Always Red

The opening of this fragrance is very fruity with the dark, luscious plum, sweet juicy orange and the bright, tart passionfruit. I enjoy that the fruits balance one another giving the fragrance both lightness and depth. Without the other fruits the plum could become cloying and weighed down, while the plum gives the lighter, tart fruits some needed depth. The rose is present very early and all the way into the drydown. Its is a rich red rose that combines with the fruits, becoming jammy and delicious. The combo almost smells like a rich red wine, especially with the addition of the woods. I don't notice the other florals at all. Also the base notes stay pretty far in the background. The praline contributes a bit of sticky sweetness. This is a sexy grown woman fragrance. It's not dated or old-fashioned but it has a level of maturity that may turn off the highschool and college crowd. It has a playful sultriness that makes it a great night out fragrance. I have worn this fragrance most of the year. It performs great in both cold and warm weather. I have never tried it on a really hot summer day though. I always worry it will become overly sweet and overwhelming in the hot humid summers where I live. The performance is excellent. It easily lasts all day (10+hours) and has moderate to strong projection for more than half of the wear. Even once it settles it still projects within arms length. When I have applied it for the evening, it is still present on my skin the next morning and in my hair and clothes until they are washed. The first time I smelled Always Red I noticed the similarity to Armani Si. The note breakdown is very different between the two, but they still seem to smell very similar...especially in the drydown. Always Red is much brighter and syrupy in the opening and mid, while Si has a woody note that is present throughout that I never notice in Always Red. It is even a little more similar to the Si Intenses and le Parfum which are all fruitier, though darker and richer than the original. The packing is fine. The red ombre is pretty and the bottle feels nice and sturdy with an unremarkable atomiser. The cap is garbage though. It fits very wonky/wobbly and loosely. This isn't a bottle that is safe to pick up by the cap. I also wouldn't travel with it because the cap will definitely come off in your bag. It seems it is getting harder to find so the great prices it has been available may be harder to come by. Overall, Always Red is a beautiful fragrance that is great value. I would repurchase if I should finish my current bottle.

This was a blind buy and I didn't like it at first, but it is growing on me. Let me give you an advice: do NOT blind buy this one! The way this perfume expressed itself seems very reliant on skin chemistry. On me, this is a boozy, woody praline perfume. Not too sweet, rather strong and assertive. Definitely giving Mugler vibes, but in an easier-to-handle way (this is no Angel), BUT -having said that- this perfume is definitely not for the faint-hearted! Thus is for people who enjoy loud perfumes, who want the world to know what they are wearing. You will get noticed with this one. Upon initial spray, I can smell the blood orange, with a strong undercurrent of sweetened woods and just a whisper of praline. At this stage, the scent reminds me of CK Euphoria. After about an hour comes the plum-jam phase: strong plummy and woody aromas mingle, giving a Marc Jacobs Decadence vibe. As the scent dries down, the praline becomes stronger and the woody notes retreat, so the fragrance mellows out, becomes more conventionally feminine. I don't get much floral in this, maybe just a hint of jasmine in the dry-down. To be honest, I enjoy the dry-down the most, because I am no Euphoria fan. Also, for those who want to blind buy this because of its alleged resemblance to Si: let me warm you, I hate Si and thank goodness this smells nothing like Si to my nose. Si smells like cassis and roses and vanilla. Always Red is strong woods, plum and praline - I fail to see the resemblance other than maybe a slight similarity in the late dry-down phase (praline+jasmin can read like spiced vanilla). To me this scent resembles Euphoria the most, but in my opinion it is nicer because the plum and praline rounds out the woody scent, so it is less 'brash', more lush and womanly. This is no scent for teenage girls, this is a scent for a self-assured grown-ass woman (pardon my French). It definitely smells more expensive than it is. It has great silage and longevity, and it is definitely not linear - this perfume has many-many layers and facets and it shows something different in every hour as time goes by. It definitely kept me interested and that's an accomplishment in itself because I am usually quite fickle and have a short attention span when it comes to frags. Not with this one! Proceed with caution. You'll either love it or hate it; there is no middle way.

