Delices De Cartier EDT by Cartier

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Starting off fresh for this month, I have another ladies’ fragrance review on tap for today. This one is another entry from Cartier, entitled, Delices de Cartier. This is the EDT version that I am going to be writing about. As usual, I am going to cover: what’s in it, how it smells, how it performs, when it should be worn, and if it is worth a buy or not.

What does Delices de Cartier Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, vanilla, iced cherry, pink pepper, freesia, jasmine, violet, tonka bean, amber, sandalwood

Click here to try: Delices de Cartier for Women 1.0 oz Parfum Classic Spray

Full Wear Review

The opening of Delices de Cartier sets the cherry-laden tone of the perfume. The cool and crisp iced cherry note is joined by bergamot note, which gives the scent a cherry limeade sort of aroma.

There is also a pink pepper note which is reminiscent of the one found in Guess Seductive Homme.

I enjoy the opening act of this Cartier perfume, as it is such a nice blend of sweet and tart. Plus, the iced aspect, is something that usually gets my attention when utilized with fruits. The cooling scent of the cherry with some warmth of the pink pepper and a light lovely spice.

After a few minutes, I start to pick up more on the floral notes which give off a slight powdery smell, particularly the violet and jasmine combo. It becomes much smoother, refined, and warm once the tonka bean and amber notes take hold.

The bergamot and pink pepper start to fall by the wayside as the dry down begins.

This is my favorite part of the perfume, when it transforms from a very concentrated cherry, to a warm powdery gourmand scent that is quite lovely. Of course, the powdery aspect is met with a certain creaminess, from sandalwood and tonka bean.

When it all comes together, it sort of all blends into a sweet, warm, and indeed delicious fragrance.

The sweetness in this one is a fruity (mainly cherry) type of sweetness and not a candy or cake sort of thing, even if there is a slight vanilla quality to it. The EDT version does have the vanilla note, which I believe the original lacks.

Essentially, Delices de Cartier goes from an icy fruity fragrance, to a warm powdery and sweet one.

The main notes that I pick up towards the end of the wear are: cherry, amber, tonka bean, and sandalwood. There is some light floral impressions in the mix, but don’t present themselves, all that much.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, I found it to be on the upper end of moderate. I wouldn’t call it strong, but I noticed that it was there the entire time. The sillage isn’t going to choke out someone from across a room, but never was an airy perfume, either.

You will get a solid 4-6 foot perimeter around the skin, for the first hour or so. Then, it will gradually draw itself in. Never too light, but not at all extreme.

It gives a very good performance of 7+ hours of wear. This isn’t one that will fall off in the middle of the day and I found the longevity to be one of this EDT’s stronger points. Very solid performance.

For seasonal wear, I’d call it Fall/Winter. It’s a gourmand, smells edible, with a warm and powdery undertone. It’s pretty versatile and could work both casually and romantically.

It does have a certain sense of seductiveness to the aroma, particularly once it settles in fully. I certainly find it attractive, not amazingly ‘sexy’, but it does have a distinct appeal.

Overall Impressions of Delices de Cartier

Overall, would I recommend Delices de Cartier? I have to say, yes. I think it is an interesting fragrance and smells nice. I’ll also say, that the cherry note might be the deciding factors for most people looking to buy it. It is kind of hit or miss.

It’s a red cherry scent and not a black cherry like found in Guerlain’s La Petite Robe Noire.

If you absolutely hate cherries, than this one is a scent you should avoid. All things considered, it is a fairly unique perfume, with good longevity, and an appealing aroma.

Mind blowing? No, but a well above average scent for ladies. If there are bottles available for pretty cheap, it good be a really solid buy for the right person.

Update: It looks as though this one has been discontinued, as the bottles that I’m seeing online, are now super expensive. I certainly don’t think this one is worth $300+. However, if you can find a bottle around for under $100, it might be worth a shot.

Royal Mayfair by Creed

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Today, I’m going to cover yet another unisex fragrance by Creed, Royal Mayfair. This is a scent that I haven’t had any experience with so I was curious to see what it’s all about and how it stacks up versus other Creed offerings. As usual, I’m going to go over what’s inside, how it smells, how it performs, when it should be worn, and if it’s actually worth getting.

What does Royal Mayfair Smell Like?

Notes include: gin, lime, eucalyptus, pine, rose, cedar

Click here to try: Creed Royal Mayfair Eau de Parfum Millesime Spray for Men, 4 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Royal Mayfair seems pretty harsh at first, with a pungent pine note mixed with gin (which is also loud) and eucalyptus. It’s quite odd to me, having a pine note come out of the gates like that, but it does settle down after that.

The eucalyptus note is soothing and it kind of reminds me of a brand of hand lotion, that I cannot recall the name of at this moment.

