Pretty

It's a warm day approx 30 degrees centigrade. A perfect day to wear 'Pretty'. ;Pretty' is a lovely unobtrusive and sweet fragrance that today mingles well with my skin. As with all other Elizabeth Arden fragrances this packs an instant punch. Although 'Pretty' is not heady like some perfume brands, it still has an Elizabeth Arden hallmark. Unfortunately here in Australia we are victims of supply and demand and rarely are we able to find that bargain. Even though admittedly prices on fragrances here have dramatically reduced over the years. This being a huge reduction compared to 20 years ago or so. Consumers here are at the mercy of what's available. Arden's fragrances are readily available at most chemists and beauty outlets here. Ironically department stores here charge more for Arden fragrances than at other stockists? These stores however do stock hard to find fragrances. It is also and in some instances cheaper to purchase fragrances on line. Anyway. Getting back to 'Pretty'. I personally really like this fragrance I like it because I can identify ever so slightly the expensive ingredients that set Arden's fragrances apart from some other celebrity fragrances. Sometimes I get the impression that Arden's fragrances have evolved to be a poor mans alternative to Estee Lauder's fragrances. Mind you both fragrance lines have excellent staying power and that's exactly what I want from a fragrance. As with 'Pretty' I'm finding the fragrance to be quite linear, I feel caressed by this lovely blend of fruits and their blossoms. Recently I have stepped outside my own box by extending my range to include spicier fragrances. I used to loathe them on my skin. As I am maturing my skin is following suit. I am growing out of my clothes, fighting frown lines and goodness knows what else the universe has in store? Not to mention gravity. I am more and more loving the pep a good quality fragrance has on my confidence and mood. 'Pretty does what it states on the bottle. Not only is it a pretty fragrance. I actually feel pretty too. The notes are complicated, yet mingle quite nicely. I am an amateur at best when it comes to defining the notes, but I seem to be able to smell most of them except for the musk, which to me is very subtle if at all. 'Pretty' in my opinion is a well balanced and unobtrusive fragrance. Suitable for warmer day's particularly summer. It is also excellent value for money. 50 mill EDP here setting one back 20 Aussie Smacka's. Now that's a bargain for feeling 'Pretty'. Thank you 'Elizabeth Arden and your wonderful noses for keeping your fragrances accessible. I would like to add, and I know how many Fragrantica's hate this, but I just have to add that I am reminded a little of DKNY's Be Delicious' Pure Blossom' with 'Pretty' though 'Pretty seems a tad more grassy and green, eventually 'Pretty dries down to an ever so soft musk after at least 8 hours wear or so have slipped by. Cheers T.

"Pink" Peony Scent... 2009 Floral by Claude Dir, opens with a fruity-floral burst that quickly gives way to a peony centred floral heart. Jasmine, lily & iris round out the floral bouquet. The floral-support base has musky woods & amber. There's a nice sweetness in the base that gives a hint of vanilla/cotton-candy in a similar way to Reaction Kenneth Cole, or Special Moments Catherine Malandrino. Alongside all of this, there's a faint silvery perfume-y quality similar to Romance Ralph Lauren, that's echoed in the silver graphic floral details on the pink box. The overall effect is of a "pink" peony scent accented by a hint of citrus in the top notes, and a hint of cotton candy in the base, and a faint silvery perfume-y quality. This isn't an exact dupe of anything, but I catch reminders of other Elizabeth Arden scents (5th Avenue), and other scents by Claude Dir (Curious Britney Spears). Performance for me is above average for a floral scent, and could be worn year round, but I would be most likely to wear this in warmer daytime weather in spring through fall. It's a love for me. Enjoy! Update 07/25/24: Sprayed this on my wrist after a shower. The peony is dominant, but it does need 5-10 minutes to settle as up close on the skin the jasmine & woods are a touch sour at first although they improve the projection. In the air it's a lovely plush pink peony. Once the spray is fully dry and it starts to dry down, all the notes are discernible. After awhile I can notice that the base reminds me of Light Blue Dolce&Gabbana, so an oversimplified description would be a layer of peony over Light Blue. Very classic feminine floral & spring-summer daytime vibe. It does shine in warmer weather which improves the performance. Still a love.

