Velvet Hour

Velvet Hour is my third perfume of Kate's, the first being, well, "Kate", and the second, "Vintage". "Kate" and VA share a bit of DNA... a mellow black tea effect... not sure how that is possible since they don't have any notes in common. There is no honey, citrus or milk in this tea... it is almost more about the steam rising from the teacup. Reading reviews before I got my hands on it, I'd hoped and expected that VH would be dark, mysterious and unique... and it is, successfully, all of those things. It is sexy, but not a playful sex kitten or a dressed-up bombshell. It smells vaguely vintage, but much more translucent than most older perfumes, with similar complexity. It smells of an unlit stick of Nag Champa Incense, on a table next to a hot cup of black tea being sipped by a serene, dark-haired lady wearing a simple silk robe, in a cool bedroom, lit only by the setting sun through a sheer gray curtain. Maybe the woman's neck is warming a dab of freesia perfume oil from a few hours ago. Cool, silky, smoky, translucent, and utterly addictive. Sillage is intimate, longevity is respectable. Kate has me in love with yet another of her unicorns.

What a welcome suprise ! Velvet Hour is nothing you would expect from a celebrity scent ! This beauty can't be judged on the first spray. As most fragrances these days, for the first minute or so, seem strong and heavy..... Or, so light that the scent can appear to be barely there at all. BUT NO ! Velvet Hour is not heavy, and yes, it's most definitely THERE ! Velvet Hour is subtle and perfectly balanced. Velvet Hour is unique, and so expertly blended that every note melts together into one super smooth, very high class scent. It's "dressy", elegant, rich, understated, impressive, and is very appropriate for a "black tie affair." The individual notes don't jump out at you individually. Instead, they glide together in unison, like a beautiful, perfectly executed waltz performed by the most highly professionally trained dancers. Siliage is moderate, with lasting power easily 8 hours or more. Velvet Hour is pleasant, fresh, soft, easy to wear, and completely inoffensive. The longer I wear it, the more I love it ! Velvet Hour demonstrates the very height of the perfumer's art. BRAVO !

My immediate thought on first application was that this is a lighter, fresher version of EL’s Sensuous, which I love! Velvet Hour has that same spicy woody vibe going on in the drydown with a touch more sweetness and a bit less smack you upside the head intensity. This fragrance manages to be warm and smoky as well as fresh and young at the same time, making it suitable for any age. The heart of patchouli and nutmeg gives it a very distinctive and uniquely sexy smell. I actually find this more wearable than Sensuous and even though it is relatively cheap I was thrilled that it lasted an amazing 10 hours on my skin. I think I’ll use this for office and Sensuous for evening in the cold winter months. The bottle’s not perfect, but then neither Britney nor Paris got it right either! At least here, I find that the content does not cheapen the brand. Elegantly refined, opulently blended and beautifully feminine. For me, this one’s a keeper.

I blindly bought hilary duff's with love according to very good reviews here, but I hated the scent and regret the money I paid for it and decided not to buy any celebrity frag ever again..but I could not help buying velvet hour (again according to the reviews) and wow!! it really did surprised me a lot.. first of all it is nothing like any other perfume I have tried, and second of all a very diverse perfume changing every half an hour on my skin, starting with creamy freesia with a hint of patchouli, than changes into woodsy vanillic phase (I can detect the nutmeg here and also a little amber) but then it turns to a totally different direction and becomes soft clean and musky..this phase is very much like john galliano..longevity and sillage is amazing and it is CHEAP:)) however this can only be a rare exception and did not change my opinion about celeb frags, I am still planning to avoid them..

I own and love both YSL Nu (original) and Velvet Hour. Whilst I agree there is a similarity between the two, Velvet Hour is at the same time sharper - the black pepper can be a bit full on at first - but also smoother : the black pepper rapidly takes a back seat and gives more room to the freesia, sandalwood and nutmeg. It reminds me also of another YSL fragrance : Opium Vapeurs de Parfum, but in that case, Velvet Hour is a bit more smokey, heavier on the nutmeg, and the black pepper makes in sharper. To me, Velvet Hour is somewhat of a Light edition of Nu or a Night edition of Opium Vapeurs de parfum. On another level, it also reminds me of Chopard Madness: the woodsy notes are somewhat reminiscent of pencil sharpenings in both, and they both have slightly overwhelming peppery openings that both rapidly fade and let the other notes shine.