Provocative Woman

I bought this a while ago, in the summer--which was totally not the time to try it. So I have waited, then I forgot I had it, and it stayed hidden in a box under a sweater. I remembered it, and when I did it was nearly summer. So I made a mental note. After reading many reviews on this site, and realizing that my tastes change with the seasons I decided to wait until it was fall and give it a try. I am SOOOOO glad that I did. One reviewer wrote that you should always give a new perfume at least 3 chances. At first, there is a freesia monster clubbing me in the face, but it disappears pretty quickly, like with in 15 mintues that monster has fled, but then an amber ghost comes in. This is a Hinoki Woods powerhouse on me. Being half Japanese, I recognized the scent instantly--now that it is cooler and less humid, I am able to figure out what it is. The amber gives it a bit of a sour smell on me. However, after an hour in on this, the amber has disappeared. It is now a woody, warm, slightly sweet, and spicy scent. It smells a lot like a warm, sweet Japanese incense...not quite like Nag Champa [which is not Japanese, I know], but has a very Buddhist temple feel to it. I am really loving this scent. I wish I could describe the notes, but I am sitting in a warm cloud of powdery, incense-ie goodness. Words that come to mind are mysterious, spicy, mesmerizing, sexy, confident. Amber and patchouli hardly ever blend well with my system. Oddly enough, this scent has a hint of both in it, although patchouli is not mentioned. The red amber and the hinoki wood may blend this way on me. Which is awesome, since I love patchouli but can't wear it. There is a salty hint to it, a note that strikes me in the nose like the ocean after a storm. Not so much a scent I can describe, but one that I recognized the feel of. As of yet, there are no flowers that I am aware of, but perhaps someone with a better nose can sense it. I am not very familiar with orchid, that may be part of the spicy scent. When I see 'floral' in a perfume description, I think white flowers-- lilies, gardenias, roses, which is probably some weird knee-jerk reaction to the word. More emotion based than experience based. I have some pretty hard core allergies, and usually florals make my nose run and I sneeze. I wear them anyway, but Provocative Woman has no flowers in it that I am allergic to, so perhaps that is why I don't think I smell them! I think the sillage is pretty good, my dad could smell it from about 4 feet away. He looked puzzled about the scent until he realized it was me, "You smell like Japan." I'll have a while to wait to see how long it lasts! EDIT: It disappeared rather too quickly for me, like in 2 to 4 hours. I do really like a longer lasting scent. However, what is left after 4 hrs is a very light powdery Hanoki wood, almost to the point of baby powder, and that is close to the skin. We'll see, it may just be my system adjusting to the scent. re-EDIT : It is no longer a strectch, after trying this off and on for two months now, I get Hot Couture Collection #1. It is not quite up there, but it's close. The scent is developing more quickly, and lasting longer-- depending on how cold the bottle is when I put it on! And now I realize what is SOOOO familiar about this scent, more than the Hanoki, it reminds me of a sexy powerhouse perfume that was spicy, warm, and sexier than this one. A keeper if you miss HC#1, but I still wish the Givenchy role-model was not discontinued.

I just bought 30ml of this at the supermarket because it's so cheap and EA fragrances usually work well with my skin chemistry. Honestly, part of what drew me to it was that mother in-law hasn't owned this one and we both gravitate towards EA fragrances for casual occassions (she doesn't wear daily) and daily or day/casual occasions for me. It's safe and I might update this review after the next family gathering. I'm not trying to "wow" my husband with this one (nor am I trying to put him off) I just hope it draws positive compliments from women in my life and maintain a good impression with them. Oriental-florals/florientals are usually a success with my skin chemistry and based on the notes and a quick test spritz in the shop, it seems like a warm, comfortable, somewhat sweet fragrance without being overbearing, at least not on me. I'll admit that I was a tad disappointed that the bottle/fluid was completely clear because when it first came out, I remembered something being purple and the box looks like the original. Maybe the simple clear design is so that they can sell it cheaper in supermarkets. It's not important, I was just hoping it'd look good sitting there with Lancome Tresor Midnight Rose,TM Alien and HB Deep Red.:D Others have written that it doesn't last on them. That's a bit sad, but I'll be wearing this one to make good first impressions and I don't mind if it wears off because I'll be wearing it in settings where they bring in increasingly heavy, warm dishes. I can see that some of those who've raved about Provocative like some of the same fragrances as me, ie. one of you is currently/or at time of writing wearing Hugo Boss Deep Red, which is my other casual, go-to fragrance. I'll update on the longevity when i've had a few weeks to test it out. First Update: OT - if I write another update, it'll be a separate one because this one's long enough already. On first spritz it's very bright and sparkly and close to my skin which made me very worried,, because those types of fragrances usually die quickly on my skin. It's Sunday, I don't care, so I decided to sit and pin a bit on pinterest and with my wrists at 1⁄2 arm length from my face, I noticed this warm, spicy, creamy scent. I hestitate to use the word sweet because so many people have negative connoctations to that word in the context of fragrances. Something about this fragrance reminds me of something along the lines of Red Door Velvet which I never owned because I discovered it in my 20s and I didn't feel ready for it, this is lighter though, but there's something EA signature about it, that I can't quite find the words for. Based on my last line, some will be apprehensive about this fragrance but it's that signature something about EA classics (6th Ave. series and Red Door series from a few years ago,) that I like and which is a safe choice for me. I hate being so freakin' impulsive! 4 spritzes because I thought it was weak and sparkly. Wth. was I thinking?! 1-2 spritzes will be enough. *blush!*. At least I'm not going anywhere and husband and sons are with colds, good, good....LOL!

