Oriane
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Oriane
Meh....
Amber is one of my favourite notes, so I had to try the new Midnight Amber Glow from B&BW. There is not much I can say about it. It is a nice enough gourmand for cooler weather. Coconut is not a listed note, but I swear I can detect a hefty dose of coconut in it, and I do pick up on the latte which is not too unlike Pumpkin Marshmallow Latte which is in my collection.
I would not turn down a gift of Midnight Amber Glow, but it is not special enough for me to purchase a bottle even for half off. B&BW's best amber fragrance is Sensual Amber which is truly special and one of my favourite fragrances ever.
Midnight Amber Glow on the other hand is a bit generic and too similar to several other B&BW fragrances I already own. It is definitely worth testing if you love amber and gourmand ambers in particular. I think performance would be best if layered with the body creme or the body lotion. Midnight Amber Glow would be a crowd pleaser. It is warm and snuggly but not very distinctive.
Midnight Amber Glow would be a nice stocking stuffer and a solid addition to a sparse Autumn/Winter fragrance collection, but if you want the best B&BW amber, then you cannot do better than Sensual Amber.
Fragrance: 5.5/10
Projection: 5/10
Sillage: 5/10
Longevity: 5/10
Presentation: 4/10
I would not turn down a gift of Midnight Amber Glow, but it is not special enough for me to purchase a bottle even for half off. B&BW's best amber fragrance is Sensual Amber which is truly special and one of my favourite fragrances ever.
Midnight Amber Glow on the other hand is a bit generic and too similar to several other B&BW fragrances I already own. It is definitely worth testing if you love amber and gourmand ambers in particular. I think performance would be best if layered with the body creme or the body lotion. Midnight Amber Glow would be a crowd pleaser. It is warm and snuggly but not very distinctive.
Midnight Amber Glow would be a nice stocking stuffer and a solid addition to a sparse Autumn/Winter fragrance collection, but if you want the best B&BW amber, then you cannot do better than Sensual Amber.
Fragrance: 5.5/10
Projection: 5/10
Sillage: 5/10
Longevity: 5/10
Presentation: 4/10
Another Victim of Reformulation Perhaps?
As I understand it, some Patou fragrances will no longer be made, so after reading quite a few enthusiastic reviews of 1000, I purchased a bottle of the eau de parfum from a well known grey market seller.
There is not much I can say about this one. The top notes are nice enough, but they burn off almost as soon as the perfume dries on my skin. Thereafter, I quickly detect a pretty tame oak moss. I cannot really tease out the other notes.
Performance is not good. Even with eight sprays projection and sillage are practically non-existent. Longevity is not good either. It is not an unpleasant fragrance by any means, but I have Avons and B&BW body sprays with more personality and better performance. I believe my bottle is 100% authentic. Perhaps it is just very old? I have the last incarnation of this fragrance, so perhaps age and reformulation combined are to blame?
I think this is a unisex fragrance wearable in virtually any setting. It is nice enough, but I do not think it is special in any way. If these notes appeal to you, though, and you want to add a piece of perfume history to your collection, then by all means grab a bottle whilst they are still available. I paid around $70 for the 75ml bottle. I think a fairer price would be less than half that amount, though. I could even justify $50 for it if the performance was a lot better. Perhaps I should re-evaluate it in really hot weather? I have worn it in February and March. Once I wear it in Summer, if my opinion changes at all, I will be sure to update my review, but for now, I would say this is just okay and very overpriced at $70. I never smelt the original, so perhaps the original was more of a stunner. It is always sad to have to write a "meh" review of any fragrance, especially one from an historically important house like Jean Patou. Oh, well....c'est la vie....
Fragrance: 4/10
Projection: 3/10
Sillage: 3/10
Longevity: 2/10
Presentation: 6/10
There is not much I can say about this one. The top notes are nice enough, but they burn off almost as soon as the perfume dries on my skin. Thereafter, I quickly detect a pretty tame oak moss. I cannot really tease out the other notes.
Performance is not good. Even with eight sprays projection and sillage are practically non-existent. Longevity is not good either. It is not an unpleasant fragrance by any means, but I have Avons and B&BW body sprays with more personality and better performance. I believe my bottle is 100% authentic. Perhaps it is just very old? I have the last incarnation of this fragrance, so perhaps age and reformulation combined are to blame?
