Oriane
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Oriane
Opulent Floriental
This review is for the vintage Eau de Parfum.
Top Notes: Basil, Neroli, Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot, Orange Blossom, Narcissus.
Heart Notes: Honey, Carnation, Tuberose, Jasmine, Orris Root, Lily of the Valley, Bulgarian Rose.
Base Notes: Oakmoss, Sandalwood, Tonka Bean, Amber, Patchouli, Musk, Benzoin, Vanilla, Heliotrope, Cedar.
Bijan is a decadently rich, delicious, and quite expensive smelling Floriental that is very well blended with the perfect amount of spice. I have to work hard to distinguish individual notes, but the ones I am able to distinguish smell very natural and lush. Bijan is not synthetic smelling at all. This is how I had hoped Bal a Versailles would smell.
Bijan immediately seduces both the senses and the imagination. The development is rewardingly slow compared to so many of today's fragrances. It develops over time like the slow opening of a beautiful rose. Bijan has a classic pyramidal structure.
The ylang-ylang and orange blossom in the top notes are lush and sweet. Then as Bijan slowly develops, I detect gorgeous notes of sweet honey and fresh carnation with hints of buttery tuberose and orris root. The deep dry down is very warm, rich, powdery, and sensual. All of the base notes meld together so seamlessly that it is difficult to tease them apart from one another. They are simply there on one's skin like a soft, rich, silky, beautiful veil. This is a perfume to truly relish smelling either on oneself or on someone else.
I am amazed by the way all of the notes combine to create the most incredibly soft smoothness. They meld effortlessly with one another to form a most intoxicatingly delicious smell. Sniffing Bijan is the olfactory equivalent of running one's hand across the softest most opulent and warm fur one can imagine. This...this is a Floriental worthy of the name!
On top of everything else, Bijan is obscenely affordable--at least in the current EdT formulation. I would expect to pay significantly more for a fragrance of this fine quality.
If you like Florientals/Orientals, this is one that is worth adding to your wardrobe. It is "dress up" worthy, date night worthy, and special occasion worthy. Sadly, they do not make fragrances like this anymore. Bijan is opulent, smooth, rich, warm, sensual, feminine, and dare I say it...sexy. I generally do not relegate any perfume to either day or night wear, but Bijan I think would be best worn in the evening because it is so opulently rich and seductive. A woman wearing Bijan will rightly expect the men in her immediate vicinity to notice her and to gravitate toward her.
The following ratings are for the first five hours or so. Thereafter, Bijan very slowly begins to fade away leaving behind what I envision as the wake of Cleopatra's barge sparkling in the moonlight.
Fragrance: 8/10
Projection: 7/10
Sillage: 7/10
Longevity: 7/10
ETA December 2019: Every time I come back to wear this fragrance I swoon all over again. This is the most wonderful, floral amber I have ever smelt. If I were told it was created by one of the legendary noses at Guerlain or CHANEL, I would not doubt it for a moment. It smells so expensive and sexy, but these days it is not expensive at all. If you love, opulent, floral ambers you really cannot do better than this fragrance.
I have several other ambers in my collection, but few even exist within the same universe as Bijan Bijan. It smells wealthy and glamorous, dark and rich. I can imagine a young Ava Gardener, Sophia Loren, or Yvonne DeCarlo wearing this. It is simply stunning. Anytime I wear it, I wonder why I still keep Amber Sultan and a few others in my collection. None of them compete with Bijan. Going out for a very elegant evening this Winter? Rubbing shoulders with the creme de la creme of New York, Paris, Milan society, or just your home town? Put on your finest frock and sexiest shoes. Don your prettiest earrings, and then, apply Bijan. You will turn heads and "knock 'em dead" wherever you go. I promise. :)
Top Notes: Basil, Neroli, Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot, Orange Blossom, Narcissus.
Heart Notes: Honey, Carnation, Tuberose, Jasmine, Orris Root, Lily of the Valley, Bulgarian Rose.
Base Notes: Oakmoss, Sandalwood, Tonka Bean, Amber, Patchouli, Musk, Benzoin, Vanilla, Heliotrope, Cedar.
Bijan is a decadently rich, delicious, and quite expensive smelling Floriental that is very well blended with the perfect amount of spice. I have to work hard to distinguish individual notes, but the ones I am able to distinguish smell very natural and lush. Bijan is not synthetic smelling at all. This is how I had hoped Bal a Versailles would smell.
Bijan immediately seduces both the senses and the imagination. The development is rewardingly slow compared to so many of today's fragrances. It develops over time like the slow opening of a beautiful rose. Bijan has a classic pyramidal structure.
