Reviews by kewart

Mitsouko Eau de Toilette by Guerlain

I applied this EDT earlier this morning around three hours ago. Later I forgot which perfume I was wearing come lunchtime so began to sniff my wrist for a clue.
I got lots of spice (clove) with oakmoss and labdanum and immediately remembered it was Mitsouko.

This is a subtle beauty on my skin that lasts for quite a good while. They say Mitsouko chooses you and I feel grateful that she has chosen me today!

This isn't a vampish,come-hither fragrance but it is intelligent and unforgettable. I like to wear it on those day when Summer turns to Winter or Winter turns to Spring. There is a melancholy to it that I just love.

Bal d'Afrique by Byredo

This is one of my "happy" scents.
It just smells so bright and plush that I want to keep sniffing my wrists non-stop.

I find it beautifully blended and a joy to wear any time of the year. It doesn't last that long but whilst it does it's heavenly!

Bombay Bling by Neela Vermeire

Oh you exotic, erotic juice!
I want to do a bangra dance when I put this
on. It lifts my spirits and is a fabulous anti-depressant.

Glorious, milky, ripe fruits and stimulating spices whirl together with lush flowers.
I find this a dizzying, frenetic concoction worthy of the rather steep price.I have never visited India but would imagine this as a bottled version of any busy city there.
There are undercurrents of the less savoury smells of a busy town but they add humanity to this perfume and I find them very acceptable and even downright sensuous.

This scent lingers in the memory and in a good way. I miss it when it isn't there.Isn't that what makes a perfume great?

Mojave Ghost by Byredo

I am genuinally surprised at all these negative reviews!
I find Mojave Ghost to be a polite, well-behaved scent with a slightly melancholic personality. It doesn't shout but it is there in the background humming along nicely on my skin. I find it subdued and relaxing
with a "purple" feel about it - probably from the violet that seems fairly prominant to my nose.
This is a scent for the office or an occasion,where you don't want to offend anyone, and is therefore a very useful addition to my wardrobe, which consists very much of heavy-hitting orientals.

Easy to Love by Eau d'Italie

This is easy to wear if not exactly love.
Nothing to dislike except the longevity maybe.
Nothing to rave about either, sadly.

Another perfectly pleasant fruity foral with no discernable character. It's like a pretty girl with zero personality.

Cyclades 38°3'N by FiiLiT Parfum du Voyage

Irida (Cyclades)is a beautiful airy scent that lasts all of 20 minutes. Natural ingredients don't always lead to enough silage or longevity sadly.

Rose Olivier by Bastide

Yes it's yet another fruity floral but it is so
endearing that I'll forgive it that small glitch.

The combination of the Grasse centifolia rose and the
olive leaf is delightful and arrives so quickly that the top notes of lychee and tangerine are barely detectable to my nose. The basemotes of cashmere woods, white cedarwood, amber and musk give the scent an overall unisex feel.

It's a polite, relaxing perfume that isn't going to upset the in-laws but nothing ground-breaking.

Throw and longevity are average.

Black Orchid Eau de Parfum by Tom Ford

Oh my word! This has to be the ultimate "lorelei" scent.

Have you ever seen pigs rooting enthusiastically for truffles? I feel like one of those when I apply this dark,narcotic scent. The bottle is black and attractive and so is the perfume inside.

I first sprayed Black Orchid a few years ago in a House of Fraser store in Birminham, whilst my husband was looking at shoes, then spent the next five minutes with my nose glued to my wrist.I only had to walk a few yards and complete strangers told me I smelled amazing. I was grateful for their feedback since my own dear husband is anosmic (oh the irony!)

Suffice it to say I was smitten and felt surrounded by a secret cloak of desirability. This is potent stuff - be in no doubt of that fact, Apply with caution,like a touchpaper,then stand back and wait for the fireworks to begin!

Blu Mediterraneo : Chinotto di Liguria by Acqua di Parma

This is a beautiful, intriguing scent. The citrus chinotto top note is glorious and then some herbs and spices appear to round it out.
It has a musky drydown and overall reminds me of the original Eau Sauvage.
Lasting power and sillage are both excellent on my skin. Highly recommended.

Smeraldo by Sylvaine Delacourte

This is my favourite of the muscs collection. It begins with a wonderful angelica note with yuzu and a hint of pear. The whole feeling is of a green, slightly caramelised forest. Hawthorn is a great addition and lends an almost almond note to the mix.
I do get a hint of musky rose later on although the drydown is not quite as exciting as the beginning. Soft but persistant projection and average lasting power, given that my skin devours perfume.

