Beautiful Magnolia

Smells like Versace Bright Crystal sans yuzu and mahogany. Also, it’s in a more refined bottle since Bright Crystal’s marketing and packaging is to appeal to a different demographic. So, if you love Bright Crystal but hide the bottle and you’re not very fond of the sour yuzu note at the beginning of Bright Crystal nor the intense woodiness in the dry down, then this would be a perfect alternative. Also has a good resemblance to Eternity Aqua as well. They have similar notes in common. Some say it doesn’t last long, but I beg to differ. It’s most likely because you got used to the scent after a short time, but I bet others around you can smell it just fine. I couldn’t smell this either after about an hour, but a friend complimented me on this scent after I’ve worn it for over 7 hours. They say when you can’t smell a scent on yourself after a short time, it’s then that a scent suits you. Since I’ve received a lot of compliments while wearing this recently, yet I’m not able to smell this after a short time, then maybe that is true? If you’re a magnolia fan, this is a must try. The intense version is more iris much like one of the newer LVEB versions, rather than magnolia. If you love iris, give that a try. Since I already own an iris scent I’m fond of, then the intense version is most likely not for me. I could change my mind though. I have not tried the L’eau version which I hear has lavender. I’m guessing that could be similar to Libre perhaps? I’ve, for the most part, had good luck with Estée Lauder perfumes over the years. If there was a miss here or there, it was only a matter of personal taste rather than the quality of those products. Every perfume is not meant for everyone and neither is every product out on the market. It is for this reason that although reviews can be helpful, I’ve found it’s always best to sample first. Since a lot of scents offer a travel size spray option, that is a perfect way to try out a scent in your own environment to see how it wears vs. trying it in the store. It’s too easy to get scents mixed up because of the commingling of other scents having been sprayed there in the store. If a scent doesn’t work for you, you’re not out a lot of money and you can easily pass it on to someone else. Edit to add: tried the L’eau version yesterday and it smells more like Acqua di Gioia. Not exact, but close. Edit to add 2: I’ve worn a sample of the intense version and I find it quite nice for evening time for warmer weather in spring and fall and daytime during the winter. With the summer heat we have here, the L’eau version would be best during the day and this version for evening. It gets cool here but doesn’t get cold much during the winter, so this would be perfect for daytime. My other iris scent I can wear in the evening during the winter and on days we’re having a cold snap.

Overall I like this. It's pretty, feminine, uplifting and has more than decent silage and longevity, like most EL scents in my experience. Yes, it's generic but that's not what is preventing me from buying a bottle of this. What bothers me is that somehow the top notes - especially the lotus - never fade. They are pleasant enough but they overwhelm the composition and never give the base notes a chance to shine. I would prefer them to recede after a while and let the wood get some of the limelight. I find that the scent creates a sort of shampoo-ey scent bubble around the wearer that, although pleasant, smells a bit synthetic in an aquatic way. After I tested this I revisited Beautiful Belle which I had tested a few years ago when it came out. I found that it also has a sort of unbalanced top-heaviness and even a discordance between the notes. I don't find the same discordance in Beautiful Magnolla. I think I will test this a third time because there are certainly aspects of this fragrance that really appeal to me despite its drawbacks. Update December 2023 - so two years later and I now own a mini of this that came in a free gift from a purchase of Estee Lauder products. Am I crazy? When I just sprayed this now it suddenly threw me back to 1986 when I owned my first bottle of the OG Beautiful as a university student. There IS something in here that recalls the vintage OG and I did not smell it ever before on the multiple occasions when I sampled this scent in the store. I am thrilled of course and plan to purchase a FB of this when I'm done with my mini. Update 6/24 - I got a really great deal on a 30 ml bottle of the 2022 Wonderland edition. Although I do prefer the aesthetic of the regular version, the red bottle with the star charms is cute and, most importantly, the fragrance is the same.

