Exciter76

Originally reviewed on February 28, 2012:

I bought this one completely, utterly, totally blind. I did not have a smart phone on which to confer with Fragrantica when I bought this. My criteria for bringing this home were (a.) it had a tropical name, thus, it must be a tropical scent and (b.) it was an Estee Lauder fragrance. I’ll buy a fragrance blindly so long as it alludes to being tropical. It isn’t really a very good litmus test but alas, I still employ it.

Bali Dream is a satisfying tropical fragrance but its tropical nature isn’t immediately apparent upon first spray. It starts out syrupy sweet and gingery. Nice but not exactly the kind of tropical I had in mind. That was my second mistake (the first being blind-buying scents based on the word ‘tropical’)—there are more tropical environments besides the obvious coconuts-and-fruit-salad ones I had envisioned. [Redacted online user] once mentioned a trip to Bali and the scents of the land itself, not the beaches. Once I read that I realized this was a uniquely exotic trip to Bali, not a seaside seat on a generic tropical beach. Thanks to [redacted online user] I had a new appreciation for this scent.

The syrupy sweet ginger quickly gives way to a fizzy-with-a-kick ginger ale that is refreshing and cool. About a half hour later the scent of orchid unfolds and stays consistently lovely for the entire ride. Anyone smitten with BBW’s Enchanted Orchid will fall in love with this fragrance. The sillage tastefully trails with medium strength and the fragrance last for quite a long time, staying even post-shower. I love most Estee Lauder creations, this one being no exception, but this one is different from the average EL creation. This one seems to be more carefree and untraditional, like Beyond Paradise’s eccentric little sister. It is completely enjoyable!

It's October 10, 2023 and I have a better grasp of the meaning of the word 'tropical':

Yes, I've since learned that 'tropical' doesn't always mean something coconutty and gourmand and 'holiday' is another word for 'vacation' (forgive me, I'm an American). "Bali Dream | Estēe Lauder" was an education for me. There were elements of other familiar Estee Lauder perfumes—namely "Sensuous Nude | Estēe Lauder" and "Beyond Paradíse | Estēe Lauder", something sweet, woody, and floral—thrown in the mix. In the end, it was too sweet. I think I also had "Mambo (Eau de Parfum) | Curve / Liz Claiborne", which was a tamer, drier ginger; I preferred the less saccharine ginger root of "Mambo (Eau de Parfum) | Curve / Liz Claiborne" to the ginger chews of "Bali Dream | Estēe Lauder". This had unmistakable Estee Lauder DNA but it wasn't enough for me to keep it.

Updated recollection on October 10, 2023:

It's a funny thing: once I started swapping, I started to get sample vials of this from various swap partners. It felt like a perfumed white elephant gift, with each partner shouting, "Not it!" Luckily for me, I really enjoyed this. I love woody scents. I'd even say I'm pretty forgiving of fragrances with the essence of pencil shaving. I liked this in spite of the fact that it never smelled the same every time I wore it. But there were a few instances when it did resemble a freshly sharpened pencil. Additionally, given the price tag it long held, I found I didn't like it quite that much. The prices are much lower but still, there are plenty of woody scents out there that captivate me more than this.

Originally reviewed on March 27, 2012:

I have worn this fragrance on four different occasions this past week. Each time I’ve worn it I’ve gotten a different scent response. The first time I wore it I got an all-encompassing generic woody incense aroma that hearkened back to the mild transgressions of my younger college days. The second time around I could hardly detect it but strangely others could. Yesterday I caught faint whiffs of something verdant with hints of sweetened sandalwood, which inexplicably had a way of getting lodged in my nasal cavity. Tonight I decided to mix it with an Etsy perfumer’s vanilla and spice perfume oil. The mix is utterly delightful and completely amplified as valerian and other had suggested. The vanilla is uniquely smoky without the syrupy sweetness. The Iso E Super and the spices create a chai tea-like flavor (and I say flavor because I can almost taste this as well as smell it). Either partnered with another scent or used alone this is a heavenly scent that plays like a fragrant mood ring.

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 | Jennifer Lopez" and "Glow | Jennifer Lopez" was in danger of being dated and "old fashioned," thus "Breathless | Victoria's Secret" was dated and "old fashioned."

