Rive Gauche – Yves Saint Laurent

It’s very easy to be snobby about perfumes. There are a lot more words to describe a bad smell than a good one: It pongs, it kiffs, it stinks, it reeks, it honks. And there must be a lot more. Even if you say, “It smells”, the implication is usually that it smells bad.

Rive Gauche, certainly does smell – but not necessarily in a bad way. It’s one of those scents that if somebody holds a baby whilst wearing Rive Gauche, then the baby emits Rive Gauche for the rest of the day. Both my babies are happily smelling of Rive Gauche today – which is probably better than they usually smell.

RG reminds me of being a teenager the morning after a party. Probably for two reasons. Every mother’s bathroom cabinet was almost bound to have a bottle of Rive Gauche in the 1980s. (When you’re 17 it’s rude not to have a quick test.) Secondly, it’s probably the only fragrance that would permeate the morning after and still be going strong.

Rive Gauche is a floral fragrance. Although to me it just smells like an archetypal ‘scent’. It’s not intrinsically offensive, but you’d have to really love it to wear it. Perhaps it would be polite to ask the people around you if they like it too.

Aromatics Elixir – Clinique

It’s particularly tricky to write about two categories of fragrance: the first is fragrances that you are ambivalent about. The second is ones that you are passionate for. Whilst I try to avoid reviewing mediocre perfumes, it’s essential to share the most enjoyable ones.

Clinique's Aromatics Elixir is a personal favourite. It was created in 1971, so it’s well established and has something of a loyal following. Aromatics Elixir manages to smell fresh whilst having a huge amount of depth and layering. The top notes are all soapy florals – capturing the scent of sweet, summer blossom. The base notes are a resonating chypre - more of a sexy, masculine, woody aroma. If you find it difficult to identify a ‘chypre’, Aromatics Elixir typifies some elements of it.

I first got a whiff of Aromatics Elixir in 1996. I was in the changing rooms in a gym in Moscow. A girl near to me was covering herself in this amazing smelling body lotion. It was one of those times, when you’re not just intrigued to know what a fragrance is – you’re actually compelled to find out.

Despite my admiration for Aromatics Elixir (by the same creator as Aramis Aramis and Estée Lauder’s Azurée), there are as many detractors as devotees. This Clinique's perfume is definitely one to try before you buy.

Princess – Vera Wang

Today I wanted to try out something new that I hadn’t read anything about. Princess by Vera Wang hit the spot. It comes in a pretty enough, heart shape bottle. The lid represents a crown, to tie in with the princess theme. However, Princess is hugely disappointing and totally forgettable.

With Vera Wang’s wedding dress business in mind, I’m guessing that this fragrance is designed for blushing brides on their big day. This fragrance is a mild, perhaps slightly oriental, floral. However, in trying to appeal to a generic audience it fails to have any individuality. It’s a timid powdery floral with no character at all.

Most fragrances will make you feel sexy/confident/ beautiful etc. Princess, for me, doesn’t manage to do any of these. Save your money and find something with some character.

Chinatown - Bond no. 9

I was sent a tester of Chinatown and tried it immediately. I’ve heard some good things about Bond No. 9 and was curious to sample their fragrances.

The first whiff of Chinatown is like eating a toffee apple whilst wearing a floral fragrance. The sweet element is so distinctive you can practically crunch the caramelised sugar between your teeth. I’m by no means a fan of sweet fragrances. But there’s something cute about this one. The initial sweetness when it’s fresh out of the bottle is quickly muted by a woody note which is almost smoky.

After wearing Chinatown for a few hours, it becomes a much more sophisticated fragrance. The sweetness vanishes almost completely and it’s more reminiscent of a complex floral like Chanel Nº19. At this stage, catching a whiff of Chinatown reminded me of walking past glamorous women and the magical way that they always smell. This fragrance, for me is somewhat indefinable. It’s unlike anything else that I’ve tried lately and I’ll definitely be revisiting it.

Lovely – Sarah Jessica Parker

Some days it’s drab and grey outside and you just want a perfume that’s going to make you feel like smiling again. If every there was a perfume to make you smile it’s Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker.

Lovely is a floral citrus mix which is clean and bright and somehow perky. It typifies the jaunty aspect of Carrie Bradshaw’s character in SATC.

Lovely is the kind of perfume that could be the one to wear every day. It’s mild and fragrant and as lovely as the name suggests. It’s not sexy or sultry or something to aspire to – it will hopefully bring a smile to the wearer’s face.

Although it’s incredibly difficult to choose perfumes for anybody else – this is the kind of fragrance that you would be ideal as a gift. It’s a mild, floaty fragrance which many women would find easy to love.

