Alana Estelle

Prada Candy was launched by the fashion house in 2011 and was created to evoke feelings of joy and spontaneity. 

Prada Candy is the newest addition to my fragrance collection - it was given to me this Christmas as a gift. I’ve been familiar with this fragrance for several years, and I’m happy to finally own a full-sized bottle. 

Notes: 

• Top: Caramel 
• Middle: Musk; Powdery Notes
• Base: Benzoin, Vanilla 

Prada Candy is a light, soft, airy, powdery gourmand. If you’ve read any of my previous fragrance reviews, you’ll know how much I love my elegant gourmands. This is a clean and understated fragrance; it’s simple and not at all groundbreaking, but I mean this in the best way. There is an effortless elegance to this fragrance - there is nothing pretentious about it; it remains youthful without being immature. 

The overall way I would describe the actual scent is not one you would typically use to describe a gourmand, especially one with caramel at the top. This is a dry fragrance. One would expect the caramel to be gooey, sticky, extremely decadent, and almost too sickeningly sweet. This is sweet, but it’s light and the airy, powdery notes combined with the musk mellow out the caramel. This is not a little girl’s caramel, though I could see teenagers, as well as women in their 40s+ enjoying this scent. What I really enjoy in this fragrance are the base notes: I love resin notes and vanilla at the base of fragrances and when they are combined they often create sophisticated, depth and warmth in a perfume. Both the benzoin and vanilla are dry. This is not a resinous note that is reminiscent of the sticky sap that you actively see oozing from a tree - it’s harden resin. The vanilla is like that of a dried vanilla pod - softly sweet and lingering in the background. There is actually something about this fragrance that reminds me of Jo Malone’s Blue Agave & Cacao. In that fragrance, there is a cacao, vanilla and musk at the base and in Prada Candy we have the dry food note of the caramel also combined with musk and vanilla. They are not at all similar on the skin, but there is an essence about them that are related. 

Wear Time: Prada Candy has decent wear time - I would put it in the medium to long category depending on how much is applied. A few spritzes of this and I can smell it all day. It lingers on clothing softly and nicely.

Sillage: This is not an overpowering fragrance, though it’s a little stronger than a skin scent - the types of fragrances that are designed to cling closely to the skin. You can get some moderate sillage from this fragrance and people will be able to smell this when you walk past. But because this is such a dry fragrance and not overly sweet, as well as a bit clean, it’s not one of those scents that will make people mad at you if you wear it in the office. However, as with any gourmand, spray this one a little heavier and it’s perfect for date night or slightly more formal occasions. 

Season: I think Prada Candy can be worn all year round, and I don’t own many fragrances that can do that. It’s dry and not cloying so heat and humidity won’t make this sickening. Yet, it’s warm enough to be enjoyed in the colder months. 

Recommended For: This is definitely a feminine fragrance. If you are in the market for a simple, everyday scent that just makes you smell good, and you’re a fan of lighter gourmands, this could be a good option for you. Everyone should have a fragrance in their collection that is extremely versatile and can be worn casually or more formally. This is a “no fuss” scent that just gets the job done. 

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Diptyque launched Eau Duelle in 2010 and is available in both eau de toilette and eau de parfum formulations. I own the eau de parfum because I feel it pays better homage to the richness and booziness of this fragrance. 

Notes (Diptyque doesn’t detail the tier that these notes fall in, so I just have a list of the notes):

• Cardamom, Asian Cyprus, Elemi, Juniper, Saffron, Calamus, Black Tea, Black African Olibanum, First Vanilla, Bourbon Vanilla, White Musk

I’m not even going to attempt to break down all of these notes, but I will describe what I smell when I wear Eau Duelle. This is one of my favorite fragrances of all time, so there may be some fangirling.

At its heart, Eau Duelle is a spicy, amber-vanilla fragrance. This is a vanilla scent for adults, not for teenagers seeking to smell like a cupcake. This fragrance is intoxicating, smooth, intense, exotic and resinous. There is a touch of sweetness, that again, doesn’t make the wearer smell like a dessert, but harkens a bit to something more natural, perhaps even a touch animalic, as if the wearer’s body chemistry is producing this sweetness. Couple this with the earthiness of the Cyprus, saffron, and black tea and the scent will remind you of a dried vanilla bean pod that that’s laying in a bed of dried spices and incense. There is something slightly sticky about this fragrance - when I smell it I get this image of sap on a tree trunk that is slowly oozing from the tree at a glacial pace, so slowly in back that the sap is hardening and forming sweet globs of crystalized sap on the trunk. If you touch it, your fingers will have a slightly sticky residue that lingers on you finger tips. 