WOW ! I'm amazed at how much I LOVE this scent ! I usually prefer fragrances with strong projection, but this one is a close to skin scent. It's super long lasting on my skin. I put it on yesterday at noon, and it's still going strong this morning ! I have the bottle with one side flat black. At first, I was not sure I would like Provacative Woman. It is so very very different, and I was afraid it would be bitter, but it is not bitter at all. When sprayed, Provacative leaves an oily sheen on skin. This scent envelopes me with a soft yet very deep rich smooth Hinoki wood cloud. It's an unusual wood, not like anything I've experienced before. Not dark, not light, not heavy, not too sweet, just very pleasant, deep and rich, with no sharp edges. Though marketed a feminine scent, and with no cedar or pine smell, I think this one could easily be unisex. Don't let the name "Provacative Woman" stop males from trying this one. The Hinoki wood and the sandalwood in it is a beautiful mix. Expertly blended, Provacative could easily be mistaken for a high priced niche fragrance. I can understand why some reviewers say this is a mature scent. It's certainly not modern, not fruity, not very sweet, not light. But since it's a skin scent, I enjoy wearing it . I think it can work for other young people who enjoy rich unusual wood fragrances. I would suggest that people should try a sample first. Most unusual, pleasing, non offensive, richly deep woody scent I own ! I just can't get enough ! Beautiful, unique, smooth, highest quality, smells expensive. For me, definitely a favorite and a keeper ! EDIT : AMAZING ! I've NEVER had so many compliments in one morning ! I was out shopping , wearing Provocative Woman, and 6 different strangers, 3 young teen boys, an older man, a young woman, and an older woman, stopped me to say they thought I smelled great, and wanted to know the name of my perfume ! I'm thrilled ! Guess this one does project after all ? Good thing, because I'm becoming addicted to it !

Such wonderful and thought provoking reviews you fellow 'Fragrantica' members have written . Well Done! I have this, though I did purchase it some time ago and it still seems fairly virile despite it's age. The bottle version I have is the deep violet painted on one side which sadly chips quite easily. I just fill in the chipped specks with a permanent marker to keep the bottle looking somewhat decent. I actually saw the clear version on sale last summer for 7 aussie dollars at "Price Line' for a 100 mill EDP. That was crazy . CHEAP. Anyway, getting back to this fragrance. I can't really top or elaborate on what's been written except to say. Upon first whiff, this fragrance reminds me of nearly all of those wanna be perfumes floggering Celeb's fragrances under Celeb names. It's like 'Provocative Woman' was used as a prototype fragrance for many of those fragrances in the fruity floral woody range. That's saying something positive in that this fragrance is the one to aspire to. I feel the naming of this a little cheesey. I think Mamsell Arden should have left the name at 'Provocative'. Like other 'Ellie Arden' Fragrances, this one also has that ability to out perform many more expensive fragrances on longevity. This is not like her other fragrances at all, and seeing that there's only one spin off, more or less the least popular. I loved what I read about the Japanese experience with the 'Hinoki' wood note. Those reviews were absolutely enchanting. The bottle design seems to reflect this too in the shape and design reminding me if the simple geometric pagoda and or Japanese footwear design. Simple and elegant. The actual fragrance itself smells like late Winter cherry Plum tree blooms in Victoria, when the nature strips in some suburbs are in full bloom with 'Cherry Blossoms', the streets are pink and frothy, the footpaths a pink cloud with soft petals and very oriental. Yes fellow 'Fragrantica' reviewers. Thank you. Cheers T.

A delightful amber-infused scent that can sit close or further depending on how you spritz with a hint of ginger and a slight peppery nuance in its' character. Provocative is a sophisticated perfume that embodies unique and unusual wood scents uncommonly found in todays' scents. I like the unusual and this fits that category perfectly. Lotus notes are deeply ensconced in its ethereal watery qualities. It's not floral, nor is it a deep, dark, mysterious wood of the forest. This is a unique wood, the kind that you might be shopping for in a custom furniture gallery in SoHo and you inhale the grainy woods around you that have lovingly been carved, oiled and molded by artisans. Unique lemony green scents from the Hinoki Wood, a Japanese cypress, stay strong throughout the duration of this perfume. Hinoki Wood is a prized wood used for palaces, temples and shrines, so I'm not surprised that using it in a perfume would be heavenly. This is really quite a beautiful surprise for wood lovers because of its uniqueness. Sophisticated, airy, and deeply erotic, Provocative turns out to be a mature choice for the right individual. Sensual lines and curves form the bottle with its seemingly juxtaposed look. When you look at the clear bottle in a certain way, you see two images. Longevity is at least six hours, a definite plus for perfumes made today. A excellent choice for year-round wear.