Bulgari, Donna Karan and Ralph Lauren: The Edgines...

Black is elegant. Black is urbane. Black is opulence. Black transcends gender. Black is many things to many people and in the same manner, many things to different perfume connoisseurs.

Bulgari Black (1998) is a fragrance for men and women. It’s redolent of tea, a trademark note of most Bulgari fragrances. Woody-oriental by design, this scent is composed of bergamot, green note, jasmine, cedarwood, sandalwood, leather, amber, musk and vanilla. Bulgari Black defines the modern edge – rubbery and smoky at the onset but soft and quiet at the base as vanilla tames the potent notes at the top of the olfactive pyramid. The bottle espouses the Zen concept – a mix of glass, rubber and metal.

Donna Karan Black Cashmere (2002) is a stunning, spicy fragrance evincing dark mystery. True to its name, it’s a beautiful masterpiece that combines each olfactive group in one scent – floral, woody, fruity and oriental. It’s a little bit of everything and yet it came out well-executed.

Ralph Lauren Polo Black (2005) surprises with iced mango and aldehydes at the top and caps off the base with patchouli noir and tonka bean, among other notes. Versatile and described as oh-so-manly by a lot of women, Polo Black, suffice to say, embodies what a man scent is all about. He is sensual, sophisticated oozing with charisma. No wonder this is a top rated fragrance for men.

The bottles of these fragrances are works of art – the simplicity, the solid shapes, the sleek designs. The liquid inside is likewise a product of each perfumer’s ingenuity. If you have a penchant for the luxurious and the exquisite, don’t miss these “black” fragrances.

Yves Rocher Flowerparty...

Fruit is in itself is already sweet but a fruity-gourmand? Wouldn’t that be an overkill? Now, add some more floral notes in the composition. It may seem an olfactory confusion at first. But let’s give Yves Rocher’s Flowerparty the benefit of the doubt.

“A fruity scent that opens with a sparkling burst of mandarin orange and orange. After a tart start, the fragrance gets more of a pulpy/berry feel thanks to lychee and raspberry. Floral notes, including rose, lightly balance the fruitiness, then the gourmand spirit comes back in the dry-down in the guise of vanilla notes. (osmoz.com)”

Perfumer Philippe Romano explained,”Through the light and lively notes of lychee and raspberry that grant a mischievous charm, the luminous freshness unfolds right from the start and extends all the way through to the sensual base that makes it so addictive”.

Flowerparty is a happy scent filled with succulent notes of fresh fruits. The tarty citrus notes at the top makes it more lively.

The red bottle with the flower-shaped cap is reminiscent of March Jacobs’ Daisy sans the vinyl raw material. The red juice inside is so DKNY Red Delicious. Summery? Very much so. Also, the composition is the kind of fragrance young women would explore in a heartbeat.

Overall, Yves Rocher Flowerparty is for the flower-fanatic. The inclusion of fruits and gourmand accords created a nice balance throughout.

Vera Wang Rock Princess...

Vera Wang’s Rock Princess and the rest of Vera Wang’s Princess entourage is all about youth and cotton candy sweetness. The fragrance line up is obviously screaming teen scent – the tiara, the princess gown and the quaint heart-shaped bottle that houses the sweet juice. Princess and Flower Princess belong to the young ladies while Rock Princess is a bit more older but still a princess, nonetheless.

Rock Princess, the most recent flanker of Princess, is said to be the darker (read: more appealing to the older than the adolescent crowd) version of the earlier releases. The opening still has the signature fruity notes. The dry down, however, is fresher – a clean scent attributed to the light musk accords. It’s a nice respite from the Glam and Princess where uber-sweetness is the focus of each fragrance.

The flacon is the same as its predecessors but this time Rock Princess is in chic black color and designed with silver speckles for that sassy, shimmering effect.

