Woman Nº 2 Betty Barclay 1999

I have had this classic from Betty Barclay in my collection since 2000, so for almost 14 (!!) years now, almost continuously. No other fragrance has managed that, except for "Roma" or its offshoot "Mistero di Roma." Only with the difference that I hardly ever wear the Laura Biagiotti. However, I do wear "Betty's Woman No. 2." ;-)

So why has a rather unspectacular drugstore scent become my personal staple? In my early days on Parfumo, I often asked myself this question. Because one of the first things a newcomer to Parfumo learns is that mainstream and drugstore fragrances - especially drugstore fragrances - are usually dull, boring, and interchangeable. ;-) However, in 4 years, I have also learned something quite different: that even in the big fragrance houses of this world, they only cook with water - and that niche fragrances neither particularly appeal to me nor really suit me...

Liliales described "Woman No. 2" in her comment as follows: "(...) it is not an exciting scent, it exudes neither eroticism nor adventure, but rather an irresistible, quite sensual femininity and warmth that I will try to put into words: at home, cozy, airy blanket, pleasant warmth, security, an embrace, a gentle smile, soft harp sounds...". Now I finally know why I like it so much. This unexciting, simple scent appeals to me and fits wonderfully into my life.

The fragrance starts fresh and woody. Nevertheless, it is already soft and delicate here. Bergamot makes the scent fresh, but without reminding me of 4711. The top note lasts relatively long and then transitions into a clean-powdery scent: violets and white musk say hello. However, the violet is not overly powdery. I react slightly with headaches to too much powder in violets, but here the violet is pleasantly light. I don't recognize any sandalwood. The scent generally remains as it is, becoming a bit deeper and more vanillic, and that's it. So, there is no great scent development, which doesn't bother me, as I can't stand it when a fragrance completely transforms into something else over the course of wearing it.

The longevity is okay for me, lasting about 5 hours. I own the EdT and find that the price difference for the EdP is not worth it for this scent. In the "Pure Style" line from BB, the EdPs are much softer and rounder. However, with all three fragrances in the Woman line, I notice no difference.

For me, "Woman No. 2" is a beautiful, affordable year-round fragrance for any occasion. It fits well into everyday life, but also suits special occasions.