The ylang-ylang and orange blossom in the top notes are lush and sweet. Then as Bijan slowly develops, I detect gorgeous notes of sweet honey and fresh carnation with hints of buttery tuberose and orris root. The deep dry down is very warm, rich, powdery, and sensual. All of the base notes meld together so seamlessly that it is difficult to tease them apart from one another. They are simply there on one's skin like a soft, rich, silky, beautiful veil. This is a perfume to truly relish smelling either on oneself or on someone else.
I am amazed by the way all of the notes combine to create the most incredibly soft smoothness. They meld effortlessly with one another to form a most intoxicatingly delicious smell. Sniffing Bijan is the olfactory equivalent of running one's hand across the softest most opulent and warm fur one can imagine. This...this is a Floriental worthy of the name!
On top of everything else, Bijan is obscenely affordable--at least in the current EdT formulation. I would expect to pay significantly more for a fragrance of this fine quality.
If you like Florientals/Orientals, this is one that is worth adding to your wardrobe. It is "dress up" worthy, date night worthy, and special occasion worthy. Sadly, they do not make fragrances like this anymore. Bijan is opulent, smooth, rich, warm, sensual, feminine, and dare I say it...sexy. I generally do not relegate any perfume to either day or night wear, but Bijan I think would be best worn in the evening because it is so opulently rich and seductive. A woman wearing Bijan will rightly expect the men in her immediate vicinity to notice her and to gravitate toward her.
The following ratings are for the first five hours or so. Thereafter, Bijan very slowly begins to fade away leaving behind what I envision as the wake of Cleopatra's barge sparkling in the moonlight.
Fragrance: 8/10
Projection: 7/10
Sillage: 7/10
Longevity: 7/10
ETA December 2019: Every time I come back to wear this fragrance I swoon all over again. This is the most wonderful, floral amber I have ever smelt. If I were told it was created by one of the legendary noses at Guerlain or CHANEL, I would not doubt it for a moment. It smells so expensive and sexy, but these days it is not expensive at all. If you love, opulent, floral ambers you really cannot do better than this fragrance.
I have several other ambers in my collection, but few even exist within the same universe as Bijan Bijan. It smells wealthy and glamorous, dark and rich. I can imagine a young Ava Gardener, Sophia Loren, or Yvonne DeCarlo wearing this. It is simply stunning. Anytime I wear it, I wonder why I still keep Amber Sultan and a few others in my collection. None of them compete with Bijan. Going out for a very elegant evening this Winter? Rubbing shoulders with the creme de la creme of New York, Paris, Milan society, or just your home town? Put on your finest frock and sexiest shoes. Don your prettiest earrings, and then, apply Bijan. You will turn heads and "knock 'em dead" wherever you go. I promise. :)
2 Comments
Fruity Red Berries & Divinely Sweet, Warm Dry Down
This review is for the shower gel, body spray, and body creme used in conjunction.
Top Notes: Champagne, Carambola (Star Fruit), and Quince.
Heart Notes: Peony and Freesia.
Base Notes: Amber, Almond Creme, Sugar, Sandalwood, and Musk. (this fragrance really shines in the base notes!)
I was looking for something new at B&BW the other day, and the SA suggested A Thousand Wishes. Neither the name nor the packaging particularly impressed me, but I was happy to sniff it on card. I immediately thought it smelt similar to Amber Blush as I could detect the champagne note in it. I already own Amber Blush shower gel, body spray, and lotion, and whilst I liked A Thousand Wishes well enough, I did not want to purchase something that might be essentially the same fragrance as Amber Blush.
I checked the notes on-line for Amber Blush and A Thousand Wishes and saw that they shared some notes, most notably champagne but also amber, sandalwood, and musk. However, other notes were quiet different. Amber Blush contains raspberry, apricot, suede, mandarin orange, magnolia, star anise, gardenia, jasmine, and bergamot whilst A Thousand Wishes has none of these latter notes. The bergamot and mandarin orange in Amber Blush give it a much more citrusy top whilst the champagne gives it a good deal of champagne fizziness throughout. A Thousand Wishes has neither the citrusy top nor the persistent fizziness of Amber Blush. Hence, whilst they are perceived as having some slight family resemblance, overall they are different enough to be distinguished from one another.
I was inspired by the promise of a creamy almond note in A Thousand Wishes as I love nutty notes, so I purchased the body spray, shower gel, and the body creme. I believe layering gives the best projection, sillage, and longevity. I am happy to say that A Thousand Wishes fulfilled my hope that it would be full size bottle worthy.
