{The Microperfumes Chronicles Part 1/3 - “Wanted to Try”}
If you, like me, are trying to do either of the following:
A) Not hang out in shopping areas where one might usually sample fragrances because of a little thing we like to call a “global pandemic”
B) Save money on fragrances and not randomly buy full bottles
Then you, like me, have probably caught wind of the company called Microperfumes. You’ve gotten to this point and probably think,
Great... Some sponsored shilling at last. I can sleep better at night knowing that our faithful author has sold out. I hope the 3 dollars our author has made is worth their dignity.
Alas, for my wallet and for your sleep... I’m not sponsored. Didn’t receive anything for free. Paid out of my beloved wallet for these bad boys (and those coming in parts 2 and 3). What I will say is that the selection is half-decent and that the prices are less heinous than what people usually charge for decants.
In spite of it all, Microperfumes scratched an itch of mine. Why am I so easily able to buy decants of fancy niche perfumes I *coughcough* can’t readily afford *coughcough* while popular, less expensive fragrances are difficult to find and sample in stores - even on a good day? Moreover, having these tiny decants available allows me to sample fragrances that get hyped to high heavens on social media without subjecting myself to buying a full bottle of fragrance just to resell it with my tail between my legs.
So here we are, starting off with a set of decants that I definitively had on my list to try - along with one decant picked up just to see if what was being bottled was the real thing.
The Baseline - Hermes - Eau Des Merveilles 7/10
I have an old, partially used bottle of Eau Des Merveilles and now this sample. I had wanted to see if Microperfumes was really willing to dupe me for the princely sum of roughly 1 USD. It turns out that the scents are identical to my nose. In fact, the smaller decant seems more potent than my older bottle. So what does it smell like? Aromatic amber orange.
Imagine if the golden, hardened tree sap we commonly call amber was composed of late afternoon sunlight and the spray of atomized orange peel oil. Not at all brethren of the cheap and cheerful citrus crowd, Eau Des Merveilles is all bodices and hairstyles piled on top of one’s head. There’s something a little mature about the scent, but in a refined way.
Elie Saab - Le Parfum L’Eau Couture - 6.5/10
Like Orangers an Fleurs only more... pedestrian. This fragrance really amps up the bubblegummy side of white florals, but in a way that isn’t particularly compelling. Smells a bit synthetic, or like you went to the arcade and put in a quarter to get an ancient piece of hard-shell bubblegum out of a candy dispenser. Nothing almond-related of note.
Paco Rabanne - Olympea - 7/10
Despite this fragrance being hyped, overhyped, and hyped again, I’m not sensing anything groundbreaking. Olympea is a nice, floral-vanillic fragrance with an almost imperceptible amount of salt. I consider this more of a “eating salted caramel while sitting next to someone wearing a watery white floral perfume” type of fragrance.
Jimmy Choo - Illicit - 6/10
Gentle, barely-there synthetic nuttiness. I don’t think this fragrance would offend anyone, but i’m certainly glad I didn’t purchase a larger size.
Tom Ford - Lost Cherry - 5/10
Don’t get me wrong, I actually like the way that this smells. The cherry in this scent is evident and doesn’t dissipate over time. It becomes slightly less prominent after the opening, but I can still smell it when I bury my nose in my skin. So the cherry doesn’t dissipate - the whole scent was barely there to begin with!
Yes I was petty and gave this a bad rating because the sillage and projection were so poor. In fact, it smells as if I’m wearing a particularly classy cherry body lotion. Better than your typical almond-cherry-cough syrup concoctions, but lotion all the same. Why would I pay this much for an imperceptible scent?
The Versace Samples
Versace - Bright Crystal - 7/10
This fragrance falls into a category that I categorize as pis*y florals, but not because it smells like urine. No - the adjective here refers to the personality of the scent. These freshly scrubbed, bright fragrances do not care to beckon, “come hither.” There are no excess flounces, no flashes of luxury - just a no-nonsense, no-frills “Whatareyoulookin’at!?” natural beauty.
Though aloof and unapproachable, the scent is still an utterly pleasing citrus aquatic floral. Many people may characterize this as a shampoo or hairspray scent, and they wouldn’t be wrong. There is indeed a more than passing resemblance to DKNY Be Delicious: Fresh Blossom or Aqua di Gioia (other scents which prominently feature tart florals). The person I envision wearing this scent enjoys smelling good exclusively for themselves, with no urge to people please.
