Belgwen
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Belgwen
A very realistic rose
I’ve been trying the EDP version of Tea Rose for a few days now so I feel like I can write a proper review of it. Please note that the results are only on my skin as I have not smelled this on any one else yet.
Without looking at the notes pyramid, I’d say this is a rather linear creation. From the moment it hits my skin, I get green-tinged roses. There are no herbal tones and no other floral notes. The rose I smell the most is, true to its name, the tea rose. There’s a hint of sweetness that rose naturally projects so, thankfully, the perfumers added no sugary notes to this juice. The base reveals a hint of warm musk. The notes pyramid doesn’t list it but I still get this “warm skin” smell. I get none of the cedar or the violet leaf notes.
I’ve recently done a side-by-side comparison of the PWS Tea Rose EDT with this version...
EDT: Lasts around 12 hours. From top to bottom, this is a rose with fresh-cut stems. Projects to high heaven.
EDP: Lasts 12+ hours. I mean, it lasts and lasts and lasts!! This is a green rose, however the fresh-cut stems in the original EDT are toned down about 20% here. Consequently, the vibrant, sharp edges in the EDT version are also a bit more rounded. The musk note at the end warms up the composition and anchors it to my skin better than the EDT version. Projection is about 20% more than the EDT version. One last thing: In the EDT, especially towards the very end, I only get green notes. The rose is almost completely gone. In this version, the rose is a rose all the way to the end. Yes, it’s linear. But I kind of prefer it that way. :)
Some of the comments I’ve received about this fragrance...
“You smell like some kind of rose. Exactly like a rose petal!”
“What is that you’re wearing? It’s not perfume-y. It’s very fresh and pure. Is it some kind of rose oil? It’s so realistic!”
I agree with the comments too. This perfume is a very lifelike representation of the Queen of Flowers. Snap this one up folks. I recommend this timeless classic for both genders and all ages. At these attractive prices, no perfume wardrobe should be without it.
Without looking at the notes pyramid, I’d say this is a rather linear creation. From the moment it hits my skin, I get green-tinged roses. There are no herbal tones and no other floral notes. The rose I smell the most is, true to its name, the tea rose. There’s a hint of sweetness that rose naturally projects so, thankfully, the perfumers added no sugary notes to this juice. The base reveals a hint of warm musk. The notes pyramid doesn’t list it but I still get this “warm skin” smell. I get none of the cedar or the violet leaf notes.
I’ve recently done a side-by-side comparison of the PWS Tea Rose EDT with this version...
EDT: Lasts around 12 hours. From top to bottom, this is a rose with fresh-cut stems. Projects to high heaven.
EDP: Lasts 12+ hours. I mean, it lasts and lasts and lasts!! This is a green rose, however the fresh-cut stems in the original EDT are toned down about 20% here. Consequently, the vibrant, sharp edges in the EDT version are also a bit more rounded. The musk note at the end warms up the composition and anchors it to my skin better than the EDT version. Projection is about 20% more than the EDT version. One last thing: In the EDT, especially towards the very end, I only get green notes. The rose is almost completely gone. In this version, the rose is a rose all the way to the end. Yes, it’s linear. But I kind of prefer it that way. :)
Some of the comments I’ve received about this fragrance...
“You smell like some kind of rose. Exactly like a rose petal!”
“What is that you’re wearing? It’s not perfume-y. It’s very fresh and pure. Is it some kind of rose oil? It’s so realistic!”
I agree with the comments too. This perfume is a very lifelike representation of the Queen of Flowers. Snap this one up folks. I recommend this timeless classic for both genders and all ages. At these attractive prices, no perfume wardrobe should be without it.
Simply fresh!
I feel silly writing a review about a fragrance called Clean, as the name written on the perfume bottle is a nomenclature in and of itself. Over the years I’ve come across many maligning reviews on it which makes me shake my head, unable to understand the negative reactions to it, let alone the “industrial disinfectant” references used when describing it. However, after recently wearing it when grocery shopping and being pulled over in the store by a gentleman who couldn’t compliment me enough on how “so fresh and so sexy like I just walked out of a shower” I smelled (…yeah, I know… sweet but kinda creepy…) that I’ve decided it was time to offer a different perspective on this polarizing fragrance.
