Viva by Fergie

I just couldn’t get enough of this fragrance from my sample vials alone, so I sprung for a full bottle—so happy I did! The bottle is quite lovely. One minute, it looks sleek and futuristic; the next, it looks totally 60’s retro; then it looks like it belongs on the dressing table of a 1920’s flapper. The bottle shape is a squared off pair of confident shoulders, with a sharp and slimming grey triangle accent in the center and a ruffled-rectangle cap. The perfume inside is a lovely shade of lavender, a perfect complement to the fragrance itself. The fragrance itself is a study in contrasts: the bergamot in the beginning is crisp, but not citrusy; the lavender is clean and fresh, but not soapy. There are green notes, and it is somewhat herbal—but not too savory and not spicy. I don’t smell mint, but think it must be contributing to the lingering freshness and sense of vitality; I don’t sense the narcissus. It is refreshing and energizing, but not aquatic or watery. It is labeled as a feminine perfume, but it is not floral or fruity at all. By default, and because of the fougere elements, this can come across as a masculine scent—but I would consider it a very classy unisex perfume that either gender could wear with confidence. As it dries down, the woody-earthy note of vetiver rises to the surface, and the fact that there is musk becomes more apparent. These elements balance the bergamot-lavender scents; the fragrance evolves from a purely clean and refreshing scent to one that is warmer and “lived in”. After 6-8 hours, this fragrance is a lovely, warm, mild and yet strong earthy-musk. It retains all of the character of bergamot and lavender, but has developed on my skin. My chemistry loves this fragrance—it stays with me for a long time, and I feel that it unites with my perspiration and natural pheromones. It makes me feel cheerful, confident and energized; and yet also calm and relaxed. This is a great everyday scent that I really enjoy wearing. Sillage is moderate, longevity 8+ hours on my skin. I highly recommend this if you enjoy fresh, crisp yet balanced scents.

Got a free sample from my Avon lady, otherwise I don't think I would have tried this. I am usually too afraid of herbal scents. I was pleasantly surprised. The herbal beginning is bright, sunny and crisp--it will wake you up. Lavender is there, like the breeze blowing through freshly washed sheets. Really, it reminds me of the soap Irish Spring--green, energetic and sunny. I would certainly call this unisex, as it has a light masculine feel; but would very much work for a woman. To me, it conveys energy and alertness-- so the name Viva works! I don't think I will buy a bottle, but am enjoying this sample. It's winter now, and so I'm curious what this fragrance might do with heat. I also haven't smelled any of the vetiver, so I'm curious about the dry down. So far, sillage is moderate on me. Longevity undetermined. EDIT: 10 hours later, I can still smell Viva on my wrists. It is an extremely clean scent, but it has warmed up throughout the day. It truly does remind me of a men's cologne--like I'm standing next to a man wearing something very nice; or I've been snuggling :) I think the bergamot has really come through nicely, and I still am getting the lavendar pretty strongly, combining to make it fresh and herbal. One of my favorite fragrances is Ellen Tracy by Ellen Tracy--and Viva (especially after several hours) reminds me of ET's drydown; crisp but warm. I think there is less sandalwood in Viva vs ET, but otherwise they could be cousins, at least to my nose. This fragrance has definitely grown on me. I'll enjoy my sample--but a whole bottle might just be too redundant.

Absolute LOVE in my collection! This is a PRIME example of why I do not believe in genders when buying and wearing fragrances. If a fragrance's final result is pleasant for your nose and works with your body chemistry...BUY IT!! This fragrance...by absolutely NO MEANS of the word...smells like society's idea of "feminine." Yet it is manufactured "for women." This couldn't smell MORE masculine if you ask me...and even the bottle is not remotely feminine. This honestly would've been a perfect candidate to not only make as unisex...but to promote as unisex. In a nut shell...this smells like a clean, cold shaving cream. It has this "icy" factor to it. It's perfect for summer because it has this intriguing cooling effect on not only the nose, but the skin also. This might not be the most original fragrance but I honestly love it! And furthermore...it's so refreshing to have a fragrance be such a staple in my summer rotation that isn't a citrus bomb or an aquatic like everything put out on the market today. This is summer perfection. Gym cologne perfection. Unisex fragrance perfection. Scent Itself - 9/10 Projection - Easily 3-4 feet. Longevity - About 5 hours. I really love this. It's not even close to my first Avon purchase...but it is my first purchase from Fergie's line. I actually just ordered the original (and discontinued) Outspoken perfume a couple hours ago. Stay tuned for a review on that one soon. But I LOVE this one! Almost finished my second bottle of Viva as we speak! Two thumbs up on this one! Just change the damn marketing to UNISEX!! =)

At first I wasn't too sure about this one. I thought it was something I'd like my husband to wear, and immediately thought it was more a unisex fragrance than anything. I put it away for a while and decided to give it another chance. I was afraid of it being strong, because it starts out that way, then I lost it during the day. Ok, it fades out(I thought). I took my hair out of it's clip for the day and smelled something really good and realized it was Viva! I had gotten it on my hair and it was still there after the long day I had. I'm a little surprised at how it changed throughout the day, maybe it's my chemistry, but I really thought it went from masculine to feminine(to me). Lavender and mint has more of a (should be on a guy) vibe to me but I like how it works out with Viva. It doesn't blast out which I find is much nicer than having someone smell me a mile away. Not sure if it's something I'd wear every day but right now I'm kind of liking this one ALOT!

I absolutely love this scent. I think it can definitely be used as a unisex fragrance - I once met a guy wearing this or something extremely similar and I found it incredibly sexy. The first notes I get are a blend of herbs - not at all disturbing to my nose, as most initial notes usually are. As the perfume dries on my skin, I mostly get a nice mix of lavender and mint - very cool, feeling like fresh water on my skin. Makes me think of a waterfall in springtime somewhere up in the mountains of Montana. I've worn it for some time now and I could easily see it becoming a spring-summer signature for me. By the way, probably the Outspoken OR Viva myth is true. I tried Outspoken twice and every time I hated it. Eventually I threw it away. I received Viva as a gift, but I will definitely buy it once it's over.