Herbae by L'Occitane

Herbae is presented in a really cute bottle tied with raffia. It smells green and fresh but with a slightly
earthy/vegetal twist from the ambrette seed and white nettle.I didn't expect it to last as long as it did.
This would be an easy scent to wear all summer long.
Thoughts turn to lazing about in flower meadows and walking mountain forests.

Close To My Heart by Bella Freud

I got a free 10ml sample of this from Elle magazine and gave it a try. It is quite dark and
a touch on the masculine side but I did like the oud bubblegum note. The contrast of white florals (jasmine and tuberose) with the patchouli, black musk,oud and moss basenotes is intriguing.

Terre de Lumière by L'Occitane

Nothing ground-breaking here, that's for sure.
I have to douse myself in this to get any projection and the lasting power is very average. On my skin, the almond note is the most prominent and although very "nice" this is not a scent I would buy for myself (got it as a gift in the circular box.)

La Ronde des Fleurs : Musc Ambre by Jeanne Arthes

This is very inexpensive and, for the price, is a nice skin scent. I get mainly musk - very similar to The Body Shop White Musk - with a few floral notes and vanilla. Not ground-breaking but worth a punt nonetheless.

Bois d'Orange by Roger & Gallet

This is a staple of every French pharmacy and is such good value for money. It starts off a bit "full-on" but give it five minutes and it begins to bloom into an appealing citrus/woody/herbal concoction.It has amazing longevity on my skin and I keep getting pleasing wafts of it throughout the day. Very versatile,classy scent not a million miles away from Hermes Eau d'Orange Verte or L'Occitane's Ruban Orange but at a fraction of the price.

Ambre et Vanille by E.Coudray

Oh I love this scent. It is luscious, comforting and sultry. I wear this on nights out in the winter months and sit back and wait for the compliments to roll in.
Vanilla - yes for sure,but supported by lashings of amber and goodness knows what else.
This is the perfume of a pampered goddess.Put it on and you will purr all night. I can smell it the next day too, almost 14 hours later. Now that's value for money!

Fendi (original) / Fendi Donna by Fendi

Not for the faint-hearted, this Italian, discontinued edp packs quite a punch. I love to wear it in the depths of winter, when it blooms on the skin and especially on fur (fake of course!)To me it smells like a liquid fur coat in fact; multi-layered red flowers, vanilla, woods, leather and spices. It goes on a bit harsh but warms up and mellows given time.

Do go very easy on the sprayer with this one or it becomes a weapon of mass destruction. Less is definitely more - one spray to a wrist in the evening and I can still smell it the next morning.

I think I am just about old enough to wear this with aplomb, now I am in my sixties. It would be wasted on a young ingenue. You have to have lived a bit to wear this gem.
I treasure my bottle and save it for the right occasion.

Lolita Lempicka by Lolita Lempicka

Beautiful - just beautiful. This is the kind of rare and wonderful creation that has the power to make the wearer a better person and takes them to a fairy-tale place. It lifts me to another level and makes me want to dance with joy.
I love the wistful ivy and violet notes, that reign in the sweeter, more gourmand ones.This is a fabulously balanced scent and contains my favourite amarena, licorice and tonka notes.
I could wax lyrical about this scent for hours but will just advise you to try it at least once to see why perfume can be considered an art form.

Joop! Le Bain Soft Moments by Joop!

Well this is a very relaxing scent and looking at one of the top notes I can see why.
It is soothing and induces a feeling of well-being. I am not usually a fan of aquatic notes but here they are done with a delicate touch. This is Joop le Bain's timid little sister but she has a few tricks of her own up her sleeve - it's the quiet ones you have to watch!

Lightning by Louis Cardin

Lightening is in the fruity/floral genre with top notes of green apple,
mandarin, peony, orchid,freesia and iris. I perceive the apple and mandarin
most strongly at the start then get floral hints and a powdery feel from the
iris. In the latter stages there is a dark chocolate note, which is quite pronounced
along with cinnamon, white musk and vanilla. If you like fruity florals with a powdery
feel, then this might just be your bag. I find the fruit-scented chocolate a bit weird, personally.
Again, as with all these Cardin edp's, the lasting power is good and sillage fairly strong.

Eau de Rochas Escapade en Méditerranée by Rochas

This is a beautiful, citrus/floral summer scent. The bottle is a lovely reflection of the colour of the Mediterranean sea and the juice is a more approachable version of the rather sour, strident Eau de Rochas.I find it very easy to wear and it always garners compliments.