I think this is a unisex fragrance wearable in virtually any setting. It is nice enough, but I do not think it is special in any way. If these notes appeal to you, though, and you want to add a piece of perfume history to your collection, then by all means grab a bottle whilst they are still available. I paid around $70 for the 75ml bottle. I think a fairer price would be less than half that amount, though. I could even justify $50 for it if the performance was a lot better. Perhaps I should re-evaluate it in really hot weather? I have worn it in February and March. Once I wear it in Summer, if my opinion changes at all, I will be sure to update my review, but for now, I would say this is just okay and very overpriced at $70. I never smelt the original, so perhaps the original was more of a stunner. It is always sad to have to write a "meh" review of any fragrance, especially one from an historically important house like Jean Patou. Oh, well....c'est la vie....
Fragrance: 4/10
Projection: 3/10
Sillage: 3/10
Longevity: 2/10
Presentation: 6/10
A Lush, Fresh Bouquet of Summer Flowers and a Smidge of Fresh Summer Fruit
Beautiful is a floral fragrance launched in 1985. The perfumers are Sophia Grojsman, Bernard Chant, and Max Gavarry.
Top Notes: Rose, Galbanum, Lily, Black Currant, Fruity Notes, Mandarin Orange, Cassia, Bergamot, Lemon
Heart Notes: Carnation, Tuberose, Marigold, Mimosa, Jasmine, Narcissus, Chamomile, Ylang-Ylang, Geranium, Lily of the Valley, Orange Blossom, Lilac, Magnolia, Freesia, Pink Violet, Sage, Neroli
Base Notes: Sandalwood, Amber, Musk, Vetiver, Cedar, Vanilla
Firstly, I am surprised no one else has submitted a review of this lovely floral fragrance in the EDP formulation before now. I have always felt that Estee Lauder fragrances were beautiful and a good value. My favourites are Private Collection, Cinnabar, and Youth Dew. Somehow, I never came to own Beautiful Eau de Parfum until quite recently. Now that I have tried it, I realise I have smelt this before any number of times. My bottle is a recent formulation, so I cannot address how the vintage may have smelt and whether or not this fragrance has changed all that much since it was first introduced, but all fragrances are reformulated roughly every five years, so I am sure this one has been reformulated many times for better or worse.
Speaking for the current formulation, this is a pretty floral fragrance that is well blended. I find it very difficult to pick out individual notes, but I do detect a fairly strong, fresh vetiver that rises up from the base into the top notes and then begins to die down once the heart begins to fully open and the fruit makes its entrance. I detect perhaps a bit of rose and a bit of carnation in the top notes. None of the florals really stand out that much apart from the others for me. Compared to my favourite Estee Lauder fragrances, I find Beautiful to be a light, airy floral with a dollop of fresh red fruit--it reminds me somewhat of Givenchy L'Interdit in its heart, and in the deep dry down it reminds me of Clinique Aromatics Elixir. Although I am wearing it for the first time in February, I think Beautiful would make a lovely Spring and Summer fragrance and could be worn both during the daytime and the nighttime. It is fresh and innocent smelling to me. I can see why brides might choose this as a wedding day fragrance. It is a reminder of Spring's eternal joyful return and thus of youth.
Beautiful will work in virtually any setting from office to classroom to church occasions to brunch to a recital to a shopping spree to a funeral, to a wedding, and just about anywhere else you can think of. Well done florals such as this are universally applicable to virtually any setting/occasion. This is definitely a woman's fragrance as far as I am concerned. I do not imagine many men would want to wear this one. I cannot say it smells uber expensive, but it certainly smells nicer than many fragrances you might find at the chemist, and it is certainly more complex and a bit more expensive smelling than most body sprays.
Personally, as far as florals go, I like this more than Jean Patou Joy which is drier and sharper. If you like Joy, then I think you will like Beautiful, too, maybe even more. To my nose, Joy is mainly fresh albeit sharp roses. Beautiful is a full, lush, fresh bouquet of many flowers, and it has a very light natural smelling sweetness to it--no candy floss or pastries here. I detect a bit of red fruit (watermelon?) in this fragrance, too, which may be a source of the sweetness in it. I can imagine anyone from 15 to 80+ wearing this fragrance well. I would be happy to have my 15 year old daughter wear this (if I had one), and I cannot say that about too many fragrances. I do not see how anyone could be offended by this fragrance unless the wearer seriously over sprays or unless someone generally dislikes florals, but who does not love the smell of fresh flowers with a smidge of fresh Summer fruit?
