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Portia
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Hey there APJ Crew,
Another week with the kids. Jin is a saint, the best uncle ever. They don’t know how lucky they are. I’ve pulled my ankle again, it’s fairly ouchie. So many wonderful fragrances this week, I’ve been pulling boxes out from the cupboard. Woo Hoo!
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Post by Trésor
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In lieu of my usual style of review I’ve decided to try something new this time around and take you guys on a little journey with me as I eschew my usual diet of niche obscurity and inky subversion for something a bit different. Instead I’ve decided to take 5 days to explore an area of fragrance which has become a bit maligned within the fragrance community: the pop star perfume. Here we go!
Day One: “Fame” by Lady Gaga (2012)
What I find so fascinating about Fame is what an incredible departure the actual composition itself is from the flacon in which it is contained. Judging from the inky black fluid and particularly aggressive, claw-like cap one would be coaxed into thinking that upon pressing the atomizer they would be met with a rather subversive brew but that’s simply not the case at all. Jammy apricots doused in saccharine sweet honey, bathed in the gentle aura of incense holograms and swirling tendrils of saffron spice. I’ve found this little potion rather pleasant to wear and I can see myself exploring it further in the future.
FragranceNet has $9/10ml RollerBall
Day Two: “Killer Queen: Spring Reign” from Katy Perry (2015)
I actually purchased a bottle of Killer Queen: Spring Reign just for the packaging alone, I thought the facets of the jewel-like bottle reflected light in the most lovely way; dancing off the edges of the glass in lambent pirouettes. I am saddened to to say, however, that I didn’t have the same affection for what was contained inside. On my skin Killer Queen: Spring Reign reads very much as a functional fragrance, something that is in my humble opinion better suited to a fabric softener or shampoo; laden with screeching laundry musks and nondescript candyfloss florals. Though the formula isn’t without beauty, graced with a delicate flourish of may rose, I found that on my skin it registered at a rather jarring pitch that remained present the majority of its life on my skin.
FragranceNet has $19/50ml
Day Three: “M” by Mariah Carey (2007)
I will admit right now, M by Mariah is one of my absolute favourite celebrity fragrances and one I have worn consistently since its launch back in 2007. I would easily count it among my roster of favourite comfort scents. Before you take away all of my fumehead street cred, do try to remember that it was authored by Carlos Benaim who’s also responsible for gems like Frederic Malle’s Eau de Magnolia and A Lab On Fire’s Liquidnight. M opens on the skin in a delicious, beautifully confectionary cloud of toasted sugar and unctuous marshmallow. Delicate threads of creamy gardenia weave throughout and a gossamer haze of salty skin musks that cascade gracefully upon tendrils of luminous incense.
FragranceX has $23/50ml
Day Four: “Incredible Things” by Taylor Swift (2014)
First impression: Boy, is this ever sweet! Sweet and rather sharp but beneath this visceral flashbang of neon saccharine there is something that I find so incredibly comforting. It takes me a few minutes to recalibrate and begin to decipher just what that is. Dewy grapefruit makes way for a dense, oozing vanilla and unexpectedly…suede! A genuinely lovely, buttery soft suede hidden beneath layers and layers of tooth-aching sweetness. Did I mention that it’s sweet? There is a tender current of coconut running throughout as well which calls to mind the fragrance of vintage tanning oil. The dry down of this little potion also takes a rather unexpected twist, beneath the expected menagerie of clean musk and crystalline amber there is a twist of vetiver! How unusual for a fragrance of this nature. I look forward to wearing this again and seeing what other surprises it may have in store.
Amazon has $41/50ml
Day Five: “Truth or Dare” by Madonna (2012)
Now this one, this one I like a lot! I am actually on my second bottle. Truth or Dare from Madonna is easily another of my favourite celebrity fragrances and if I am being absolutely honest it’s one of my favourite tuberose fragrances as well. Right out of the gate Truth or Dare captivates with one bloody gorgeous aria of voluptuous, dewy tuberose underscored by an exquisite gardenia; so creamy that you can almost imagine the glorious tactile sensation. Lush jasmine emerges from beneath, her essence in fusion with glistening droplets of oozing benzoin that dance sensually in radiant sunlight. Her last moments on the skin are spent as a plush cloud of warm, vanillic musk. I’d easily recommend this to any lover of tuberose. Top marks for Truth or Dare.
FragranceNet has $24/Gift set
To sample these fragrances try My Perfume Samples
Would you take the Pop Star Perfume Challenge? What fragrances would you choose?
Trésor xx
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Post by Poodle
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Two things I need to admit here. I am not a Katy Perry fan and I’m a bit judgmental when it comes to celebrity perfumes. My niece gave me a bottle of this so I’m trying to be as fair as possible.
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Mulberry, elderberry, black current, dark plum
Heart: Celosia, jasmine, freesia, plumeria
Base: Kashmir wood, liquid praline, caramel, patchouli
As you probably know, anything with the word “sheer” in the name is going to be problematic for me and my scent eating skin so your results may vary on this one. At first spritz you really need to give it a moment because there’s a sharp blast of what I can only describe as hair spray accord. Let’s let it dry a moment…
It’s sweet and juicy with plummy berries which is appropriate since the juice itself is purple. These seems to be the go-to top notes in mainstream scents lately and initially Katy Perry Killer Queen Oh So Sheer is similar to a lot of other perfumes out there. There’s the expected sweetness but since it’s a sheer scent it’s actually not too syrupy. I can’t pick out any individual berries and they seem more synthetic than natural to me. The flower notes are there but again, they don’t stand alone but rather blend together. I will say that I can smell the plumeria a bit more than anything else in the note list at this point. There’s a hint of caramel but it hasn’t quite bubbled to the surface yet.
