The holidays have come and gone, and with money from various relatives burning in my wallet, I’ve decided to splurge on a new scent and give our readers a review of the best on the shelves that’ll have you shopping for yourself in no time.
First on my list is a new so called ‘gourmand’ (because it smells like a food?) perfume: Candy, by Prada. Ads for the 2011 debut are all over the telly, and sample inserts come in Elle, Flare and LouLou magazines. I’m curious about the brand’s pursuit of a younger customer base than its scents are usually marketed to; it’s clear from the choice placement of ads in young women’s magazines and on cable TV that Candy is for the Miss, rather than the Mrs. Among professional critics, reviews have been mixed, some finding it sickeningly sweet and others utterly alluring. I fell for it after a few trial visits to The Bay; there’s just something about the caramel and vanilla combination I can’t get enough of. If your nose has a sweet tooth, Candy is for you.
On the floral side of the spectrum, D&G’s The One has been around for a few years, but like Prada the brand has taken its advertisements up a notch this year with widely placed television and magazine spots featuring Scarlett Johansson. I have more than one friend who swears by it, and it is lovely, with notes of peach, lychee, plum and mandarin over that traditional floral base of jasmine and musk. For me the musk feels a little too mature, and this probably isn’t a daywear choice, but if you’re looking for a sophisticated, seductive scent and live free from my paranoid fear of looking older than my age, The One is a great place to start your search.
The third and fourth scents on my list are two by Dior: Miss Dior Cherie and J’adore. The first was released in 2005, the 100th year since the iconic design house’s inception, and John Galliano (co-creator at Dior,) was reportedly inspired by ‘My Cherie Amour’ by Stevie Wonder. Like Candy, it’s a sweeter scent, featuring strawberry and caramel accents, but the base is jasmine and musk like The One. It’s less obvious than Candy; if you’re looking for an all in one perfume that works just as well in the a.m. as it does on a date night, Miss Dior Cherie is a perfect choice.
J’adore is the staple scent of my bestie, and she gets compliments on it constantly. We’re together so often it would be tacky of me to wear the same perfume, but unless you’re similarly situated I wholeheartedly recommend it- really, buy it, it rocks! Another versatile option that works day or night, its fruity and floral and quite strong; don’t wear too much or people will smell you across the street. It’s on the fence between youthful and mature, perfect for any age, and with orchid and plum as the dominant notes its extremely, expressly feminine.
The last perfume on my trial list is a less expensive choice, in case your relatives are less inclined to gift in bills, or if you’ve already burned through that Christmas cash infusion. Curve Appeal, available at Walmart and other department stores, is fresh, light, and on the sweet side. It has an undertone that smells like baby powder, and it makes me think of a sporty girl spraying it on after a workout and a hot shower. It also comes in a For Him version that I like even better; it’s strong but not overpowering, and with Valentine’s day around the corner it might be just the thing to replace my guy’s stale Swiss Army stuff.
These are my top five favorites and its going to be hard to pick just one, or even two! If you have trouble deciding, look on eBay for .5 oz samples, they’re usually only 5 or 10 dollars and you can wear it around and see if you like it enough to spend eighty or ninety dollars on the full size version. If you want something new but are strapped for cash, research your favorite designer perfume and then look for a less expensive one with a similar composition of major ingredients. Or, if you’re brave enough to venture east of Adelaide, visit Gibraltar trade centre where there are booths that sell knock offs that look and smell just like the real thing for a fraction of the cost.