Today’s post will be my next to last first impressions article for the year. Below is a quickfire roundup of several niche and women’s designer scents I’ve tried in recent weeks. I try to keep an open mind when I’m trying all the new releases. However, houses such as Byredo and Juliette has a Gun have always left me wanting more, and two of their more recent releases have, true to form, left me underwhelmed.
Juliette has a Gun- Musc Invisible – Musc Invisible is a pleasant release. But that’s the problem. It is merely pleasant. A clean, powdery cotton musk that hardly warrants the high price tag. There is no reason to buy this, as brands such as Narciso Rodriguez and The Body Shop all offer far better alternatives for half or a third of the price. After 2 hours, as per the name, it becomes invisible.
Byredo – Lil Fleur – Loud and screechy fruits and vanilla mixed with a rose and a leather accord that tries and fails to mimic Galop from Hermes. Creamy woods in the base do not succeed in elevating this one to any great heights. In a year of rose releases, Lil Fleur sits at the back of the pack. Cloying and headache-inducing, that, of course, has a remarkable 12 hours staying power.
A recent trip(s) to my local department store saw me get acquainted with some new designer releases. I had to sift through quite a lot to pick out any standouts. Let’s examine a few of the women’s releases first.
The following get a thumbs down.
Tom Ford – Black Orchid Parfum – Didn’t work at all on my skin, and I’m a fan of the original. The combination of boozy plum and rum, earthy patchouli and truffle, and yellow florals (ylang-ylang) ends up smelling like rotting fruit. Unpleasant. Huge pass.
Giorgio Armani – My Way – Nice bottle. Nondescript fruity, white floral that does nothing new. Shampoo musks in the base do little to impress.
YSL – Libre Intense – Huge fan of the original Libre, but this is not my cup of tea. Whereas Libre had room to breathe, this overdoses on sugary sweet florals and vanilla, presumably to achieve an “Intense” effect.” The result is a nauseating migraine in a perfume bottle.
The following get a thumbs up.
Chanel – Coco Mademoiselle L’Eau Privee – Chanel’s latest is designed to be used as a “night scent,” specifically for wearing in bed. A lighter reinterpretation of the original. Does what it sets out to do, with typical Chanel panache.
Mont Blanc – Signature – I like the delightful bottle and the perfume. Signature is a well-composed fruity floral (for once) with a musky vanillic base that doesn’t overdose on any elements. Signature reminds me of a cross between a Body Shop and Narciso Rodriguez scent. A pleasant surprise.
Narciso Rodriguez – Narciso EDP Ambree – Speaking of Narciso Rodriguez, their signature musk base intact combined with a tropical opening of frangipani linking with woods and vanilla to produce a suitably classy perfume, the likes of which we’ve come to expect from the brand.
In the next few days, I’ll follow up on some men’s releases and a couple of other designers before posting my favorite scents for 2020 in a separate article.
Have you tried any of these releases?
Note: Bottle images courtesy of Fragrantica. All perfumes sampled in store.
Great overview! Lil Fleur is indeed bad, and so is the latest TF. Some I haven’t tried, due the pandemic, I rarely go to department stores to try scents.
Thank you for reading and your comment, Tetê. Yes, they were both very disappointing. Hopefully you can get to the department stores in the new year.
Lovely round-up, Daniel. I’ve tried the designer ones you give a thumbs-up to and enjoy all of them. The Montblanc Signature is especially a surprise. Looking forward to your other round-ups.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Rich. The Mont Blanc was a surprise. Lovely bottle too.