Fragrance Friday: Some Mini Reviews (Miniviews?)

I've been entirely too busy with life stuff lately and haven't really had the chance to write up full reviews for perfume, not to mention I am so unqualified to do so. And so, I've decided to post "miniviews" of things I've smelled, with links to more substantial reviews from other legit perfume bloggers where warranted. These are basically just the notes I took on my phone when I went perfume hunting with L at the Eugene mall (which has a truly paltry selection of perfume, so don't be expecting anything niche here), so some are very brief and uninformative, though I've added some extra comments in parentheses. Hopefully they're witty enough for you to forgive me their lack of content! (Also, if you haven't already, be sure to enter the giveaway! It closes Monday.)

Cacharel Anaïs Anaïs: Nope, smells outdated. (Classified as a floral by Fragrantica, where it received not great reviews. I think the vintage was better, but am not about to try and hunt it down.)

Chanel No. 5: Yes, aldehydes, but I like it much better in edt than edp form, because the underlying floralcy can come out. Worth smelling, should probably try on skin. (Aldehydes and I don't get along particularly well, so I don't actually plan on getting a sample of this. I know, cue perfumista horror. See Bois de Jasmin and Now Smell This's reviews.)

Clinique Aromatics Elixir: L described it as bug spray. I cannot put it better myself. Perhaps it's better when worn, but I don't really feel a burning desire to find out. (This is a classic, polarizing chypre, so I really should try it on skin sometime. Maybe I'll try the next time I'm at the mall. See Bois de Jasmin's review.)

Dior Hypnotic Poison: Okay, smells like vanilla and licorice to me. Maybe the woods come out when you wear it, but I'm not willing to find out. Too strong, too sweet. (See Now Smell This's review for a more flattering opinion.)

Dior Poison: Smelled this years ago and hated it; still holds true today. Way too big, couldn't even try and find the notes. Just no. ("Poison" is an accurate name, at least! This is arguably THE perfume of the 80s, with everything that comes with that. Should stay in the 80s, thank you very much, along with shoulder pads, big perms, and the Berlin Wall.)

Fragrance Friday: Gucci Flora and Dior Miss Dior Cherie L'Eau Mini Reviews

For a link to the overview for this series, click here.  Today's offerings are both florals, but not really very similar beyond that.

Gucci Flora

image from here
This fragrance came out in 2009 and has been pretty popular since then.  I don't know when I got my sample vial, but it was awhile back.  After spritzing it on for this review, I realized why I still have an almost-full vial: it smells horrible on me.  Sickeningly sweet and overbearing, it's like a bad fragrance spray that people keep in their bathrooms to cut down on stinkiness (this is an observation made by my mother, and I wholeheartedly agree).  I hated it so much that I tried to wash it off after half an hour, but was left with the pungent remnants on my arm for the rest of the evening, thanks to it being an eau de parfum.  I can't say if it changed or mellowed any over time, since the soap and water undoubtedly messed with that, but I can say it didn't really change from the opening to the heart (unfortunately).  Given its popularity, though, I think I'm in the minority here, so don't let my opinion stop you from giving it a sniff!  Here's the fragrance pyramid should you wish to see it.
$60 for 1 oz, $85 for 1.6 oz, $100 for 2.5 oz, available from Sephora and Amazon (cheaper from the latter)