By

By Dolce & Gabbana for Women The first time I bought this fragrance, I wanted to wear it with the iconic D&G leopard print corset dress. It was the middle of the summer and my best friend and I were going to be in Las Vegas for a girls weekend away. I tore the package open and tested it. I was almost knocked over by the licorice, so much so, that I couldn’t smell anything else. I sold the fragrance on EBay. I found it again, and thought I would try it one last time. I have learned that my skin wears fragrances with a musk base really well in the winter, however, since winters in Los Angeles aren’t usually very cold, I waited until the temperature dropped below 60. It turns out that this is absolutely the best time to wear this fragrance! The licorice note is now in the distant background while the coffee, musk, and sandalwood notes are center stage. The florals are so well blended, that I can’t pick any particular one out, but I do love how the orchid softens the heavy lily a bit. Now, I understand this scent. This is a cozy bombshell scent. Think of Bridget Bardot in her leopard print coat and you’ve got it. By reminds me of one of my favorite ways to drink coffee. In the winter, I like to grind up some anise seeds with my vanilla nut coffee and brew them together. It adds just a little intrigue and makes my regular morning coffee just a bit sexier. I would imagine that if I layered Lolita Lempicka Lolita Lempicka (for the licorice) over Dolce & Gabbana The One (for the musky florals), it would be similar in feel to this classic beauty. I would even go so far as to suggest that The One is the younger, more innocent sister of By, except without the licorice, and replacing the sandalwood with sweet vanilla. By is definitely a sexy winter scent for date nights. It’s voluptuous, along the lines of Gaultier Classique. It goes really well with my vintage leopard print coat, fitted black turtle neck sweater, black skinny pants and pumps. It would be perfect for New Years Eve in Las Vegas! I am so happy that this is back in my collection and that we finally understand each other!

By Dolce & Gabbana used to be my signature fragrance. Now I like so many fragrances that I can't have a signature one anymore, but I still like By very much and in a very special way. Far brom beinga fan og the tradicional Dolce & Gabbana fragrances, I was very surprise when I tried this one for the first time: I loved at the first snif, that brought to my skin the smell of wild violets (that's the way I felt it on my skin). The flower notes of this fragrance, specially the violet and lavender are very natural and airy and reminds me a lot of a the violets I used to found at my grandmother's house. After that, "the wild violet" note becomes spicy mixing with ginger... and I start to feel the comfort of the woody notes blended with vanilla bourbon in the exact same quantities, wich makes the perfume not too sweet or woody. Coffe and musk in homeopathic doses give the special ending. The perfume is intense and has a very good staying power. I consider it en evening fragrance. Wear this if you are looking for something really unique and stylish, and be ready to feel beautiful and draw compliments everywhere. By is a lascive invitation for glamour, but you can wear it easly feeling yourself and very comfortable. I am very sad it had been discontinued (as so many other amazing fragrances, like Organza Indescence) and I was surprised when I found out it was not in prodution anymore, because it is the best creation of Dolce & Gabbana house in my opinion and many people love it. By Dolce & Gabbana for Men is also amazing.

I absolutely loved this perfume when it was at it's most popular. I never stopped to think in those days they would discontinue it. If I had known I would have kept the empty bottle or just a little bit in the bottle to be able to appreciate it forever. Now they just churn out The One flankers an claim they are sexy but compared to this they are not. Dolce Gabbana have butchered their original one that came in the red velvet box they had to add marsh mellows of all things to it now it is just candy sweet fluff. I don't want them to bring back this one because it would be like in those horror films where someone is brought back to life but they are not the same anymore so the characters have to kill them again. This perfume if brought back would be butchered and I guarantee cupcakes or marsh mellows would find their way into it when it was so not that style of perfume. This would be done in a bid to please the younger generation only to be ignored by them and discontinued again. Horrifying for such a classic. What about us older people who remember these perfumes and want them left alone don't we matter at all? Our version of sexy is not cupcakes or too much vanilla or marsh mellow. Oh well that is progress. I guess I am just not on trend at times when it comes to some perfumes.

Wowee! Oh Mama! It's rare that a perfume knocks me off my feet like By. Opening with a big anise and dry ginger bang, like an unsolicited slap on the bottom from a cute but sleazy guy who totally thinks he's 'all that.' Bright and hot with warm citrus and a fresh, sweet woody herbal note, probably from the lavender and cedar. The flowers in this are an erotic, milky, musky blend--tons of sap and audacity without being confusing or obnoxious. The drydown is just darn sexy--subtley sweet coffee in a soft ginger and sandalwood base. This phase reminds me a lot of a Revlon Fire & Ice flanker called Smoulder which is now sadly discontinued... only By is much stronger with more attitude. Yes, the woman who wears By will receive unsolicited slaps on the bottom, not because she's consciously asking for trouble, but because it makes men lose control seemingly tapping into their primal nature. He, however will certainly regret doing so because the By woman can certainly hold her own.

I am going to step out and say that Dolce Gabbana should like most celebrities, stick to what they are good at. That is these strong perfumes. The One is all the rage at the moment but it just doesn't hold a candle to these old favourites. The original Dolce and Gabbana is also beautiful along with Sicily but sadly people can't handle them and say they are too strong, old lady, etc. I wish they would bring By back and also create some flankers that really are sexy not all this wishy washy rose and vanilla Sh..t! I wear those when I am bumming around or shopping but I am always searching for a really strong, sexy perfume to add to my collection but it is getting more and more difficult these days they just don't seem to exist in the mainstream. I have been looking at some more niche perfumes at David Jones to try and find something because to me most of the major houses that used to be good seem to have lost the plot.