Performance on my skin is reasonably good compared to most fragrances these days. Thus, I deem this fragrance a good value for the price point. It is not ground breaking. It is not edgy or "sexy" or unusual or very sophisticated. It is just a pretty floral bouquet with a bit of sweet Summer fruit and a slightly warm dry down from the sandalwood and clean musk---no powder here and no dirty animalics. The ingredients are of a good quality---not synthetic, not cheap smelling. Would I reach for Beautiful very often? No, I think I would reach for it occasionally in Spring and Summer. My taste leans more strongly toward florientals such as the original and very beautiful Oscar de la Renta or even Espirit d' Oscar or the eternally beautiful and elegant Nina Ricci L' Air du Temps (my own wedding day fragrance) or the luscious garden of Guerlain Jardins de Bagatelle. Beautiful is a fresh bouquet of Summer flowers and slightly sweet Summer fruit, always appropriate and always inoffensive but not especially memorable as far as I am concerned. However, as stated above, Beautiful is a safe choice for virtually any occasion and any setting, so it makes a nice staple in one's fragrance wardrobe just like a black dress and pearls do.
Fragrance: 5/10
Projection: 6/10 (for the first hour or two)
Sillage: 6/10 (for the first hour or two)
Longevity: 5/10
packaging: 6/10
Top Notes: Rose, Galbanum, Lily, Black Currant, Fruity Notes, Mandarin Orange, Cassia, Bergamot, Lemon
Heart Notes: Carnation, Tuberose, Marigold, Mimosa, Jasmine, Narcissus, Chamomile, Ylang-Ylang, Geranium, Lily of the Valley, Orange Blossom, Lilac, Magnolia, Freesia, Pink Violet, Sage, Neroli
Base Notes: Sandalwood, Amber, Musk, Vetiver, Cedar, Vanilla
Firstly, I am surprised no one else has submitted a review of this lovely floral fragrance in the EDP formulation before now. I have always felt that Estee Lauder fragrances were beautiful and a good value. My favourites are Private Collection, Cinnabar, and Youth Dew. Somehow, I never came to own Beautiful Eau de Parfum until quite recently. Now that I have tried it, I realise I have smelt this before any number of times. My bottle is a recent formulation, so I cannot address how the vintage may have smelt and whether or not this fragrance has changed all that much since it was first introduced, but all fragrances are reformulated roughly every five years, so I am sure this one has been reformulated many times for better or worse.
Speaking for the current formulation, this is a pretty floral fragrance that is well blended. I find it very difficult to pick out individual notes, but I do detect a fairly strong, fresh vetiver that rises up from the base into the top notes and then begins to die down once the heart begins to fully open and the fruit makes its entrance. I detect perhaps a bit of rose and a bit of carnation in the top notes. None of the florals really stand out that much apart from the others for me. Compared to my favourite Estee Lauder fragrances, I find Beautiful to be a light, airy floral with a dollop of fresh red fruit--it reminds me somewhat of Givenchy L'Interdit in its heart, and in the deep dry down it reminds me of Clinique Aromatics Elixir. Although I am wearing it for the first time in February, I think Beautiful would make a lovely Spring and Summer fragrance and could be worn both during the daytime and the nighttime. It is fresh and innocent smelling to me. I can see why brides might choose this as a wedding day fragrance. It is a reminder of Spring's eternal joyful return and thus of youth.
Beautiful will work in virtually any setting from office to classroom to church occasions to brunch to a recital to a shopping spree to a funeral, to a wedding, and just about anywhere else you can think of. Well done florals such as this are universally applicable to virtually any setting/occasion. This is definitely a woman's fragrance as far as I am concerned. I do not imagine many men would want to wear this one. I cannot say it smells uber expensive, but it certainly smells nicer than many fragrances you might find at the chemist, and it is certainly more complex and a bit more expensive smelling than most body sprays.
Personally, as far as florals go, I like this more than Jean Patou Joy which is drier and sharper. If you like Joy, then I think you will like Beautiful, too, maybe even more. To my nose, Joy is mainly fresh albeit sharp roses. Beautiful is a full, lush, fresh bouquet of many flowers, and it has a very light natural smelling sweetness to it--no candy floss or pastries here. I detect a bit of red fruit (watermelon?) in this fragrance, too, which may be a source of the sweetness in it. I can imagine anyone from 15 to 80+ wearing this fragrance well. I would be happy to have my 15 year old daughter wear this (if I had one), and I cannot say that about too many fragrances. I do not see how anyone could be offended by this fragrance unless the wearer seriously over sprays or unless someone generally dislikes florals, but who does not love the smell of fresh flowers with a smidge of fresh Summer fruit?