Rose Pompon by Annick Goutal

Rose Pompom is a very sweet,romantic,realistic rose scent that would be suitable for a young and chaste (not chased)lady. It lacks personality as far as my taste is concerned and has no edginess or surprise. Whoever wore this wouldn't want you to muss up her hair or get her clothes dirty. She wouldn't contemplate going for a spin in a fast car, with the top down, without a headscarf firmly in place. In other words it is a very buttoned-up perfume.
To my mind this is just another uber-clean,fruity rose perfume that, in this case, costs a fortune!David Austin Evelyn is a better bet and easier on the purse.

Relaxed Repose... by Pell Wall Perfumes

Relaxed Repose is an all natural perfume made in Shropshire by Chris Bartlett.

Those members of the general public used to modern synthetics may find the opening of this scent quite "oily," but it reminds me of the best kind of massage oil with calming lavender and basil notes.

The floral heart including rose and orange flower leads to a opoponax/sandalwood drydown. I am afraid for me it has longevity issues and I can barely smell it after two hours. It would make a nice, relaxing perfume to wear to bed after a relaxing bath.Great for lazy days at home but by no means a date or party scent.

L L'Aime by Lolita Lempicka

I got this perfume in error, when I actually ordered LL Elle l'Aime. I was initially disappointed to have the wrong juice but decided to keep it and use it up as an everyday scent.
It is quite girly in a fizzy, ditzy kind of way and a bit young for me really. Nevertheless, it makes me smile and I enjoy wearing it on days when I am relaxing at home.
The notes begin with redcurrant berries and citrus then warm to a rosy/jasmine heart, finally ending with a musky, woody base. It's just not original enough for me.

Badgley Mischka by Badgley Mischka

If, like me, you like rich, fruity, boozy scents of the Mauboussin variety, then this little number will certainly ring your bell.

Swirling layers of peach,amber,creme de cassis and caramel radiate off my skin and into the realm of compliments. This little diva is all about joyous abandonment and devil-may-care attitude.

Don't be shy with the application or others will fail to notice all of its full-on charms!

Why do they always discontinue little gems like this. Are people blind to their merits or is my taste so far removed from normality that I am on a different plane to the vast majority of the perfume buying public?

Encens Flamboyant by Annick Goutal

No, just NO!
I tried a sample of this in bed last night and regretted it straight away. It is a joyless, piney/incense thing that made me feel instantly nauseous. I am afraid I can't imagine a scenario where I would be glad to wear it and it is as far removed from sensuous as it is possible to be.

Update:

I tried this again in the open air (as opposed to under the bed cover!) and it smells much more acceptable. It has a festive, pine forest vibe and lasts well. Give it lots of cold air and it blooms.

Mediterranean Fig by Pacifica

I enjoy wearing this scent : fresh, green fig, with cyclamen and palm over a base of creamy sandalwood There is something very appealing about the smell - providing you like the smell of figs, of course.I like that Pacifica are a cruelty-free, vegan brand also. I have the roller-ball version, which is handy to keep in your bag for refreshing the scent as it doesn't have huge staying power.

Omnia Green Jade by Bulgari

Well this one has grown on me slowly. It's rather like a colleague, whose true worth only becomes apparent gradually, because they don't seek the limelight and their assets reveal themselves slowly but surely.

I love the subtle freshness of OGJ - it's like a glass of iced, cucumber-infused water on a hot summer's day!
I would gladly wear this every day, without ever feeling it would upset the apple cart. That's not to say I find it boring. It has got longevity issues,however, hence four rather than five stars.

Vanille Fruitée Eau de Toilette by Molinard

kewart
kewart

Vanilla with a twist! I purchased a small bottle of this scent from the Molinard outlet in Nice, Cote d'Azur. I was actually after their straight up Vanille but they had run out, so I let myself be persuaded into buying the Fruitee version instead.
I applied some straight away and it seemed quite nice with a peachy/caramel/floral vibe.I then forgot about it. Three hours later I went to buy some bread and the guy serving me commented on my scent saying it smelled"formidable" - result!!Bear in mind I am a "femme d'un certain age" and very rarely get complimented on my perfume.
I suspect this scent has the power to make women smell younger than they are...

Comme une Evidence A New Day Dawns by Yves Rocher

Beautiful! This scent makes me feel pretty and flirty and glad to be alive. It is so versatile and won't go unnoticed.
Update:
They discontinued this beautiful gem by Annick Menardo.I am so sad.