BronxBeauty

Sonia Rykiel Le Parfum (which I believe is discontinued, contra the information here) is a heavy, fruity, syrupy, busy thing that I could not get my mind around, even though I am a fan of "big perfume." Overloaded and overdetermined, it lurches along like the Titanic before it hit the iceberg, groaning under successive waves of too-many notes. Still, it has its fans. SR's other perfumes (I own several) are far preferable.

This fruity gourmand was a flash in the pan for Revlon, which is too bad. It deserved a decent run, but it almost immediately went to the dollar stores. By the great Annie Buzantian, Flair had, well, flair: a fizzy berry top and a yummy caramel drydown. If you see some, get it as a fun summertime scent. A big bottle costs around $5.

The name says it all: This perfume was formulated to ensure the wearer got laid. It's been gone for a long time now but still has its fans among those who wore it in the day and a new generation of perfumistas who wonder how a mainstream cosmetics company got away with purveying such a filthily animalic perfume. Intimate is basically a rose chypre with a smoky base filled with who knows what animal stuff (nitromusks?). It is not like such bright, green rosy chypres as Knowing or Diva even, which radiate galbanum and spices; it's more on the order of La Nuit. Anyway, it's still readily available on ebay for those nostalgic for a lost heroic era in American perfuming.

Laura Biagiotti is known for making sumptuous, complicated perfumes, and Tempore Donna is one. This perfume presents radically different faces in its stages. The top notes mesh really well with the heart notes, making it difficult to distinguish them as "fruity" or "floral" or even "fruity-floral." This strange but not unpleasant goo gives way to the base rather quickly. The base is the standout in the composition -- it is very warm and very chocolaty, like that cake that features molten chocolate in the middle. Even so, I would not classify this fragrance as a gourmand or call it particularly edible. Not for everyone, but you'll like it if you love chocolate.

As the "interesting facts" notes, this scent was a spinoff of the 1980s TV series dynasty, named for the nice-lady character played by Linda Evans. You may remember that Evans was a blond who was the foil of the scheming Joan Collins character, who I believe was called Alexis. (I did not watch this show, but it was part of the culture at the time.) Anyway, Forever Krystle was quite popular in the day. It has a distinct 80s vibe if you are into that style. The notes here say mimosa, but I'd say it might have some orange flower in it too, and oakmoss, which is not mentioned. FK is a floriental with a sharp, sweet white flower top that dries down to a powdery rose not unlike Ombre Rose L'Original. Long discontinued, it retains a cult following like other Charles of the Ritz offerings such as Enjoli, and you can see why; both are frankly feminine florals for grown-up women.