Sweetgrass

I'm pleased that at least this perfume has the substance to divide opinions somewhat -- to my nose, Cinéma is very much a nice auntie kind of perfume. Definitely classy, always pleasant and well-mannered, never too much or too little. I detect a gourmand aspect, too, but whatever citric there is about it is so fleeting I couldn't pinpoint it.

The comparison to the glamour of movies stars of old is very apt. Beyond the obvious big names, those beautiful women came and went (as they still do) as soon as any sign of age crept in, always replaced by a younger version of themselves, never unique or remembered. That is what the glamour of the cinema is built upon, that neverending re/cycling of looks and maybe talent, and that is what I'm reminded of when I sniff Cinéma: the fifty flavours of vanilla pudding, varied just so those who consume their image won't get bored too easily but staying the same in their essence so the punters will keep coming back for more.

It's a well-made floral, oriental vanilla, and so generic it will probably remind you of loads of things you have smelled before. If Shalimar is too gutsy (or alternately old-lady) for you, Cinéma is a worthy contender for the favoured comfort/luxury scent. If you like that sort of thing, you will love Cinéma, an it certainly has its strengths; if not, keep looking.

Moschino does a pretty good and bright citrus scent, and I suppose they do it by not burdening the blends with too many ~* serious perfume *~ staples or adding some kind of a twist to it. I Love Love has, like already stated, little to nothing in common with the original Cheap & Chic, which is probably for the better because it feels somewhat dated in the contemporary world.

Short and sweet: I Love Love opens with a delicious grapefruit that is just tangy enough to make the mouth water, but sweetened just enough that it won’t turn sour at any point of its presence. Soon the grapefruit melds into sweetened berries laced with sugar powder and a little spice. The bouquet deepens and darkens a little until after 2-3 hrs it dissipates into a radiant white musk that lasts for hours and hours. Longevity is definitely one of the many happy surprises about this lovely edt.

If I had to categorize, I would say I Love Love is a very young, carefree fragrance that is suitable for young girls looking for a cute perfume, but wholly suitable to older users as well provided you like sweetness and berries. I kind of wish the grapefruit lasted a little longer because it seems to me to be a hard note to play just right (as in not sour in my book), and Olivier Cresp, of Mugler Angel fame, does it flawlessly. It’s a spring/summer day scent that will surely brighten up anybody’s day and draw compliments from those who detect it. I’m definitely a fan and adding this to my wardrobe ASAP!

Revisiting this scent for an English review, I am struck again by what an impact marketing has on the perception of a perfume. I have seen none for Lisette, and the only thing I had to go on was the name, which isn't saying much. I was smelling the unknown, and it was indeed pleasant.

Lisette comes on a little powdery and green, yet there is something darker and mustier taking away from the brightness (freesia being the most dominant element to my nose) of the opening. All in all the effect is somewhat misshaped, disproportionate, as if there are two perfumes on top of each other vying for attention. The powdery greenness transforms into fresh juiciness in a matter of minutes, thankfully, and the darkness and mustiness finds it proper context in powdery rose and liquorice sweetened by ylang and supported by patchouli. Cue the inevitable Lolita Lempicka comparison, thanks to the liquorice, but Lisette is very different from LL: much less gourmand and sweet, more powdery, more complex and grown-up. Out of the two, I prefer Lisette. It is bright and juicy but not ditzy or naïve, and has the makings of a proper spring/summer perfume, perfect for a sunny early spring day like today.

My only complaint is the relatively poor tenacity on my skin. Lisette fades to dry, sober vetiver and is more or less gone in 3-4 hours, but it will probably last longer on clothes and hair. It is well worth a try for anyone looking for something bright and happy but complex for their wardrobe. I am personally very much in love with it. 8)

Bergamot. Ok, a staple of perfumery since forever, for good reason. The opening is bright, juicy and sunny; not too sweet for me, and basil cuts the juiciness just so it becomes a fresh herbal smoothie on the veranda in the morning sun. I am not a fan of how the apricot in the opening seems to interact with freesia (I think?), but the transition from the opening to the heart is smooth and creamy, just a tad soapy and powdery. I have no idea what a ”gold symphony orchid” is supposed to smell like, but overall the powdery floral accord is well done, if a bit generic. I am not that familiar with Beyoncé’s previous releases, except that I remember liking Pulse NYC, so I will refrain from making comparisons. The drydown is sober and mature: I get something woodsy-vetivery and musky after the florals start to subside. Yes. good.

To put it simply, Rise smells good. Not the most adventurous of perfumes, either in concept or content, but a solid performance from a juice that is already available for pocket change from online discounters, weeks after its launch (it’s how I got mine to test). As fruity florals and celebrity frags go, it’s as good a pick as any other, maybe even better than most; it’s great fun, sweet and carefree, but also grown up. My only real complaint is the cap, which is both fugly and inconvenient. I wish I could just replace it with something less tacky, preferably made of metal.

Even if nobody expects a celebrity fragrance to carve niches in perfumery, I do kind of wonder about Rise. An artist with Beyoncé’s star power could surely have taken more of a risk with the perfume and gone for something more exciting and potentially polarizing. As it is, Rise plays it safe and stays firmly in well-charted olfactory territory.

I was feeling bold enough to try something new whilst at the department store today, and sprayed myself with this generously. It could have gone horribly wrong, but I was pleasantly surprised seeing I have only gotten a few whiffs in passing of the EdP and EdT currently for sale.

I can only make some general comparisons, but Couture is definitely, decidedly darker than either, and completely devoid of any ditziness usually associated with fruity florals and found in the regular versions of LPRN. I am kind of surprised there is no liquorice listed in the official notes, but I suppose it is the intense mossy tonka-patchouli that gives LPRN Couture its depth and darkness; the regular versions are both far sweeter and lighter. I was actually kind of surprised to like them both AND Couture, seeing as I have come to dread rose, but this is a timely reminder that note lists do not make up for the experience of actually smelling a perfume. Also, a reminder that one should never write a perfume off based on its market profile (talking about the LPRN range generally here), as I had dismissed the range beforehand.

La Petite Robe Noire Couture opens with sweet raspberry somewhat tempered with bergamot -- the juicy kind, not the tangy. Patchouli and rose are discernible from the beginning, and rose becomes quite intense over the scent's development. Both are balanced, I think, by the mossy and patchouli notes. LPRN Couture is quite good as fruity florals go, retains a classical vibe (dare I say distinctly Guerlain?) while incorporating heaps of modern savoir-faire, and seems to last a good 5+ hours. Those who found the regular EdP and/or EdT disappointing might enjoy Couture, but you would have to like the basic idea of LPRN.

If I had to assign a personality to this perfume, LPRN Couture would be a model or a dancer, dismissed as a vapid creature of vanity, who nevertheless kept her eyes on the prize and became a successful business woman in her own right. I was somewhat thrown by how much I liked this, or maybe it is pleasure by association -- it had been a lovely day, and it kept on being lovely. Either way La Petite Robe Noire Couture will be associated with happy memories, and is definitely full-bottle worthy for me.