Perfume Archives - Cornflakegirl's Musings

Narciso Rodriguez for her EDT

Narciso Rodriguez for her EDT (7.5ml roll-on), €19.50. Narciso Rodriguez for her EDT (30 ml), €47. Narciso Rodriguez for her EDT (50 ml), €69. Narciso Rodriguez for her EDT (100 ml), €100. No press samples included.

I’ve had my eye on Narciso Rodriguez for her EDT for ages, but couldn’t justify the price for a full size bottle so when I spotted this roll-on in Sephora while in Barcelona recently I knew I had to have it.

I really wish roll-on perfumes were widely available in Ireland because they’re a great way to try perfumes without completely breaking the bank.

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Review: Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme Intense EDP

Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme Intense EDP (25 ml), €67. Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme Intense (50 ml), €97. No press samples included.

Pour Femme Intense has top notes of Neroli, Raspberry and Green Mandarin. Its heart is made up of Orange Blossom and Tuberose, while at its base is Marshmallow and Sandalwood.

Perfume is an interesting thing, sometimes I can sniff a fragrance and immediately tell you what’s in it and other times I can label it floral or fruity etc, but individual notes are difficult to decipher. Pour Femme Intense is the latter.

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Review: Lady Gaga Eau de Gaga

Lady Gaga Eau de Gaga (30ml), €25. Lady Gaga Eau de Gaga (75ml), €39. No press sample included.

Eau de Gaga is a surprising fragrance. Judging by the sleek bottle I was expecting a deep and musky night-time scent, which it’s not. It is refreshing, long-lasting and a unisex EDP, that is almost cologne like as contradictory as that might sound, which works well if you’re looking for something lighter for summer, but are not a fan of all things sweet or floral.

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Review: L’Occitane Néroli & Orchidée EDT

L’Occitane Néroli & Orchidée EDT (30ml), €34. L’Occitane Néroli & Orchidée EDT (75ml), €62. Gift with magazine included, but no press samples.

This deluxe L’Occitane Néroli & Orchidée EDT sample (7.5ml) came free with a magazine so long ago I’ve forgotten which magazine it was. I took the above photo when I first got it too, there’s now roughly a third of it left.

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Review: Giorgio Armani Sì EDP

Sì EDP (30ml), €56. Sì EDP (50ml), €79. Sì EDP (100 ml), €106. Personal gift included, but no press samples.

If you have ever been anywhere near a perfume counter with me you’ll know I am particular about how I shop for perfume. I won’t sniff more than five at a time because after that my nose can’t tell what’s what anymore. I spray the ones I like on pieces of cardboard, which I have already written the perfume names on, place them in various pockets in my bag and coat so the scents don’t get mixed up and proceed to sniff them at different points throughout the day. I’ll take notes about the perfume notes, which ones are coming through for me and how the scent makes me feel. I’ll often leave the pieces of card for a few days, smell them again and see if I still like the fragrances.

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Perfumes The A-Z Guide by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez

A book about perfume written by a scientist and a perfume critic is going to be boring, right? Wrong. Turin and Sanchez have a way with words that not only make the world of fragrance accessible, but also entertaining.

Perfumes The A-Z Guide introduces us to perfume criticism, takes us through the different ways we perceive feminine and masculine fragrances, teaches us how to go about choosing a new scent, and gives us a brief history of perfume. This is all before we come to the frequently asked questions section which is the most comprehensive I’ve seen anywhere. Each chapter is written with not only knowledge, but more humour than you thought possible when discussing perfume. All that’s left are the perfume reviews.

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Review: Givenchy Very Irresistible Sensual EDP

Very Irresistible EDP is the last of the Givenchy perfume sachets that my friend gave me last year. I still think that housing perfume samples in a sachet, as opposed to a vial, makes the application process difficult. As a result of this, I only managed to get two uses out of this sample whereas the Play for Her sample yielded three uses.

In 2005 Very Irresistible Sensual became the newest addition to Givenchy’s Very Irresistible range. Containing notes of rose, peony, star anise, patchouli and vanilla it is supposed to be a more seductive grown up version of the original Very Irresistible.

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Review: Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb EDP

I’ve had a bit of a mixed relationship with Flowerbomb since its release in 2005. I’ve tried many samples and even owned a 50ml bottle at one point, I ended up giving that to a friend who describes this fragrance as ‘sex on legs’, but I just can’t decide whether I like it or it.

I’ve mentioned before that floral isn’t my comfort zone when it comes to fragrance, but there’s something about Flowerbomb that keeps drawing me back to it.

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Review: Givenchy Play for Her EDP

When I reviewed Givenchy’s Play Eau de Toilette, last year, I mentioned that, to my nose, it was quite a unisex fragrance as there was nothing overtly masculine about it. Since then, I have been curious about its counterpart, Play for Her, and how I would get on with it.

My curiosity has now been satisfied, thanks to a friend who gave me a bundle of Givenchy perfume samples a few months back. I managed to get three uses out of this one sachet, which was impressive considering how finicky they are. Whoever thought of housing perfume samples in sachets, as opposed to vials, was probably thinking of the cost over any appreciation for scent and the application of scent, but that’s a discussion for another day.

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Review: My Queen by Alexander McQueen EDP

My Queen by Alexander McQueen has been around since 2005. It contains top notes of Parma violet and sweet almond. Its middle notes are orange blossom, heliotrope and white musk. While iris, vanilla, vetiver and cedar make up its base notes.

When first spritzed on the skin I’m hit by the sweet almond. This soon calms and mixes with the Parma violet leaving an intriguing sweet lavender-esque fragrance.

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