Enchanting... I'm wearing this to bed on a warm summer night and this smells enchanting. The blast of the juiciest plum and blood orange combo you could think of in the opening followed by rose and praline- it all comes together so wonderfully to form a sweet (but not cloying), alluring, feminine and interesting fragrance. I couldn't detect any white florals, perhaps in cooler weather they won't be overpowered by the plum and blood orange. I'm glad there's no vanilla in the base else it would smell too familiar (Armani's Si). There's nothing extraordinarily special about this fragrance, but for the price, moderate performance, and its versatility, it works. Update: 11 months later and my views have changed. I have given this girl time to come out of her shell and now I can see that there is something special, deliciously feminine and alluring about this fragrance. If you will allow me to suggest the perfect time and scene to wear this. It's that time of the month when you start ovulating- you feel most attractive, like a juicy pear ready for picking. Put on your favourite red lipstick and a feel good outfit (no sweats), play Chris de Burg's Lady in Red on Spotify as background music, dim the room light and apply Always Red to your neck, wrist and elbow pulse points. Unfortunately, it has been discontinued.

I blind bought this because of the comparisons between it and Si intense in the black bottle which I also blind bought at the same time and they arrived one day apart. This definitely reminds me of the original Si. It is very harsh and sharp in the opening and I slightly struggled with the opening the first couple of times I wore it. The opening to Si intense (black bottle smells way different but the dry down is like 90% similar) For the price, I only paid 14 dollars (amazing deal) this is a steal and way worth the money. I did see that in the US you can purchase it for anywhere from $20-35. I don't stuggle with the opening anymore and quiet enjoy it now, i should mention that i also struggle with the weird opening of the original si as well. This is a very complex fragrance to me. It has so many stages even the deep dry down is different than the dry down, and yes it does last days and days on clothing and hair not just on me but my family and friends who went out and bought themselves a bottle. If this was packaged as a flanker of Si and was sold for over $100 it would be flying off the shelves like crazy. Get yourself a bottle and thank me later. Fruity bomb with some vanilla with great performance!

Right from the start, this perfume smells RED. It doesn't smell like bright cherry red either, it smells like a dark and syrupy blood red. On my skin, this perfume is a dark fruit syrup with a prominent plum note that's a bit sharp due to the blood orange at the top. Once it dries down, the sharpness of the blood orange starts to fade and you begin to get the smoothness of sweet wood faintly tinged with vanilla and praline. For me, the vibe this perfume gives is that of a Roman courtesan draped in blood red silks who smiles as she twirls a flute of poisoned wine in her delicate hands. It's like a treacherous princess in a crimson gown plotting her revenge as she stands watching the moon from a deserted castle garden. This isn't to say the perfume smells old or antiquated -- it smells quite modern in fact and would definitely fit the vibe of a dark haired woman in a black dress, red lipstick, and Louboutin heels. Really an underrated gem. Longevity: Around 5-6 hours Sillage: Definitely noticeable, but doesn't choke people around you Weather: It's a go to for cold weather, but special occasions or clubbing on warm nights also calls for this.

I got Always Red Femme first before this and i adore that scent so much. I was hoping this smells similar. Well, i wasn’t disappointed because it truly smells very similar to Femme. I sprayed Always Red in my left palm and Femme in my right and honestly if you have one there is no need to get the other one. I think Always Red smells a bit more syrupy, rich and sweet whilst Femme is a bit more crisp, fresh and spicy. But the difference is not that much. Both smells amazing! If i have to choose between the two i think i’d go for the original. I don’t have Armani Si but i have its supposed dupe, In Woman by La Rive. In Woman smells similar to Always Red too but its the less sweet version. All of them are cheap awesome scents! Worth a blind buy if you adore Si. But Always Red is tops my fave amongst the three. Such a lovely intoxicating and addicting scent. This perfume is an instant favorite. This is the kind of fruity gourmand that i adore. Every time i catch whiffs of it, it makes me feel giddy. It smells more expensive than it really is. There is a luxurious and warm vibe to it. Longevity and sillage is also good. ❤️

I am in LOVE! What a lovely scent. I have only been eyeing this for a few days because of reviews saying it resembles Sì. I fell in love with Sì on my coworker but I don't dare to try it because of my previous patchouli-headaches. I don't see that many similarities but they are both sweet but still somewhat dark seductive and sexy scents. Always Red almost gives me Opium (2009) vibes. Way sweeter and fruitier tho. The plum is so beautiful in this. I love how the scent is fruity but not in an easy-going fun way but in a dark and sultry way. Does that make sense? I have only had it on for half an hour but the amber is already starting to shine through, so lovely. Not as sweet as I was afraid it would be. The praline isn't very chocolatey to me and that's positive in my opinion. So well blended, I have a hard time picking out the notes (but then again, I always do). I can say tho that the flowers are chilling in the background, at least on me. Perfect for fall I'd say and good for winter as well but honestly... I will wear this on colder summer nights, I can't wait until autumn. I found myself a new love I think!

