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Givenchy Amarige Eau de Toilette
by Verbena
~~~ It's [Another] Gift ~~~
An unexpected bonus of writing reviews has, for me, been the way it's made me look at some of the things in my possession as well as things that I routinely buy and think about just why do I have them? I was slightly taken aback to realise that there was only one perfume in my possession that I'd actually ... chosen for myself. I'm not sure that's a good thing. Amarige is certainly one I didn't choose and the fact that the one 100ml spray bottle of EDT has been in my possession for several years and is barely half-gone probably tells you a lot. It was a gift and as such appreciated - but liked?
~~~ Background ~~~
This Givenchy scent was released in 1991 and is still available, although there have been other versions released, such as Amarige Mariage. So that's a bit of a giveaway - Amarige is an anagram of Mariage. I hadn't even noticed so it was lost on me! The perfumer was Dominique Ropion and the bottle designer was Serge Mansau. It comes in a red box which I vaguely remember, though mine has long since been discarded. As it was a gift I have no idea what it cost then. The Perfume Shop website has the EDT available at £49.99 for this 100ml size, which seemed to be about the going rate from stores. I see it's available for much less on Ebay so worth looking around.
~~~ My Experience ~~~
The bottle is quite a neat heart shape, which I find makes it easy to hold when applying. There's a finial that's fashioned out of what looks like opaque glass, and it's rather more decorative - looking. The scent is quite noticeable to me the minute I take this off, and I notice it has transferred directly on to my fingers in doing so. I don't think this is ideal as I could easily transfer it to something else, e.g. if I was cooking.
The spray mechanism works well enough but it doesn't come out very finely. This means it's hard to just apply this scent sparingly. It wouldn't be an issue in a light scent, but that's not at all how I'd describe Amarige: it's one I want to apply sparingly.
It is described as a scent composed of a bouquet of white flowers. Am I alone in thinking some of these descriptions themselves are over flowery? It opens with the top notes of tangerine, violet and rosewood. I own a few citrus plants, one of which is currently in flower, and I would say that is the aroma that is most noticeable. I also think that the musk, which is one of the base notes, is noticeable throughout. The heart notes are gardenia, mimosa, red fruits and ylang ylang. Amarige finishes with ambergris, precious woods, musk and vanilla. I used the notes on the Boots website to obtain this information.
When I first spray it on I find it so strong it's almost overwhelming and actually rather unpleasant. It does calm down after a few minutes, but not to any great degree. I've seen it described as a loud scent, and it's hard to disagree. Some reviews say it performs more like an EDP than an EDT. I'm someone with limited knowledge in these matters, but it's certainly a lot stronger than any other EDT in my possession, in the early stages, at least.
After about an hour, when I smell it on my pulse points, it seems to have quietened down a fair bit, but it seems still to be powerfully present in the air around me. Unfortunately I can still smell it quite strongly on my hands. I don't want to make too much of this, as it's possible it's just an issue with this particular bottle.
And so it goes on. It seems to change slowly and subtly with time, and I would be stretching my limited ability to describe it to go much further. One thing's for sure - this is a perfume with longevity! I'm sure I can still smell it on my clothes after more than 24 hours.
~~~ My Opinion ~~~
I'm giving this a three star rating because of my reservations. For me this is a strong, long lasting fragrance. I think the description 'loud' is quite apt. As such I'm not sure it's really me. Perfumes don't seem to be often analysed in terms of suitability for characters or personalities; most people would describe me as a quiet person who doesn't usually enjoy attention being drawn to herself. I think that's why I haven't used much of this - I've been reserving it for occasions when I'm feeling a bit bolder, perhaps. Some people have called this a summery fragrance. I'm not so sure. The muskiness detracts from that a bit for me. I prefer to wear this for an evening out - it's too heady for daytime wear in my opinion. I like it better as it quietens down.
Generally speaking I'm not keen on allocating perfumes to any particular age group, but I'd really struggle to see a young woman liking this. I think this one is another case of love it or hate it. In some moods I quite like it, but not every day. Definitely one to try before you buy and I can't recommend you buy it without doing this. And for myself - I don't think I'll be replacing it when I've finally used it up. I'm going to take my time and select something myself!
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©Verbena May 2013
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Calvin Klein Sheer Beauty Eau de Toilette
by K1tzz
Sheer Beauty is simply a beautiful perfume which is ultra feminine and timeless. Its excudes sophiscation and makes one feel classy when wearing it. The scent is so lovely it could be worn during the day or at night. I am sure that special man in your life would want to lean in closer if you were wearing this delightful ... scent!!
Sheer Beauty is not an over powering scent. It is very fresh, floral and feminine.
The composition is floral - fruity, opening with notes of bergamot, red berries and peach Bellini. The perfume's core includes flowers of peony, pink lily and jasmine. The base is velvety due to accords of sandalwood, musk and vanilla blossom.
Suitable for young or the slightly more mature lady who wishes to ooze sophiscifaction, class and self confidence. I love this perfume and it will definitely be in my collection for a very long time. It is a classic.
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