Binxcat's Purrfect Fragrance

Mugler - Les Exceptions - Wonder Bouquet EDP In 2017, Mugler added Wonder Bouquet (“Wonder”) to the Les Exceptions Collection.   This floral fruity gourmand adds a decided twist to the fragrance family with the surprise addition of a bread/bran accord. You wouldn’t think it would work.   Sure, we’re used to fruity florals with “edible” notes.   We’re also used to the whole host of gourmands out there with doses of vanilla and chocolate and fig… but bread?   Yes.   It works; and surprisingly well. Wonder opens with a lovely fruity floral offering.   The notes are so well blended that the actual scent feels like a lovely passing breeze infused with white florals.   There is a sunniness and fresh sweetness to the florals, courtesy of the orange blossom, and the jasmine is well tempered.   In the mix is also an almost yeast-like note.   It’s just there, in the background, and yet tangible.   It’s the best of the “just preparing...

DKNY - Nectar Love EDP Nectar Love (“Nectar”) was released by DKNY in 2017.  Fragrantica classified it as an oriental floral but to me, it’s more of a fruity floral on wear. Nectar opens with a bright and sunny freesia-mandarin burst.  The freesia smells clean and bright and blossoming.  The mandarin is sweet and juicy.  There is a delicate sweetness of honeycomb.  As you breathe in, you sense the sun’s rays beaming down and warming the fruity floral. With its development, Nectar adds a light note of jasmine coupled with lily of the valley.  The lily comes slightly more forward than the jasmine.  The fruit accord is built upon by a ripened, also juicy, plum note.  As Nectar begins to dry down, the fruity florals are joined by a touch vanilla.  The honey seems to come slightly more forward and the fruity notes recede.  The sweetness is tempered a bit by a light woody note and a hint of musk.  Nectar wears on me wit...

Diptyque - Essences Insensees Rose de Mai EDP Diptyque’s floral offering in the Essences Insensees Collection, Rose de Mai (“Rose”), is perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin’s homage to the iconic flower of Grasse.  While the fragrance contains notes other than Rose de Mai, it is the rose that shines through. There is a linear wear to Rose.  On first spray, the wearer is transported to a field of blossoming roses.  There is a touch of sweetness courtesy of the beeswax.  The fragrance is warmed by the spicy balsamic ambery addition of tolu balsam.  I find the tolu balsam adds an intensity that could be interpreted as smoky although I find it to be more resinous.  Rose is not shy; she shines bright and warm like the fields of flowers she emulates.  Rose wears on me with little to no change for roughly 6 hours with moderate projection. Notes - Beeswax, tolu balsam, rose de mai Perfumer - Fabrice Pellegrin

Prada - La Femme Prada EDP La Femme Prada (La Femme) is an oriental floral that launched in 2016.  At the time of the release, it launched with an accompanying make fragrance, L’Homme Prada.  La Femme is a contemporary spin on floral and takes floral to a less than innocent place. Prada’s La Femme opens with a lush, juicy, somewhat gardenia-like frangipani.  The frangipani is amplified by a slight spice and honeyed vanilla.  The juice sweet but not overly sweet.  La Femme feels warm, confident, yet intimate.  As the juice wears, I get hints of tuberose and vetiver.  The tuberose is soft and lovely; it contains none of the harshness often found in tuberose laden fragrances.  The vetiver adds a lovely clean, balsamic woodiness to the base.  It feel quite feminine or unisex rather than a typical masculine vetiver.  La Femme reminds me of the perfect scent for sitting in a small, lovely garden on a warm day with the sun shining down...