Qasamat Morhaf Rasasi: When in Rome …

Qasamat Morhaf by Rasasi
Oriental Floral

Qasamat Morhaf does not jive with me. Or does not jive with me yet. I know that the fragrance has many notes but I mostly smell oud. And the oud is dirty and sweaty. Not the clean oud we find in Oud Silk Mood by MFK. Rose, amber and vanilla pop out too, but oud is still starring. I sprayed it in the room and had to let some crisp air in. It is a powerhouse, one spray and you are done.

A part of the reason why I am sceptical about Qasamat Morhaf is the fact that here in Central Europe we are not used to wearing potent oriental ouds. We definitely have the weather for it, it can get quite cold during winter; however, it is not the tradition here.

If I lived in the United Arab Emirates where I could walk around rocking an oud smell in the dead heat of summer, I would proudly do what the Romans do. But as I live in the countryside surrounded mostly by conservatively thinking people, I am afraid I must return this bottle because it would not get any love at all.

Thank U, Next: Rafaellos, Macarons … Anybody?

Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande
Floral Fruity Gourmand
Jérome Epinette

Thank U, Next is not a typical celebrity fragrance as it is unique enough to position itself in the designer perfumery and it has a decent lasting power and projection on top of that.

It is a sweet girly scent but not quite completely; as a result, a mature woman can wear it as well. It has this cold decadent coconut note that I personally really enjoy. A similar thick “Rafaello” coconut can be experienced in Crystal Noir by Versace. The coconut is the serious mysterious part of the creation while macarons account for sweetness, fun and youth.

The aroma manages to smell like pickles here and there. It is not prominent. The “pickle” smell just pops up unexpectedly every now and then. It does not bother me though. I still enjoy the scent and I like pickles anyway 🙂

The juice definitely performs better outside when it is cold. It is when the macarons come out. I think that Ariana Grande took a chance and created something unique inside out – the juice is a stunner and the packing is pretty cool as well.

Ari: Super-duper Wearable, Pretty and Voguish

Ari by Ariana Grande
Floral Fruity Gourmand

Who would not know Ari?! Loving that pom-pom! It is the first perfume by pop artist Ariana Grande from 2015. A fresh raspberry marshmallow smell. Because of the soft marshmallow effect, it was pretty original on the market back then. There were fragrances containing marshmallows; however, Ari is not a try-hard and is neither overly sweet nor fluffy. It has the right amount of sweetness and freshness at the same time.

Young girls Ariana Grande fans were the target audience of this fragrance; nonetheless, anybody can shine in it. It is the girl next door scent, your second skin all year round. Even if you do not like sweet fragrances it will be difficult for you to dislike the scent. In this respect, it ticks the celebrity perfume box; however, so as the designer stuff. The bottle and its juice are gorgeous somewhat cute as well as stylish. Be careful about where the sprayer is pointed though because I sprayed my pom-pom by mistake. Shame on me!

Shine Ajmal: Strawberry at a Cocktail Party

Shine by Ajmal
Floral Fruity

Fragrance enthusiasts compare Shine by Ajmal to Miss Dior 2017 and its flankers. I see where they are coming from, the similarity is there; however, Shine Ajmal is less complex and rounded, it presents fruits in a straightforward way. A berry bomb! The fruity aspect is balanced with light florals and wood. It is a very simple fragrance yet brings a lot of joy to my life. While Burberry Her is a musky strawberry aroma, Shine Ajmal is a woody strawberry smell. Sweetened, juicy, and a bit earthy.

It is hard to find a stylish strawberry-based perfume and here we go with Shine. We do not even have to dig deep into our pockets. I feel that not many people know and talk about Ajmal. It is definitely an Arabic brand to explore.

Irrésistible EDT: Fluffy Musk with Newly Picked Rose

Irrésistible Givenchy Eau de Toilette by Givenchy
Floral Woody Musk
Anne Filipo, Dominique Ropion, Fanny Bal

The house of Givenchy launched the original Very Irresistible line in 2003. It was primarily a rose fragrance, with additional florals and spices at the top. A spicy bold rose that still manages to be garden-fresh and transparent. The bottle is lean, tall and hot pink.

