California

Long before vampires started to diminish till they finally reached an abysmal "My Little Pony" ontology ("my" does NOT indicate that I've ever owned one) and become as intimidating as these plastic playthings, there was a movie from 1987 called "The Lost Boys". It was supposedly taking place in Santa Clara, a small fictitious Californian beach town and for 97 minutes the local vampire department haunting the movie was parading nearly everything I've loved and I'm still loving from that decade. Badass bikes, brassy altered garments embellished with tons of personal touch, glam-metal haircuts, shades worn 24/7, fires and saxophones on the beach, and last but not least, night queens with names like Jewel or Star whose joys and sorrows were dancing on the Pacific Ocean's waves. There's a greek rock song coming from 1988 which describes the feeling of this era in a nutshell. It goes something like this... I went out on an ancient Harley looking just like a rusted warship. Flying a black flag on its mast while packing a .45 talisman. The night is reeking with brilliantine. Heady deodorants will make you swoon. She gets undressed in front of the back rest and I feel like I'm the biggest shot. I went out on an ancient Harley. Sitting behind me with no holds barred, the Diva of Arcades and Bowling Alleys glitters like chrome on the smoky stage. The night is lit by countless lighters. All eyes are hidden behind shades. Burnt-out tyres and neon lamps. Here comes the Queen of All Desires. Exactly! The Queen of All Desires. With everything I've mentioned thus far being a subject of her queendom. And whilst she needs your blood or your vim so as to keep being "alive", she never deprives you of them without qualms. So, rest assured that she will give you a helluva good time before she drags you forever in her world. As you may have probably already understood by now, California is not the sunny beaches of Santa Monica or Santa Barbara, and all the less the ones of Santa Clara which doesn't exist after all. California is all these beaches after the sun has set, where night creatures drench with their amber sweat all these jean jackets placed on the still warm sand before they'll dry by the sea breeze under the moonlight. California is the distant and somewhat unnerving giggle coming from a part of the beach, where, no matter how hard you try, you still cannot descry anyone standing there, reaching the point of doubting your very own senses. Except one, since this warm but simultaneously cool and bittersweet in some strange way perfume is coming from all directions. And then suddenly you feel her presence behind you... Thus I'll daresay that even if California was initially launched under the name of Jaclyn Smith (ex-Charlie's lighthearted Angel), its immaculate incarnation is Jami Gertz frozen in time. The eternal and unfading dark angel of the hot August nights. Now, how can it be that since I remember myself I've always thought that the sexiest perfumes (winning by a landslide) were always the cheap ones. Could this be somehow related with my notion of good taste and finesse? California is cheap. Maybe it's a bit catchpenny as well. But it plays in a very certain beach volley court where every other perfume, now matter how pricey, chic or posh might be, doesn't stand a chance. Put it against Dior's Dune, which has a similar beachy concept, and Dune shall be razed and routed with a devastating 21-0. And rest assured I'll be jumping and cheering on the tiers for every point won. For I believe that the combination of sweat and cheap perfume on hot summer nights is thunderously screaming "Venery!", making me wholeheartedly wish that daylight never comes...

Oh wow. This is really nice! A definite cheapy-but-goodie. It's sunny and citrusy with just the right amount of aldehydic debth. What surprised me is how evocative it is of Acqua di Parma Colonia. It's by no means a dupe but they share many of the same characteristics; most notably the chipper antiseptic barber shop feel. Like its namesake, California is a laid back scent. It's a drive down Venice Beach during sunset. Or the latter part of a day of surfing-- day is shifting to night and you're sitting with your friends on the sand with your surfboards, chatting and gazing at the watery horizon. Happy and upbeat but introspective also. Dreamy. Very happy with this blind buy. The price can't be beat and the quality's decent; doesn't come off as cheap at all. Highly recommended. NOTE: Like Colonia this stuff is quite on the masculine end of unisex! Still within the unisex border but dancing dangerously close to the line leading to pour homme territory. Ladies if you're looking for something ultra feminine, look elsewhere. Also if you're a dude, try it! You'll be pleasantly surprised.

A soft, powdery, beautiful floral - my 3 yr old daughter loves this on me best! Surprising really, because I have a wonderful collection of high end perfumes and she prefers this to my Chanel 5 and the Dior & Guerlain range in my collection! I found myself wearing this a lot around the house for her sake. And in the process fell completely and madly in love with it too. So much so that I never want to be without it! I've stocked up well on this from a local perfumery as it is getting harder and harder to find. It is powdery, soft and sweet but not cloying at all. The citrus top note in this is understated and the cologne has a very comforting lightly spiced floral aroma that goes rather well with my skin's chemistry. And thankfully the oakmoss is negligible. Gentle and beautiful, I consider this one of the best drugstore finds ever! Update: Now I know why I love this so much - it smells exacrly like a lighter cologne version of another love in my collection - the beautiful timeless classic 'Lanvin Arpege'!!

I just LOVE California, started wearing it when I started visiting my friend who lived in Valencia, Ca. in the early 90s. Should have known it would be discontinued. Always my luck. I ordered it last from Fragrence.com and the box was crushed. It used to be under $30 for 2 oz. No more, now $150 for the same thing. Guess I will have to find another "signature scent". the au do toilette will evaporate soon like a splash of Jean NaTe. Why was it discontinued when "Charlie" is still around which my husband's sister has worn for years and years and years? Totally unfair. Wish they would bring it back!

As with so many good things, I came across this one quite by chance when looking for something else entirely. I bought online from an extremely informative listing that was titled "woman perfume" and a description that just called it "perfume, small bottle"! It cost me less than a day return bus ticket, including shipping from the US and so despite not knowing what it actually was I decided it'd be fun to have a surprise. The bottle I have is a miniature that looks like the one in the picture above. A slightly odd shaped bottle, no box, no labels on it, but eventually I managed to find what it was - California by Dana! This is a very pleasant fragrance, and it seems to me to suit it's name - although I have never been to California - it has a feeling of summer, warmth, open space. It is also one of those scents that brings to mind summertime and feels appropriate regardless of the time of year. In fact, this works wonderfully in winter. It has some lovely gentle aldehydes that give the sunny clear airy feel. I smell mainly these sunny airy aldehydes, a some soft clean florals, a little amber and sandalwood, and some natural smelling vanilla. Longevity is reasonable especially at this price point, lasting 4-6 hours, and projecting maybe 1-2 feet It feels very laidback and comfortable while also having a certain elegance. I imagine it would appeal to those who like the original red cap D&G, Patou Chaldee, Le Galion Sortilege and so forth. For a cheap budget scent this is really good, and definitely one to try if you come across it.