Oriane
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Oriane
A Triad of Vanilla, Tonka, and Musk
Top Notes: Black Currant, Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot
Heart Notes: Orris Root, Jasmine, Lime (Linden) Blossom, Marigold, Cyclamen, Lily of the Valley, Rose
Base Notes: Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Musk, Sandalwood, Incense, Virginia Cedar
Upon first spray I detect brief notes of fresh black currant and bergamot but no ylang-ylang. The floral heart notes are very well blended. It is difficult to pick out the flowers save perhaps for lime blossom and marigold. The floral bouquet is pleasant enough.
On my skin, Zut primarily dries down to a sweet, warm vanilla with a dash of toasty tonka bean and a healthy dollop of clean musk. I do not detect any incense, sandalwood, or cedar, unfortunately since incense and sandalwood are two favourite notes, and cedar is often a wonderful note, too.
Overall, I think Zut is best suited to the cool, crisp days of Autumn and the clean, brisk, cold days of Winter. It would do well for very chilly Spring days and nights, too. I cannot imagine it would be as welcomed on warm Spring days and nights much less on hot and humid Summer days and nights.
Zut is a like for me, but I imagine hardcore vanilla addicts might love it. It would be an easy reach during the right months of the year. I find nothing offensive about it. It could work in an office setting with a light hand at the right time of year, and it would also work well for leisure time. I do not find it particularly sexy or romantic, though. I have yet to discover what the name "Zut" means, and I am unsure Zut is still in production, but if you can find it, I would say it should be comparable to prices of contemporary Avon fragrances which general style it reminds me. I also find it reminiscent of B&BW's fruity-floral fragrances. It has Twilight Woods's warmth. Ultimately, Zut is primarily a triad of vanilla, tonka, and clean musk.
Longevity is very good at 8+ hours on my skin. Projection is within an arm's length for the first hour or so, and then it becomes more intimate, although a rise in temperature makes the base notes bloom again. I am unable to compare it to the 1949 original, but I expect this re-release and the original are reasonable close to one another. Zut is not full bottle worthy to me, but I will enjoy my sample vials. I think the presentation is quite charming.
Fragrance: 5/10
Projection: 5/10
Sillage: 6/10
Longevity: 7/10
Presentation: 6/10
Heart Notes: Orris Root, Jasmine, Lime (Linden) Blossom, Marigold, Cyclamen, Lily of the Valley, Rose
Base Notes: Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Musk, Sandalwood, Incense, Virginia Cedar
Upon first spray I detect brief notes of fresh black currant and bergamot but no ylang-ylang. The floral heart notes are very well blended. It is difficult to pick out the flowers save perhaps for lime blossom and marigold. The floral bouquet is pleasant enough.
On my skin, Zut primarily dries down to a sweet, warm vanilla with a dash of toasty tonka bean and a healthy dollop of clean musk. I do not detect any incense, sandalwood, or cedar, unfortunately since incense and sandalwood are two favourite notes, and cedar is often a wonderful note, too.
Overall, I think Zut is best suited to the cool, crisp days of Autumn and the clean, brisk, cold days of Winter. It would do well for very chilly Spring days and nights, too. I cannot imagine it would be as welcomed on warm Spring days and nights much less on hot and humid Summer days and nights.
Zut is a like for me, but I imagine hardcore vanilla addicts might love it. It would be an easy reach during the right months of the year. I find nothing offensive about it. It could work in an office setting with a light hand at the right time of year, and it would also work well for leisure time. I do not find it particularly sexy or romantic, though. I have yet to discover what the name "Zut" means, and I am unsure Zut is still in production, but if you can find it, I would say it should be comparable to prices of contemporary Avon fragrances which general style it reminds me. I also find it reminiscent of B&BW's fruity-floral fragrances. It has Twilight Woods's warmth. Ultimately, Zut is primarily a triad of vanilla, tonka, and clean musk.
Longevity is very good at 8+ hours on my skin. Projection is within an arm's length for the first hour or so, and then it becomes more intimate, although a rise in temperature makes the base notes bloom again. I am unable to compare it to the 1949 original, but I expect this re-release and the original are reasonable close to one another. Zut is not full bottle worthy to me, but I will enjoy my sample vials. I think the presentation is quite charming.
Fragrance: 5/10
Projection: 5/10
Sillage: 6/10
Longevity: 7/10
Presentation: 6/10
Disappointing Fruity Mishmash
Firstly, let me say that Estee Lauder has produced some of my most beloved fragrances such as Private Collection, Cinnabar, Youth Dew, Beautiful, and Tuscany per Donna, but Modern Muse Le Rouge is disappointing. It is really nothing more than a mishmash of fruit and some weak florals that could easily be a B&BW body spray which I would not like.
