By Designer

My Burberry EDT by Burberry

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My Burberry EDT is sample that I apparently purchased a few years ago and never got around to trying out. I’m always misplacing samples. Anyway, I finally gave it a go, in order to review it for the site and share my thoughts on this fragrance. How does it smell? Is it even worth a try?

What does My Burberry EDT Smell Like?

Notes include: peach flower, peony, freesia, white moss, damask rose, and musk

Click here to try: Burberry My Burberry Eau de Toilette, 3.0 Fl Oz

My Full Review

My initial thoughts after spraying My Burberry EDT are just how cool, fresh, and slightly water the composition is. Up top, I get the slight fruitiness provided by the peach blossom, freesia, and the damask rose.

The rose note isn’t heavy or overpowering the other floral ingredients, but it is there throughout the wear. Actually, the entire thing comes together as very well blended and you cannot always distinguish the exact notes.

However, after that initial phase, the peach blossom moves along and the peony steps into its place. Also, at this point in time, I get more of the earthiness of the moss and the musk. It’s all very pleasant and familiar to other floral fragrances, but My Burberry still feels unique to some extent.

The final dry down is the peony and rose, with the moss and musk. There isn’t a ton of development with this one, but I do personally get these three separate stages.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage is on the lighter end of moderate, on my skin. This EDT isn’t going to blow the doors off and generally stays within a few feet of the wearer. Not a heavy and enveloping scent, rather, it is clean and light.

The longevity is pretty good, but not outstanding. It’ll hit the six or seven hour mark. Most of the time, closer to that 6 hour time frame. Again, useful, just not an outstanding performer.

Seasonally, My Burberry is great for spring and summer. However, it wouldn’t feel out of place for most of the rest of the year. Maybe just stay away from the absolute coldest depths of winter.

It is also and extremely versatile daily wear scent. It’s low key, smells nice, and isn’t going to offend almost anyone. It can be worn to work, school, casual, or even more formal occasions. Not really a nightlife or romantic wear, but it does have its own charming attractiveness.

Overall Impressions of My Burberry EDT

Overall, do I like this perfume? I do. The opening act with the peach blossom is my favorite part of the wear. After that, I still find it enjoyable, just not to the same extent. Though, I think that it’s well above average in how it smells in totality.

The performance is okay, nothing to write home about, but not a complete disappointment. If you want a fresh floral bouquet with some light peach touches, this is one worth considering.

My Burberry EDT can absolutely be an easy reach for daily wear. Not ground breaking, but not one that I have any serious complaints about either.

Black Opium Neon by YSL

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Black Opium Neon is one of the flankers from the best selling Saint Laurent line. I’m making my way through the perfumes from this line, in order to catch up on the reviews. Today’s entry was released by YSL in 2019. How does Neon Smell? Does it last long? What are the differences? Is it worth a buy?

What does Black Opium Neon Smell Like?

Notes include: coffee, dragon fruit, mandarin essence, orange blossom, jasmine

Click here to try: Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Neon EDP 2.5 oz 75 ml Women NEW

My Full Review

Let’s see how YSL describes this perfume: When dark coffee meets the vivid & audacious dragon fruit. A vibrant & luminous addiction flashes through the new Eau de Parfum Neon.

Upon first spraying, Neon is noticeably different from the original Black Opium EDP, but you can still pick up the DNA of the original. After all, they still share coffee, orange blossom, and vanilla notes.

However, the weighting is completely different, as the coffee and especially vanilla are toned way down. The opening gives you a very citrusy smelling blend of dragon fruit and mandarin orange. I like it, as it gives Neon a nice burst of energy and a fairly tropical vibe.

That’s another aspect of this one that I like, Black Opium Neon is ultimately a lighter fragrance without the heavy embrace that the original could have.

To me, the opening act is mostly the fruit notes sitting on top of a prominent orange blossom with some jasmine thrown in. It feels sweet in more of a candy-like way for a gourmand. Like, more bubble gum and Starburst versus a baked goods gourmand.

During the dry down, is when I really start to get the original Black Opium vibes. I can pick up more of the coffee and vanilla notes, but really it becomes about the floral notes. Like a softer version of the original, with the fruit remnants still lingering.

Then, the very end of the road is a pretty faint by this point, coffee accord. A little orange blossom, still in the mix. It’s kind of surprising that the coffee is really the last one standing, but that’s just what it is.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This isn’t a heavy fragrance, nor does it have a crazy amount of projection. Actually, it’s pretty moderate as a whole. From the description, I was expecting more of a loud club banger, but Neon doesn’t fit that bill.

I mean, you could wear it out in the nightlife, it’s just not going to fill a room. Spraying it on a t-shirt, I could pick it up from about 6 feet away, at its max. On the skin, it seems to be around that same level.