Performance on my skin is reasonably good compared to most fragrances these days. Thus, I deem this fragrance a good value for the price point. It is not ground breaking. It is not edgy or "sexy" or unusual or very sophisticated. It is just a pretty floral bouquet with a bit of sweet Summer fruit and a slightly warm dry down from the sandalwood and clean musk---no powder here and no dirty animalics. The ingredients are of a good quality---not synthetic, not cheap smelling. Would I reach for Beautiful very often? No, I think I would reach for it occasionally in Spring and Summer. My taste leans more strongly toward florientals such as the original and very beautiful Oscar de la Renta or even Espirit d' Oscar or the eternally beautiful and elegant Nina Ricci L' Air du Temps (my own wedding day fragrance) or the luscious garden of Guerlain Jardins de Bagatelle. Beautiful is a fresh bouquet of Summer flowers and slightly sweet Summer fruit, always appropriate and always inoffensive but not especially memorable as far as I am concerned. However, as stated above, Beautiful is a safe choice for virtually any occasion and any setting, so it makes a nice staple in one's fragrance wardrobe just like a black dress and pearls do.
Fragrance: 5/10
Projection: 6/10 (for the first hour or two)
Sillage: 6/10 (for the first hour or two)
Longevity: 5/10
packaging: 6/10
4 Comments
Mainly Sweet Musk and Amber
Notes: Amber, Patchouli, Musk, Incense, Woodsy Notes
L' Ombre Fauve 8.1 is an unisex amber woody fragrance launched in 2007. The perfumer is Pierre Guillaume.
There is not too much I can say about this fragrance. I definitely detect all of the listed notes. They are well blended. There is one (unlisted) note in this fragrance that used to sort of catch in my throat. Either I have become used to it, or my bottle has macerated to such a degree that it no longer jumps out at me or both. L' Ombre Fauve is a warm, musky, ambery fragrance that seems made for cuddling. The musk has a sweetness to it that is quite enticing. At times it almost crosses over into gourmand territory, but it never quite makes it. Musk is not always an easy note for me, but the sweetness of it here is very appealing and does not have any dirtiness to it.
I would not recommend this one for office wear. This is best for date nights or nights alone where you just want to wear and enjoy your fragrance for yourself. If these notes sound good to you, I encourage you to test it. You absolutely must like both musk and amber to wear this one. Incense is there but is very muted. I feel the price point is a bit expensive for this one, but it is a quite nice musk and amber centric fragrance. Unlike a lot of musks, L' Ombre Fauve has no florals that I am able to discern. I find this fragrance warm, cuddly, powdery, ambery, musky, and really rather innocent like a little kitten or bunny if that makes sense. It wears close on my skin after the first 30 minutes or so. I do not see how anyone could dislike this fragrance unless s/he dislikes amber and/or musk.
Fragrance: 6/10
Sillage: 5/10
Projection: 5/10
Longevity: 5/10
Presentation: 6/10
L' Ombre Fauve 8.1 is an unisex amber woody fragrance launched in 2007. The perfumer is Pierre Guillaume.
There is not too much I can say about this fragrance. I definitely detect all of the listed notes. They are well blended. There is one (unlisted) note in this fragrance that used to sort of catch in my throat. Either I have become used to it, or my bottle has macerated to such a degree that it no longer jumps out at me or both. L' Ombre Fauve is a warm, musky, ambery fragrance that seems made for cuddling. The musk has a sweetness to it that is quite enticing. At times it almost crosses over into gourmand territory, but it never quite makes it. Musk is not always an easy note for me, but the sweetness of it here is very appealing and does not have any dirtiness to it.
I would not recommend this one for office wear. This is best for date nights or nights alone where you just want to wear and enjoy your fragrance for yourself. If these notes sound good to you, I encourage you to test it. You absolutely must like both musk and amber to wear this one. Incense is there but is very muted. I feel the price point is a bit expensive for this one, but it is a quite nice musk and amber centric fragrance. Unlike a lot of musks, L' Ombre Fauve has no florals that I am able to discern. I find this fragrance warm, cuddly, powdery, ambery, musky, and really rather innocent like a little kitten or bunny if that makes sense. It wears close on my skin after the first 30 minutes or so. I do not see how anyone could dislike this fragrance unless s/he dislikes amber and/or musk.
