Safari Ralph Lauren 1989 Eau de Parfum

Bottle Design Ben Kotyuk

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8.1 / 10 305 Ratings

Safari (Eau de Parfum) is a popular perfume by Ralph Lauren for women and was released in 1989. The scent is floral-spicy. The longevity is above-average. It is being marketed by L'Oréal.

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Main accords

Floral

Spicy

Woody

Green

Chypre

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Galbanum

Pot marigold

Aldehydes

Hyacinth

Mandarin orange

Orange

Blackcurrant

Heart Notes

Narcissus

Orange blossom

Jasmine

Lily of the valley

Orris root

Rosemary

Rose

Base Notes

Moss

Amber

Cedar

Patchouli

Sandalwood

Vetiver

Perfumer

Dominique Ropion

Ratings

Scent

8.1305 Ratings

Longevity

8.5243 Ratings

Sillage

7.9235 Ratings

Bottle

9.1252 Ratings

Value for money

8.352 Ratings

Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 09.04.2024.

Reviews

13 in-depth fragrance descriptions

04/27/2018

10
Bottle 8
Sillage 10
Longevity 10
Scent

Chenoa
6 Reviews

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Chenoa

Very helpful Review 36

Nostalgia in the here and now

The '90s... i was just in my early twenties, the first "wild" times were over, the failed perm had just grown out of it, shoulder pads only in a few selected jackets ... the longing for permanence and arrival in apparent contradiction to the still vivid call for adventure and freedom. And I met my first great love.
Beautiful years together followed, in which we practiced being and becoming adults, only to realize painfully in the end that the merging of two souls cannot necessarily be the goal of life.

"Safari" has accompanied me through the ups and downs of this time. It is incredibly multi-layered, comforting, warm, flattering, feminine and somehow familiar ... and also an expression of this inner voice, which always wakes up, inspires to discover new things, to set out, to get involved in life, not to hold on to anything.
With this fragrance, Dominique Ropion has created a masterpiece that takes up space and is always present.

The other day I came across an old picture of myself while cleaning up. From the nineties. I'm beaming into the camera The pain from back then has long been healed, happiness doesn't need a time frame.
Now, after more than 25 years, I have bought the fragrance again. When it fits, it fits. I'm the same, and yet, I'm very different from what I was. This kind of nostalgia is not burdensome, but makes you grateful, just like that and for the moment.

And there's a magic inside every beginning..

07/13/2019

9
Bottle 7
Sillage 8
Longevity 9
Scent

MadameLegras
14 Reviews

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MadameLegras

Top Review 20

Hidden Jewel

These days I discovered the bottle deep in the back of my perfume drawer. This wonderful crystal bottle, even with the rest of the eau de parfum. I had completely forgotten him, now triggered by my recent activities at Parfumo my drawer browsed and found him again
The perfume was a surprise present of my husband (an absolute perfume muffle!) from the 90s. That's why I was so happy about it at the time. Of course I had to test the scent immediately after such a long time. And lo and behold: He has not tilted, he is still present in full intensity and glory.

It starts wonderfully flowery-herb, with me without any fruit and sweetness, not a bit intrusive, but dense and splendid. After some time it gets warmer and more woody, the flowers step into the background. It is still wonderful, unmistakable and elegant in its own way. Unfortunately it doesn't stay as long as before, after five hours I can only sniff a spicy hint. I think that's due to his age.

Perfectly also the name Safari, which suggests robustness, freedom and adventure. Less suitable for the small black, more suitable for dignified excursions into nature. And last but not least, the bottle is also a real jewel. I'm very happy to have found him again!