Photo Stolen Wikipedia
As the fruit and flowers fade and the base notes begin to take the stage there’s that sweet patchouli common to many perfumes. Definitely not an earthy patchouli, for any of you patch heads out there, and I don’t detect much wood. But Katy Perry Killer Queen Oh So Sheer is sheer and very wearable. The liquid praline/caramel notes are somewhat apparent throughout the life of the scent. I had a problem with Prada Candy smelling like a hot chemical mess on me so I was ready for chemical caramel here too. It kills me to say it but I was pleasantly surprised. The caramel on me was not too sweet and not too synthetic smelling. I was not expecting that.
The main shift in Katy Perry Killer Queen Oh So Sheer is from the fruity opening to the sugared caramel base. It’s easy to wear and the general public will think you smell good. Not something that you need to think about to enjoy. Longevity was an issue which I expected and sillage was not overwhelming.
Photo Stolen Flickr
You could do much worse than Katy Perry Killer Queen Oh So Sheer in the sea of celebrity scents. Great for a tween or teen or an old lady like me who wants to feel young again.
Further reading: NJT Reviews and Shrinking Wallet
FragranceNet has $33/100ml before coupon
So have you tried this or any of the other Katy Perry perfumes? Do you think celebrity scents are getting better or worse lately?
Hugs
Poodle
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Post by Katrina
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Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Wild berries, dark plum, bergamot
Heart: Celosia), Sambac jasmine, plumeria
Base: Cashmere, patchouli, praline
The highlight from the celebrity perfumes of 2013 is Katy Perry’s Killer Queen. I wrote of my excitement about the impending release of Killer Queen in my review of the first two fragrances from Katy Perry – Purr and Meow!. Killer Queen is stronger and more sophisticated than Purr and Meow! This is not a sugary sweet girly fragrance. It smells quite intense in the beginning with sweet fruity notes combined with jasmine and patchouli. Along with the sweet berries there is deep plum, tart bergamot and strong florals. The perfume softens after a few hours and the liquid praline and patchouli smells fantastic.
I love the advertising and packaging of Killer Queen, the regal theme is fun, irreverent and dramatic. The gorgeous ruby-like bottle with its gold crown cap lays on its side.
Photo Stolen Pursuitist
Although Killer Queen is more sophisticated than the previous Katy Perry fragrances, it isn’t as edgy as I was anticipating and gets a lot of comparisons to Flowerbomb. In the same way that Lady Gaga Fame didn’t live up to its deep dark promise, Killer Queen is not as dramatic as its advertising campaign but I do love the plum, patchouli and praline in this fragrance. Killer Queen by Katy Perry is a rich floriental fragrance that is perfect for evening wear.
Further reading at Musings of a Muse and Now Smell This
FragranceX has $46/100ml
My Perfume Samples starts at $2/ml
Don’t forget to check out my website for more celebrity perfume news and reviews
Katrina xx
(Ed: Here is one of the super fun ads)
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Post by Katrina
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Excitement is building with pop singer Katy Perry about to launch her third perfume, Killer Queen created by Laurent Le Guernec who was also responsible for Lovely by SJP, twelve of the Bond No 9 releases and Viva by Fergie for Avon. In anticipation of the latest Katy Perry perfume I thought I would review her first two fragrances…..
Photo Stolen SynergyByDesign Flickr
Purr and Meow! (with an exclamation mark) are fun and playful just like Katy Perry and the cat figurine bottles in purple and pink are ‘to die for’.
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Peach, forbidden apple, gardenia, green bamboo
Heart: Jasmine, pink freesia, Bulgarian rose
Base: Vanilla orchid, creamy sandalwood, white amber, coconut, musk
Purr in the purple bottle was the first Katy Perry perfume and is a fruity floral perfume that starts out sweet with apple and peach. The fruit smells fresh, juicy and bright. There are pretty floral notes and a creamy vanilla that sits nicely in the background. The gardenia and jasmine are distinct but not too strong for Katy Perry’s teen fans. I really love the Purr bottle and the perfume is a good choice for everyday use but the perfume is not as impressive as the gorgeous bottle. It doesn’t push boundaries or include any surprises. The perfume is good but very safe. I’m not as crazy about the perfume as I am about the purple cat.
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica givees these featured accords:
Top: Tangerine, pear, jasmine, gardenia
Heart: Honeysuckle, lily of the valley, orange blossom
Base: Amber, vanilla, sandalwood, musk.
Meow! is cloudy lilac/pink with an M dangling from its collar and is very girly and smells delicious from beginning to end. Meow! is super sweet and fruity at the start. The fruit notes are candy-like and smell more like cherry and banana to me, rather than the tangerine and pear listed in the fragrance notes. When the fruity sugar hit passes the vanilla and musk take over and the perfume smells a lot like a soft gooey marshmallow, which ever so slowly dissolves and disappears.
Meow! with its pale pink bottle smells softer than the deep purple Purr. The floral notes in Purr smell quite intense compared with Meow!
Photo Stolen FragranticaAlthough the perfumes smell good, the most impressive thing about Katy Perry’s Purr and Meow! is probably the bottles, so lets hope that Killer Queen lives up to its name and delivers something kick-arse.
Further reading: Bois de Jasmin
FragranceNet has both Purr & Meow! from $23
My Perfume Samples start at $2/ml for both Purr & Meow!
For celebrity perfume news and reviews including more details on Killer Queen, please check out my website: Celebrity Perfume News
Katrina xx
Australian Perfume Junkies 