I first tried Clean EDP right after it was released quite a few winters ago. One spray on the tester blotter and I’ve wrinkled my nose, wondering by whom and why on earth this perfume was created in the first place. It smelled like anemic, generic musk that you can usually find on supermarket or pharmacy shelves for a handful of dollars. The thing is, I tried this fragrance right after I’d tested “Dior Addict (2002)”, which at that time was also a new release and sported the old heavenly formula. Okay… Honestly, who could give Clean a fair shot on a cold winter day after trying the delicious, spicy soufflé that is Addict?? Obviously, I was smell-drunk from the vanillic goodness that just permeated my nose and so I chucked the bottle back on the shelf and returned to the Dior stand. Fast forward to a few summers ago, I’d dedicated a good block of time in my day to dork around at my local Ulta to find out if I can ever like the allegedly *Clean* line and whether the flankers were also full bottle worthy. And now the truth comes out: Clean is undoubtedly a warm weather fragrance. In the dead of winter, it turns into a mixture of chlorinated pool, tap water, and a facial astringent on me. In the heat of the summer, however, this cold composition turned into a pure and wholesome aroma that gives me the feeling of having just washed from head to toe with a luxurious perfumed soap. In the opening, I detect a light but sharp citrus blend that persistently continues throughout its lifespan. I don’t get any floral notes other than a faint whiff of lavender in the heart phase. At the end, which arrives about a good six hours later, I am left with a citric, cool, musky drydown that is still refreshing with no detectable hints of going off the rails. Suffice it to say that Clean agreed to love my skin, which I believe is a phenomenon that is a prerequisite before anyone says, “Oh yeah - I like this!” about any perfume. So to be fair to the numerous reviewers who pooped on this fragrance, I can see how, with the wrong chemistry, this fume can make you smell like someone just gave you a swirly. I’ve tried another very similar fragrance called “Les Senteurs Gourmandes - Musc Blanc” by Laurence Dumont. The only difference is that Clean utilizes a lavender accentuated heart instead of the faint rose note Laurence Dumont used in his composition. Both fragrances, however, are startlingly similar on my skin. As far as longevity and projection goes, Clean is the winner. It projects about at least 3 feet and stays on me for a good 6 hours.
I don’t think Clean or its flankers (“Shower Fresh” is my favorite!) are meant to be a crowd-pleaser, as are most designer or celebrity fragrances. I see this collection more as a progressive, niche style creation that just happens to be mass produced. It isn’t for everyone, as the copious negative reviews all over the internet would suggest. Nonetheless, those who love sheer florals, light musks, or citric aromas could be in perfumista heaven as long as their skin loves this icy juice back.
I first tried Clean EDP right after it was released quite a few winters ago. One spray on the tester blotter and I’ve wrinkled my nose, wondering by whom and why on earth this perfume was created in the first place. It smelled like anemic, generic musk that you can usually find on supermarket or pharmacy shelves for a handful of dollars. The thing is, I tried this fragrance right after I’d tested “Dior Addict (2002)”, which at that time was also a new release and sported the old heavenly formula. Okay… Honestly, who could give Clean a fair shot on a cold winter day after trying the delicious, spicy soufflé that is Addict?? Obviously, I was smell-drunk from the vanillic goodness that just permeated my nose and so I chucked the bottle back on the shelf and returned to the Dior stand. Fast forward to a few summers ago, I’d dedicated a good block of time in my day to dork around at my local Ulta to find out if I can ever like the allegedly *Clean* line and whether the flankers were also full bottle worthy. And now the truth comes out: Clean is undoubtedly a warm weather fragrance. In the dead of winter, it turns into a mixture of chlorinated pool, tap water, and a facial astringent on me. In the heat of the summer, however, this cold composition turned into a pure and wholesome aroma that gives me the feeling of having just washed from head to toe with a luxurious perfumed soap. In the opening, I detect a light but sharp citrus blend that persistently continues throughout its lifespan. I don’t get any floral notes other than a faint whiff of lavender in the heart phase. At the end, which arrives about a good six hours later, I am left with a citric, cool, musky drydown that is still refreshing with no detectable hints of going off the rails. Suffice it to say that Clean agreed to love my skin, which I believe is a phenomenon that is a prerequisite before anyone says, “Oh yeah - I like this!” about any perfume. So to be fair to the numerous reviewers who pooped on this fragrance, I can see how, with the wrong chemistry, this fume can make you smell like someone just gave you a swirly. I’ve tried another very similar fragrance called “Les Senteurs Gourmandes - Musc Blanc” by Laurence Dumont. The only difference is that Clean utilizes a lavender accentuated heart instead of the faint rose note Laurence Dumont used in his composition. Both fragrances, however, are startlingly similar on my skin. As far as longevity and projection goes, Clean is the winner. It projects about at least 3 feet and stays on me for a good 6 hours.