12/12/2019

Itsbrinaw
8 Reviews

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Itsbrinaw

Top Review 11

Undecided

When I smelled the bottle for the first time without spraying, I immediately thought of Samsara EDP. I didn't really like the base there and couldn't find out why yet. That's why I immediately compared the fragrance components. The two actually have something in common. I don't know which scent component really disturbs me, because I would have to know the scents of the individual components. When I sprayed the fragrance now before (once again not met and my blouse now has stains) :D I felt it first as lively, perhaps from the mandarin or also from the aldehyde. I've read that there are several of them and I would have guessed Aldehyde C10, but I'm probably not a connoisseur. :) I don't really know if it still smells powdery, clean in a way I can't describe. And it smells like old times to me, too. After all, the fragrance is from the year 1989. Maybe this fragrance component was used more often at that time, as I also noticed in comparison with samsara (the same year). Although the two fragrances are not identical in the top note, they are all the more similar in the heart note. I find the bottle mega beautiful and the name of the perfume together with the bottle made this fragrance interesting
Finally to my report, I am not sure if I wear this fragrance or if it is suitable for me. I think it stays spicy and tangy for a long time, becomes softer later. We need to have more experience together. :) :D

02/07/2014

10
Bottle 7.5
Sillage 7.5
Longevity 9
Scent

Karinoula
82 Reviews

Karinoula

Top Review 7

old time classic

I knew this perfume since 90s. What can I say it is really a masterpiece. Thank goodness it was again once more available after so many years of disappearance. It is so aromatic yet exotic and soapy too. I can't find many words to describe this one but such perfumes of this quality will never be made again. I would suggest this is appropriate for spring/summer. Longevity is great and sillage much appropriate. I must not forget to praise enough the first class bottle along with the snakeskin magnificent box. All collectors of perfumes should get this one. 10/10.

08/11/2017

10
Bottle 9
Sillage 10
Longevity 8.5
Scent

Exciter76
77 Reviews

Exciter76

Top Review 10

The Choice Scent for Intellectuals, Circa 1990

When I was in my early teens I received my mom and my aunt’s perfume hand-me-downs. My opinions of those scents were of no consequence; love it or hate it, I wore it. Of course, it was always better when I loved the second-hand perfume. I hated Oscar de la Renta’s eponymous perfume but I wore it daily for three months when I was sixteen because my mom gave it to me. That was as good a reason as any to wear a scent, even a despised scent. But RL Safari was a solid love affair. Nothing could ever replace my beloved scent. Nothing.

I’m trying to get back into my fifteen-year-old self’s headspace to understand what it was that made Safari so irresistible. My fifteen-year-old friends were wearing Liz Claibourn, Tresor, or Sunflowers. I was a wallflower whose perfume made her stick out like a clichéd sore thumb. I carried my cut glass trophy of a scent everywhere I went, and boy, was that bottle heavy. I refreshed my scent often, which was absolutely not necessary. Often, I smelled of Safari even after showers. Our love was solid. But why?

It was the last of the big-boned broads from the late 1980s/early 1990s. Safari was not as obtrusive as its contemporaries (I’m looking at you, Red Door) but it was not demure, per se. Safari was bold but it was also tempered with green elements, like oakmoss and vetiver. It did not feature prominent roses or jasmine; they are present but lurking in—not dominating—the scent. Instead, new and unorthodox flowers were presented to star in this show. In a word, Safari smelled new. To smell it now, it smells kind of dated.

I never answered WHY. I loved its quirky personality and its greenness. I loved its status as a perfume outcast, for I was an awkward outcast, too. It was light years away from what every girl in high school was wearing. It was smart and sophisticated, or at least what I imagined smart and sophisticated women wore while reading Kafka for pleasure’s sake. Safari represented the woman I aspired to become. Safari still smells like that to me.

I’m spending a little time with Safari because many loves have come between us. It feels an awful lot like seeing a high school boyfriend some twenty-five years later while you’re shopping for tomatoes with your current beau. It is awkward and confusing but you might remember what it was that caused you butterflies some twenty-five years ago. Or you might scratch your head and wonder what all the fuss was about. I’m recalling the butterflies and the love letters of years past. However, I’ve moved on. I’m happier snuggling up to my Guerlains and my Tauers. But Safari taught me how to love and appreciate what’s beautiful and unique in the (perfume) world. For that reason we’ll continue to catch up every so often for a platonic date. We will then part ways until next time.

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