Exceptional Because You Are For Women

After reading so many negative reviews, I was prepared to be embarrassed for liking "Exceptional..." as well as I do, but SuperPookie already vindicated me with her on-target review. She's right -- it is a perfect office-appropriate scent, and that is exactly why I purchased it. It's light, crisp, floral, and just a tiny bit green without ever attempting to overpower. Nothing aggressive or even assertive about this scent, which is just right for the office. (Note to the Emeraude-bather in Missouri: Rows of people hold their breath when you walk by!) "Exceptional..." smells too expensive to be discount-store gardenia, but it's no Chanel No.5 either -- just a lovely light little fragrance with a nice powdery dry-down. Very similar (to my nose, at least) to Lauder's Pleasures Bloom, but the sillage is much, much softer. I suspect I'll be keeping a bottle of this on my shelf for years to come, just for those times when I want a little fragrance but I don't want to stand out or stun. A niche fragrance that knows its place and fills it nicely, it could just as easily have been named "Wallflower," but it's a very pretty little wallflower indeed.

Well i like it! To me it smells fresh, moist spring morning dew on violets and other delicate flowers. It doesnt last very long. It is a nice change from my regular hard hitters like chanel no5, Red door edp and most of the other hard hitters i own. Its very calming and my nose teds to home in on the delicate violets as i drift off to sleep ..summer or winter after a shower before bed. I dont understand the hate. Also my first test of this was free samples from perfume.net... I can almost bet i dont get any free samples of it in this next order since i bought a bottle the order before last, they have not sent me any for free lmao.

Well, after reading all the negative reviews, I'm a little embarrassed to say that I like this, but I do. On me, I don't smell "pencil shavings" at all! I got this as a free sample when I received my Stella Nude from frangrance.net (I like sweet, spicey, rose perfumes), and I immediately liked Exceptional. On me, I smell the floral, but there is also something else (plum; a hint of vanilla?) that makes it more sensual and interesting than a strict floral. On me, it's sweet, VERY soft, and not at all harsh nor chemically.

Like everyone else, have several samples from FN, Floral isnt really my reach, so it took me a while to even give it a sniff, but I put in a 2ml atomizer and .. It's quite a lovely scent. Fresh, clean, light/intimate, delicately feminine. Safe for work. Nice for bed. Great affordable fragrance.

I"m a guy and also had this sample make its way to me. I actually really enjoyed this. I'm not sure what all these ladies are talking about. I'd love to smell this on a woman. I'm not saying it's the best scent out there, but its not bad. I enjoyed it on my skin for testing.

Mom liked this, a good simple single note fragrance, I don’t know why everyone wants to be so sophisticated now that they’ve seen simplicity its so funny. A great woman’s fragrance to layer or rock on a summer day.

I really like it, to the point that I bought it. 😊 I don't get pencil shavings at all (thank the Lord). It's just an uncomplicated fresh floral scent. Very fitting for younger girls.

Ha, can it be? A perfume that people get more balloons for ripping apart rather than praising? Well, leave it to me to go against the majority, but I actually don't think this is so terrible. I've smelled plenty of things worse than this, and I'd be happy to finish up my sample. Over all, this is not a "fresh" floral and it is not a watery floral. It is very dry, almost woody floral. Yes when you first apply it, it has a really harsh rubbery, sharpie-marker smell. It's almost sharp like pepper. But once the ethanols evaporate, it's really not anymore offensive than floral bar soap. I detect citrus and something else sweet and acidic like a peach or a pineapple. There's a *whisper* of something 'crisp' and grassy which usually indicates melon. But it's really fleeting and doesn't add any 'juiciness' or watery notes. I definitely get vegetal violet or violet leaves. While I don't smell straight up pencil shavings, I DO get the vibe of something dried, woody or heat treated. If there are other florals in here, like lavender or rose, they almost smell "dry." It reminds me of a potpourri. And there's something that reminds me of jasmine- but not a fresh jasmine flower... More like those essential oils that are meant to be heated in a diffuser as a room fragrance. There's the tiniest bit of a fatty aldehyde in there. Which might be why I keep thinking of bar soap or diffuser oil. And because of that, it feels pretty versatile. It's 'floral' for spring and summer, but it's also got a little bit of spicy, woody coziness in the drydown that could work for cooler weather too. It's not a "fresh" floral. It's a concentrated, aged, earthy / woody floral. It's not young or vibrant. but it's not an old grandma either... Maybe the cool aunt who's home is always ready to host guests, it actually gives me a bit of a nostalgia.

