Aramis Always for Her

I had this on my wish list for a long time because the notes seemed so odd and I couldn't imagine what it could possibly smell like......Well, I finally got it and it turns out that it smells just like my grandparents' house. Now, it's been a very long time since I've smelled that smell as my grandparents passed away many years ago, but the association is unmistakable. It's impossible that my grandmother could have had this perfume. The only perfumes I knew her to have were Tresor and the Maja products, and I don't think this smells like those. Also, it's not the smell of my grandmother herself, but of the house. I don't know how or why. At first I was a little a disappointed because to me this doesn't smell like a perfume, but now that I think about it, it's really nice to have that reminder. I would say my grandparents weren't typical. I liked visiting them. They were beautiful people; very elegant, intellectual and progressive. They actually had great style and there were no doilies in sight. So what was the smell of their house and this perfume? I can't really describe it. It's definitely not sweet. There's a hint of a fresh, watery sort of melony/herby scent, plus maybe a mixture of soaps and lotions and then a furniture wood smell? That's the best description I got. It's calming and minimalist, but persistent and noticeable. I sprayed it on my hand and could smell it very well for the time it was there. I washed my hand aggressively several times and it's still there a little bit.

Always opens with wood and musk, dry and rather unisex, then develops a mild sweetness. I didn't pick out any floral notes, but I'm sure they're harmonizing quietly in the background. The sillage from my test dab stayed quite close; this may be a skin scent. It is a relaxed, yet still lovely scent. It smells calm, confident, thoughtful and happy. Sadly, I cannot bear the white noise hum of musk, no matter how satisfying the fragrance is as a whole.

It smells like old people. I'm sorry, there's no other way to say it. Underneath the old people smell is a pleasantly bright and herby watermelon smell, but I just can't get over the old person (nonenal) scent.

This is one that my Mum had. Dad didn't like it on her so I swapped her my Givenchy Hot Couture for it. When I first spritz it onto my skin it smells very clean but slightly alcoholic. The magnolia, watercress and hibiscuss are very dominant in this fragrance and I often describe it to others as smelling like mainstream bubble bath. I like it overall though, and I think on an elegant young lady in a silky dress (think Kate Hudson in "how to lose a guy in 10 days" in her yellow gown)it could be 'fall in love with the wearer' material. It's very floral and feminine but not at all warm, spicey or long lasting from my experience. Pretty without being overly sweet.

Discontinued, at 30$ for 1.7 online.