The rose note feels very ‘green’ to me and the pine note only adds to that to give Royal Mayfair a woodsy/outdoor aroma. How one feels about that will depend on your personal taste, I find it to be okay, and at this point I begin to think that this one doesn’t really fit my style.

While this is listed as a unisex fragrance, the rose and eucalyptus, make this fragrance veer more towards the feminine side of things, in my opinion. It’s not super girly or anything but the floral and greenery do give it that sort of feeling.

I will say that Royal Mayfair is quite a smooth scent and very well blended like many Creed fragrances. The cedar note is the stabilizer of this fragrance, it provides the woody heart, that allows the other notes to successfully play off one another.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Royal Mayfair is pretty moderate, outside of that initial strong blast. I’d say around a 3-4 foot radius of aroma around the skin.

It does however, have really good longevity. At one point, I was washing it off of my skin, and had to go back and scrub for a second time because it was still out in full force. It’ll easily hit double digit hours.

This is a spring/summer fragrance, that fits best into casual or dressed up daytime occasions. It doesn’t strike me a romantic or a nightlife scent in the slightest. From casual to daytime formal, mostly.

Overall Impressions of Royal Mayfair

Is it worth a buy? For me, no, but that doesn’t make it a ‘bad’ fragrance. It’s not bad. It just so happens to contain notes that I don’t personally enjoy very much: rose, pine, and eucalyptus.

However, there are plenty of people who love that sort of thing. It’s a well made fragrance that gives good performance, so if that’s your thing and you’ve got the money…go for it.

The One Sport by Dolce & Gabbana

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Marching on with my reviews of recent fragrance samples I’ve received, I’m going to tackle a scent by Dolce & Gabbana, that is a flanker fragrance to The One for Men. The One sport is a fresh and obviously sporty take on the original but how does it stand up to its predecessor? Also, what does it smell like, and is it even worth a purchase?

What does The One Sport Smell Like?

Notes include: sequoia, rosemary, cardamom, musk, patchouli

Click here to try: Dolce & Gabbana The One Sport Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, 3.3 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

I was a big fan of how the original The One by D&G smelled, in fact, it was one of my favorite scents ever…except for the fact that it lasted less than 20 minutes on my skin. So, I was curious as to what my experience with The One Sport would be in light of the weakness of the progenitor.

Upon first sniff, I immediately recognize a familiar aroma, and it’s that of Deep Energy by Adidas. That Adidas fragrance is another sporty scent for men and it shares a very large part of its character with this D&G cologne.

The notes between the two overlap with the cardamom, musk, patchouli, and a wood note (albeit different trees). Add to that, they are also quite watery/aquatic in nature.

The biggest difference between the two is that The One Sport has a rosemary note and Deep Energy uses citrus. The variation is actually pretty slight and these scents are very close to one another.

So, beyond smelling like a rosemary laced Deep Energy, The One Sport is a pretty linear affair. It’s a very basic scent that doesn’t really develop much personality or surprise you in anyway while wearing it. What you originally smell is essentially what you get throughout.

That’s not to say that I think that it doesn’t smell good. I mean, I like it, but I’m not blown away by the scent. It’s an upbeat and fresh scent with a bit of spice and wood. That’s about it. Straightforward and to the point.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, this scent is pretty weak. It is fairly noticeable at first but then dies a quick death. Longevity is about an hour, maybe two, if you’re lucky.

It really does seem like The One Sport was designed to be worn at the gym and that’s it. Maybe casually on a summer’s day.

I honestly don’t know when else you would wear it. It doesn’t really smell sexy, and doesn’t last long enough, to be a workplace fragrance. So, it’s kind of pointless otherwise.

Overall Impressions of The One Sport

Overall, would I recommend The One Sport? I don’t see a reason to own this cologne. At this price point, it is very limited, if all you want to do is wear a fragrance at the gym why not just buy the Adidas scent for around $10? (Update: That’s not even possible anymore, at that price point)

You get basically the same scent and it actually performs better and lasts longer. The One Sport is just about completely pointless. It smells just fine, but offers nothing besides that. I’ll pass.

Somehow they decided to make a sport version of The One EDT, a scent with fairly notoriously bad performance. I know that this hasn’t been available for about a decade, but The One Sport is easily the worst of this D&G series.

La Petite Robe Noire by Guerlain

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So, I’ve received two samples of La Petite Robe Noire fragrances by Guerlain, and it of course confused me as to which one was which. There seems to be a long complicated structure to when the original was released and then all of the subsequent flanker perfumes that all have very similar bottles.

Never mind all of that though, this post will take a closer look at the Eau de Parfum version of this Guerlain scent, and present my opinions on how it smells, performs, and when it should be worn.

What does La Petite Robe Noire Smell Like?