Model Agyness Deyn is the face of Rock Princess. Having been a rock singer herself, she is fitting to represent the fragrance. But, don’t you think Avril Lavigne could’ve pulled off a similar signature fragrance with the same theme? Just a thought.

On the whole, Vera Wang Rock Princess is a trendy and wearable for the young ladies. This fragrance is available in 3.4 oz eau de toilette.

Acqua di Parma: The Scents Of Italy Captured In A ...

When I think of the Mediterranean, thoughts of cliff-lined beaches and quaint little houses perched high above the rocks come to mind. As the turquoise blue waters bask in the sun at dusk and dance with the wind in the breezy afternoons, I couldn’t help but put myself on a vacation mode even for a few minutes. The mere thought of the Italian coast  rouses my olfactive senses. The smell of the ocean beckons and the scent of the fresh air awaits.

Acqua di Parma captured these Italy-inspired memories in their Blu Mediterraneo collection of fragrances. They have paid homage to each significant place in Italy and created an individual concept that highlights its best qualities.

Arancia di Capri

The relaxing range – a blend of four essential oils and citrus fruits of the Mediterranean.

The island of Capri has been a resort since the Roman Empire. It offers breathtaking views of the  cliffs and magnificent blue waters. The Blue Grotto is one of its popular tourist destinations. In fact, the Grotto is a symbol of Capri.

The fragrance is dubbed as glamorous and cosmopolitan. Perhaps, inspired by the chic and trendy fashionistas in the Island.

Fico di Amalfi

Fico di Amalfi is a blend of the crisp notes of tangerine, lemon, orange, grapefruit and fig nectar accord. The fusion of citrusy notes is reminiscent of the citrus groves grown in this paradise island.

Amalfi used to be a maritime power in the coast of Italy and was a favorite getaway of the British and affluent locals. Amalfi also boasts a wide range of spectacular resorts and medieval architecture – a visual treat for any tourist.

Mandorlo di Sicilia

Sicilian almonds coupled with essential oils of lavender, bergamot and orange will take you to an olfactory journey of breathtaking landscape where castles and larger than life cathedrals will impress you beyond words.

Sicily is renowned for its rich culture in the arts, architecture, music and literature.  The Roman amphitheater and the Greek temple (as shown above) are some of its famous landmarks. The towering cathedrals and medieval castles bespeak a lot about history which has greatly influenced many great minds and our lifestyle, in general.

These fragrances are part of Acqua di Parma’s Blu Mediterraneo collection. Here’s a toast to Italy!

D&G Anthology La Lune 18...

D&G Anthology La Lune 18 with Claudia Schiffer as the naked model in the perfume’s controversial campaign is the floral fragrance among the five fragrances in D&G’s attempt to explore the niche line.

The fragrance notes are: apple, bergamot, rose, tuberose, orris, sandalwood, leather and musk. It’s marketed as the dreamy one – cool, silky and romantic.

This fragrance is actually light and sheer on the whole but the explosion of citrus and florals is very pronounced in the first few hours after application. The crisp apple accords meld well with the roses and musk to bring out a sweet and complex fragrance. It’s white florals all over with faint hints of leather and musk. It’s neither rich nor dense in the composition. La Lune 18 is a luminous floral fragrance that’s both enchanting and natural at the same time.  Even if it’s sheer in formulation, the longevity is surprisingly above-average.

The bottle is sleek in shape with a ribbed black cap. The packaging is devoid of any embellishment or fancy designs.

Overall, D&G Anthology La Lune 18 is a nice clean floral scent. But it’s allusion to the moon escapes me.

Emporio Armani Diamonds...

Before Beyonce launched her very own fragrance, Heat, she was and still is, the face of Emporio Armani Diamonds. Perfumer Thierry Wasser (Firmenich) created a gourmand floral concoction  - a fusion of floral and fruity accords with a sensual matte finish of ambery-woods.