This is a sophisticated, mature vanilla that is slightly familiar, but different enough to turn heads and make people inquire about what you’re wearing. Eau Duelle is warm and inviting, a little spicy, a little earthy, a little animalic, and just interesting. It’s so difficult to describe this vanilla because it’s got so much going on beneath the surface, but it’s subtle.

Wear Time & Sillage: This has great wear time (for the eau de parfum - I can’t speak for the eau de toilette). A couple of sprays and I can smell it on myself all day. As do most of Diptyque’s fragrances, Eau Duelle sits close to the body, which is what makes is lean more on the sexy side. Walking past someone, they will catch a whiff of your fragrance, but just enough of a hint to make them want to get a little closer. Eau Duelle is the type of scent you spray just at the base of the neck, where the skin is warm and inviting and may be come intense in the wearer becomes flushed. It can be appropriate for any setting, just adjust the amount of times you spray to make it appropriate for the office or a date night out. 

Season: This is a scent that really shines in the winter - the slight spiciness and the rich booziness reminds me of the holiday season. This could easily get cloying in the heat and humidity, but on a crisp winter night? *chef’s kiss*

Recommended For: This is definitely a unisex fragrance, so people who prefer inviting, interesting vanilla scents with depth will really enjoy Eau Duelle. If you are looking for a vanilla that is an upgrade from the cliche vanillas that smell like baked goods (no harm in those…) then look no further. This is a cozy scent, the leans a little mysterious, so if you like fragrances that make you smell a bit coy or cryptic, then this is for you. When I smell of Eau Duelle, I think of a restaurant in Manhattan, on a cold winter night. The wearer is sitting at the bar wearing a minimalist, yet tastefully curated long black outfit, while sipping on something the color of amber, in a slightly smoke filled room. It’s just exquisite. I will always have a bottle of this in my collection. 

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Spoiler: This is my favorite fragrance of all time. If you told me to get rid of all my perfumes and I could only keep one, this is the one. Brace yourself for a lot of raving. 

Notes:

• Top: Cardamom, Lime Blossom, Grapefruit, Red Berries
• Middle: Blue Agave, Sea Salt, Lily, Orchid, Geranium
• Base: Cacao, Vanilla Pod, Cinnamon, Vetiver, Musk 

I cannot being to describe Blue Agave & Cacao without saying that this scent is absolutely intoxicating, sophisticated, alluring, intriguing, unique, sexy, warm, powdery, soft, sexy, classy. This is signature scent worthy. 

The Cardamom at the top is bright and inviting. I find that cardamom is a spice that can be quite a clean smelling spice. It can really liven up a scent. It’s warm, but not warm in the way you’d think of cinnamon or star anise being warm and heady. It makes me think of the cardamom in masala chai tea blends - it’s dry but vibrant.  The fruit and floral notes at the top and middle layers are extremely distinct to me - but blended together they serve the purpose of keeping this fragrance fresh and natural. This a gourmand scent, but not in a vanilla cake, candied type of way, but rather, it evokes the essence of the spices themselves. The fruit and floral notes really balance out this scent and keep it from becoming heavy or heady. Though it is warm, it remains clean. The base is really intoxicating here. The cacao is dry and soft. Think unsweetened, high quality, 100% pure cacao powder. This is not the scent of melted chocolate. Nothing about this scent is viscous or thick, it’s powdery and soft. The vanilla, cinnamon, and musk are also soft and dry. The cinnamon is barely present, but just relevant enough to lend a bit of spiciness to this fragrance. Again, it’s not candied, like in an overpowering cinnamon candy or gum, but it’s the subtle scent of a cinnamon stick (just one, but the whole pack) Let’s circle back to the sea salt note. How Jo Malone managed to do this, I have no idea. It reminds me of the combination of sea salt on top of a dark chocolate candy bar. It just subtly complements the sweet. It also adds a bit of a mineral quality to this fragrance that makes it uniquely sexy. I can see why Blue Agave & Cacao was inspired by Latin music. If you’ve ever danced and got a bit sweaty while wearing a fragrance, the perspiration and heat of your skin can enhance a fragrance. The touch of perspiration adds a slight animalic quality to the scent, which can be alluring. Hello, pheromones. 

