For a long time, I debated whether to buy Beautiful Belle (BB), as the reviews didn’t bode well. But as a fan of Estee Lauder (EL) and especially of Beautiful, I overcame my doubts and ordered a 50ml bottle at a rather good price. And I was not disappointed! This fragrance is wonderful, but one thing at a time...
First, the bottle resembles the classic from EL, but the cap is a bit different, the diffuser is amazing, very fine spray mist, so no soaking wet skin, which I really like!
The scent itself stays more like a fine veil around you, so it’s not a fragrance bomb; however, the sillage becomes quite close to the skin after a short time, a small downside that also prevents over-application.
At the beginning, I perceive a bitter, slightly fruity freshness that quickly becomes floral and slightly powdery. The marzipan flits by for a moment and then (thankfully) stays where it always disappears to or doesn’t reappear. As it develops, the flowers come in, and after about 2 hours, a kind of soft woodiness (the suede?) starts to spread more and more. In the first test, alongside this woodiness, the floral creaminess remained more prominent; today, in the second test, there’s more of a slightly fruity-bitter note over suede; here, BB also reminds me of a well-known fragrance that I just can’t recall.
Why BB smells one way to me one time and another way at another time seems to be hormonally influenced; I have several fragrances that behave similarly. I’m curious to see how it develops in warmer and especially more humid temperatures. Yesterday and today, it was around 15 degrees and dry; I could imagine that it might become a bit scratchier in cooler temperatures.
So I am thrilled with this fragrance and can’t quite understand some of the reviews, but everyone perceives scents differently, and they unfold differently for each person. Surely, the Ambroxan might not excite many, and I usually have my issues with it, but not here.
BB is a classically simple fragrance that will surely accompany the modern bride but also fits well with a suit, leather pants, or torn jeans; it actually goes with everything. In my opinion, the campaign doesn’t really match; when I saw the clip for the first time, I had a completely different idea of this fragrance.
It’s a shame that BB is not available in stores here; I could only find it online, and even then, not everywhere. Anyone looking for a fine, classic, unsweetened fragrance should give BB a chance.
Koi77 4 years ago