I don’t think Clean or its flankers (“Shower Fresh” is my favorite!) are meant to be a crowd-pleaser, as are most designer or celebrity fragrances. I see this collection more as a progressive, niche style creation that just happens to be mass produced. It isn’t for everyone, as the copious negative reviews all over the internet would suggest. Nonetheless, those who love sheer florals, light musks, or citric aromas could be in perfumista heaven as long as their skin loves this icy juice back.
Classy, Heady, and Luxurious
For me, this is what a true French perfume should be... Smooth, feminine, and true to its characteristics down to the last whiff.
This is such a sweet perfume that, if done wrong, it could have been cloying like BS Fantasy or Guerlain Insolence EDT. But the perfumer Karine Chevallier blended this with such mastery and obviously used such quality ingredients that it can stand on the edge of over-the-top sweetness and never fall off to the cloying side.
It opens with a burst of blackberry, passion fruit, and black currants. On my skin, all of the fruits were well balanced. I could pick out each of them but they were all present with equal strength (Amazing... How DO they do that??)
Top notes lingered longer than any perfume I’ve tested. In about 30 minutes, the peach, cherry, and true jasmine scent kicked in. The peach, cherry, and orange flower were well blended. None of them really stood out; rather played a "side-kick" role. So the star of the show (at least on my skin) was the sweet fruity jasmine at the heart phase.
The dry down was peachy vanilla mixed with honey that had a milky quality. I felt like I was smelling fruits dipped in warm almond milk with honey.
Sillage: Excellent! I left a faint trail of gourmand fruits everywhere I went.
Staying power: Excellent! 6-8 hours.
This is such a sweet perfume that, if done wrong, it could have been cloying like BS Fantasy or Guerlain Insolence EDT. But the perfumer Karine Chevallier blended this with such mastery and obviously used such quality ingredients that it can stand on the edge of over-the-top sweetness and never fall off to the cloying side.
It opens with a burst of blackberry, passion fruit, and black currants. On my skin, all of the fruits were well balanced. I could pick out each of them but they were all present with equal strength (Amazing... How DO they do that??)
Top notes lingered longer than any perfume I’ve tested. In about 30 minutes, the peach, cherry, and true jasmine scent kicked in. The peach, cherry, and orange flower were well blended. None of them really stood out; rather played a "side-kick" role. So the star of the show (at least on my skin) was the sweet fruity jasmine at the heart phase.
The dry down was peachy vanilla mixed with honey that had a milky quality. I felt like I was smelling fruits dipped in warm almond milk with honey.
Sillage: Excellent! I left a faint trail of gourmand fruits everywhere I went.
Staying power: Excellent! 6-8 hours.
Ecstasy on a Midsummer Night
Thanks to my dear thoughtful Valandria who’d sent me two generous vials of this precious juice, I am enjoying my second wearing of it so much so that I am inspired to write an ode to it too. As I was saying to Valandria though, how DO you verbally capture what you smell especially when it is elusive, exotic, and utterly moving? As I’m not as talented as most perfumistas on this site in describing a scent, please bear with me as I stumble and fall through my clumsy attempt.
Despite its name, Terracotta resembles nothing of “baked earth” to me. This beautiful fragrance opens with sweet, juicy Coconut and Tiare on my skin. This is a brief experience that lasts only a quarter of an hour before the most stunning Jasmine I have ever smelled hits my skin like a magical spell that knocks me out of my senses. In the heart phase, the Coconut and Tiare are wrestled into submission by this flower and bow out to be replaced by the Orange Blossom note that happily assumes a supporting role. For the next eight blissful hours I am transported to a Caribbean island where the night air is perfumed with the Orange Blossoms, where I dip into my secluded pool of night-blooming Jasmines and lose myself in this fairy liquid. Half a day passes by before the sensual encounter, though no less meaningful, begins to lessen in intensity and paves the way to a creamy, musky closure as it rests on my loving arms. This sultry perfume is no secret to anyone. Outstanding sillage and projection stayed with me all throughout its lifespan, only to be terminated by a thoroughly soapy shower.
I have had my share of Jasmine favorites such as Creed Jasmin Impératrice Eugénie and Montale Jasmin Full. But from this moment on nothing can even come close to the beauty of Terracotta. Guerlain described this scent as “The allure of the sun in a bottle”. I think I’d rather summarize it as “Ecstasy on a midsummer night”, for, to me, the erotic aroma of this juice recounts some epic tale of the lovers in the darkness, who ardently worship each other with an unrivalled volcanic passion that lasts a lifetime.
Thank you, Thierry Wasser, for creating this rapture in a bottle and, thank you, lovely Valandria, for introducing it to me.
