God Is A Woman

Jérôme Epinette is the man. He absolutely deserves the kind of recognition Quentin Bisch and Francis Kurkdjian get. Some create perfume. He creates memorabilia. And while I obviously cannot vouch for all of his creations, from what I've tried I've come to expect otherworldly and well put together fragrances whether they're for Byredo or, well, for Ariana Grande. They have a certain air of sophistication about them that people usually look for in MFK releases in which I personally find none at all. But Jérôme Epinette creates it rather effortlessly, and even if I cannot appreciate the scent itself due to individual notes I'm averse to, I won't dispute it being an intricate, well-blended perfume. And most importantly, while his style might be recognizable to a trained nose, his works don't really have something that screams the name of their creator in a very in-your-face manner as is often the case with Quentin Bisch (no offence though, I like quite a few of his fragrances too.) So I'm happily adding GIAW to my small collection of Jérôme's creations and of AG fragrances as well. Most reviews of the fragrance don't fail to mention that this isn't the scent profile typically associated with the Ariana Grande brand, and mine won't be an exception. It's not the teenage girl Y2K body spray type of perfume. The synthetic/plasticky DNA you might be familiar with from sampling Ari or its flankers is gone, in its place this fragrance has an entry-level niche quality, courtesy of the perfumer who dare I say excels at niche. GIAW replicates the familiar molecule of BR540, Cloud and the like and takes it down a notch to an acceptable level. I had worn BR540 Extrait a few days before I blind bought this one and while Kurkdjian's Extrait was a scrubber because of the iodine smell as well as this very molecule, in Epinette's GIAW it's so smooth and inoffensive that it was love at first sniff, and I'm a very hard to please customer. Not to mention that the lack of any links to a medical intervention played its part, too. The scent itself is without a doubt on the grownup territory, more young adult than adolescent as opposed to previous releases. Personally, I've always loved the happy-go-lucky, carefree & juvenile atmosphere they create, so people calling GIAW mature certainly wasn't swaying me in favor of purchasing it. But it is mature only by comparison: as much as Ariana Grande's early releases succeeded in supplying the demand of a modern bobby soxer, GIAW succeeds in becoming the next step in her fragrance journey. She doesn't listen to pop music as often and might not even know who Ariana Grande is or whose boyfriend the actress-turned-pop diva has got her eye set on now, and her own grownup date has the capacity to appreciate a fragrance that's more than just berry candy, even if she herself is not there yet to want to reach for the classics. No matter, because if she should ever grow out of Ariana Grande into Jean Patou, one day she'll take a sniff of GIAW again and think, "Damn, this was one beautiful fragrance!" Beautiful is putting it lightly, but calling it a masterpiece still feels like an overstatement, so I'll settle on work of art. The pear opening is so deliciously gorgeous and so true to life here that I just want to gulp down the whole 100ml. In all seriousness, it smells exactly the way pear juice tastes; I checked recently. The first actual disappointment with this fragrance is that the intensity of the pear note fades down perhaps quickly. In the crook of the elbow it stays the way it starts the longest, but nonetheless throughout the day you'll still be catching whiffs off yourself that quietly whisper, "yes, this is the yummiest pear a fragrance could offer." When orris root takes the stage, things get interesting. If the wide category of 'powdery' encompasses all things dusty, then the description is pretty accurate. You read it right: d-u-s-t-y, to me at least, and strangely, I like it. Whether you'll like it I have no idea, but the love to like, as well as like to dislike ratios suggest quite a few people do too or don't pick up enough of it not to like it. Although not literally, the strange combination of somewhat dusty orris and juicy fruit is indeed a breath of fresh air - what other fragrance offers exactly this, and what fragrance that offers it actually works? The orris eventually settles into a softer, more cashmeran-like scent, and by the time I'm ready for bed I smell dewy, slightly powdery sweet pear. That's where GIAW's journey ends; it most certainly takes leave in the dead of the night, and by the time you wake up it's long gone, since, well, it's not a powerhouse. But need it be? I'm of the opinion that it does not, because the way things stand it has the qualities of a bedtime companion; cozy day, pity party or pillow talk situation. I've always found Ariana Grande perfumes acceptable in terms of performance, and I'll state it clearly that this is the worst performing one for me so far, but I can't really be mad. If it works it works. My two cents regarding the name - look, I'm not a fan of either, I mean, I bet answering what you're wearing feels pretty awkward. But think of it as merely a marketing strategy: the brand uses the names of her most popular songs to appeal to the audience that likes them by creating a connection between the song and the perfume. If you could wear your favorite song - ah, maybe *you* wouldn't, however - it's a tempting offer to the target audience.

