In recent months I’ve been testing more designer fragrances alongside niche simply to get a better sense of what that segment truly offers. But most of the time, I can’t even keep them on all day: many are so unpleasantly synthetic that they make me feel physically uncomfortable.
However, I’m a big fan of Narciso Rodriguez, particularly the Narciso line and the For Her line. The cube fragrances are wonderfully rich, effortlessly chic, and deeply indulgent. The For Her line, by contrast, has a charm rooted in purity and a breathable texture. And unlike many brands whose flankers vary wildly in quality, I genuinely think every fragrance in the For Her collection stands on equal footing, none have been a flop.
All of Me, however, is completely different from previous NR releases. It slips into the category of countless other designers by being an impersonal floral fragrance. The opening is promising - fresh and natural, like a morning walk through a garden when flower petals are still damp. The aroma even reminds me more of Mangolia than the notes listed. I only wish this phase lasted longer. After about fifteen minutes, the scent shifts into a typical designer profile, and a slightly unpleasant synthetic edge starts to bother me. The clear, bright, airy freshness disappears, replaced by a sharp, somewhat pungent floral mix.
It will certainly appeal to those who generally enjoy designer fragrances, but I’ve always loved the white musk in Rodriguez’s creations, especially the way it’s used, and it simply doesn’t show up here. That white musk has been the special element that made so many niche-fragrance lovers fall for NR in the first place.This fragrance has no Narciso Rodriguez dna at all. Sandalwood is also one of my favorite notes for adding soft creaminess, so I’m baffled by where it’s supposed to be in this fragrance. You can’t smell it at all - instead, it seems to give the fragrance a thick, waxy feel rather than the creamy quality a genuine or well-executed sandalwood accord provides. As for the floral notes, I won’t go into further detail: they just don’t smell realistic.
Unfortunately, All of Me ends up having the same issue I encounter with so many basic designers: the initially pleasant, momentarily charming opening devolves into a repulsive, overpowering chemical muddle. I truly can’t imagine wanting to smell this for even an hour.
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