10/09/2023
Exciter76
77 Reviews
Exciter76
3
Your Clean But Skanky Friend
Originally reviewed on April 15, 2012:
Victoria’s Secret has a way of taking fragrant gems and trading them in for of-the-moment pop fads and diabetic-shock-inducing confections that last no longer than a year. I understand the company does have to expand and change as its age demographic expands and changes but too often they throw out the babe with the bath water. In this case Breathless is the precocious babe with much potential that got tossed on its rear to make way for something generic and sugar-berry scented.
At the start Breathless is a relatively authentic orange blossom-y fragrance amplified, thanks to a heavy dose of orange blossom (not listed), neroli, and citruses. Nice, but the same can be said about Sung, Henri Bendel Orange Blossom & Jasmine, Sanborn’s Orange Blossom Cologne and many, many more. Wait it out a few minutes and be rewarded with the most sensual—if not flat-out sexual—your-skin-but-infinitely-better musk. It’s reminiscent of J. Lo’s Glow. However, Glow incorporates the scent of freshly scrubbed naked skin, the towel that is wrapped around the naked skin, the dryer sheet that’s still attached to the towel, the moisturizer on the naked skin, the shampoo, the conditioner … to the point the wearer has forgotten about the naked skin. Breathless is about freshly washed naked skin, out of the shower without a towel, and a significant other who cannot keep his or her hands to themselves. It’s naughty and fun, as should be expected from Victoria’s Secret, purveyors of lacy, silky, sexy naughtiness.
Breathless is satisfyingly long-lasting and thank goodness for that; I love the subtle sweetness of my skin, but better, here. It leaves a sexy trail that will have many asking, “What is that bewitching scent?” I found myself catching whiffs of this scent, smiling, and feeling a million times sexier than I felt before I put this on.
Surprising myself on October 9, 2023:
Why am I surprised? My thoughts mostly remain the same for this. I was annoyed that VS got rid of this, a scent that didn't smell like an umbrella-adorned alcoholic frilly drink or candy. This smelled like something that matched perfectly with the bras they were selling. The only theory I can come up with: it was analogous to Glow and Glow was in danger of being dated and "old fashioned," thus Breathless was dated and "old fashioned."
I loved Breathless. I might have been talking out of my backside when I claimed the neroli/orange blossom/citrus was natural smelling. There are citruses aplenty here in California, so I know how they smell. Breathless is hardly natural smelling. That said, it opens with unmistakable neroli/orange blossom/citrus. If that's your kind of thing, this provides a fun ride.
Above all, Breathless is all about musk. The musk is simultaneously clean and skanky—what is eluded is post-shower coitus muskiness. This is the kind of musk you spray on before you put on your lacy VS bra and undie set. I'm sure spraying said lingerie set was encouraged. It's a great marketing ploy, so why they discontinued this is beyond me.
I still have a large bottle. I don't wear it often but I can't bear the thought of getting rid of it. Sometimes, I'm in the mood to wear it; sometimes, it's too skanky for my taste or it's too frilly and twee. Sometimes, it's all of the above and I pass over it for something more neutered and unisex, like Aqua Allegoria Forte Mandarine Basilic. For anyone who enjoys something like Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic but wants more sex in their bottle, go for a reasonably priced Breathless on eBay.
Victoria’s Secret has a way of taking fragrant gems and trading them in for of-the-moment pop fads and diabetic-shock-inducing confections that last no longer than a year. I understand the company does have to expand and change as its age demographic expands and changes but too often they throw out the babe with the bath water. In this case Breathless is the precocious babe with much potential that got tossed on its rear to make way for something generic and sugar-berry scented.
At the start Breathless is a relatively authentic orange blossom-y fragrance amplified, thanks to a heavy dose of orange blossom (not listed), neroli, and citruses. Nice, but the same can be said about Sung, Henri Bendel Orange Blossom & Jasmine, Sanborn’s Orange Blossom Cologne and many, many more. Wait it out a few minutes and be rewarded with the most sensual—if not flat-out sexual—your-skin-but-infinitely-better musk. It’s reminiscent of J. Lo’s Glow. However, Glow incorporates the scent of freshly scrubbed naked skin, the towel that is wrapped around the naked skin, the dryer sheet that’s still attached to the towel, the moisturizer on the naked skin, the shampoo, the conditioner … to the point the wearer has forgotten about the naked skin. Breathless is about freshly washed naked skin, out of the shower without a towel, and a significant other who cannot keep his or her hands to themselves. It’s naughty and fun, as should be expected from Victoria’s Secret, purveyors of lacy, silky, sexy naughtiness.
Breathless is satisfyingly long-lasting and thank goodness for that; I love the subtle sweetness of my skin, but better, here. It leaves a sexy trail that will have many asking, “What is that bewitching scent?” I found myself catching whiffs of this scent, smiling, and feeling a million times sexier than I felt before I put this on.
Surprising myself on October 9, 2023:
Why am I surprised? My thoughts mostly remain the same for this. I was annoyed that VS got rid of this, a scent that didn't smell like an umbrella-adorned alcoholic frilly drink or candy. This smelled like something that matched perfectly with the bras they were selling. The only theory I can come up with: it was analogous to Glow and Glow was in danger of being dated and "old fashioned," thus Breathless was dated and "old fashioned."
I loved Breathless. I might have been talking out of my backside when I claimed the neroli/orange blossom/citrus was natural smelling. There are citruses aplenty here in California, so I know how they smell. Breathless is hardly natural smelling. That said, it opens with unmistakable neroli/orange blossom/citrus. If that's your kind of thing, this provides a fun ride.
Above all, Breathless is all about musk. The musk is simultaneously clean and skanky—what is eluded is post-shower coitus muskiness. This is the kind of musk you spray on before you put on your lacy VS bra and undie set. I'm sure spraying said lingerie set was encouraged. It's a great marketing ploy, so why they discontinued this is beyond me.
I still have a large bottle. I don't wear it often but I can't bear the thought of getting rid of it. Sometimes, I'm in the mood to wear it; sometimes, it's too skanky for my taste or it's too frilly and twee. Sometimes, it's all of the above and I pass over it for something more neutered and unisex, like Aqua Allegoria Forte Mandarine Basilic. For anyone who enjoys something like Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic but wants more sex in their bottle, go for a reasonably priced Breathless on eBay.