Almost twenty years later, Givenchy introduces Irresistible EDP, musky pear with roses. The branding and scent itself are quite a departure from Very Irresistible. The crisp rose is there but accompanied by fruity and musky accords. The presentation is softer, and cleaner and so is the aroma itself. I was not wowed by the perfume from 2003 but a little goes a long way, the Irresistible of today is my jam.

While I would call the EDP a musky pear, the EDT is a musky rose. It is less sweet hence more neutral. It lasts the whole day on clothing especially. I think that both are excellent, it depends on what you prefer. The EDT is more work appropriate if you want to appear serious and responsible as opposed to the cheerful EDP. You can layer them for sure, I like the versatility.

Forever Laura Biagiotti: Cheap Smelling Fake Tan

Forever by Laura Biagiotti
Chypre Floral
Jordi Fernández

A bottle of sun tanning lotion!!! Coconut! Heavy florals! Caramel, vanilla! These are the images that came to my mind when I smelled Forever for the first time. I get Jil Sander Sun vibes and not in a good way. I like Jil Sander Sun, but this one is even more chemically sweet, and the price is outrageous on top of that.

I looked at the note profile and there is no coconut listed; however, we can find sweet notes like praline, vanilla and benzoin. Also, tropical florals like tuberose are mentioned. Forever tries to be a chic sensual scent for a grown-up woman but I am afraid it fails.

It is serious and deep I can tell you that but carries a weird form of stickiness. It is like a bull in a China shop, lacking lightness and effortlessness. This fragrance does not call my name, as simple as that.

L’Interdit EDP: Tuberose – Waxy, Velvety, Tropic

L’Interdit Eau de Parfum by Givenchy
Amber Floral
Anne Filipo, Dominique Ropion, Fanny Bal

The original L’Interdit from 1957 was created for Givenchy muse iconic actress Audrey Hepburn. L’Interdit means forbidden in English and the name fits the fragrance well.

This new version of the scent L’Interdit comes out in 2018. If I smelled it blindly, I would say a classic white floral, bubble gummy tuberose in particular. The brightness and sweetness are grounded with woodsy and earthy accords like patchouli and vetiver which I, in fact, do not get much. I inhale a ton of vanilla instead which makes the fragrance even sweeter.

Two other perfumes jump to my mind: My Way by Giorgio Armani and Thai Spa by Tesori d’Oriente. I am not a tuberose hunter myself but if you are L’Interdit is a must-have. A well done classy tuberose. Anyone can enjoy it.

Tiffany & Co Rose Gold: Bland Corporate Rose

Tiffany & Co Rose Gold Tiffany
Floral Fruity
Jérome Epinette

The original Tiffany & Co is a sparkling citrusy floral. It is a lovely perfume but brings nothing uncommon to the table. Unfortunately, I feel the same about Rose Gold.

It is an elegant sparkling rose with ambrette seeds at its base. Ordinary, forgettable, almost business-like. If you are new to perfume and starting a collection, this may be a nice one to add. But, if you have smelled more than 300 perfumes, Rose Gold will hardly wow you. The more perfumes I smell, the more demanding I become, so I am very sorry for this harsh assessment.

You definitely hate to do you and follow your own nose and judgement. To look on the bright side, this perfume is strong for being in a floral fruity perfume family and lasts well too.

Musc Noir For Her: Tempting yet Refined Fruity Musc

Musc Noir For Her Narciso Rodriguez
Chypre Musc
Sonia Constant

I generally tend to appreciate Narciso Rodriguez’s formations, some of them more like Narciso Rouge, some of them less like Fleur Musc For Her. They release new pieces at tremendous speed; therefore I did not expect much from Musc Noir For Her. In fact, I anticipated another good piece of musc.

And so it is, a piece of musk enhanced with suede and heliotrope, brightened and lightened with plum at the start. It is tender and womanly as well as mysterious and seductive. A modern attraction – not too obvious but rather building herself up slowly, with every detail.

Sonia Constant managed to combine the two opposite aspects of a woman perfectly. It is juicy, it is sweet yet remains tasteful and classy. It is definitely one of the best creations from the designer, I cannot imagine any woman going overboard when wearing this fragrance.