Launched in 2007, Armani Diamonds “features the freshness of raspberry and lychee, and invigorated with the pure femininity of rose and the sensual rhythm of patchouli and amber. (giorgioarmanibeauty.com)” According to the Emporio Armani marketing team, they wanted to bring out the gourmand essence of the rose in a way that it can be eaten, an edible flower, so to speak.

The initial burst of sweetness reeks bubblegum water. It seemed linear and there was no immediate progression of the notes, other than the synthetic sweetness, after the top notes subsided. The fruity accords, with lychee being more prominent, define the middle notes while the dry down leaves a cozy softness where vanilla and patchouli take centerstage.

I expected something more elegant from this fragrance because of the allusion to diamonds. But alas, it was far beyond the supposed classic flair inherent of the precious jewel. What I got was a nice, fresh fruity scent similar to other fruity fragrances. There is nothing unique nor unusual. It was more like an okay fragrance that I would wear on a daily basis.

Also, the sweetness factor doesn’t, in any way, contribute to the sexy appeal as seen in the ads. Or in this case, as what Beyonce’s projected image in the ads. It’s a young, hip and chic scent but not sexy. The scent is long lasting but not overwhelming despite the sugary sweetness composition.

In 2008, a more potent version was released – Emporio Armani Diamonds Intense. As the name suggests, this flanker is a lot heavier in composition than its antecedent, Armani Diamonds. And as expected, everything is amp’ed up – sweetness, gourmand, etc. Now, if the parent appealed to you, you may like the iteration as well.

Emporio Armani Diamonds is housed in a gem-like bottle, inspired by diamonds, what else?

On the whole, Diamonds is somehow generic, in my opinion. Among Armani’s fragrances, I would still go for Armani Code over Diamonds.

Narciso Rodriguez Essence Eau de Parfum...

It’s no surprise that the young, urban lifestyle goes for the clean, abstract type of fragrances.  Let’s face it, this is the trend. Fragrance houses and retailers have no recourse but to keep up with the demands of the public to remain competitive. Although there are fragrance houses who still concoct nature-inspired scents, there’s only a handful of them. And the well-executed ones are not that many.

Fashion designer Narciso Rodriguez will take your breath away with his latest fragrance, Essence, an airy floral scent created by perfumer Alberto Morillas. This minimalist-sunshine fresh fragrance is based on the following fragrance accords: iris, rose, benzoin and musk. The flacon is a modern beauty with it’s gently rounded, glass bottle that bespeaks minimalism inside out.

Essence is Zen in a bottle. Its freshness resembles Estee Lauder’s White Linen where soft musk notes marries with the  powdery rose aldehyde accords. The lingering feel of baby scent is what best describes Essence. Since this fragrance belongs to the light fragrances category, it clings really close to the skin. The sillage is surprisingly potent. Plus, the longevity is quite a feat given its minimalistic composition. The impression is both quietly discreet and sensual.

Even if Essence is built around floral notes, it doesn’t come off as intensely floral like a bed of flowers. Morillas did a nice job exploring the soft side of the floral accords to extract the romantic side of roses and the clarity of iris. Comparing Essence with its predecessor Narciso Rodriguez For Her (2004), this version is a lot more subtle.

If you want something fresh yet long lasting, sensual yet  inoffensive, Essence is good choice.

Dior Dolce Vita...

Dolce Vita. The Sweet Life. Federico Fellini’s critically acclaimed film from the 60s brought to us a story of a man’s search for happiness and love in Rome. Now, Dior reincarnated the same fleeting memories of happiness and turned it into a dazzling fragrance  teeming with sensuality and joy as presented by the symphony of fruity-floral accords and musk undertones.

Created by perfumers Pierre Bourdon and Maurice Roger in 1994, Dolce Vita evokes the uplifting nostalgia of the Italian Riviera in the glamorous days of the 50s where carefree living is the norm. Lush florals engulfed in warm notes of woods and spice complete this classic fragrance. It reminds you of the sultry summers in the Mediterranean and the scent is just as steamy as the hot sun in Italy.