Smelling it now, I realise I have smelt this on many women before and never liked it, but I had no idea what they were wearing. I never would have guessed it was an Estee Lauder fragrance. I heartily recommend all of the other EL fragrances mentioned above, but I cannot recommend Le Rouge, and do not think it is a safe blind buy. The quality is poor.
Fragrance: 3/10
Sillage: 4/10
Projection: 4/10
Longevity: 4.5/10
Presentation: 5/10
ETA: Anyone who wants to try a well made perfume in this vein, i.e. a fruity red rose with a bit of woodiness, would do well to try Serge Lutens's. La Fille de Berlin, or if budget is an issue, you would do better with B&BW You're The One, which is an excellent fruity rose for the price point and one of my favourite B&BW scents.
Smelling it now, I realise I have smelt this on many women before and never liked it, but I had no idea what they were wearing. I never would have guessed it was an Estee Lauder fragrance. I heartily recommend all of the other EL fragrances mentioned above, but I cannot recommend Le Rouge, and do not think it is a safe blind buy. The quality is poor.
Fragrance: 3/10
Sillage: 4/10
Projection: 4/10
Longevity: 4.5/10
Presentation: 5/10
ETA: Anyone who wants to try a well made perfume in this vein, i.e. a fruity red rose with a bit of woodiness, would do well to try Serge Lutens's. La Fille de Berlin, or if budget is an issue, you would do better with B&BW You're The One, which is an excellent fruity rose for the price point and one of my favourite B&BW scents.
Sweet Like Old Fashioned Violet Candies
This review is for the current formulation.
Loulou has been on my radar for quite some time. It is a sweet fragrance that reminds me of old fashioned violet candies. This is not to say that it smells like violets but that it has that same candy type of fragrance, and it has a purple aura about it, which must come from the heliotrope. It also has an ever so slight play dough note which I am sure must also come from the heliotrope. The heliotrope is be a dominant note on my skin.
I can only imagine that it was a real head turner powerhouse upon release in the 1980s. Based on reviews of the original, the current iteration has to be a weak reformulation.
I really like Loulou and recommend it to anyone who favours these notes and heliotrope in particular. My only complaint is performance is extremely poor, but for the price point, one can afford to reapply every 2-3 hours. Projection is within a foot of the wearer, and sillage is soft. It may linger longer on fabric.
Loulou leans very feminine and can be worn by women of all ages. I would not recommend it for men.
I wish they made candles, room sprays, and fabric softeners in this fragrance. It would make a quite lovely boudoir scent. All in all, Loulou is a very pretty, very feminine scent that is uncommon now.
Fragrance: 6.5/10
Projection: 2/10
Sillage: 2/10
Longevity: 2/10
Presentation: 1/10
ETA: Loulou reminds me very much of my signature, L'Heure Bleue, but of course L'Heure Bleue is much higher quality and sophistication. Still, Loulou works very well as an inexpensive dupe of L'Heure Bleue. Loulou also reminds me of Lancome Poeme in a way. They do not smell the same, but both have that velvety, cushiony, deliciousness about them.
Loulou has been on my radar for quite some time. It is a sweet fragrance that reminds me of old fashioned violet candies. This is not to say that it smells like violets but that it has that same candy type of fragrance, and it has a purple aura about it, which must come from the heliotrope. It also has an ever so slight play dough note which I am sure must also come from the heliotrope. The heliotrope is be a dominant note on my skin.
I can only imagine that it was a real head turner powerhouse upon release in the 1980s. Based on reviews of the original, the current iteration has to be a weak reformulation.
I really like Loulou and recommend it to anyone who favours these notes and heliotrope in particular. My only complaint is performance is extremely poor, but for the price point, one can afford to reapply every 2-3 hours. Projection is within a foot of the wearer, and sillage is soft. It may linger longer on fabric.
Loulou leans very feminine and can be worn by women of all ages. I would not recommend it for men.
I wish they made candles, room sprays, and fabric softeners in this fragrance. It would make a quite lovely boudoir scent. All in all, Loulou is a very pretty, very feminine scent that is uncommon now.
Fragrance: 6.5/10
Projection: 2/10
Sillage: 2/10
Longevity: 2/10
Presentation: 1/10
ETA: Loulou reminds me very much of my signature, L'Heure Bleue, but of course L'Heure Bleue is much higher quality and sophistication. Still, Loulou works very well as an inexpensive dupe of L'Heure Bleue. Loulou also reminds me of Lancome Poeme in a way. They do not smell the same, but both have that velvety, cushiony, deliciousness about them.
Very Nice for the Price Point
Miss AP is my first Agent Provocateur fragrance. It is very nice for the grey market price point. It is much better than a lot of celebrity scents and other fragrances I have smelt in this price range. I do not find it particularly unique, but it is the type of fragrance that would easily garner compliments.