Fragrance: 6/10
Sillage: 5/10
Projection: 5/10
Longevity: 5/10
Presentation: 6/10
Another Total Triumph for Thierry Wasser and Guerlain
Tonka Imperiale is another seriously beautiful, sophisticated, and elegant perfume from perfumer Thierry Wasser for the legendary House of Guerlain. Wasser's composition does not merely rival but it completely surpasses Spiritueuse Double Vanille by the divine Jean-Paul Guerlain, which is saying a lot as far as I am concerned.
Like SDV, Tonka Imperiale is classified as an amber fragrance, and like SDV, it also borders on gourmand for me but in a much more intoxicating way.. It is beautifully blended. Tonka bean, almond, tobacco, and incense are the standout notes for me, although I do detect a bit of rosemary and a smidge of pine that help to temper the sweetness whilst the jasmine lends just a whisper of floral delicacy to the composition. It has a quite boozy dimension to it as well which I love. I imagine the booziness comes from the tonka and the almond, or perhaps there is a note of a deep, dark rum or cherry brandy that imparts that quality to this fragrance but is not listed in the notes pyramid? It feels somewhat gourmand to me in its top and heart notes, but it is a grownup, semi-gourmand if I may put it that way. It never becomes candy sweet, and it never becomes totally edible. Here Wasser has achieved the most wonderful balance of notes.
This lovely fragrance seems unisex to me although I think more women would be attracted to it than would men. It is elegant and understated in a way that Dior Feve Delicieuse, a true gourmand fragrance to which Tonka Imperiale is often compared, is not. Projection is within arm's length, and sillage is moderate. Longevity is quite good on my skin. It becomes a skin scent on me after about 2-3 hours, but there it lingers for a good 10-12 hours of pure bliss.
Tonka Imperiale melds with my skin in the heart and in the deep dry down in a way that smells so delicious and a bit boozy, but it does so in a very natural way as if my own skin produced the fragrance instead of a perfume. Now, that is sexy! For me, it is definitely full bottle worthy, and I would purchase it again once I use up this bottle. It is a wonderful fragrance for evenings in Autumn and Winter especially, whether at home in front of the fire or going out for a nice supper and a moonlight stroll, but of course I will not restrict myself to wearing this beauty in Autumn and Winter only! Very highly recommended. This is an utter triumph for Wasser and Guerlain. Kudos, M. Wasser! Encore, encore!!! {{{Applause!! Applause!!!}}}
Fragrance: 9/10
Projection: 5/10
Sillage: 6/10
Longevity: 9/10
Presentation: 9/10
Like SDV, Tonka Imperiale is classified as an amber fragrance, and like SDV, it also borders on gourmand for me but in a much more intoxicating way.. It is beautifully blended. Tonka bean, almond, tobacco, and incense are the standout notes for me, although I do detect a bit of rosemary and a smidge of pine that help to temper the sweetness whilst the jasmine lends just a whisper of floral delicacy to the composition. It has a quite boozy dimension to it as well which I love. I imagine the booziness comes from the tonka and the almond, or perhaps there is a note of a deep, dark rum or cherry brandy that imparts that quality to this fragrance but is not listed in the notes pyramid? It feels somewhat gourmand to me in its top and heart notes, but it is a grownup, semi-gourmand if I may put it that way. It never becomes candy sweet, and it never becomes totally edible. Here Wasser has achieved the most wonderful balance of notes.
This lovely fragrance seems unisex to me although I think more women would be attracted to it than would men. It is elegant and understated in a way that Dior Feve Delicieuse, a true gourmand fragrance to which Tonka Imperiale is often compared, is not. Projection is within arm's length, and sillage is moderate. Longevity is quite good on my skin. It becomes a skin scent on me after about 2-3 hours, but there it lingers for a good 10-12 hours of pure bliss.
Tonka Imperiale melds with my skin in the heart and in the deep dry down in a way that smells so delicious and a bit boozy, but it does so in a very natural way as if my own skin produced the fragrance instead of a perfume. Now, that is sexy! For me, it is definitely full bottle worthy, and I would purchase it again once I use up this bottle. It is a wonderful fragrance for evenings in Autumn and Winter especially, whether at home in front of the fire or going out for a nice supper and a moonlight stroll, but of course I will not restrict myself to wearing this beauty in Autumn and Winter only! Very highly recommended. This is an utter triumph for Wasser and Guerlain. Kudos, M. Wasser! Encore, encore!!! {{{Applause!! Applause!!!}}}
Fragrance: 9/10
Projection: 5/10
Sillage: 6/10
Longevity: 9/10
Presentation: 9/10