I love the stunning red and black design, in my opinion, it really matches the juice inside. Always Red is as her title, she's always red. A scarlet vixen. Sexy, seductive, a little mature and always classy. Think little black dress with devilish red lipstick. I have received compliment after compliment from this little beauty. She has been a firm date night and fancy event perfume since I was in my early twenties. My boyfriend tells me I smell really good whenever I wear this around him. I feel sexy, demanding, confident and maybe a little bit older beyond my years whenever I wear Always Red. I don't reach for her often because she is definitely not a day time scent for me, so a bottle has lasted me a long time. I get rich, luscious plum, smooth creamy praline, something masculine and smokey hidden under the initial sweetness to balance everything out and then a woodsy Amber drydown. Heavenly. I can't believe that this perfume is such a bargain, to me, it smells so expensive. I always have a bottle of this in my collection.

Dear god, where has this been in my life and why isn't this one discussed as much? I blind purchased this beauty after reading some reviews. I've never seen this perfume in the Elizabeth Arden counters in my country. I've smelled Red Door and wasn't at all impressed, but I am pleasantly surprised by this one. It's syrupy and it definitely is like Armani Si, but I find this better with longer and stronger performance. It's more luxurious, yet playful and sexy. My husband finds it intoxicating and sensual. I warn you, this is incredibly sweet, but I love sweet. Even in the humid tropical weather here, you can find me choking people around me with my LVEBs and Intense Cafes. Unless if you're a sweet lover, this will probably not be your jam. Literally. Will update with a more thorough review.

I didn't even know this existed! I'm not a fan of Red Door, so I hardley ever visit the Elizabeth Arden counter. I've only ever had two of their fragrances. So, it's not the counter I go to first. I went to the shop to get something new for myself (I've been having a bad week) and the Sales Assistant let me sniff this. When I saw the bottle I thought 'another Red Door flanker, really?!'. But it isn't. It's a fragrance on it's own. And I adore it! I didn't buy it that day, I left with something else, but couldn't stop thinking about Always Red. So, I went back, tested it on my skin to see what happens & my skin fell in love - so did my nose! To me this is very much like Armani Si (I don't know if anyone else gets this) and a much cheaper version too :) It also lasts super long!

I sprayed one spray of this on my wrist, that was around 12pm and I had to even rub it off because of how much came out of the bottle, since then I have changed clothing, and it’s been almost 8 hours and I can still smell this from time to time. I totally see what people mean by it being a more grown up gourmand this isn’t a sugary sweet but a more rich type of sweetness and very heavy, potentially headache inducing if you overspray. I enjoy it, it smells like a deep, rich praline plum with amber on my skin, with maybe some indistinguishable white florals in the background. Pretty linear, very long lasting, but I’ve just turned 20 so I think this one was a little too mature for my current taste. I’ll still finish my bottle but probably won’t repurchase for a while.

This purchase was a blind buy based on all the reviews saying it's a dupe for Armani Si. What a success! I could never justify buying Armani si because of the sharp patchouli that makes me sneeze and turns my eyes into a red watery mess. This is 90% similar to Si but still noticeably warmer, smoother, different. I can see someone not liking Si, but loving Always Red. The praline makes it unmistakably gourmand and the absence of patchouli makes it so much more wearable! It's a grown-up, sophisticated gourmand, not at all juvenile. Longevity is great, we are past the 8 hour mark and I can still smell it every time I move, with only 3 sprays on my chest/neck area. It projects strongly for the first 3 hours! 35$ CAD for 100ml on Fragrancebuy! What an absolute steal!