To my nose, Miss AP is a predominantly pachouli scent. I detect some pink pepper, but I do not detect specific florals such as ylang-ylang which is one of my favourite floral notes. Vanilla is not a listed noted, but I detect a bit of vanilla in the deep dry down. Overall, it is a spicy, warm, powdery, feminine fragrance that patchouli lovers undoubtedly will enjoy. I would classify it as an Oriental.
This perfume is probably best left for evening and leisure wear. Miss AP is said by some to be a reformulation of L'agent. I have never smelt L'agent, so I cannot reliably comment on how similar they are or not, but I can tell you I detect zero incense in Miss AP, and judging by L'agent reviews, I speculate that Miss AP and L'agent may be distant cousins at best.
Miss AP is not at all challenging to wear in my opinion, so if you find the notes appealing, and if you like lightly spicy, powdery Orientals, I deem it a reasonably safe blind buy.
Performance is reasonably good. It does not project very far, but longevity is excellent at 12+ hours on my skin.
Projection: 5/10
Sillage: 5/10
Longevity: 9/10
Presentation: 5/10
To my nose, Miss AP is a predominantly pachouli scent. I detect some pink pepper, but I do not detect specific florals such as ylang-ylang which is one of my favourite floral notes. Vanilla is not a listed noted, but I detect a bit of vanilla in the deep dry down. Overall, it is a spicy, warm, powdery, feminine fragrance that patchouli lovers undoubtedly will enjoy. I would classify it as an Oriental.
This perfume is probably best left for evening and leisure wear. Miss AP is said by some to be a reformulation of L'agent. I have never smelt L'agent, so I cannot reliably comment on how similar they are or not, but I can tell you I detect zero incense in Miss AP, and judging by L'agent reviews, I speculate that Miss AP and L'agent may be distant cousins at best.
Miss AP is not at all challenging to wear in my opinion, so if you find the notes appealing, and if you like lightly spicy, powdery Orientals, I deem it a reasonably safe blind buy.
Performance is reasonably good. It does not project very far, but longevity is excellent at 12+ hours on my skin.
Projection: 5/10
Sillage: 5/10
Longevity: 9/10
Presentation: 5/10
Nice but Thin, Skimpy, Very Poor Performer
I almost purchased Hypnotic Poison blindly based on the many, many glowing reviews I read. I am glad I tested it first before buying it.... For a gourmand fragrance, I came away hungry instead of sated....
I finally tested this much beloved Dior flanker of the original Poison a few days ago at Ulta. Briefly, it was a pleasant fragrance. I detected no play doh, root beer, or marzipan notes in it as many have described. In fact, it was not very "gourmandy" at all. I detected hints of coconut and vanilla, but they were more abstract and less edible than I expected. I expected it to be rather dense, but it was quite light and breezy instead.
The upshot is HP is a well blended and likeable fragrance. However, it is very thin with astoundingly poor performance on my skin, although once on clothing, it lasts a bit longer, but on skin, I had tops 3 hours from it. On my skin, it became a skin scent within the first hour (probably within the first 30 minutes), so I am very unimpressed with performance especially at $130 for the 100ml bottle.
Overall, I would not add this to my collection, at least nowhere near this price point. Dior have really watered down their fragrances to the point of absolute insult to consumers. This goes for the current iteration of Poison, too, which I believe is a much more exciting fragrance than HP. Perhaps I would be more impressed with HP EdP ?
Dior seem to put more money into their advertising, and thus into their image, than they do into their fragrances these days. I am truly sad to say that the once great House of Dior is no more, at least not as far as their fragrances are concerned.
Fragrance: 5/10
Projection: 2/10
Sillage: 2/10
Longevity: 2/10
Presentation: 5/10
I finally tested this much beloved Dior flanker of the original Poison a few days ago at Ulta. Briefly, it was a pleasant fragrance. I detected no play doh, root beer, or marzipan notes in it as many have described. In fact, it was not very "gourmandy" at all. I detected hints of coconut and vanilla, but they were more abstract and less edible than I expected. I expected it to be rather dense, but it was quite light and breezy instead.
The upshot is HP is a well blended and likeable fragrance. However, it is very thin with astoundingly poor performance on my skin, although once on clothing, it lasts a bit longer, but on skin, I had tops 3 hours from it. On my skin, it became a skin scent within the first hour (probably within the first 30 minutes), so I am very unimpressed with performance especially at $130 for the 100ml bottle.
Overall, I would not add this to my collection, at least nowhere near this price point. Dior have really watered down their fragrances to the point of absolute insult to consumers. This goes for the current iteration of Poison, too, which I believe is a much more exciting fragrance than HP. Perhaps I would be more impressed with HP EdP ?
Dior seem to put more money into their advertising, and thus into their image, than they do into their fragrances these days. I am truly sad to say that the once great House of Dior is no more, at least not as far as their fragrances are concerned.
Fragrance: 5/10
Projection: 2/10
Sillage: 2/10
Longevity: 2/10
Presentation: 5/10