Holy bananas this is some good juice. After letting this become a slight obsession- ahem, hobby- I know well enough than to be suckered in by top notes. But you know that rare moment, where the stars align and you feel like you'll never again experience greater joy than in this current moment? Yeah... Man, I wish I was kidding but the sales assistant was probably ready to call the cops on my crazy ass. This is so, so, so - and, I cannot stress this enough - SO good. If I'd had the money to spare this would've been a very rare on-the-spot purchase. Alas, I must wait a month to be reunited with my beloved... [Edit: I own it now, and it's become my "I'm having decision paralysis so let me just go to my default easy pick" perfume.] Anyway, I need to shut up and get to point. GIAW is a gorgeous fizzy violet/iris, rounded out perfectly by the pear and rose. Imagine eating a perfectly ripe pear on a summer's day; delicious, but also juicy and thirst-quenching. The rose helps amplify that watery vibe, and there's also an undercurrent of dry musky sweetness thanks to the orris root for some depth. It almost makes my tongue tingle smelling it, like I'm sipping a cup of McDonalds Sprite. I think it's easy to look at the scent pyramid and write it off as something generic, but I find it so interesting how they've captured so many types of sweetness into one perfume, without any of it clashing or crucially, becoming overbearing. Quite the opposite -- it all comes together to create a beautiful symphony! Sweetness from the pear, a dry, almost earthy sweetness from the orris root and woods, a creamy sweetness from the vanilla and musk mallow, and finally a delicate almost sheer floral sweetness thanks to the rose. I once described a different perfume as smelling like "parma violets ground into the dry earth by your leather boot" and minus the leather accord, this is pretty much the same thing, just with the aforementioned aquatic nuances. This isn't the longest lasting scent in the world (gone by the 6hr mark) but I'm totally okay with that, it's a 10/10 scent. Silage is an entirely different beast, though; I made the rookie error of assuming celebrity brand = weaksauce and used either 3 or 4 sprays whilst testing. Oops. Note to self but also the whole world: this is definitely a "one to the wrist and one to the neck" kind of fragrance.

Sweet sparkly pear grounded in a vanillic base with a quirky savory twist. Another Ariana Grande perfume that is, like most of her line, bringing a surprising element to the mix while still being intriguing and fun. I’m starting to think I might explore this whole range. They really have personality. I’ve been getting to know this perfume over the last few months, and my impression of it has changed quite a bit since my nose has become familiar with the pathway of first opening to dry down. I suspect this perfume has something in the base that mimics sage, mate, or some other savory spice because it’s definitely in there, I can’t unsmell it now! I see that a few reviewers have picked up on that. The fruity juicy pear and airy vanilla/iris is so pretty, and can float in the air around you. I don’t have a problem smelling this on myself, and it stays strong for hours. Good longevity, like 5-6 hours on me. What I really like about this is that there are layers to it. My nose picks up on that, and it feels much more mature (not just teenager) than some people are giving it credit for! That base of something more grounded and almost savory is what saves this perfume for me and takes it out of teen fleeting fruity mall body spray and puts it into a more sophisticated category, at least for me! Still really modern and uplifting. I think this range has really talented perfumers creating them!

Okay....so, I've been waiting to write this review. I have gotten older and I'm not a snob towards celebrity fragrances anymore. Now, with that being said I Absolutely Love This Fragrance ❤️. It's sweet but not to sweet. I think the sandlewood calms down the sweetness and turns this into a beauty. This vibes harmoniously with my body chemistry, but I should have known that it would. Most things with orris in it always blends well with my body chemistry. I don't smell any rose in this, which is alright with me. The first spray is like cotton candy but there is something that makes it a little more grown up. It's very uplifting and light. Every time I wear this someone asks me what I'm wearing. Now everyone in the office has bought it 🙄. That's a story for another day, let's just say they don't know how to be original. If you want to try this then I say do like I did and start with the body mist. It's $10 at Walmart and it smells just like the perfume. I also have the body oil that I layer with the perfume. This one is my absolute favorite, then Cloud, then Moonlight and then Thank You Next 2.0.

I got compliments from strangers with this one and that never happens to me. (I'm not going to blame my fragrances on that, but my personality/RBF lol) GIAW smells like a fruity shampoo to me. Specifically reminds me of Shea moisture Manuka honey line if anyone is familiar with that. I personally love shampoo-ey fragrances so it works with me. It smells natural if that makes sense. There's a sharpness most likely from the pear that makes it realistic in a way. The lavender juice is perfect for the Fragrance too honestly. It gives off that kind of aura. When I wear this I feel pretty and clean. I feel effortless and put together. It's an easy reach for running errands and I actually find this perfume lasting the longest on my skin out of all her fragrances despite the reviews. Edit: I forgot to mention this was my wedding day perfume so I have good memories tied to it. I found it very romantic and perfect for the occasion too 💜