Whilst A Thousand Wishes is similar to Amber Blush, it is different enough to stand on its own as a unique fragrance. Firstly, it is not as strong of a fragrance as is Amber Blush. I found it is much softer, and the champagne note is not as pronounced. In the deep dry down there is a creamy almond note and a warm amber note along with a nice woody sandalwood and a hint of musk that blended perfectly with the persistent but soft champagne note. The almond note is soft but quite nice, and combined with the amber and sandalwood in the base, it makes for a very warm and snuggly fragrance.
A Thousand Wishes smells quite seductively sweet and alluring given the base notes, and I think it would make a very nice year round scent. I think the fruit and florals will be more noticeable during the warm weather months, and the base notes will really shine on crisp, cold days. A Thousand Wishes is very nice, and I am very surprised as I did not expect it to be this nice. I would not say it is terribly "special," but as such fruity-floral fragrances go, it is far nicer than most I have sniffed. I am so glad the SA suggested it because I probably never would have tried it had she not done.
I like the dry down best. If I concentrate and inhale deeply, I am able to detect all of the base notes, and they do smell wonderful! This is a well blended fragrance. I think anyone who wears these base notes well can wear this fragrance well. As with all of my B&BW fragrances, projection, sillage, and longevity are excellent whence the matching products are layered with the body spray and/or the EdT.
These scores are within the B&BW family of scents. They are not meant to be compared to the same type of scored given to a Guerlain or a Chanel for example.
Fragrance: 8.5/10
Projection: 8/10
Sillage: 8/10
Longevity: 9/10
Top Notes: Champagne, Carambola (Star Fruit), and Quince.
Heart Notes: Peony and Freesia.
Base Notes: Amber, Almond Creme, Sugar, Sandalwood, and Musk. (this fragrance really shines in the base notes!)
I was looking for something new at B&BW the other day, and the SA suggested A Thousand Wishes. Neither the name nor the packaging particularly impressed me, but I was happy to sniff it on card. I immediately thought it smelt similar to Amber Blush as I could detect the champagne note in it. I already own Amber Blush shower gel, body spray, and lotion, and whilst I liked A Thousand Wishes well enough, I did not want to purchase something that might be essentially the same fragrance as Amber Blush.
I checked the notes on-line for Amber Blush and A Thousand Wishes and saw that they shared some notes, most notably champagne but also amber, sandalwood, and musk. However, other notes were quiet different. Amber Blush contains raspberry, apricot, suede, mandarin orange, magnolia, star anise, gardenia, jasmine, and bergamot whilst A Thousand Wishes has none of these latter notes. The bergamot and mandarin orange in Amber Blush give it a much more citrusy top whilst the champagne gives it a good deal of champagne fizziness throughout. A Thousand Wishes has neither the citrusy top nor the persistent fizziness of Amber Blush. Hence, whilst they are perceived as having some slight family resemblance, overall they are different enough to be distinguished from one another.
I was inspired by the promise of a creamy almond note in A Thousand Wishes as I love nutty notes, so I purchased the body spray, shower gel, and the body creme. I believe layering gives the best projection, sillage, and longevity. I am happy to say that A Thousand Wishes fulfilled my hope that it would be full size bottle worthy.
Whilst A Thousand Wishes is similar to Amber Blush, it is different enough to stand on its own as a unique fragrance. Firstly, it is not as strong of a fragrance as is Amber Blush. I found it is much softer, and the champagne note is not as pronounced. In the deep dry down there is a creamy almond note and a warm amber note along with a nice woody sandalwood and a hint of musk that blended perfectly with the persistent but soft champagne note. The almond note is soft but quite nice, and combined with the amber and sandalwood in the base, it makes for a very warm and snuggly fragrance.
A Thousand Wishes smells quite seductively sweet and alluring given the base notes, and I think it would make a very nice year round scent. I think the fruit and florals will be more noticeable during the warm weather months, and the base notes will really shine on crisp, cold days. A Thousand Wishes is very nice, and I am very surprised as I did not expect it to be this nice. I would not say it is terribly "special," but as such fruity-floral fragrances go, it is far nicer than most I have sniffed. I am so glad the SA suggested it because I probably never would have tried it had she not done.
I like the dry down best. If I concentrate and inhale deeply, I am able to detect all of the base notes, and they do smell wonderful! This is a well blended fragrance. I think anyone who wears these base notes well can wear this fragrance well. As with all of my B&BW fragrances, projection, sillage, and longevity are excellent whence the matching products are layered with the body spray and/or the EdT.
These scores are within the B&BW family of scents. They are not meant to be compared to the same type of scored given to a Guerlain or a Chanel for example.
Fragrance: 8.5/10
Projection: 8/10
Sillage: 8/10
Longevity: 9/10
Smells Like Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Only BETTER!
