Heaven

Oh god the 90's...it was the best of times and the worst of times. (Smile) In my nostalgia, I ordered the Gap Dream scent and quickly realized that wasn't the smell of my pre-teen and teen years. Happened to be at a Gap outlet in southern Virginia and stumbled across Gap Heaven near their register end caps. I only picked up one, but I should have cleared them out. It immediately transported me back to middle school and high school, to my beautiful friend whom I adored and her lake cabin. As an adult, I have since graduated to heavier, sexier, musks, or like young people say "old lady" scents, but this perfume will always have a place in my heart. This is a straight-up white floral; in my memories, I remember It being more aquatic smelling like a lot of the nineties scents. I was shocked at how floral this was. I do not get any of the listed base notes, at all, even with the dry down. It's fresh, soapy, and clean smelling, I think I will wear this at the beginning of spring, at the farmer's markets, when the first rays of warm sunlight break the cold, and I want to remember the excitement of those carefree summers at the lake. But to be clear this is a synthetic white floral. It doesn't smell cheap like some of the Banana Republic fragrances, but this is far from a luxury scent. If it's a blind buy, it's best for those who are drawn to lighter celebrity-esque scents who are looking for an inoffensive light white floral scent.

It's been reformulated. I'm sure of it. The newest version, in the clear glass bottles, does not smell the same as the older version, in the frosted aqua bottles. If you like this fragrance, it's worth it to spend a few bucks extra and get the older version (you can generally find it on eBay). This fragrance has been around for a long time, though -- before GAP purchased this line of fragrances, they (Heaven, Grass, Earth, etc.) were owned by Mottura and often sold at quirky gift shops, particularly in the small glycerine soap form. I clearly remember the first time I smelled Heaven, back when it was still a Mottura fragrance -- it seemed like the best thing I'd ever smelled. Now I see it for what it is -- a variation on the China Rain/J. Lo Glow theme, but still beautiful in its simplicity. If you like soapy, shower-fresh, uncomplicated fragrances, yet you want something that has some lasting power and sillage, you'll like this. It starts out slightly sharp, but the drydown (which comes quickly) is where this fragrance shines. There's a little something else added to the white florals/muguet and musk that makes this fragrance memorable. It leaves a fragrant trail and people may ask you what smells so good.

I remember having a bottle of this back when it first launched. A crisp, bright, airy floral with a clean laundry musk dry down. I’m a sucker for musk in fragrances and I really like the musk in this a lot. It mellows out the scent and keeps the flowers, especially the freesia, from being screechy. Yet it isn’t a very powdery musk, which makes it great to wear in warm weather as it never gets cloying. This is one I loved to use on a hot summer day while running around town doing chores. A light cotton sundress, strappy sandals, and a few sprays of this were perfect. I spotted this again on eBay a few weeks ago and decided to pick up another bottle. Though it is now in a different bottle the scent is essentially the same; but the performance is bad. Before it lasted most of the day on me. Now, it disappears fast even when sprayed on clothes. In its present form it is worse than a body mist. I still love the scent; I just wish it performed like it used to.

Heaven reminds me of high school and nervous dates and laughing with friends at the movies. The original was gorgeously light, and you could reapply as often as you liked for that fresh, feathery floral cloud. My original bottles (I went through more bottles of this than anything else I've ever owned except Grass, also by Gap) eventually all ran out, and I wasn't paying 100+ on eBay for more. They've rereleased it two or three times, and each time it has been a little different. Once was godawful, and the last rerelease was much closer to the original. I picked up a bottle of the rerelease, and I also got a body spray to travel, but I don't wear them nearly as much. High school is long ago for me, and my body chemistry just seems to eat this one away too quickly. Still love the light and pretty composition, but I honestly need a little more originality and oomph.

I've kept a bottle of this stuff (usually body spray version) on hand since I started wearing it in middle/high school. It just smells fresh and clean with a soft feminine touch. I love just walking through a spritz before I go work out or go to bed. I would not say it's a go to fragrance, it's more like a security blanket for me at this point. For those laid back, casual days where a real statement perfume isn't needed and I just want to smell a little fresher. As far as notes go, the musk is nice and soft and the floral seems like a jasmine/lily of the valley mix. Can't go too wrong with classics like that! :)