I'm going to go against the grain and be one of the few people to leave a positive review. Like everyone else, I received a sample from fragrance.net. And, you know what? It's actually a pretty nice scent. Nothing mind-blowing or unique, but it isn't bad like people are making it out to be. It's a standard, classic floral that would work for just about any occasion. It looks as if people are leaving harsh reviews for one of three reasons: 1) to complain about fragrance.net 2) to complain that Exceptional (Because You Are) doesn't match their personality or personal taste. Guys... it's a free sample. Of course it isn't going to be tailored to your interests. That doesn't make it a bad perfume. 3) to say that it smells "off". If you tested it right when it arrived at your door, after it spent days being jostled around in the mail and going through extreme temperature changes, you didn't give it a fair chance. Will I buy it? Probably not, it isn't my kind of thing. But it's objectively good. It's clean, it's feminine, and it's pretty enough for all normal purposes. I could see this being a good signature or office scent, and if I caught a whiff of this coming off of someone, it would make me happy. Y'all, chill!

Surprisingly Good despite the reviews. Unfortunately it doesnt last long and it likes to hide in your skin but I really like this, it's an experience perfume, it's not supposed to last long or be a signature, it's almost like a memory. I swear it smells like something a cool mom would wear. Like a mom who drove a minivan, had the best pool parties, and made the best chocolate chip cookies. A mom who had it together even with a house full of kids. It smells like something Lynette Scavo would wear. It opens with a citrus like quality, leaning towards cleaning product lemon smell but I like that. It quickly dries to a much more green but still kind of citrusy scent with florals. I looked it up and the official notes consist of Lily, Lilac, and Freesia. I'm getting a kind of rose scent and almost something powdery like Orris but not as baby powdery, must be the freesia maybe? and I definitely can smell the lily because it does have a slight spiciness to it. It's very fresh but definitely doesnt last long. I think it's best taken as a room spray or even a car spray for the cool mom with a minivan. Doesn't deserve this much hate in my opinion but to each their own.

I actually like this scent. It is a pure floral - I mostly pick up white florals. It is somewhat soapy, and it is not loud. The fragrance is intimate, but you will get whiffs of it as you move around. I would only wear this in spring, summer, or if I am visiting a place with warmer weather, as the scent would not be noticeable in cooler weather. Lastly, the longevity seems mediocre. I sprayed it on at five, and by 8 it was almost nonexistent. I cannot speak for spray on clothing, I have only done a skin test. Maybe someone else can speak on that. Overall, I would wear this when I am dressed in a spring or summer dress for a day event or to attend casual events. I am only reviewing a sample, and I have not yet decided whether I would buy a full bottle. However, if the brand fixed the projection issues and the longevity issues, it would definitely be full-bottle worthy.

I dabbed this on and thought I got some cedar or slightly smoky woods? Another reviewer said so also. Glad it wasn't my imagination. I like this pretty, clean and slightly soapy floral. It reminds me a lot of Calvin Klein Downtown with its subtle smoky "camping next to a meadow of wildflowers" vibe. I also smell a watery pear. There is musk in the base, but I must admit it's not my favorite musk. It's a clean, fresh scent that feels like spring. This is far from screechy, more whispery. This has a slight aquatic vibe at times. I feel like the woods lingers in the background to give a subtle "flowers in a forest" sense. Very fresh, gentle, and safe for work. The musk in the base doesn't really appeal to me personally, so I don't really think I would go out of my way to purchase this.