Despite its name, Terracotta resembles nothing of “baked earth” to me. This beautiful fragrance opens with sweet, juicy Coconut and Tiare on my skin. This is a brief experience that lasts only a quarter of an hour before the most stunning Jasmine I have ever smelled hits my skin like a magical spell that knocks me out of my senses. In the heart phase, the Coconut and Tiare are wrestled into submission by this flower and bow out to be replaced by the Orange Blossom note that happily assumes a supporting role. For the next eight blissful hours I am transported to a Caribbean island where the night air is perfumed with the Orange Blossoms, where I dip into my secluded pool of night-blooming Jasmines and lose myself in this fairy liquid. Half a day passes by before the sensual encounter, though no less meaningful, begins to lessen in intensity and paves the way to a creamy, musky closure as it rests on my loving arms. This sultry perfume is no secret to anyone. Outstanding sillage and projection stayed with me all throughout its lifespan, only to be terminated by a thoroughly soapy shower.
I have had my share of Jasmine favorites such as Creed Jasmin Impératrice Eugénie and Montale Jasmin Full. But from this moment on nothing can even come close to the beauty of Terracotta. Guerlain described this scent as “The allure of the sun in a bottle”. I think I’d rather summarize it as “Ecstasy on a midsummer night”, for, to me, the erotic aroma of this juice recounts some epic tale of the lovers in the darkness, who ardently worship each other with an unrivalled volcanic passion that lasts a lifetime.
Thank you, Thierry Wasser, for creating this rapture in a bottle and, thank you, lovely Valandria, for introducing it to me.
This daughter of Berlin is a red rose!
Due to the wonderful reviews this perfume has garnered, and being a total rose-freak, I was more than a little interested in La fille de Berlin when I ordered it. I was so anxious to try it out, I practically ripped the beautiful little sample box it arrived with in order to get to the little spray bottle inside. I must say I’m more than a little disappointed that I couldn't get any of the results that majority of the perfumistas have been getting on their skin. La fille de Berlin starts out with the prettiest rose note I have ever smelled. The bad news is: Though the petals here are sweet and red they are shockingly wilted! I am surprised as to how nobody else seems to be smelling this because it jumped out at me from the first moment I sniffed it on my skin and all the way to the faint dry down, which came about 12+ hours later. The outstanding sillage and lasting power tells me that this is, indeed, a Serge Lutens creation. However, I still cannot account for that wilted edge in this delicious rose juice. The notes pyramid is listing rose and pepper and, personally, I have never known pepper to add a “wilting” edge to a flower. It almost always adds a spicy edge – at least up until now. I also sprayed this fragrance on a piece of testing paper to ensure it wasn't my skin chemistry gone bad. I had my mom, (the supreme perfumista in my life!) smell it on paper and my skin as well. In her words: “These roses are a few days past their freshness!”
Because I am absolutely in love with roses and constantly in search of the perfect rose fragrance, I’m having a tough time letting this bewildering creation go and am seriously jealous of the perfumistas who are getting these splendid results. Oh how I WISH I could say the same! The composition portrays such a beautiful, linear, and scarcely found red rose note that I want to give it another chance to see if some magic will transform that wilted rose into a fresher one. I will update this review if I find that this is a juice you need to test out several times before it agrees with your skin. In the meantime, to the rose lovers out there who might be tempted to blind-buy a full bottle of this soliflore: Be sure to test first!
Last but not least: Do any of you know of a great red rose fragrance out there? Amongst the many I have in my possession, I am particularly in love with some magnificent roses such as Yves Rocher Rose Absolue, Stella Rose Absolute, Jo Malone Red Roses, Juliette Has a Gun Miss Charming... None of them, however, quite hit the mark and satisfy my thirst for that elusive, velvety red rose. I’m open to suggestions in the replies and my post box.. :)
Because I am absolutely in love with roses and constantly in search of the perfect rose fragrance, I’m having a tough time letting this bewildering creation go and am seriously jealous of the perfumistas who are getting these splendid results. Oh how I WISH I could say the same! The composition portrays such a beautiful, linear, and scarcely found red rose note that I want to give it another chance to see if some magic will transform that wilted rose into a fresher one. I will update this review if I find that this is a juice you need to test out several times before it agrees with your skin. In the meantime, to the rose lovers out there who might be tempted to blind-buy a full bottle of this soliflore: Be sure to test first!
Last but not least: Do any of you know of a great red rose fragrance out there? Amongst the many I have in my possession, I am particularly in love with some magnificent roses such as Yves Rocher Rose Absolue, Stella Rose Absolute, Jo Malone Red Roses, Juliette Has a Gun Miss Charming... None of them, however, quite hit the mark and satisfy my thirst for that elusive, velvety red rose. I’m open to suggestions in the replies and my post box.. :)
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