Dalmajen

Here I am again..on the Vanilla train! I guess vanilla lovers seem to crave this note, when the colder weather arrives!
I am so pleased to have been gifted a sample of this wonderful fragrance! I had no expectations, nor did I plan to love this...as I didn't even know I would receive this lovely sample, or had I ever heard of this new fragrance house. This is a new surprise for me!
The notes play out, exactly as listed. It starts out with a very sparkling citrus..not any ordinary citrus, but a crystal clean lemon/grapefruit splash, which is so pleasing to the nose! I am not a fan of citrus, but, this is really fresh, and natural. Then I begin to pick up the creamy caramel, infused with the floral notes. What a terrific blend! Nothing overtakes, or cancels out the unity. This is put together, like a good novel. The sandalwood arrives, just on cue, with the other base notes...but, the main character is the vanilla! This is the essential part of the story, the whole point of the fragrance is the Vanilla. It has always been there, the whole time, but it only appears as necessary. Unselfishly it stays on the edge and lets the other notes shine, no overpowering sweet, or boozy vanilla...no, this is a true , and elegant, Top shelf Vanilla! I am very impressed....

I was taken aback this morning when I decided to test my new sample of Fleur Oriental. I had ordered three samples from this house, when I purchased my LADDM. I liked the reputation of this house, and read through most of the descriptions, before choosing my new samples.
The notes in this fragrance are very attractive, with the exception of the carnation. Fortunately,this carnation comes across like a mild cinnamon. When I sprayed on my wrist, and arm, I walked around for a few minuets, and Bang! I just couldn't believe how similar it is to my Tauer Une Rose Chypree! A slightly fresher opening, but, almost identical! This is only the opening mind you, not the whole development). I was so convinced it was just like my Tauer, I sprayed both fragrances on paper strips. On the paper strips, the Tauer opening is much more intense than the Fleur Oriental, but, they are really close! It smells much more like the Rose Chypree on my skin though.
Well, that was a good start to the journey! When the middle notes started to develop, I was very impressed, as the floral notes compliment each other perfectly!. Then came the wonderful dry down..Such a lovely ending..just the right amount of vanilla, warmed through by the rich amber. This is a vintage smelling fragrance, without being overbearing or complex. I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting a nice and genuine Oriental floral. Of course, it boosted my opinion of it, as it was truly familiar, with a twist!

This fragrance took me right back to San Diego, where I lived years ago, at the beach. It starts with a sort of over ripe fruity note, even though it lists Tiare as the top note. I was not very impressed, but decided to give it an all day wearing, as to write a review, it needs time to get the whole fragrance picture.
The next stage, after about an hour), was a plasticky, slightly floral vibe. Then the suntan oil presented itself! This was the scent of the beach, where everyone gathered with their boards to catch some waves. I wouldn't have minded that so much, but that slightly over ripe fruit note kept drifting in and out, and was very off putting. In it's defence, the fragrance does have good longevity, and isn't shy to show it's stuff, but I think for the price, it is definitely not worth the price tag! i was expecting a distinct, and prominent tiare flower, but, instead got coconut and a strange plastic fruit smell. I suppose I have been spoiled by my other lovely florals). This is the second Montale I have tried, and will purchase some other samples, as this house has a wide range of choices. Unfortunately, this wave just wasn't worth catching!

I had to wear my sample several times, before I could write my review. I was so excited when this fragrance came out, and couldn't wait to receive my sample. I even put off purchasing my lovely LADDM, as I was afraid that I might fall in love with this one even more! First of all I want to say I gave this several tries, in different weather conditions etc.
The opening is very green, bordering on bitter. A tightly closed green Gardenia bud, drifting in and out of a smokey background. This lasts a bit too long for my liking, and made me feel almost sad. When the middle notes finally turn up, they aren't able to overcome the greenness of the opening. The rose is very light, and I get a hint of jasmine, but stays firmly in the background. The base notes are the best thing about the whole structure of the fragrance. The dry down is very pleasant, and the Gardenia then becomes creamy, and sparkles. I feel the sandalwood and tonka bean sort of save the day for this fragrance. I am a huge fan of Andy Tauer fragrances, and I wanted to express my true feelings for this perfume, as I perhaps had put it on a huge pedestal before I had even tried it! My anticipation of having a great gardenia fragrance was bought down a notch. I feel many people will adore this scent, particularly, if you enjoy green fragrances, with a smokey vibe. This Gardenia certainly fits the bill, for Billie Holiday always wore this flower, while she sang the blues. Some of the notes are sad, and some lift your soul.

I am have finally tried a Bond fragrance. I avoided these fragrances, as the prices are way out of my price range..I would have to be virtually in love to buy a FB of any of these. I was Lucky enough to have been gifted a large sample of this, and decided to make a day long testing of this. My first impression is a peach sprinkled with cinnamon, followed by a smokey vibe. This smokey accord drifted in and out for the first hour or so. It was quite pleasant, but nothing extra exciting..the floral heart notes were rather bland..in other words, they didn't shine through as expected. I seemed to detect more of the orange blossom than the other listed notes. The dry down was pleasant, but the volume was turned way down...as if they were told to stay in the background. It lastest on my skin for quite a long time, which is a great feat! But, the sillage is low key...hardly noticable, on me, anyway...my view on Chinatown is a watery, but simple spice fragrance, with a very nice dry down, that comes across shyly. It didn't float my boat, as I love more dramatic type fragrances, and this does not live up to the price expectation. It had a particular note that I detected in the reformulated Opuim..that sort of watery cinnamon note..hard to describe, but there..i am so pleased I was able to test this, as I have always wondered what magic Bond had to offer. So many beautiful, and great bottles! I won't pass judgement on this house, as would need to test a lot more fragrances..but, Chinatown didn't have the Wow factor for me..it is just a nice, and ordinary fragrance. Almost like Chinatown without the mystery.....