Madame Isabelle La Rive

I really wanted to like it because it's a Chanel dupe, because the bottle is so beautiful, and because the scent pyramid appealed to me so much. I tested it in two different stores, and both times my first thought was, "Phew, this has gone off." I don’t have the most refined nose, I admit, so I can’t grasp some fragrances very well. But with this one, I am quite surprised that so many people find it appealing - or did I really just happen to come across two bad testers? That shouldn’t be possible.

So what is my problem with the scent? When I spray it, my first association is how I imagined perfume as a child. Back then, my first perfume experiences were at my grandma's and neighbor's vanity, where there were several samples in the drawer - all of which had already gone off. To my nose, it’s just so piercing that I really don’t want to smell any further to pick out more specific notes. It’s not even alcoholic, but just so chemical and scratchy.

During today's second test, I threw away the test strip after a few minutes, but the first time I accidentally took it with me and found it again in my backpack after 2-3 hours. At that point, it smelled exactly like a men's perfume.

I am confused.