Wear Time & Sillage: Blue Agave & Cacao, especially for a Jo Malone, has decent wear time. I don’t really need to top this up after I’ve applied it in the morning. However, I often find myself reapplying it because I can’t get enough of it. I want to inject this and have it coming out of my pores (emoji). It also has moderate sillage. Others can smell it on the wearer, but it’s not taking over the whole room. It definitely leaves a travel after you that is soft and alluring. People will want to follow you to figure out what you’ve got going on. 

Season: This scent can shine all year round. Remember, it was inspired by Latin music, so it really projects from the body when it’s warmed up. It’s never cloying or heavy. I personally prefer to wear this in the cooler/colder months because there is just something about this warm, soft, slightly spicy scent that is cozy. It makes me want to spray this on my soft wool sweaters. 

Recommended for: This leans feminine, but I’m sure there are men out there who could pull this off. That’s the beauty of personal body chemistry - if it works for you, it works for you. People who like gourmands, scents that are timeless, sophisticated, memorable and mature (but not old) will appreciate Blue Agave & Cacao. At the risk of sounding pretentious - those who want to smell expensive will achieve that here. And really, clocking in at $144 for 3.4 ounces… it better smell like it. The outfit that comes to my mind when I smell this is an individual wearing a cream colored wool turtleneck, paired with matching cream slacks. They have a camel colored over coat draped over the shoulders and jewelry is gold and minimalistic. Understated, yet impactful. Timeless. Man, I love this one and will always have it in my collection, as long as Jo Malone keeps it and if I ever catch wind again that it’s going away, I will hoard enough bottles of it to last me a life time. 

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CLEAN Reserve Sueded Oud launched in 2016, during a time when Oud was really having it’s moment in the fragrance community. Niche fragrance houses were more likely to have oud scents, but then the designer houses started to jump on the bandwagon. CLEAN is known for its naturalistic scents, featuring fragrances called “Skin”, “Warm Cotton”, “Rain”, etc. Oud is a very strong, animalic note - you either like it or you don’t. It’s often described as “stinky.” In perfumery it gives scents a sweet, woody, balsalmic, resinous scent. Oud oil is sourced from the agar tree and it’s one of the most expensive oils in the world. 

Sueded Oud is an oud fragrance for people who can’t tolerate this powerful fragrance note and honestly, to my nose, I don’t detect any oud at all. CLEAN characterizes this perfume as a “woody musk.” I think it’s more appropriate to call it a “woody floral.” However, I still think this fragrance is really unique and well done, even though I don’t think it smells like how it’s marketed. 

Notes:

• Top: Cypress, Incense, Birch, Pimento 
• Middle: Agarwood (oud), Balsam Fir, Cactus, Night Blooming Jasmine, Honeysuckle, White Magnolia 
• Base: Suede, Musk, Praline, Amber, Patchouli, Olibanum 

There are so many notes in this fragrance, I won’t even attempt to go through them all - I’ll just discuss what I detect and what this smells like to me. Overall, I’m only able to detect a wood note (perhaps the birch), jasmine and suede. I find that this fragrance is quite linear - I get those three dominate notes constantly from the time I first spray Sueded Oud and after I’ve been wearing it for a while. 

Though I don’t think this scent quite smells like oud - I do like Sueded Oud. The wood notes are the top are naturalistic, earthy, dry and a little sweet. I’m not a big fan of heavy floral fragrances and I find that the jasmine here is blatantly jasmine, but not obnoxiously so. It’s a sweet jasmine, but not cloying. It’s also not a green jasmine, meaning that the leaves ann stem of the plant are not involved in this scent, but rather the emphasis is on the flower head. The suede here is nicely done - it’s dry, earthy, a touch animalic as you’d expect a leather note to be, and it adds a bit of ambiguity and an androgynous quality to this fragrance. 

Again, like I said, there are so many notes listed, that I really can’t detect them. But CLEAN did do a good job with balancing all of these notes out somehow, so that the final result isn’t overwhelming. the best way I can describe Sueded Oud is that this smells like someone rubbed a jasmine flower on a leather biker jacket, while standing amongst a pile of dry wood that will be used to light a fire. 

Wear Time & Sillage: I find that Sueded Oud has a good, moderate wear time on me. It lingers for quite a while on clothing and I really don’t feel the need to freshen this fragrance up throughout the day. It has a moderate projection from the body, but because this scent is so distinct I wouldn’t recommend applying this with a heavy hand. This has enough oompf, that it can easily be over sprayed and become cloying or irritating for other people in your vicinity. You should wear a fragrance, the fragrance shouldn’t wear you. 