I guess I'm now a member of the free sample club LOL. I get why people don't like this scent however, it's not as bad as most people here seem to think, well at least not me lol. The scent opens up with flowers, roses in particular. It actually reminded me of Very Irresistible by Givenchy for a little minute there. I do agree with the people who perceive that pencil shavings and hairspray smell. The hairspray part is actually a little nauseating, it's something that I found similar to the Britney Sears Fantasy in Bloom. The drydown is very pretty, it's creamy and subtle.The perfume does fade away quickly, it's very weak. It does smell mature, a bit throwback Avon like but it's a cute fragrance even with it's little flaws. I've definitely smelled worse things from brand names.

After getting samples of this with EVERY FragranceNet order, I finally gathered them all up and poured them into a little travel atomizer. sure, I'd smelled it from the tiny little sample vial before but that night I actually sprayed it on my skin before crawling into bed. WOW not sure why the hate on this, it's actually really beautiful on the skin! Sweet, floral and a bit Oriental in vibes. I fell asleep with a contented smile on my face. I couldn't smell it on my skin in the morning, left with nothing but a dreamlike memory of the scent. When I again went to bed the next night, I could smell it on my sheets. Gotta say, for $35 for 100ml, I happily grabbed a bottle to add to my collection. If anything, I can always leave it on my bedside table to use as a linen spray.

I like this as an everyday scent, I'm surprised how strong it is when first applied, especially with what seems to my nose to be a pungent black pepper note that is very sharp for the first 10 minutes or so. After that it fades into a musky little floral with the pepper still there in the background, also freesia, lily and lilac. I got this many times as a sample from Fragrancenet, like many other people here, and I like it more than average based on most reviews here. One thing I can say is it has the sillage and potential to last longer than one of my favorites, Simply Belle. This lasts and projects how I wish that one does, oh well. It's nice but not exceptional, and I wouldn't spend money on a full bottle of this at the current price.

i did a youtube video series called 8 crazy nights of fragrance. for Hanukkah. they are all unboxing videos of fragrances. i ordered several "novelty" fragrances from fragrancenet's ebay page (free shipping AND great prices) on their website you get free shipping OR great prices. they do have good standing among a bunch of fragrantica users so i gave them a try. i did get all genuine products with reasonable batch dates. so i got several of these samples. this one grew on me. at first i was like MEH. but it is a nice and simple fragrance. i wouldn't buy a whole bottle. the samples i have will probably last me the rest of my life. but i really enjoy this one. it's simple. nice. easy. inoffensive. and doesn't smell grotesque.

This fragrance intrigues me. I was just going through some clutter and came across this sample I got from fragrance.net. When I opened it and smelled it I instantly thought nope and threw it in the trash. Then over the next 15 min or so I kept getting whiffs of it from my fingers where I opened it and was really liking it. So I dug it out of the trash, lol It reminds me of something that I can't put my finger on. I don't see myself buying a full bottle but this could be lovely as a layering perfume if you want to amp up the white floral or aquatic notes in another fragrance. It's definitely just a nice, simple. unoffensive scent that would be great in a setting where you can't be choking people out with your fragrance.

I've ordered from "there" quite a few times and surprisingly this is the first I've been hit up with a sample. Soapy, watery florals with a slight waxy residue to it all. If I were to hazard a guess at any of the individual notes I'd say lily, freesia, maybe tuberose. Lots of white florals but not exclusively so. For all the backlash against this for its terrible marketing, it's pleasant enough, and being a guy I don't sample a lot of women's perfumes so the genericness and common comparisons are mostly lost on me. I wouldn't wear this, but I would enjoy smelling it on a woman without being blown away. Pretty decent performance too, with moderate projection for 3-4hr, longevity 8-10hr.