I don't think this smells like Armani Sì. I tested it on a paper strip and actually recoiled from it. Fruit punch with spices and wine. Lots of wine. Sticky, sugary, sour wine. Like the smell of a really bad night with too much booze and no hook-up. I put the paper down and went to check out better things. ...and found myself inexplicably returning to the paper in question every few minutes until I noticed that I had in fact bought a bottle and sprayed it all over myself. To me it IS wine, and spices, and sugary-sour. Sangria, perhaps? The thing is I love it. I want to bathe in it. The opening is horrendous but 10 minutes down the line this is summer and happiness and parties and sparkles on my skin. This is glorious.

Though classified as an oriental floral, it's very much a sophisticated fruity floral, sweet feminine, lusciously lovely. I absolutely love this scent. I just happened by the Elizabeth Arden counter and sampled, I was nicely shocked, it's so modern and light. Definitely get all the fruit, very berry almost fizzy but scintillating. Richly red, very thick glass bottle. Very fruity berry off the top, softening to a fizzy musky warmth, not dirty or woody. It's crisp and soft at the same time. It's high on my BUY list. I'm not surprised though, Mr Benaim has created a few of my favorites, my gorgeous euphoria blossom echoes inside this masterpiece.

I think I previously misjudged this fragrance, as I have revisted it since my first review many many times and am halfway through my first bottle and desperate to repurchase it. This is gorgeous! It's so sweet, warm and syrupy. The perfect wintery bold woman scent for the festive period. I can't wait to try this when it's colder and see how it develops then but for now it's a very heavy ambery/ praline/ sweet berry smelling scent and I adore it. And the sillage on this, I will get compliments on this from downstairs of the house when I'm upstairs its strong, and yes can get very heavy when overspraying but I couldn't recommend this enough!

I got this today, so lovely! Very sweet, the plum is juicy and candied, and the amber is lush and syrupy. The praline is a tad bit nuttier, that's why I don't get the immediate "Sí" impression. Sí is much more citric to my nose, the plum in Always Red prevents that effect. Very well-blended, it wears beautifully in the cold. I cannot wait to try once it gets warmer, I think the blood orange and rose notes will stand out much more. I imagine it will read a bit 'fleshier fruity' (thanks to the blood orange) with a smooth rose finish. Definite purchase, it's readily available and still affordable.

I just received this in the mail today and I am in love. I got it because I'm a poor college student who can't afford Armani Sì but I love that perfume. Always Red did not disappoint. It smells so similar to Sì, but I feel like Always Red is just a little bit darker and richer, but not necessarily heavier. Like if Sì and Always Red were colors, Sì would be cornflower blue and Always Red would be cobalt, they're the same color, just a few shades different (unlike the colors of the bottles which are on complete opposite ends of the spectrum). Everything about this scent is gorgeous.

Simply put, this is like Si Intense with that intoxicating plum note (my favorite) turned up and with much improved longevity. Sí felt weaker than an EDT, like a splash or cologne maybe, so much that I couldn’t justify buying it. Sí Intense wears like a very basic EDP, and this to me wears like a very solid performing EDP. I get a good six hours out of it in the fall, but haven’t tried it in warmer weather. If you happen upon the moisturizer as well when layered it will last through my entire day. Sí, Intense, and Always Red are among the most elegant fragrances I’ve ever met.

Love when my wife wore it. Notes that strike the most - Plum, Praline & Amber. Beautifully formed. Mamamia!! Kimochi!! Similar to SI(sample) but AR last longer & plum slightly more prominent. AR does have that vibe to LVE(Beast mode, I don't recommend to Married Women - Go figure!!), but AR does project itself and last efficiently. Cheaper than both, seriously I can buy 2 for the price of LVE, Tq God. Recommendation - Test it from Top to Bottom. It's a gem that needs time to appreciate. In my rookie opinion(& all of the above), the best in Elizabeth Arden line.

I always categorize my fragrance as ''Like, Love and Okay''. I rarely love perfume that is a blind buy. This is a sweet surprise. Sweet fruity floral OMG <3 i love it. I never tried SI before but this is giving me some rich sophisticated smell. I initially sprayed in a paper and my partner who is few meters away notice and ask me what is this smell. It kinda strong on first spray but does not give me a headache like some of other strong fragrances that i have to wait till it dries down before I can enjoy. This is one of my new favorite fragrance.