Tag: Perfume review

Armani Code For Women

Soft citrus vanilla, somehow both warm and fresh. I find it very pleasant and gentle with soft sillage but really reasonable lasting power.

I can see it being sexy for some people, for me it’s just a sweet, gentle, friendly and open sort of a scent, definitely a deviation from my heavy incense and spice bombs but lovely none the less, I mean definitely a little on the “basic bitch” scent side, but you know what?

Basic bitches are nice people, they bring enough coffee for everyone and are generous and considerate.  We should all be grateful for the basic bitches in our lives, bothering to send out birthday cards and actually caring about your baby pictures.

This scent is like that, easy to like, good hearted and a pleasure to be around.  It may not be the most unique scent in the world, but you know what?  It’s a nice scent, and I’m glad it’s popular, just like I’m glad that “basic bitches” are common because they too are nice and the world would be a sadder place if they were rare.

Jovan Silky Rose: Super awesome steal for patchouli/rose lovers.

Is rose, sweet juicy fruit and yummy orange blossom on a base of patch that really reminds me of Thierry Mugler’s Angel, honestly it could be a summer Angel flanker, and so even though it doesn’t last more than an hour for 12 bucks for 3.4 oz it’s kind of an amazing steal.

It’s very fresh and pretty and wearable but not boring, and because it’s not boring I’m scared to death it will be discontinued. 

Shalimar

What can I even say about this bergamot vanilla incense scent that has not been said before?  It is an institution, a warm, glorious institution.  This is a bit of history that belongs to the world.  It is sexy and comforting, old fashioned and timeless.  The opening is sharp and divisive and you might think you don’t like it, but let it settle, give it time, let the interplay of incense and vanilla come into the main.  It is a true Guerlain masterpiece.

Even if you don’t want to own a bottle this is a perfume you must smell in your life, it is a classic of French perfumerie and to wear it is to wear history.

Silver by Al-Rehab

Fresh and cool, like iced tea with lemon and a little fruit of some sort. It’s androgynous and ultra chill. It’s not a boring fresh, a fascinating fresh, a unique almost other worldly, mystical misty faerie morning fresh, but not a cloying sweet children’s story book faerie, a folklore morally ambiguous slightly scary faerie, a chilly and beautiful force of nature faerie. This is a beautiful spring morning that might turn to freezing rain you might get lost in.

I am delighted and fascinated.

Mad Madame by Juliette Has A Gun

This makes me think of a sweeter, rounder version of Sa Majeste La Rose by Serge Lutens. Lutens’ version is tarter, greener, a little more astringent, this is sweetened with amber and black currant and rounded out by leathery castoreum and warm tolu balsam. It’s cozy and a little dirty, kinda like sunday morning before you shower… kinda like a sunday morning roll in the hay before you shower, when the bed is all warm and nice and they’re all warm and nice and it’s just a warm nice, kinda musky experience.

It starts sharper and greener (but still not as sharp and green as the Lutens creation) and warms and softens, leather and musk coming in, other flowers blooming in the background but the rose always remains. It also somehow reminds me of a less geranium heavy version of Vicky Tiel’s Sirene

Insolence by Guerlain

Sugary candied violets, LOTS of sugary candied violets.  Being buried in a truckload of sugary sweet candied violets.

Like purple candy, a little tart, fruity.  This is ultra-violet, artificial over the top violets.  Not serious, loads of fun, soft and pretty and powdery, girly-twirly, very pink and purple and fluffy.  It’s still Guerlain so it’s not too young but it is young and fun, a sweet gal who likes cupcakes and flowers