Versace - Bright Crystal Absolu - 6.5/10
When you want the mean prettiness of Bright Crystal but feel bad afterwards. Basically Bright Crystal but with an emphasis on the sweeter fruits. Neither Bright Crystal nor Bright Crystal Absolu have terribly good projection or sillage.
Versace - Yellow Diamond - 7/10
Is that me indeed referencing the critically overlooked Korean producer Yella Diamond (YellaD), whose producer tag I think of every time I think of this scent? Yes. Yes it is.
Despite the fact that I gave both Yellow Diamond and Bright Crystal the same rating, they’re two sides of the same coin to me, personally.
Yella Yellow Diamond is the warmer, sunnier sibling to the sighing, unapproachable Bright Crystal. The citruses of Yellow Diamond are buoyed by some happy, generic white florals before quickly dissipating from the skin. I think Yellow Diamond would be more of a spring scent, while Bright Crystal would be better for the heat of summer.
Versace - Yellow Diamond Intense - 8/10
I much prefer this scent to any of the previously mentioned Versace scents. There is depth here - both freshness and warmth. With just a touch of Yellow Diamond’s citruses (more toned down, less astringent), and with a heavier dose of something that reminds me of the warm waxiness of daffodils, Yellow Diamond Intense is the most long-lasting and least frenetic Versace scent sampled here. In a few words: fresh floral spicy, daffodil yellow in color.
Versace - Versense - 8.5/10
I am so predictable. Every single time I get within arm’s length of fresh fragrance - it becomes my new infatuation.
Frankly, there’s nothing terribly new or out of the box here: Versense is loaded with the hallmarks of “green” fragrances. There’s bergamot, citrus, green fig, etc. All that’s missing is a wallop of neroli to put a bow on the whole thing.
What I like about Versense, however, is that instead of falling into the green hole of masculine after-shave scents, pis*y floral aquatics, or the endless siblings of Neroli Portofino, it stands on its own two legs - with a just-right balance of juicy fruit, gently sweet florals, and freshness. I thought I hated cardamom before this, but I may have to reconsider my harsh judgement if it’s this note that so beautifully rounds out Versense.
Smelling Versense feels as if you are walking into a spring garden on a still spring day, smelling only the faintest sweet floral growth from flowers not usually known for excessive odor (daffodil, tulip, wild lilies), and the wafts of a beautiful woman’s fragrance drifting over from somewhere yet unseen.
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Olympea Aqua Perfume for Women
Olympea Aqua Perfume was launched by Paco Rabanne in 2016. This perfume was created by Fanny Bal, Anne Flipo, Dominique Ropion, and Loc Dong. Olympea Aqua perfume is made for stylish women. This perfume makes you look beautiful and attractive. this perfume top notes are water Notes,Orange, Petitgrain, Calabrian bergamot, and Grapefruit, middle notes are Ginger flower, Jasmine, Orange Blossom, Peach, Rose, and base notes are Salt, Vanilla, Ambergris, Cashmere Wood, Sandalwood, Benzoin. This perfume stays on the body for a long time. This perfume feels its fragrance for 9 hours. You can use this perfume in any season, and it is very reliable.
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Olympea Aqua Perfume by Paco Rabanne for Women
Olympea Aqua Perfume by Paco Rabanne is a fragrance created especially for women. In 2016, Olympea Aqua was launched. Grapefruit, Waster Notes, Orange, Petitgrain, and Calabrian bergamot make up the top notes. Rose, Jasmine, Orange Blossom, Ginger Flower, and Peach make up the middle notes. Ambergris, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Cashmere, Benzoin, and Salt make up the base notes. It arrives in a gorgeous bottle and smells quite cool. This scent is intended to give you a sense of vitality and strength. It only takes a few sprays to make you feel energized and assured.
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Olympea Aqua Perfume by Paco Rabanne for Women
Olympia Aqua perfume, a floral aquatic fragrance for women by Paco Rabanne, was introduced to the Bako markets. Which was first seen in 2016. Which was introduced by Olympia Aqua. Fanny Child, Anne Flippo, Dominique Ropian, and Lok Dong developed Olympia Aqua. Water notes, Calabrian Bergamot, Orange, Petitgrain, and Grapefruit make up the top notes, while Ginger Flower, Jasmine, Orange Blossom, Peach, and Rose make up the middle and base notes respectively. Salt, vanilla, ambergris, cashmere wood, sandalwood, and benzoin make up the base notes.
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