Yes. I got a sample of this ,too, along with another sample. Smelled them both, then started reading the reviews on both. By golly, someone put the wrong frags in the viles!! If this is the floral "punch" that's generic, it surely wasn't that woody incense-y masculine thing they filled it up with.....it was the OTHER one. "exceptional" is a clean smell. Citrus, floral, fancy (dirty) jasmine soap. Not heavy on the powder. It would be the go to frag for the warmer weather. It's not a terrible smell, but I can see they are really trying to get this out the door if they're pulling a fast one like THAT. tch tch, The other sample was Haute Vie, a very woodsy, outdoorsy, masculine scent.

Yep, free sample from Fragrancenet. What it mainly smells like to me at first is Estee Lauder Pleasures, or at least the way I remember Pleasures smelling in the 1990s, and I liked it back then (remember, with the magazine ads of Liz Hurley in a field of pink flowers?). So this does have pleasant scent associations for me and makes me think of being a sprightly 22-year-old working abroad in Edinburgh. As it dries down it becomes less fresh and a more run-of-the-mill floral-vanilla-fragrance. I don’t actually dislike it, but I can’t see myself seeking out a bottle, and will probably want to wash it off and turn to something with incense or amber or leather later today.

Out of curiosity, I put my dabber sample from perfume.com into an atomizer to see what this freebie I’ve frequently received and ignored was actually like. What if it was a hidden gem?!?! And it’s, what, TWENTY DOLLARS OFF?!? How could I pass this up?!? Must find out!! ......So, on trying it, it’s not actually horrible. It reminds me of something. Were they trying for a dupe of some kind here? Is it Light Blue-ish? What were they hoping for with this fragrance? Has anyone ever actually bought a bottle? I don’t think it deserves ALL the dislike here. If it was the last perfume in the world, post apocalypse, I’d probably put it on from time to time. It’s not THAT bad.

Honestly surprised to see just how much hate this one gets. I like this! Starts off a bit spicy but quickly mellows out into a very green, almost grassy floral, the kind that brings to mind a late spring day and subtle florals on the breeze, mixed with the scent of someone's laundry drying on a line in a nearby backyard. I think it'd be easy to go overboard and into headache-inducing territory, but wearing just a little bit is a pleasant experience. I wouldn't buy it for myself, but I'll definitely keep it and use it when I need a springy, womanly (it falls nicely between "girly" and "mature") pick me up.

If you're like me, you would love to see some other sample in your Fragrancenet.com order. Like, absolutely anything else! Anyway, this perfume was an okay, very basic floral on my first impression. However, I discovered a trick that actually makes me think it could be worth buying a bottle. Mix it with about ten percent Pink Pineapple Sunrise from Bath and Body Works, and voila, you have a slightly sweet, lovely, tropical fragrance. So, so much better! I imagine this could work with any basic, not too complex, pineapple scent. Thank me later!

Lmao this is actually pretty good, free sample I received with an online order, has so far lasted over 24 hours on a sweater sleeve, I don't normally enjoy overt florals but this is a bit different, has a juicy spicy character like pink peppercorn maybe and something else subtle going on reminds me almost of some paradoxically dank and fresh sparkling bud, then finally there is some rose in the mix, this doesn't really feel like 'me' as I'm more of a freshie and woodsy types fan, but I'd love smelling this on other people

I received this as a sample. I don't understand all the negative reviews but then I don't know much about perfume other than whether I like it or not. I like this. It smells clean and fresh on my skin and doesn't seem to change. It reminds me a lot of White Linen. I don't think I'd buy it because I have a number of perfumes already. My two favorites are both Estee Lauder--White Linen and Cinnabar, so you can see my taste runs the gamut, depending on day or night, spring/summer or fall/winter.

First impression... I’m getting white floral clean fresh citrus powdery soapy vibes. It’s nice. Not a wow... It’s an easy reach. Inoffensive. Skin scent. Maybe a little Metallic? Reminds me of clean reserve solar bloom, clean skin, and Chloe fleur de Chloe. Final thoughts... In the dry down I keep coming back to sniff my arm and dare I say it’s perfect in this summer heat. I actually want to smell this. I wouldn’t mind having a bottle as I still think it’s an easy reach this season. Wow.

