfum as 60's, 80's etc, I still find some younger women wearing it and they wear it very well, problem is Dior probably stole the magic away from this with its own releases (& other Chanel's), so this to me is very under-appreciated frag.

[Ivan D' Great]

I agree, somehow it doesn't smell dated to my nose. And oh the memories, it is a totally memorable fragrance. My bottle will last forever since one hit is more than enough.

[anomie et ivoire]

The newer version is really synthetic TMN and easily over-applied, but a vintage pure mini I have is enchanting in very sparing drops. My mother, who has perfume-eating skin therefore wearing the loudies well, used to wear Amarige in the 90s, and it went beautifully with her bubbly and blonde persona. If nothing else the stuff has major personality and, now that not everyone is wearing it, originality. Liquid sunshine. Intriguing to imagine it on a man, too.

Turin and Sanchez both pan and praise Amarige--it's a 'Best of' and a never-wear-in-public in their various books.

[Ivan D' Great]

That's right, no-one wears it these days (and you could tell immediately if someone does) much less a man.

[vmarshmellow]

Back in the 90's I had a friend who wore it and I liked it so much that I copied her and bought a bottle.

I really like it but there is one thing I noticed with Amarige. It smells better when you get a small whiff of it from someone else then when you get a giant dose of it on yourself. I find Aromatics Elixir to be like this also (although Aromatics Elixir is much stronger and a totally different fragrance).

[Primrose]

I liked this when it first came out and wore several bottles. My tastes have changed, and I don't think I will go back to this at any point soon. Who know?

[Ivan D' Great]

Who makes Aromatics Elixir? Oh no! another one! Lol, great! Lets try it.

@primrose, who knows.....after going through several bottles of Z-14 in my youth, I thoght I was done. Until I saw it last year at Marshalls, for 15.00! I couldn't say no to an old friend.

[sfmedusa]

Aromatics Elixir is made by Clinique. It's got no relation at all to Amarige and I think that vmarshmellow was using it as an example of the sort of fragrance that gets way too loud very easily, as Amarige can do.

[onaluna]

I never wore it, but I appreciate its sillage. Beautiful.

- - - Updated - - -

I really like it but there is one thing I noticed with Amarige. It smells better when you get a small whiff of it from someone else then when you get a giant dose of it on yourself.

^That.

[Ivan D' Great]

@sfmedusa, thx, I'll give it a sniff

@onaluna, agreed all the way!

[Guest 3]

Maybe one not to be worn too near your face then. I tried the current version on a card, and I liked it. I would love to try the vintage to compare.

[NineInchNell]

Good thread, Ivan D' Great. Do you receive many compliments on this fragrance? My late neighbor, a very lovely lady, always wore this. I could tell she had been in a room just by the scent she left behind and it was beautiful. I haven't tried it on myself, yet. On myself, I prefer the vintage Givenchy perfumes, such as LeDe. That one is a stunner.

[Ivan D' Great]

Hi Nell
It has that quality of lingering around for a while, I experienced that with another-one Michael Kors, a customer wore it and I honestly can't say if she bathe in it or what but my desk (and it was a big open car store showroom) still smelled long after she was gone. At first It bothered me, thinking thats waaay to much. But at the end I found it intoxicating, super strong gardenia, i just read it has none so maybe it was the tuberose?
Well no compliments so far for Amarige but I enjoy it a lot, and spray very light. Try it if you like strong florals, I vot my 3.4 / 100 ml. Bottle for around 30.00 on Ebay. That's a steal, for a very unique and powerful fragrance with so much personality. A friend told me she loves the body lotion so much and doesn't need to spray.
I haven't smell Le De

I started this thread because I don't see many reviews here or anywhere else
Thanks for chipping in.

[CadeJ1998]

I adore Amarige, so much so that I've worn it since my high school days. It's one of those immediately recognizable fragrances that can announce itself 10 miles down the road when worn excessively. The jasmine/tuberose combination is intoxicating, and 1-2 sprays can last for hours.

[Ivan D' Great]

Hi Cade,

Welcome to Basenotes!

It really does announce itself before you even get there and lingers long after you are gone! i mean physically in the room and the skin of your partner, and even longer in that persons mind

[CadeJ1998]

Thanks so much

[jujy54]

Just landed a mini of vint extrait on ebay. Will report back on this thread.

[PerfumePorMoi]

I wore this pretty much nonstop throughout much of my single gal days in the early 1990s. Friends called it sex in a bottle. They would drop by my apartment on their way out on dates just to spritz themselves with it. I can't imagine what we left in our wake!

But I still love it. It makes me laugh out loud. And every now and again, I pop the cap and transport myself back in time.

[Ivan D' Great]

Lol, thats a great story, thanks for sharing it.

[jujy54]

I wore this pretty much nonstop throughout much of my single gal days in the early 1990s. Friends called it sex in a bottle. They would drop by my apartment on their way out on dates just to spritz themselves with it. I can't imagine what we left in our wake!

But I still love it. It makes me laugh out loud. And every now and again, I pop the cap and transport myself back in time.

I once described it as dime store fabulous. There's something that reminds me of the little girl perfume sets you could get at the Woolworth's.