I LOVE this and it may be HG status for me. Discovered inadvertently while sniffing and sampling fragrances at Sephora, I went on my way to give things time to develop on my skin. I was enchanted by this one and kept sniffing my arm. I had to go back and get a travel size spray. The full size is $$ and it takes me forever to get through any fragrance anyway. Now onto the scent. This reminds me of Halle Berry Exotic Orchid and of the drydown of Britney Spears' Curious. Softly aquatic and floral but no sharp notes. With these types of scents I always get a hint of leather too. I love fragrances that tend to hover in the mid notes and this is one of them. I live in a hot climate and I can see this feeling just right on a summer day. Not sweet or gourmand or sharp or screechy citrus. It's softly clean like others have mentioned... like a nice shampoo. I do just a couple small spritzes on my arms in the morning and I enjoy the scent almost all day. It radiates softly around me. I don't like my fragrance to yell. This hits all the right spots for me.

This is a BEAUTIFUL flanker. I find myself craving it and wanting more of that sweet blend of magnolia and lotus. Julia called it a "duet" in her article, and that's the perfect way to describe how this smells. A fresh perfect intermingling of magnolia and lotus, where neither pulls to overtake, they just gently intertwine. Magnolia never becomes too sharp, just a gentle sparkle, and lotus never too murky, just watery enough. Gardenia is there, too, kind of blooming inside the main duet to add some flesh and body, while rose petals float by in the water flowing around the lotus. It doesn't make much sense, but I can see a magnolia tree by a river bank, with lotus in the water, maybe one gardenia bush just starting to bloom, and someone has scattered a small amount of fresh rose petals in the water - they've just scattered them, I can still seem them falling from the air. Maybe it's not earth-shattering to most people, they'll just smell a watery floral and call it a day. But I do love it and think it's beautifully done.

Wow, I'm a little surprised at all the negative reviews. The sample that I got prompted me to get a full-sized bottle, I loved it so much. To be fair, I do not know what magnolia smells like, so I had no expectations. It was a free sample so I was all about that, regardless of what it may or may not smell like, LOL This is such a soft, feminine perfume. Starts off on me as a bright, warm floral, and dries down a bit musky. I do have both this and Britney Spears Curious, and while their openings are pretty different, the dry down is fairly similar, though I would say Beautiful Magnolia's dry down is sweeter and more floral than Curious. It's not a complex scent, and I will agree that the performance isn't the best, but it's such a lovely scent that I bought the full-sized bottle. It smells like a warm blanket on a sunny spring day and I love it!

I think this perfume is vastly underrated and misunderstood because it actually truly shines during cold, frosty winters. It gives me snow queen vibes, elegant, cold, ethereal. It's super feminine and super clean. Sweet and fresh aquatic bouquet of flowers (I get magnolia and gardenia mostly) on an elegant woody base. But this is only true in winter. After so many reviews describing it as a spring/summer scent I tried wearing it during that time too and used for formal occasions many times as it seemed suitable. Honestly, I ended up almost wanting to declutter it as it turned citrusy-sour, screechy, and it also didn't last more than 2 hours (and in winter it lasts around 6 hours on me). I was looking forward to just using it up to the end to replace with something better, but now I'm seriously thinking I'll need to buy it again.

Finally a nice magnolia fragrance! Not a jasmine, gardenia, but MAGNOLIA. As a mid-30s southern woman, I've been on the hunt for a true magnolia fragrance, and it's been very difficult to find. Mix any other white flower with it, and the magnolia gets masked. This starts off like getting slapped in the face by a magnolia flower - big burst of magnolia scent. The dry down is a bit generic perfume-y, reminiscent of Sunflowers from the 90s to me. You will have to re-apply this one for the magnolia scent, however, or apply to clothing. Magnolia scent lasts about an hour, sadly. I'm finding that with most fragrances, even EDPs anymore, though. I think that's the point - repeat business, more $$. But this is the closest to a true magnolia that I have found.