I received this as a sample in a FN.com order, as have others. The scent is pleasant enough, but should be around the $10-$15 range. This is a synthetic floral with a prominent violet note. This is also quite peppery on my skin for the first 30 minutes. It dissipates in into a skin scent almost immediately, and lasts quite a while on me as a skin scent. If this was better priced I'd buy it for a dumb reach Summer scent.

I just received a sample of this and put it on an hour ago. This is so far soft but very floral, silliage seems on the light side of moderate (arm's length) but it seems to come and go in waves which I like since I don't think I'd enjoy being saturated in fragrance. Wearing a scent for the first time in two years. I believe this a very good starting point, not heavy enjoyable for a woman wanting to feel pretty.

Haha this has the worst rating I’ve ever seen on fragrantica, but it’s ... not terrible? Now, I wouldn’t say go out of the way for it. It’s a generic watery floral, but it’s pretty, inoffensive and I find it perfectly wearable with decent projection and longevity. What I’m saying is don’t toss your FN samples if you can pour this into an empty sprayer.

Surprised at all the low ratings here. To me, this is a very light, inoffensive floral. Good for summer/office workers or anyone who doesn’t want a strong fragrance. Nothing special but not awful. Disappears in an hour or so. I personally wouldn’t buy a bottle since it performs like a cheapie body spray, but I wouldn’t scoff if it were gifted to me.

This is a scent for Iris lovers with a woody base. Is it amazing? No. Is it terrible? No. I am not sure what this cost as I was gifted mine. I will use it but I wouldn't grab a bottle out of my own money because there are better Iris scents out there. Atelier Cologne has fabulous Iris Note fragrances that last 6 hours plus on me.

Like others, I got a sample from Fragrancenet. Not bad, not great. It is an aquatic floral of an undescript nature, but again, not bad. I don't think I would ever choose a full bottle of this but I will certainly wear my sample on occasion. I don't quite see the Pleasures similarities, other than it being a clear, crisp floral.

Yeah, it's floral, sure. Pink/white, pretty basic... or is it? On first sniff, I was like, meh. Fluffy. But as I went to snap the cap back on the sample, I picked up a lurking bottom note that intrigued me: Leather. It's subtle, but it's there. I'm going to give it a shot, wear it a bit, see how it develops.

XOXO_marcel nailed it in their review: this scent doesn’t live up to its name, but it’s still nice in its own way. This is a great casual scent for those moments when you just want a simple fragrance that doesn’t draw too much attention. It’s definitely not worth $55 USD, but it’s far from terrible.

**free sample vial included with an order** My thoughts on this: It's a light floral scent, with low longevity. Not intrusive, and could probably be worn anywhere. Saying that, I would never buy it myself, and would likely swap it if given it as a gift. I will be regifting my free sample.

I received this as a sample from FragranceNet. It is a very generic floral, sweet and powdery, but honestly not horrible on my skin. It's something one of my older aunts would wear, maybe to church or just out and about. Test it if you enjoy "mature" florals, but don't expect it to last.

After reading most of the reviews I'm almost embarrassed to say that I kind of liked this . It's a pleasant floral that opened up with citrus & dried down to a somewhat powdery scent. All in all I would say that this would be a good budget buy for a office appropriate perfume .

On the initial spray, it was such a bitter and strong smell that I wondered if they had maybe sent me the men's one instead! But after a few minutes, like the other reviews say, it mellows out into a beautiful, slightly spicy floral. I like it!

I actually real love this. At first it’s a very spicy like a peppery floral. As it settles it smells like a clean soapy floral. I’m not a huge floral fragrance fan but I would actually purchase this! I love the soapy smell it’s throwing 😍

I decided to try the sample I received with my Fragrancenet order. The fragrance is fine. A generic but pleasant fresh floral. Good for daytime in warm weather. I don't think I'd buy a bottle, but the sample is definitely wearable.

This one isn't THAT bad. Yes, it's basic that's why I use it to layer. It's woody, spicy, and floral. I'm going to put these samples to use ok lol

Free sample from Fragrance.net. It’s ok. I wouldn’t buy it but it’s inoffensive so I’ll wear the sample around the house. Floral dryer sheet.