Notes include: black cherry, rose, almond, licorice, black tea, red berry, vanilla, and more

Click here to try: Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Eau de Parfum Spray for Women, 3.3 Ounce

My Full Review

The opening is a blend of black cherry and berry notes that has a heavy syrup quality to it, much like the type of cherries you’d find at a bar or used as candy flavoring.

This does have that strong candy/medicinal aroma that can wear on me, thanks to the licorice note, much like the one found in Lolita Lempicka Au Masculin. However, it doesn’t bother me as much in this eau de parfum, as it does in that men’s fragrance.

As it dries down, I do begin to detect more of the almond and vanilla note in La Petite Robe Noire. It gives it a bit of a different profile than that strong almost overly sweet start and some much needed depth to the perfume.

What’s interesting, is that even though this is a sweet/fruity fragrance, it does have a darker and less girly feel than many similar fragrances of its ilk. Also, as it wear it does seem to evolve further, while never losing its cherry aroma.

The black tea, rose, and other floral notes begin to take shape and make me appreciate this scent even more.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it starts off strong for the first ten minutes or so, before it fades into something much more moderate and tolerable. That opening sweetness can feel a lot more powerful, than the perfume actually is.

The longevity struck me as pretty good but not insane, I would say it lasted about 6-7 good hours on my skin. It’s about in line with what I’ve come to expect from this series.

I think that this is a scent for colder weather. La Petite Robe Noire does have that kind of sweetness that can overwhelm and annoy some people, so I’m not too sure that I’d recommend it for office or school wear. Best to be worn on an evening out, it would seem.

Overall Impressions of La Petite Robe Noire EDP

Overall, would I recommend this fragrance? For some people, yes. If you’re in the market for a solid cherry based scent, this could be one to explore. I find it very interesting, but not incredible, by any means.

I like when the opening settles down and more of the almond and vanilla comes through. That’s when Robe Noire is at its absolute best.

In my opinion, it’s decent to good but for some ladies this might be love at first sniff…and others still will detest this parfum. It’s definitely one to try out and not expect a universal appeal while wearing it. A mostly good Guerlain scent.

Eau Mega by Viktor & Rolf

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Time for another ladies’ fragrance sample review. Today’s contestant is Eau Mega by Viktor & Rolf, which was released in 2009. Is this blend of floral and fruit notes worth purchasing consideration?

What does it smell like? How does it perform? As usual, I will give my opinion on all of these questions and figure out what the deal is with Eau Mega.

Eau Mega Overview

Notes include: jasmine, peony, musk, pear, lemon, violet leaf

Click here to try: Eau Mega by Viktor & Rolf, 1.70 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Viktor & Rolf’s Eau Mega is a watery blend of pear and peony. It actually really reminds me of a hand soap that I’ve purchased before, which doesn’t strike me as a good thing in a perfume.

I think it is due to the pear and jasmine notes coming together, as those are usual ingredients in those products.

I also get a vibe of something like Alien Aqua Chic (if I remember correctly), just in it’s water notes. Eau Mega isn’t an oceanic aquatic, but it does have quite a watery aroma.

As Eau Mega moves along in time, the violet leaf and musk take on a larger role and it gets away from the hand soap opening.

I get a very floral, green, and fruity aroma from this perfume, much like a garden or bouquet of flowers that has just gotten a dowsing from a sprinkler system.

What this scent is by this point in time, is what you should expect from the rest of the wear, as it really doesn’t develop any further.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The projection on this one is pretty good. The first hour has some decent punch behind it. Later, it is a subtle fragrance, that will play the background.

By no means, is this a monster scent that will take over the room.

The longevity is again, just okay, it isn’t poor so I can’t beat it up too much on that point. Eau Mega is quite serviceable in the performance department. It lasts about 6-7 hours, on my skin.

It’s decent enough for what this scent is and what you’d use it for. This V&R perfume just wasn’t one of their powerhouses.

Eau Mega strikes me as a casual wear that is built for the warmer months of the year. So, seasonally mainly spring and summer. Maybe it can venture into the autumn or indoors during the winter.

It could be worn at school or the office, but it doesn’t feel to me like a sexy or romantic kind of perfume at all.

It is clean and fresh scent, that isn’t going to offend, but probably won’t turn heads either.

Overall Impressions of Eau Mega

Overall, is Eau Mega worth a buy? Maybe. I don’t find it to be a great fragrance but it’s not terrible either. If you’re a fan of pear and floral scents, this could be worth a look.

The soapy aspects of this scent aren’t really my thing. Not completely off-putting or anything, just not something that I’m all that impressed by.

I think that it does everything well and smells good but it never really knocks your socks off. At it’s price point, you can probably do better than this.

There are plenty of other pear forward fragrances beyond this one, that’d also be enjoyable and more so than Eau Mega.

Update: It has been discontinued for a while now. Not worth tracking down.