Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker

Checking through a newly re-found box of fragrance samples, I saw a sample vial and card for Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker. I have zero recollection of where this came from and was almost certain, that I had already done a review on this best-selling perfume. Nope, but I plan on remedying that oversight, in this post by breaking down Lovely. What does it smell like? How does it perform? When should it be worn? Is it even worth a purchase?

What does Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker Smell Like? 

Notes include: bergamot, lavender, apple martini, patchouli, paperwhites, creamy orchid, cedar, amber, woods, and musk

Click here to try: Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker for Women, Eau de Parfum, 3.4-Ounce Spray Bottle

My Full Review

Before I get into my own review of this scent, let’s see how it’s described by the brand, “Loveliness is everywhere…a touch, a face, a memory, pink pearls, a song, a sexy shoe, a kiss, candlelight, a white orchid, a girl, a woman, a dream, a scent…you only have to look.”

Upon the first sniff of Lovely, I immediately get a strong musk note, that is paired with lavender. Along side of this, I get some mandarin orange, a bit of apple, and orchid. The orchid is very distinct out of those last three notes.

The mandarin and apple notes, aren’t all that strong, within this composition. In fact, they fade off into the ether fairly quickly. In their place, comes an ever-increasing patchouli, which dirties the perfume somewhat.

While this is an extremely popular fragrance for women, I will say that, not everyone will enjoy this scent. You’re going to have to like plenty of musk and patchouli, in your perfumes. Yes, lavender and orchid are strong too, but musk and patchouli are notes which can turn some folks off from a fragrance. 

The patchouli does give it that earthiness/dirtiness, but overall, the perfume is very clean and subtle. As it dries down further, the scent really settles down, on my skin. I start to get smoother woods, more lavender, less intensity in the musk, and the orchid still sitting pretty within it all. 

The final dry down is a floral/musky scent with a base of cedar and other non-distinct woody notes. It’s not too complicated of a perfume, fairly linear, but develops enough to keep things interesting.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Lovely isn’t too powerful of a scent. It is light and subtle, but not weak by any means. I imagine that you could over spray this, but the sillage isn’t going to take over a room, with normal application. I’d call it a light moderate perfume.

Longevity is pretty good, but not great. It seems to hit the 6-7 range for me, on a consistent basis, during testing. My skin doesn’t tend to ‘eat’ up fragrances, so, that should be a decent baseline for the performance. Your results may vary, of course.

Seasonally, Lovely would work in any climate. It’s not really a winter sort of scent, but it wouldn’t be bad, in that weather. I’d still probably go with any fragrance, that would be more suitable, however.

One of the main strengths of this Sarah Jessica Parker scent, is just how versatile it is. It is subtle enough for the office, can go casual, and generally serve as a no-brainer for daily wear. It’s at it’s best in warmer weather, not really going to be offensive, or ever in your face about its presence.

Is it a sexy scent? Not particularly. This isn’t a romantic wear or even a nightlife fragrance. It’s attractive, somewhat pretty, but not something that is going to draw a boatload of attention your way. Think of it as a generalist rather than a specialist perfume.

Overall Impressions of Lovely

Do I like Lovely by SJP? I do. For a celebrity fragrance, this one is of good quality, and at a cheap price. You’re going to have to enjoy musky floral perfumes, otherwise, you may not like this at all.

The performance is solid and it can be an easy daily wear for many women (and already is). The inexpensive price, is one of the main strengths of this scent, along with its aroma, and versatility.

I kind of wish that it had more of the apple and mandarin notes. That felt like a missed opportunity. But, the patchouli works well here, adding depth to an otherwise fairly thin profile.

This is the original and best seller from the Sarah Jessica Parker line and it does a good job at representing the brand. People also like to use this as a cheaper alternative to fragrances like Narciso Rodriguez, so, while it lacks originality and can be a great substitute for more expensive designer scents.

I don’t think that this one is completely amazing or anything, but it provides plenty of value for what it is. 

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.