Elizabeth Arden rightly named this fragrance Pretty as it honors it namesake by providing an oh so pretty scent all day long. This was my signature scent for a few years and gained endless compliments throughout that time and continues to when I choose to wear it. This is a must have for every feminine woman’s collection. In my opinion, Pretty can be worn any time of year but shines in Spring, Summer and Fall. I would be extremely surprised if anyone has a dislike for this fragrance as it’s very non-offensive. I have often suspected that some of the negative reviews on many beautiful fragrances have been purchased on eBay and are either knock-offs or have turned bad. I have attempted buying back up bottles of some of my favorite fragrances on eBay three times and two were knockoffs that smelled little like the authentic perfume though advertised as authentic and my third and last try I’m uncertain if it was a knock off or a bottle that had turned bad because the smell was so soured it was hard to know. So I wish my fellow fraggeads who want to try their luck on eBay or other non reputable sites would refrain from posting reviews. If you’re looking for a deal, go to one of the only two reputable discount sites I trust- Fragrance X or FragranceNet. Both of these sites provide authentic fragrances in testers, without the box or have been marketed in other countries. Also, sometimes their bottles can be a few years old, which has yet to cause an issue because as you all know, as long as a fragrance has been stored properly, they’re no issues. However, if you want the freshest bottles made, order directly from the fragrance’s site or a reputable department store such as Macy’s, Ulta, etc.

I love this scent! I have had a tiny tester for a while, but was reluctant to use it...it was uber-strong. From the large apple shaped perfume bottle that I just received, it is wonderful! It is a light, fresh floral, and the petalia truly is a rosy-peony scent. I love rose scents, and this reminds me of how Beauty used to smell on me, but not as rich. Anyhow, this is a very inoffensive scent, good for the office, or at school. It is pretty, and light enough to not choke. It's hard to review this one as it is so well blended that I can only discern the petalia because I know it's in there. It reminds me white star-shaped flowers and has a bit of a pepper-y feel in my nose, but the flowers are so well blended that there is no one stand out bloom. They only bad thing about this scent is that I have gone completely nose-blind to it. I can smell it on my scarf, I can smell it on my wrists, but I can't smell it unless I have my face buried in my scarf or have my arm right under my nose, and I think I have only been wearing it for about a week. HOWEVER, everyone around me can smell it. So unfair. It has a presence, I can tell that I have a scent on, I just can't smell it. It lasts for 8 or so hours on me, and later today I will notice when its presence finally vanishes. I just can't freakin' smell it and I like it so much--seems like a cruel joke my nose is playing on me. So weird. I hated it from the tester, gave me a wretched headache [plus I had a head cold], but I have noticed that the tiny spray testers have a more potent version as compared to the full size bottle. Has anyone else noticed this?

Pretty sounds quite run-of-the-mill, and maybe it is. It has two things going for it, though. It is extremely easy on the pockets, making it a very safe blind buy because even if you don’t like it (that would make you an aberration), you don’t feel too bad. The second is that it is quite long lasting, which came as a surprise to me as well. I put it to the ultimate test just recently, when for the sake of writing this post, I wore it after months just to remind myself of it. It was a hot sweltering Singapore day, and I had a whole lot of cooking to do. I am talking heavy duty Indian recipes, with fish and chicken and onion-ginger-garlic and the whole arsenal of spices here. And yet, sometime in the afternoon, all sweaty and tired, I could still smell Pretty on me. Pretty is unpretentious. It doesn’t claim to be something it is not. Pretty is Drew Barrymore in a pink floral dress riding a bicycle through a field of tulips. Pretty is a posy of handpicked wild flowers plonked in a vase with water without being cleverly arranged. Pretty is those white lilies wrapped in brown paper you bought at the supermarket, nestled next to the oranges you picked up on sale. Pretty is that uber cool sister of yours who comes home in an impossibly fashionable outfit, and embraces you in a hug that luckily still feels the same. Pretty is beauty, warmth and nostalgia all wrapped in one. Ah, bliss.