I loved "Breathless | Victoria's Secret". 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 | Victoria's Secret" 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 | Victoria's Secret" 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 | Guerlain". For anyone who enjoys something like "Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic | Guerlain" but wants more sex in their bottle, go for a reasonably priced "Breathless | Victoria's Secret" on eBay.

Originally reviewed on April 16, 2012:

I have the perfume oil of Pure Grace. It is NOT anything special. I can't even think of anyone to whom I'd recommend this, at least without offending someone as this would be a subliminal suggestion for a much needed shower. I can only imagine this being a suitable match for the white stocking set--either in a clinical setting or for a white stocking fetishist.

I fall into a different category and this fragrance is for me and my brethren; this is for people in love with the scent of a soap bar. Some people secretly love the scent of gasoline while others blissfully inhale rubber. I love sniffing a new bar of soap. I can't explain it but this fragrance satisfies that strange compulsion. This is not the scent of a fresh shower or clean skin, just a plain ol' bar of soap, sans the wrapper.

Revisiting my weird soap fetish on October 3, 2023:

I accept that I go through weird, wacky phases in my perfume journey. In the late 1990s I only wore "China Rain | Terranova", "Zen Rain | Kuumba Made", and other oil variations on that theme. The mid aughts found me in the throes of a tropical fruit obsession. Presently, I'm obsessed with all things gardenia and tuberose. I'll probably tire of those notes and move on to another obsession.

"Pure Grace (Eau de Parfum) | Philosophy" was a staple in the early 2010s when I went through a soap obsession. That obsession was officially quashed once I found "Mugler Cologne | Mugler". I'm still smitten with my "Mugler Cologne | Mugler" but "Pure Grace (Eau de Parfum) | Philosophy" was culled from my collections. It's not a bad scent but it smells like Ivory Soap. There are no shifting of notes or changes in its character; I love "Mugler Cologne | Mugler" because it becomes something muskier and carnal as it dries down and "Pure Grace (Eau de Parfum) | Philosophy" remains a dry bar of soap to the very end.

If a dry bar of white soap is your thing, proceed.

Originally reviewed on April 23, 2012:

At once upon the skin I got very bitter citrus rinds and hay. Hay?! Yes, something very dry and faintly herbal. The opening actually reminded me of the mineral blast that hits you at the front door of any independent health food store. Thankfully, you can do a literal countdown at a minute for the bitter rinds and hay to dissipate. What is left is the most pleasant orange blossomy deconstruction of talcum baby powder. It would be my guess that the powder essence comes from the flowers listed.

In exactly two hours the wearer is left with a barely-there whisper of powdery florals and an underlying trace of something herbaceous from the fir. I did not detect the "distinguished gentlemanly" notes—the cognac and tobacco—which was thoroughly disappointing. At about two-and-a-half hours the scent has vanished into thin air.

There is no sillage, very little in the way of projection, and well, blink and you miss out on what could have been potentially a great perfume. I have a soft spot in my heart for all that is citrusy but this left me feeling so empty. I can forgive the health food store opening but I absolutely cannot forgive this fragrance's inability to last (especially for its asking price). For me, even as a citrus lover, this is a definite pass.

It's October 3, 2023 and I'm much savvier when it comes to natural perfumes:

This might have been my first experience with a natural perfume; before this, I was only familiar with vitamin store body oils and The Body Shop, which I can assume is not entirely organic, particularly if they're owned by L'Oreal. I didn't know that natural perfumes didn't have the additives and preservatives that mainstream perfumes contain, so the lasting power left little to be desired. In time I would learn I like those pesky preservatives and fixatives and questionable additives. This scent was actually really nice—overlooking that jarring opening—that I wanted to go on a long journey with it. It was disappointing to me, at that time, to have been left standing, waiting to be taken somewhere idyllic, only to be dropped off at a veritable bus station two hours into some fantastic voyage. I understand now that this is the nature of the organic fragrance beast.

I don't know if this is still available. I hope it is. It's a lovely daytime scent for those who enjoy natural perfumes. I love the idea behind alcohol-based natural perfumes, but I require more bang for my buck. That's not the fault of Clairvoyant Beauty—that's an issue of my own making.