This review is primarily for the BODY SPRAY and the SHOWER GEL. (I have since acquired the EdT as well.)
Top Notes: Bergamot, Orange, Mandarin Orange, Tangerine.
Heart Notes: Lily of the Valley, Magnolia, Gardenia, Tuberose, Freesia, Peony, Camelia.
Base Notes: Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Musk, Vanilla.
I recently tried three new fragrances from B&BW, including Black Amethyst, and it has knocked off my socks!! Wow!!! This is the most SOPHISTICATED B&BW scent I have ever smelt!! I bought the shower gel and the body spray. Immediately upon using the shower gel I thought to myself "oh, my goodness, if the body spray smells even half this good I have found one gorgeous fragrance!!!" Needless to say, the body spray is divine, too. The shower gel is the most concentrated of any of my B&BW shower gels. It lathered up so rich and creamy I could not believe it, and the fragrance from it is as good as any EdT I have ever used.
Black Amethyst is a very sophisticated, sexy, and mature fragrance, and what is more, it smells like Chanel Coco Mademoiselle only BETTER! I have never been able to wear Mademoiselle because of its extreme sharpness, but THIS I can wear! It has all of the wonderful top notes, but it does not smell razor sharp as does Mademoiselle. If you and/or someone you know likes Mademoiselle, try Black Amethyst. I wager you will not be disappointed. You will definitely love the price, too!
This fragrance is worthy of dressing up for the day/evening. It is "date" worthy and special occasion worthy. In fact, now that I have discovered it, I plan to buy back ups of both the body spray and the shower gel, and I will order the body creme as well as look around for a bottle of the discontinued EdT. I could not be more thrilled with this fragrance! I do not give these sorts of enthusiastic reviews very often, but Black Amethyst deserves all of the praise I can heap upon her. As another reviewer mentioned, Black Amethyst does have a strong vetiver note, but it is well blended. If you cannot abide vetiver, then Black Amethyst is probably not the fragrance for you.
Look at all of the notes. If these are notes you generally like, then you will love them in Black Amethyst. I cannot say enough good things about this fragrance. I only wish I had discovered this beauty several years ago! : )
These scores are within the B&BW family of scents. They are not meant to be compared to the same type of scored given to a Guerlain or a Chanel for example.
Fragrance: 9.5/10
Projection: 8.5/10
Sillage: 8.5/10
Longevity: 6.5/10
Top Notes: Bergamot, Orange, Mandarin Orange, Tangerine.
Heart Notes: Lily of the Valley, Magnolia, Gardenia, Tuberose, Freesia, Peony, Camelia.
Base Notes: Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Musk, Vanilla.
I recently tried three new fragrances from B&BW, including Black Amethyst, and it has knocked off my socks!! Wow!!! This is the most SOPHISTICATED B&BW scent I have ever smelt!! I bought the shower gel and the body spray. Immediately upon using the shower gel I thought to myself "oh, my goodness, if the body spray smells even half this good I have found one gorgeous fragrance!!!" Needless to say, the body spray is divine, too. The shower gel is the most concentrated of any of my B&BW shower gels. It lathered up so rich and creamy I could not believe it, and the fragrance from it is as good as any EdT I have ever used.
Black Amethyst is a very sophisticated, sexy, and mature fragrance, and what is more, it smells like Chanel Coco Mademoiselle only BETTER! I have never been able to wear Mademoiselle because of its extreme sharpness, but THIS I can wear! It has all of the wonderful top notes, but it does not smell razor sharp as does Mademoiselle. If you and/or someone you know likes Mademoiselle, try Black Amethyst. I wager you will not be disappointed. You will definitely love the price, too!
This fragrance is worthy of dressing up for the day/evening. It is "date" worthy and special occasion worthy. In fact, now that I have discovered it, I plan to buy back ups of both the body spray and the shower gel, and I will order the body creme as well as look around for a bottle of the discontinued EdT. I could not be more thrilled with this fragrance! I do not give these sorts of enthusiastic reviews very often, but Black Amethyst deserves all of the praise I can heap upon her. As another reviewer mentioned, Black Amethyst does have a strong vetiver note, but it is well blended. If you cannot abide vetiver, then Black Amethyst is probably not the fragrance for you.
Look at all of the notes. If these are notes you generally like, then you will love them in Black Amethyst. I cannot say enough good things about this fragrance. I only wish I had discovered this beauty several years ago! : )
These scores are within the B&BW family of scents. They are not meant to be compared to the same type of scored given to a Guerlain or a Chanel for example.
Fragrance: 9.5/10
Projection: 8.5/10
Sillage: 8.5/10
Longevity: 6.5/10
