Viva La Juicy Pure Parfum

I didn't expect to like Viva La Juicy as I didn't care much about the regular viva I had smelled in the stores - however - the pure perfume version really does smell quite different. Everything is amplified and the base notes especially really ring true in this pure perfume version. It's a great every day fragrance - lasts quite awhile and can even smell it lingering on my clothing at day's end. It's just an easy choice if you don't want to think about which perfume to wear - throw this on and go! My teen daughter also likes this one and says it is very nice compared to some she smells that are overwhelming in the girls locker room. She doesn't usually like perfumes. Of course the over the top presentation of the gigantic bottle encrusted in stones and a huge pink bow is enticing to the girly girls - even the 40's ones like myself. It's a little ostentatious, but it's fun and does smell really nice. :) I think this is an easy one to gift teens and early 20s - or even your mom if she isn't a total perfume snob - use your best judgement :) As a side note - HSN always has this on special near the end of the year for a great price. I think I got it for $89 which is pretty amazing (it also came with the matching scented body lotion for that price). I'll be getting my daughter one of her own this year. To answer the question on difference of packaging - the gold rhinestones as shown currently (9/2018) was the bottle sold for the holidays end of year 2017. It's a very large bottle - 3.4 oz! and came bundled with scented lotion. From my understanding they change the look of this large limited edition holiday pure parfum every year. So it's possible the pink may have been the 2016 holiday look? I didn't see that one so that could be the case. If the pink one was also the large 3.4oz size I am guessing it was just a previous year's holiday edition.

I haven't reviewed the original Viva La Juicy in such a long time, and the pure parfum is my favorite, I currently have 3 bottles. I have smelled 1,000's of perfumes in the past 10 years, and I always find myself coming back to VLJ, I just can't get enough that's how good it is, and I turn 30 in February. VLJ is a happy perfume, to me personally it's happiness in a bottle, and maybe that's the reason I won't let it go. In 2020 VLJ, was my most worn perfume. I love all kinds of perfumes, but I keep coming back to this one, I reach for in the most in a weeks time, and I have a range of Miss Dior, Poison Girl, Hypnotic Poison perfumes, other Juicy Couture perfumes, a wide variety of over 200 perfumes, but this is the one. If I made a Top 20 Perfumes Viva La Juicy Pure Parfum would be number one. I know some people at this point think VLJ is overrated etc, but it's still it the top 10 prestige selling perfumes for over 5 years in a row so something must be right here. There is a reason why VLJ has been a best seller for years. It's a new classic, like Chelsea Freeman said on HSN. Also the Pink Pure Parfum bottle is back on HSN as I am writing this in January 2021.

Mine is pink too. And yes I agree the notes come in more clearly

I've never tried the original Viva La Juicy, but I personally find this flanker to just be *okay* which is a little disappointing as the notes totally sounded up my alley. The opening is akin to freshly squeezing the juice of a Mandarin orange - very citrusy and simultaneously sweet and tart, with just a hint of those berry top notes. Occasionally the opening is cloying and alcoholic. It then settles into a sweet and mildly citrusy mixture of white florals (noticeably honeysuckle and gardenia) with soft-spicy undertones of woody amber and caramelly praline that quickly dominate, transitioning the perfume from "fresh and bright" to "warm and gourmand,” making it versatile for all seasons. The longevity is unremarkable, with 2-3 hours of decent wear time before it begins to fade to a faintly sweet amber skin scent. The projection is subtle but noticeable, with an average sillage of arm's length (intensifies in small spaces such as car rides). I can understandably see this perfume being a favorite for many, but I was disappointed by how the base overpowered any nuances of delicate white florals in its heart, something I expected and craved more of. It goes from bright and citrusy, to sweet and floral, then almost completely evolves into its heavier praline amber base within the span of an hour. There's also a "syrupy" quality to the base that I find saccharine and heady, perhaps from the unbalanced richness of all those warm notes; though not headache-inducing, it can feel heavy and unrefined. I wouldn't call this perfume juvenile, but it does remind me of certain popular girls from my high school that I personally didn't vibe (but had no issues) with. I share the gold rhinestone bottle (3.4oz/100ml) with my mother who loves it and got it as a holiday deal through HSN; while I wouldn't purchase this perfume myself, I'll decently enjoy it while it's around. However, if I wanted a similar caramelly floral/gourmand I'd much rather reach for Viktor & Rolf’s Flowerbomb or Prada’s Candy.

Wearing this now and I'm totally laughing at myself for enjoying it so much. It's so not 'me' and I'm so late to this type of scent. I was never tempted to try anything from this particular line because of the unappealingly (to me at least) rococo-ish bottles and the fact that I'm not into very sweet scents. And yet - I tried some of the OG a few weeks ago just for the heck of it and was shocked that I enjoyed it. Wanting to explore it further I ordered a mini thinking I was getting the OG but this turned up instead. Honestly I can't really remember the OG well enough to discern any discrepancies between this flanker and the pillar scent. They're similar enough I suppose. I think I'm enjoying this because unlike many fruity gourmands it doesn't have patchouli or spices and the vanilla is not overwhelming. There's a nice representation of fruit, florals and wood to balance things out. In general I think this is a very nicely balanced scent. i don't find it monstrously sweet at all. I don't think I'm going to get a full bottle of this or the OG (although stranger things have happened...) or that I'm going to delve further into this genre but I will enjoy this little mini, especially now in winter. It's very cozy somehow without being suffocating. Edit - so I've layered this with Chloe Nomade Naturelle and I love the result. The VLJ adds some complexity to the Nomade and the Nomade elevates the VLJ and adds a touch of sophistication. Edit 2# - 4/25 - No. This and all the Juicy Coutures that I've smelled just make me nauseous now. I've given away the three that I had.