Season: This fragrance, due to the prominent wood and suede notes, would thrive best in Fall and Winter. It has enough presence to also be able to peak through layers of clothing in the colder months. I could imagine this being a bit too much and too heavy in really hot, humid weather. 

Recommended for: This is a truly unisex fragrance - the jasmine is not too much for some men who typically may not want to wear a heavy floral, and the woody/leather elements are slightly sweet enough to appeal to some women. This is definitely a fragrance for leather and wood lovers and people looking for a distinct fragrance that you won’t sniff on a lot of people. If you are a fan of strong, distinct oud fragrances, this may be a pass for you, as I find that the oud is non-existent. Also, fans of white florals may enjoy this. I would not recommend this as a safe blind buy.  I enjoy this fragrance and I always want to spray it on when I’m wearing my biker jacket. For some reason, I only seem to gravitate towards this in the month of October - I like to shift to spice, incense and vanilla scents for the remainder of the chilly/cold months. 

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Byredo’s Gypsy Water has premise. Here is how Byredo describes this scent:

Gypsy Water is an ode to the beauty of Romani culture, its unique customs, intimate beliefs and distinguished way of living. The scent wakens a dream of a colorful lifestyle made of innate nomadism. Woody notes of pine needle and sandalwood associated to intense amber and fresh citrus evoke the fever of gypsy nights spent in the forest.

Notes:

• Top: Bergamot, Juniper Berries, Lemon, Pepper
• Middle: Incense, Orris, Pine Needles 
• Base: Amber, Sandalwood, Vanilla 

This fragrance is so interesting and overall, I think it’s a slightly edgier take on the traditional sandalwood-vanilla scent, but not so extreme that it won’t appeal to a lot of people. The opening notes are fresh and a little zesty, while also remaining earthy and green (earthy and green will be a reoccurring theme here). The “greenness”  is not the lush, wet green, that you get in the springtime, but a slightly drier green - think autumn leaves as the weather cools down and the air is crisp and less humid. None of these top notes are overbearing; they are all well balanced. The  citrus notes are fresh, while the pepper and juniper berries add a touch of spiciness. The middle notes in Gypsy Water are what make this fragrance for me. The combination of the incense with the pine needles adds a unique smoky layer to this fragrance, while still remaining earthy. You know that smell when you’re walking outside in the fall and winter over a layer of pine needles that have fallen? That’s the note I’m getting. It’s so naturalistic and evocative. I’m not detecting much orris here - orris is a violet leaning scent that tends to add a powdery element to fragrances. There may be a hint of powder, but it translates to something that smooths out the incense and pine so neither is too sharp. The base notes are gorgeous here - warm and inviting. The amber is mellow and the sandalwood and vanilla are both a touch sweet but not cloying. This is not a gourmand, bakery vanilla - it doesn’t smell like cake. It’s a natural leaning vanilla, more reminiscent of a dried vanilla bean pod, rather than vanilla frosting. 

Season: Gypsy Water has Autumn and Winter written all over it - it’s warm and inviting. This is not a heavy incense, woody vanilla scent - it’s actually rather light, so it may get lost under a lot of winter layers. The lightness of this also makes it lean more casual, so I see this working best during the daytime. However, a light spritz on your garments will make this more present. 

Wear Time: The performance on this one is low to medium. It definitely lingers for quite some time on clothing and on my skin, I notices it’s faded quite a bit after about 4 hours. Some people have complained that it’s gone on them after a couple of hours. This is where I’ve noticed something very interesting about the two Byredo fragrances I own - I may no longer be able to smell them on my self and I may think the fragrance has dissipated, but people around me keep complimenting me on how good I smell. I had a coworker come find me one day that I was wearing Mojave Ghost, because she was “following the smell because it was so good.” I was wearing Gypsy Water a few weeks ago and I forgot I had it on until my dad randomly said, “Wow. You smell good!” He wasn’t even standing that close to me and all I did was walk past. Byredo’s fragrances, from what I’ve experienced so far, definitely intrigue people. They are subtle but attention grabbing; they sit close to the skin and seem to envelope the wearing in soft wafts of fragrance, rather than a cloud.

