DarkMatter

I got hold of a full 30ml bottle of this for a good price, I'm always the one to be looking for a bargain! I love suede and leather as notes so I was extremely happy and looked forward to trying it. Jo Malone's perfumes are always a bit hit and miss with me as they combine notes that very often don't sit well on my skin. However, this is an extremely pretty fragrance.

Initially, when I applied Peony & Blush Suede, I got a gorgeous waft of peony. It was sweet and rounded, fresh as if covered in morning dew. It isn't sugar sweet, but naturally sweet. This must be the apple, but it is used very cleverly to enhance the peony and isn't particularly noticeable by itself. At this initial stage I couldn't smell any of the other notes at all.

After about 15 minutes, the perfume deepens with the other florals coming into play to support the peony. This is necessary as peony isn't a particularly strong fragrance and I feel that the other florals just serve to round out the fragrance. The suede is very faint. Rather than being able to smell it, I can more sense it. It is as if the suede gives flesh to the flower petals and they seem velvety in texture. At this point the perfume is as developed as it gets. From hereon in Peony & Blush Suede is fairly linear. It lasted approximately four hours on my skin by which time it was just a powdery residue.

All in all, this is a very pretty fragrance. There isn't anything out of this world or mind blowing about it. Jo Malone hasn't broken any boundaries. If you are looking for a natural, sweet, floral for spring or summer that gently evokes velvet petals, this is the perfume for you. It is very inoffensive and could be worn anywhere. To be honest I wish it had a little more bite as it is so pretty, but I want it to have more of everything.

This is a restrained, quiet lady who doesn't make any ripples. She is pretty and gracious, but in the end rather unmemorable.

Kelly Caleche has to be up there in my top five favourite fragrances. Very often, I think it is my favourite. So please bear with me because my review is so very, very biased!

I had always liked rose, but had never considered that it could be the perfect complement to soft buttery leather. Here in Kelly Caleche we find such a partnership made in heaven. I think it is true to say that one needs to have a love of lily of the valley and iris to fully enjoy Kelly Caleche. However, if one isn't a particular fan of the difficult tuberose, do not despair! The tuberose in Kelly Caleche isn't urinous or fecal as it can be in some perfumes. It gives a floral depth to the rose and lily of the valley but never overpowers them. I cannot say that I can smell any narcissus, but the grapefruit is a particularly well blended note here. It gives a slight tart sourness that tempers the floral notes to ensure that Kelly Caleche never becomes too sweet.

What about the leather, I hear you ask. Imagine a beautiful soft calf leather glove, perhaps a vintage pair from that elegant era, the 1950s. A strong, yet beautifully feminine woman is wearing them and in her hands is a small posy of velvety pink roses. As you bend to take in the aroma of the luxurious blooms you cannot but notice the slightly animalic leather fragrance blends seamlessly along with them.

Kelly Caleche is a strong, independent woman confident in her own femininity.

I had recently purchased L'Eau D'Issey Florale and was extremely happy with the quality of this fragrance. When I had the opportunity to purchase Absolue at a bargain price, I jumped at the opportunity. I now know why it was reduced!

I was very happy when I initially applied it, there was a gorgeous thick honey surrounding the familiar L'Eau D'Issey vibe. I looked forward to this developing into a beautiful rounded fragrance. I was to be so disappointed. Within the space of an hour the honey had completely dissipated and I was left with a ghost of what was the original L'Eau D'Issey. I'm confused, surely the word "absolue" is used to give the impression that one is purchasing a more concentrated, thicker, richer version of the original? Not in this case. Olivier Cresp has let us all down terribly with this flanker. It doesn't have the staying power or the depth of the original. Once the initial honey disappears all I can smell is a very faint, slightly powdery wood. No vanilla, none of the floral notes show themselves to my nose.

I shall, in future have to be more circumspect when purchasing Issey Miyake. I shall test first. L'Eau D'Issey Absolue has taught me that all that glitters is not gold.

I have been a long time fan of the original Rive Gauche with it's pungent aldehydes, metallic tang and it's heavy sillage. I've been trying to get hold of this intense version for a couple of years now and it's not easy with it being out of production. Finally I was able to get hold of a full 60ml bottle from a lovely lady who just never wore it.

I don't know what I was expecting. Rive Gauche, but more? But how can you make more out of such a perfect fragrance to start with? I have no idea how they managed it but they did! As soon as you apply it you are hit with the familiar aldehydes but this is heavier like Devon clotted cream compared to whipped cream. The metallic note is smoother here, reminding me of a highly polished chrome sculpture. I think this is the bergamot perfectly balanced between the floral notes and a resinous sandalwood note.

I have smelt the modern reformulation of the original Rive Gauche and have to say that I think it's a shame that this intense version is no longer available as this does far more justice to the original than the new version. This pays homage to a great of 20th century perfumery by creating a piquant and mouthwatering deity at whose feet I would gladly prostrate myself. I shall use this sparingly as I don't want to ever lose this beauty!

I tried this for the first time when I was in a local department store. I had wanted to test it for as long as it has been around. The minute I see the word "noir" in a perfume, the old goth in me immediately wants to try it!

To start with I was encouraged by what I smelt. Floral, sweet and slightly juicy. Not what I imagined from something "noir" but it was very pretty all the same. I was tempted to buy it, but my other half was with me and dragged me away from the counter before I spent even more money on perfumes. I let him smell it on me and his first reaction was that it was "headache inducing flowers". I am always disappointed when he doesn't like a perfume because I feel I can't wear it around him. However, I hoped that it would improve and that my partner may, in the end, like it.

Soon I thought I smelt something dirty around me. I realised it was the perfume when I smelt my hand again. Oh no, bad patchouli. I'm not a great fan of patchouli because, in my opinion, it is done so badly in so many perfumes and, unfortunately, this appeared to be one. However, iris is a note that I usually always love, but here it smelt very artificial and harsh. My other half said it smelt like toilet cleaner!

So far I had lost the pretty opening and was left with dirty, harsh patchouli and artificial iris. I loath giving bad reviews to a perfume as everything is subjective, but I really can't be positive about Dahlia Noir. I love Givenchy so was very surprised by this fragrance. Even if I don't like a perfume, like Organza, I couldn't ever say that it was horrible, it just isn't to my taste. But Dahlia Noir, oh my, it's just not very nice at all. I'm grateful to my partner now that he didn't let me buy it!