This one has a bit better staying power than Illicit Green, but not too much. On me, it’ll go just over six hours, maybe getting close to seven. However, it’s not going to be a massive double digit hour perfume, on skin.

Seasonally, it isn’t limited to the autumn and winter like the original. But also, it isn’t one for the summer months. Depending on where you live, it’s probably good through late springtime.

Neon feels more well put together than the original, with a somewhat more mature vibe. Not to say it’s old lady-ish, but the heavier coffee and vanilla gourmand features aren’t popping out as much.

This can be worn in a variety of situations, day or into the nightlife. You’ll probably just have to reapply if you’re making that transition. Neon isn’t a formal fragrance.

Overall Impressions of Black Opium Neon

Overall, do I like Neon? I do. In terms of how it smells, I like it slightly better than the original. It has more balance, is lighter, and I enjoy the fruity top notes. Dragon fruit is a nice touch.

The performance and sillage isn’t as good. Not terribly bad wear, but it doesn’t hit the same level as its predecessor.

If you didn’t like the original Black Opium, I doubt that this would change your mind. If you already own Black Opium, you probably don’t need this, unless you want to round out your collection.

For those who are just in the market for a Black Opium fragrance…it’s worth a shot to see if you prefer this edition. It’s not way better, but I have a bit of a preference for how Neon comes across.

Neon is one of the better releases from this line, but not the best of them.

Wonderlust by Michael Kors

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Wonderlust is probably the most popular Michael Kors fragrance with the public right now. I’ve had a sample sprayer sitting in a box for many months now, for me to revisit and finally post a full review. Well, that day has come to review this 2016 release. How does this one smell? Does it last long? Is Wonderlust worth a buy?

What does Wonderlust Smell Like?

Notes include: almond milk, sandalwood, dimanthus, bergamot, pink pepper, heliotrope

Click here to try: WONDERLUST by Michael Kors 3.4 Ounce / 100 ml Eau de Parfum (EDP) Women Perfume Spray

My Full Review

Discover a place filled with wonder, where endless adventure awaits. Almond milk dianthus sandalwood from Sri Lanka.

Up top with Wonderlust, I get the creamy almond milk, along with a nice citrus spritz. This gives Wonderlust a somewhat tropical feeling, with a bit of jasmine peaking through. However, the citrus moment is pretty short lived and that’s when this scent is at its sweetest.

The next phase, is the true introduction of the dianthus, which adds a slight spice to the mix, and the almond is still persisting for the duration. It’s not a floral note that I’m too familiar with, but it stands out for a time, and I enjoy how it works in the composition.

For a while, that sweet/spice of dianthus meets a might powdery heliotrope, and the sandalwood emerges from the base. This middle phase is probably my favorite part of the wear, since it’s actually sticking around for more than that opening semi-tropical act.

Finally, it moves into being mostly about almond and sandalwood alone. Though, there is some remaining powdery qualities. It’s warm, creamy, and has an attractive coziness to the aroma. That’s what it ends up being for the rest of the wear.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This Michael Kors perfume is fairly moderate in terms of sillage. It will project in the 4-6 range, for much of the wear. It’s not a beast, but it isn’t so light as to go unnoticed.

On my skin, I get right around 8 hours. Very good, just not elite. How long it lasts is the stronger portion of its performance, it just isn’t going to choke out a room with its presence.

Seasonally, Wonderlust is very balanced. It has elements of a summer perfume, but it’s creaminess lends itself well to colder weather, also. It’s not a heavy fragrance, so it has really great seasonal versatility.

I do kind of like it a bit more, when it is a bit below average temperatures. A slight chill, makes this one really pop.

Beyond that, it can be a completely appropriate daily wear fragrance. Go casual or even a bit more formal. I wouldn’t call Wonderlust a nightlife scent, but it does have enough attractiveness, to not be totally boring either.

It’s basically one that you can have in your rotation to handle the heavy lifting. Then, break out something else on special occasions or when you want to really grab attention.

Overall Impressions of Wonderlust

Overall, do I like this scent? I do. I think that it smells very good and does everything well. Wonderlust is a versatile fragrance, with some unique aspects and undergoes enough development to be interesting.

It’s already a popular perfume, thanks to its ease of wear, and ability to be a versatile go to on a daily basis. It might not be the highlight of your fragrance collection, but it can certainly be an anchor.

I do wish that there was a longer experience with the bergamot note, in the beginning, but other than that I don’t have any real complaints.

Since it’s release, this one has spawned a bunch more from the series. Though, I still think that this one is a really nice jumping off point, at the right price.

Nolita by Bond No. 9

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Another Bond No. 9 sample I received, is of their new 2017 release, Nolita. It is a citrus/floral mix and the full bottle comes with a lipstick as a part of a product combination. In this post, I’m going to explore how Nolita smells, performs, and whether or not I think that it is worth a buy.