This is the only fragrance I'd get from Estee Lauder, which is not a house I'm crazy about. Tried it because of the magnolia note, wanted to know how it smelled ... and it's basically that, a magnolia scent. Says right there, both in the top and middle notes. I see it also has lotus, gardenia and Turkish rose, which prevents it from being a linear scent, and I get something that is feminine and grown up, great for warm (but too warm) days. This scent in my book rivals L'Occitane Eau du Val as a lovely magnolia fragrance.

I received a sample of this in the mail and it’s beautiful! I get the magnolia, solar notes a little gardenia and a nice soft musky dry down. This is a light & breezy floral that’s perfect for spring. Longevity & projection is good as well. I have BS Curious and they smell a tad bit similar. It’s just the magnolia that they both have in common. Curious is more “thick” or rich and also has vanilla. This is much lighter and airier. Going to Macy’s this weekend to buy a bottle. I can see this being my signature for spring!

I'm always looking for a good magnolia fragrance, which isn't easy to find. This is a pretty good magnolia fragrance. I like that it's not overwhelmed by jasmine. It reminds me (and others) of Curious. I don't know why it's not on the "reminds me of" list. Unfortunately, it does not last and has weak projection. It is not worth the price. That being said I bought a purse size because I like it. It won't last long. I will constantly be reapplying it but the purse size is handy.

Delicate yet distinctly musky beautiful magnolia, wrapping you in a refreshing floral cocoon. When I read the notes, I can now identify tea mate in it as well. It is more leaning towards ozone layer rather than aquatic - it feels like adding some fresh air. It may appear subtle at first, this scent packs a potent punch. I recommend limiting yourself to 2-3 sprays. This fragrance is perfect for the bright, sunny days.

Such an easy and effortless scent in a good way! I don't mind it being 'not unique'; it smells good! I can sum it up as light floral. Perfect for spring and summer. It's a type of scent that you can have without giving others a headache. No risk; I bought mine with a good duty-free value. If you are not trying to limit yourself with sophisticated scents, go for it! I'm happy to find my new daily perfume.

This has to be one of the most beautiful smelling magnolia perfumes. It's primarily that, but the gardenia elevates it. Smells like hanging fresh linens in a magnolia field and gardenias are in the background. Those solar notes play in so well, too. Not a big fan of most perfumes from estee lauder, but this truly is exceptional and I may purchase

Maybe I'm overreacting but this was my most favorite magnolia perfume, I miss it every day but it's kind of pricey. Obviously magnolia is very noticeable but the aquatic notes are very enjoyable. It smells like fresh spring air on a bright day. Longevity is alright and it carries far enough that you get compliments without overwhelming the room.

I adore this scent. Mainly because it smells exactly like my grandmothers house. I never knew what fragrance she wore but it smells like a cross between this fragrance and wrangler original for women. Whenever I’m homesick I put on one of those perfumes and I call my grandparents for a bit. For that, beautiful magnolia will forever have my heart

I enjoy this fragrance in the summer. Smells expensive and clean. Sweating doesn't effect it negatively and this is very important. I have a sample of it and would definitely consider buying a larger bottle. Even if not ground breaking It is very pleasing scent. It's not typical aquatic scent and it's sweet just the right amount.

I’ve had Beautiful Magnolia in my collection for 3 years, but only this year I really started to appreciate it. It feels like a true solo flower here. I also think it’s one of those underappreciated scents. For me, it’s perfect for spring, light, pretty, and uplifting. I’m really glad I finally gave it more attention.

From the first spray, it has beautiful elegant impression. But I noticed don't use it often for its sharpness. The notes are light but something feels sharp. So, to appreciate it, I don't use it summer, plus just some sprays on my clothes. Now, that is beautiful! I'm keeping it for sure.

One of my new favorite perfumes! I smelled a sample of this at the store, ordered a travel-sized bottle and am ordering a full-sized flacon. I adore fresh, aquatic, and floral scents and this is heaven! I don't care if it's "safe" or "mainstream"--I'm in love!

This fragrance is exactly what I was looking for. The first day I wore it to work, a coworker complimented it. Fast forward 12 hours, I was having my eyebrows done and my technician asked me what I was wearing that she loved it. Soft and not too harsh.