Rush – Gucci

The bright red, square, plastic bottle initially prevented me from giving Gucci Rush a second thought. Who is this red, 1980s monster trying to appeal to? It’s so ugly and tacky, it suggests that Rush is going to be loud and obnoxious. The packaging and designs for so many of Gucci’s fragrances are outstandingly stylish; it’s a shame that this one is off-putting.

Despite the exterior, this is a gorgeous, rich-but muted, sexy fragrance. The underlying woody chypre is beautiful and subtle. There’s a hint, but just a hint, of sweetness. There’s also a tiny strand of citrus lemon-ness and a smidge of dry pepper. All of the elements seem to work together in a confident harmony.

Gucci’s website describes Rush as a woman’s fragrance with a “top note of gardenia, heart note of vanilla and base note of patchouli.”

Whether or not this fragrance is targeting men or women, it would be ideal for both. It is a sexy subtle fragrance, which hints at so much. So hide the bottle at the back of your bathroom cabinet, but don’t forget to wear the beautiful fragrance that's hidden inside.

If you're a fan of Gucci perfumes, then read MyPerfumeLife's review of Gucci Flora. Tom Ford was the creative director behind Gucci Rush. Read a review of Tom Ford's Black Orchid or his award winning male fragrance Grey Vetiver.

J’Adore Perfume – Dior

I had a fabulous day today and tested a handful of perfumes that I’ve been reading about. The most enjoyable of which was J’Adore by Dior.

The advertising for J’Adore had put me off this fragrance. Although Charlize Theron is a beautiful actress, I completely identify her with the film ‘Monster’. That was the first hurdle. Then, the shape of the bottle. It could just be me – but it reminds me of the elongated neck that some tribal women try to attain. I think it’s the gold hoops around the neck of the bottle. With a combination of ‘Monster’ and deformed neck I’d thought I’d give this one a miss. However, today I sniffed the bottle without spraying anything and my visceral reaction was that it’s a heavenly fragrance.

For me the fragrance is floral and fresh. The freshness comes from a beautiful verdant greenness. It smells like walking through a fresh forest. There’s an edge of citrus, which also adds to the cleanliness of this scent. And, as every in my favourites, there isn’t a hint of sweetness – no squashed strawberries here. Having said that, it managed to retain it’s floral nature, without any sweet notes.

This is a feminine fragrance, and would be good for daytime as it has a squeaky clean feel. The advertising talks about ‘extreme femininity‘and ‘spontaneous emotion’, which is misleading. This is a light and beautiful fragrance.

Giulietta – Tocca

I wanted to try something from a lesser known brand today. A quick trip into SpaceNK and I found the Tocca range. It’s is a New York based company but packaging for their beauty products look like an old fashioned Italian or Spanish collection.

Giulietta by Tocca is a sexy musky fragrance. It has a hint of vanilla sweetness which adds a soft rounded smoothness to the underlying chypre. This isn’t a daytime fragrance to wear at your desk. It’s a perfume to keep for a special winter’s evening to make you feel sexy and confident.

Eau de Sisley 3 - Sisley

As legend has it, Sisley products set the quality standard by which all other cosmetics companies judge themselves. At least, this is what I was once told. Whether or not it’s true, the Sisley brand is undoubtedly a mark of quality.

Eau de Sisley 1 and 2 are both lovely fragrances, and I will review them both in future posts. The SpaceNK shop assistant told me that Eau de Sisley 3 smelt more of ‘berries’. I assumed that she meant sweeter, which made me somewhat nervous to do a skin test. I’m not keen on sweet fragrances, and inevitably the less you like them, the longer they linger.

Happily, there isn’t a hint of sweetness in EdS 3. Initially it smelt slightly Christmasy, hinting at the aroma of warm spices from mulled wine. If that makes it sound strong, it’s not. It's actually a quiet, subtle perfume. It’s considered and complicated and has the warmth of a winter scent with a slightly aromatic hue. It’s a beautiful fragrance, although it would have to be for almost £100. If you’re in the mood to treat yourself and feel like something subtle and aromatic, Eau de Sisley 3 is definitely one to go for.

Coco Mademoiselle Perfume - Chanel

There is a huge amount of advertising for Coco Mademoiselle. Almost against my better judgement a curiosity to test this fragrance took me to the Chanel counter. Keira Knightly pouting in Paris leaves me cold, but the reported surprise success of CM intrigued me.

Keira's pubescent alias conjures up a watered down version of something like cK One, which is to say, fresh, boring and a little bit one dimensional. The fabulous truth is that, CM is genuinely lovely. It's a fine balance of two juxtaposing layers. It makes you want to smell it again and again to pin down the source of its beauty.

According to the official blurb CM is "a feminine and sexy, young and exciting interpretation of the irrepressible spirit of Coco Chanel...a modern oriental fragrance, fresh and sensual." The emphasis on the 'young' element of the branding is somewhat misleading. CM is sophisticated and complex, rather than sweet and simple. Definitely worth a try.