What does Nolita by Bond No. 9 Smell Like?

Notes include: freesia, tangerine, lily, amber, rose, sandalwood, musk, jasmine

Click here to try: Bond No. 9 Nolita Perfume + Lipstick Duo: 3.4 oz (100ml) Eau de Parfum Spray for Women

My Full Review

The opening of this fragrance gives me the scent of the tangerine note, the freesia, and some light rose. The citrus is the dominant note for the first five minutes or so before becoming well-blended with the rest of the composition.

In my mind, the tangerine is the most prominent throughout, but not by much after that initial five minutes.

As it moves along, Nolita, starts to give off a warm and slightly powdery aroma. It is much more of a floral at this point in time than it had been with the emergence of the lily and wonderful jasmine. However, the rose almost became non-detectable for me.

I really like how the amber note supports the floral notes and gives them that intriguing warmth. The tangerine is what keeps this from becoming too much of a green floral bouquet and brightens it all up.

Nolita is a fairly straightforward perfume. After that initial citrus burst, it is pretty much the floral notes jockeying for position the rest of the way.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The projection on this is rather light. Nolita is a soft fragrance, that you’ll have to be close to in order to detect. That is of course, unless you’re spraying a crazy amount. Not necessarily a bad thing, just don’t think you’re going to be getting an absolute bomb here.

The longevity for me was roughly 5-6 hours and after that it was very sparse, if anything. Not that great for something at this price point, but not absolutely terrible. Close though.

Bond No. 9 describes this fragrance as ladylike and I have to agree. It’s very soft, fresh, and powdery. Something to be worn casually or at the office during the daytime. Nolita is attractive but not really ‘sexy’ or ‘seductive’, just a pretty floral with a citrus top.

Very much a warmer weather fragrance, but not really for the extreme heat of summer. Rolling out of winter and through the springtime is the best opportunity to wear this one.

Overall Impressions of Nolita

Overall, would I recommend Nolita? It’s nice but not spectacular. It’s supposedly almost an identical twin of Bond No. 9’s Mother’s Day scent, which I think might be the only sample I didn’t get of the I Love NY line.

So, I’m not sure whether the comparisons are apt or not. As a standalone, it’s a decent fragrance that is safe and non-offensive. Do you want more from a fragrance with this cost? Probably. Maybe the lipstick it comes with is better…

Central Park West by Bond No. 9

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Most of the Bond No. 9 samples that I received were of women’s perfumes, so I’ve got about four more of these or so that I’ll be posting as soon as they’re written up. For this one, we have Central Park West. In this post, I’ll cover what in this perfume, how it smells, how it performs, and whether or not it is worth a purchase.

What does Central Park West EDP Smell Like?

Notes include: ylang ylang, narcissus, gardenia, black pepper, jasmine, linden, orris, musk, white oak

Click here to try: Bond No. 9 Central Park West Eau de Parfum Spray for Women, 3.3 Ounce

My Full Review

Wow. The opening of Central Park West presents you with an absolute floral bomb. I get a lot of gardenia and ylang ylang with an underlying muskiness and just a hint of black pepper kick.

From the start, I will say, that you’ll only enjoy this perfume if you’re a pure floral lover. It honestly gives me kind of a headache during the opening while it’s on my skin, it so overwhelming to my sense of smell.

The florals are however, clean and pretty sweet. As it dries down, I tend to get more of the narcissus and the black pepper becomes more prominent to my nose.

The dry down period was a much better aroma in my opinion, not as intense and smoothed out by mainly the jasmine note, I think. The oak also becomes a factor and gives it a solid non-floral background.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s very strong. You won’t need more than a few sprays, as Central Park West is utterly powerful juice. Probably one of the best from this designer, in terms of performance.

It also lasts a long time, I could smell it for over 10 hours while wearing, which is kind of funny as a guy walking around smelling like gardenias. But if you love white floral blends, this one has excellent performance.

This is springtime in a bottle. Mostly a daytime wear, that is good for casual or more dressy occasions. I don’t find it to be sexy at all and I wouldn’t classify it as something that should be worn to a bar or club. It has a certain classiness to it without being too stuffy.

Overall Impressions of Central Park West

Overall, is Central Park West worth a buy? I personally don’t like hyper-floral perfumes, but those who do, will most likely love this one. It’s well blended and nuanced with extreme staying power.

It does get better, the deeper into the wear you get with Central Park West, but I really disliked the opening 15 minutes. If this sounds like your thing, you might do well to check it out.

You will at the very least get your money’s worth with how long it lasts and its heavy sillage. You’re just going to have to really enjoy heavy gardenia and jasmine.