Love it! But I love floral scents and particularly rose scents. Have gone through several bottles over the years.

This is the powdery version of romance. Ralph Romance mixes w Kenzo Flower.

Like many others, I received a sample of Exceptional with my FN order. Well, it is not exceptional, just a decently light and pleasant "clean" fragrance that is relatively safe for office. It's not screechy (maybe not compatible with someone else's body chemistry?), but it is not quiet either - something in between yet still inoffensive. I'm classing this as OK as I neither like nor dislike this juice. It's simply OK. I would like to know what camouflages under the "floral notes" as I get a bit of lavender, a bit of rose, a drop of LOV and a large splash of carnation. There is a prominent hint of the purple iris, too. I grow them in my garden and, in the spring, their blooms smell exactly like that. And then there is what I believe you call "pencil shavings", something woody or cedar-y but not that over the top, masculine and suffocating cedar that is migraine-inducing to me. No, this cedar is nice. Although I would not buy a full bottle of Exceptional at the original price, I'd probably buy one at a deep discount. It's really not that bad.

I was coming here to say exactly what witness below said; pencil shavings. ✏ It's a sweet and innocent, white, watery floral that I really don't dislike at all! Yes, pencil shavings too, but I actually enjoy that aroma and find this very pleasant. This is slightly soapy and laundry-esque as well. It smells more like the start of a good fragrance, and not necessarily a finished product. I would really like this with some fresh woods and citrus, or even some pear or melon notes. As it is, it feels summery. Ultimately, the performance isn't impressive, and that's more of my beef with this than the scent itself. It's nothing to swoon over, but I appreciate it and was happy to sample it. I'll probably use up the little vial this month. *update- I did not indeed wear this up, I gave the little vial to my kiddo because this is fine for a 10 year old to have fun with.

Well, I hated Exceptional at first, years ago when I first smelled it, but just for fun today, I decided to try one of those ubiquitous samples again. Like a few people have said, it's not too bad, if you're a fan of aquatic floral freshies. I used to not like them at all, but then fell hard for a few -- J'Adore, Beyond Paradise, Fifth Avenue, Tommy Girl, Champs Elysees, etc. -- but it really can't compete with those because of the bathroom cleanser problem that some freshies have just kills it for me; I also get that industrial cleanser note in Romance, Happy, and Chloe EDP, and have never been able to get on board with those much beloved frags. So Exceptional is a "Nope" for me, too.

This is a very one dimensional, powdery floral with a subtle aquatic nature; there also seems to be a tinge of pepper. If you can imagine the word 'flower,' you have a grasp of what this smells like. For someone whose skin usually holds scents for hours, this disappeared surprisingly fast; I may have went nose blind quickly but thats not typical for me, so I just think the longevity is poor. While I wouldn’t buy a full bottle, it’s not offensive enough to hate and could work well for layering. Ultimately, it's just a bit too basic and forgettable for my taste.

I applied a small amount of this juice to my skin. I inhaled the the aromatics, expecting something Exceptional... I was immediately transported to Jr high in the 1990,s . I was taken back to yellow and white restroom tiles, and the unforgettable scent of deoderant infused maxi pads. I said it... it smells like maxi pads from the 90’s... the clean fragrance, that let everyone within 10 feet of you, know that you were on your period. Every time you sat down it wafted a little bit into the air... I don’t want to relive those days. Polite pass on this one.

Like nearly everyone else, I did get a sample of this scent from FN.com. This is clean, soapy, and nice. I cannot imagine paying $30+ on this perfume. If you are a SOAP connoisseur then this fragrance might be one to add to your list. It is like a high-end french milled soap, generically violet. Might be nice to wear to bed. UPDATE: I wore this one to work by 9:30 am it was completely gone, not even a skin scent. Very disappointing, as we are in a heat wave and I and hoped the clean powdery scent would do well in humidity.