The name and the ads allude to the decadence of Fellini’s film but the scent is nothing close to that. Dolce Vita is a clean floral-woodsy fragrance. There is a certain sweetness, a soft delicate sweetness arising from the vanilla accords. The same notes combined with heliotrope diffuses a warm-powdery aroma. The woody element in Dolce Vita also explores a bit of the masculine fragrance territory. The faint chypre-ish notes can arguably, according to some guys who have worn Dolce Vita, be mistaken as a unisex fragrance.

Dior’s website underscored the most prominent notes in the fragrance. Magnolia, the key ingredient in the top notes, boosts the strong creamy floral aroma while cinnamon at the middle, stimulates the timeless scent of spice bringing out its oriental pizazz. The wood essences at the base intensifies the warmth.

Dior Dolce Vita is  a contemporary rarity. It’s been over a decade since its launch but it never lost its magic and has steadily held up as one of the remarkable classic scents from the house of Dior.

Issey Miyake A Scent – Fragrance Review...

Issey Miyake is synonymous with clean, zen-like and minimalistic fragrances. When A Scent was launched last year, the olfactive quality of this new scent came as  no surprise at all.

True to its composition, A Scent is a sharp green floral fragrance laden with lots of green notes and low on the floral accords. My first impression is that it has a striking resemblance with Estee Lauder’s White Linen, another “clean scent”. In fact, with all the green florals in the mainstream category, this fragrance can be mistaken as another flanker in Issey Miyake’s assortment of well, flankers. I find it clean and refreshing alright but on the overall, it’s just too generic.

The notes, in addition, are rather linear and nondescript. I hardly picked up the floral accords (jasmine and hyacinth) it promises in the middle notes. The dry down turned out to be a bland combination of watered down florals and musk. As for the sillage, I’d give A Scent a score of 5 (out of 10) and longevity is average. This fragrance is marketed as a feminine fragrance but could easily be  mistaken as a unisex fragrance. I think the faint florals in the middle is the giveaway.

A Scent is a nice springtime fragrance; that is if you prefer green florals and light scents. There is nothing stellar in its composition and you can experience the same minimalist appeal in other fragrances of the same composition.

Dior Fahrenheit Absolute...

More intense and darker than the original, Dior’s Fahrenheit Absolute amp’ed up the composition of its predecessor and put more emphasis on the fragrance’s popular notes: incense, oud and myrrh. The aroma is as sultry as the first Fahrenheit (1988) but this flanker is an entirely different take than the first released fragrance. There is a distinct semblance in regards to the aroma, the signature Fahrenheit scent, but once you get pass that stage, it turns into something more fiery and smoky. It’s just pure resolute masculinity arising from the juice.

Dior did a nice job in reinventing Fahrenheit and pair it with the modern notes today. It didn’t drop the original formulation so those who have been loyal fans of Fahrenheit will still get the same feel in this version albeit sharper and again, more intense. The sillage is almost at par with the original. Some people think that Absolute is slightly less as far as longevity is concerned but that really depends on the chemistry as some claim it lasts for hours on their skin.

This fragrance best suits formal occasions or those moments when you want to make a good impression such as client meetings, interviews and dates. However, try not to overdo the application because it may come off as too overwhelming for the people around you. Fahrenheit Absolute may appeal to the young crowd – probably for those who like to experiment on the eighties but this scent doesn’t really sit well for clubbing, in my opinion.

Overall, Fahrenheit Absolute is a great flanker. It does smell masculine from start to finish and it doesn’t come across as anything unisex or leaning towards the feminine accords.

The bottle takes on the same form as the original but carries a more intense color, a deep magenta red at base then progresses into luminous shade of blackness from the flacon’s torso up to the neck and finally the cap.

Dior Fahrenheit Absolute was launched in 2009 and available in 50ml and 100ml EDT.