Recommended for: This is definitely a unisex fragrance that leans more androgynous and masculine. Don’t let that deter you, many women enjoy wearing this fragrance. I like more androgynous scents during the colder months, so this it right up my alley. If you like edgier fragrances, woody/vanilla/sandalwood/incense fragrances, then you may like this one. If you like vanilla perfumes, but want something a little different, this may also appeal to you. If you are a fan of Diptyque Eau Duelle (an all time favorite of mine) then I think you’ll really enjoy Gypsy Water. Also, if you like fragrances that lean a bit more sexy and make you more intriguing to other people, this may interest you. When I smell this fragrance, I see two different outfits in my mind - both can be worn by men and women. This first outfit is a pair of black jeans, a black Moto leather jacket, a V-neck tee and a pair of Chelsea boots. The second outfit is a black cashmere turtleneck, black slacks, bold glasses, delicate gold jewelry/accessories, black loafers, (and I’d throw on a bold red lip). There is something classic about Gypsy water, just like the aesthetics of these outfits, bit there is also an interesting texture to this scent, something that makes you pause. I’m really enjoying Gypsy Water and I think it’ll become a permanent fixture in my Fall and Winter fragrance rotation. 

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Notes: 

• Top: Lemon 
• Middle: Red Roses Accord
• Base: Honeycomb 

Jo Malone Red Roses is a very straightforward and linear, fresh authentic rose. It achieves exactly what it was created to achieve - it’s a pretty simple rose perfume. The lemon at the top is very subtle to my nose, all I get is the essence of what citrus notes brings to a fragrance; it adds a lightness and vibrance to Red Roses. When people typically think about rose perfumes, they think of heavier roses, that are powdery. The addition of lemon here veers this scent away from that prototype. As would be expected, rose is dominate throughout this whole scent. This is not an overly “green” rose, meaning that this is not a rose that is still on the bush, in which you detect hints of the leaves and stems. This fragrance focuses on the bulb of the flower. As previously mentioned, it’s not powdery, so throw away your misconceptions of rose fragrances smelling like powder bombs from the 1980s. The honeycomb at the base adds a touch of sweetness and is a bit animalic. I actually get a slight beeswax note, that really comes through after this fragrance has been sitting on my skin for several hours. I find honey notes to be really tricky to pull off - either your body chemistry is going to get on with it or not. There are times I don’t mind it, but other times it gets on my nerves a bit. Honey is one of those notes that can get a bit stinky. Just smell an empty cup of tea that’s been sweetened with honey. The smell that lingers is a bit odd. It’s very subtle, but I pick up on it and it’s not always my cup of tea, depending on my mood (no pun intended). However, I do think the honeycomb gives this otherwise simple and unassuming rose fragrance as little something “extra.” A lot of rose fragrances are anchored with musks, vanillas, ambers, patchouli or wood notes, so this is a nice and interesting twist. 

Season: Rose is a floral that can be pulled of all year round. This is a fresher rose, so I would deem this more of a “three season” scent. Because of that honeycomb note at the base, this could get a touch cloying in extremely high heat and humidity during the hottest times of the year, and I can also see heavy layers of clothing in the coldest winter months burying this scent. I get the best performance out of this fragrance spring, early summer and early autumn.

Sillage & Wear Time: For such a fresh, almost airy rose, Red Roses gets good milage. It has a medium projection from body. After just 3 sprays, I can smell this fragrance around me, in a subtle cloud. It still remains unoffensive and it isn’t heavy, so it won’t annoy most people, even if they can smell you. I rarely have to top this fragrance up throughout the day. A couple of sprays on my neck and a spritz on my top and I can smell this all day. Jo Malone fragrances can have spotty performance and this one is a pleasant surprise. 

Recommended For: If you are a massive fan of rose perfumes, then Jo Malone Red Roses is calling your name. If you are in the market for a simple, straightforward and non-fussy rose scent, that isn’t too green or woody, that isn’t too sweet and not powdery, this if worth checking out. I can see women of all ages enjoying this scent, as its neither “too young” or “too mature.” This is also a great option for an “everyday” scent that just makes you smell nice and isn’t complicated. For my preferences and what I look for in a rose perfume, this isn’t my favorite. I prefer more complex and complicated scents. I do prefer my rose scents to be “greener” in the spring and summer and darker, woodier, spicier, boozier, edgier and sexier in the colder months. Not powdery, but something with more musk, vanilla, wood and even a bit of patchouli, perhaps something more unisex. I have my eye on a few of Diptyque’s rose scents and a scent from Byredo that may suit my needs. My rose scent should be able to be paired with lots of black clothing and a leather biker jacket. 

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