Curve Crush

First off, I just want to say how wrong the Curve bottles are...they look cheap and sporty and just don't match what's inside.They are the only reason I put off trying the Curve line for as long as I did. Crush is my favorite of them all. I have many different perfumes...all from different price ranges and I have to say that Crush makes it to my top 15 favorites. Interpretation of scents is such an individual and personal thing and I have read so many reviews saying this smells only like baby power or like berries and powder but I get something different from Crush.....and so much more! This may be too much information but there are a handful of scents(Womanity being one of them) that immediately upon smelling them stir something in my second Chakra ( that would be the Orange one....where the reproductive organs are) and I mean that literally....I get a tickle-y feeling right in my lower belly and feel a complete sense of love and comfort.Crush..to me...smells of salty air and old fashioned dusting powder( not baby powder,)cedar chips,patchouli and white musk with a touch of fruity sweetness....maybe concord grape...if I really get my nose down in there. The overall effect is a comforting yet sensual mixture that brings to mind the smells of opening an antique cedar chest in a dusty attic filled with still-crisp linens and dried rose petals.I also have another special association with this scent that..to me...is so magical.While overnighting at the beach several months ago, we were caught in an crazy, blustery storm.The weather was so bad that the old hotel shook and creaked and I could not sleep at all. I was wearing Crush during this entire trip (that's all I brought with me.) I stepped outside onto the balcony while the chilly,moist wind swirled this scent around me. Just then a most amazing creature appeared along the sloping cliff. It was a white coyote! It's fur lit up by the moon, it ran swiftly towards the sea but stopped just long enough for me to get a good, positive ID. It was a magical night and whenever I smell Crush I remember it. Ahhh...the power of it all!

With the weather turning chilly here in the Midwest, I'm craving comforting, warm, cozy scents lately. I was in the mood for something new, so I used the search by notes feature on Fragrantica (which is an amazing tool btw): milk, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, and musk. Only a few matches came up and Curve Crush was one. Color me shocked... I've always overlooked the entire Curve line, assuming there could be nothing interesting in such garish, tacky bottles. Certainly this particular flanker with it's bright purple juice and wonky silver font and name like 'Crush' does little to lead anyone to think this is anything more than a generic sporty-sweet fragrance made for tweens. But I digress. Finding the 3.4 ml EDT spray cheap and widely available online, I blind bought it immediately. And I'm so glad I did! Upon first spray, I understand why some reviews say it smells like baby powder, but within a few minutes it opens up and I smell the milky Chai notes along with the powdery notes, and they actually work well together. Not too sweet, not too spicy. The drydown on me is all vanilla musk, with a hint of Chai spice remaining. The silage is low to moderate, however the longevity on me is impressive for an EDT, a good 10-12 hrs! Call me crazy, but this reminds me of the original Hypnotic Poison (circa 2000) with it's strong milky/powdery/vanilla presence, and even that odd new-doll plastic-y note (some say Play-Doh) in the mid to drydown stage... some people may find it off putting but I rather enjoy it. That dolly note doesn't come across as strongly in Crush, but it's there. I'm so glad I found this! It's just a perfect, uplifting, casual scent to warm up the chilly fall days ahead! EDIT: The official notes by the designer are: Top: Crushed Citrus, Frothy Chai Latte, Flower Nectar Mid: White Velvet Orchid, Lily of the Valley, Creamy Anisette Base: Nirvana Musk, Tonka Bean, Madagascar Vanilla

Oh my god, this is so awesome. If you are too young to have smelled this when it first came out, do NOT sleep on it. It fits in so well with the trend of younger women today to wear warm and milky and slightly spicy 'skin scent' gourmands. I was biased against this for a while because of how it looked in the bottle -- I assumed from the time period and color and packaging it would smell like a Victoria's Secret body mist or like Viva La Juicy or Pink Sugar, both two styles of '00s staples that I find a little old fashioned and uninspired. I think Gen Z women and younger millenials nowadays tend to go for gourmands that aren't super saccharine or candy sweet but more warm, gentle and sensual, with airy and approachable names like "You" or "Cloud". And then I saw the sample I had of this and the juice was literally neon highlighter pink and I was so ready to skip over it. Everyone, this is such a cozy, milky, slightly peppery and tea-like horchata with a touch of creamy ginger. It actually reminds me a bit of Replica Tea Escape, and not only is that my favorite fragrance of all time, IT GOES FOR CLOSE TO $500 on eBay now. This is absolutely not remotely a dupe for Tea Escape, but if you missed out on it, consider trying this for something in a similar vein. Lasting power is of course, much shorter though, because Tea Escape really has a presence. The only downside is being of its time it does have a bit of a baby powder opening, but luckily it's not overwhelming and it does dissipate after 15 minutes. I'm glad more modern fragrances have done away with that because I don't want to smell like I just changed a diaper. Whaaaat? They made fragrances like this 20 years ago? I just got schooled for sure. Welcome to my collection, you hi-liter pink visual abomination. It's what's on the inside that counts.

I'm really enjoying this one! This was a blind buy and although I initially regretted the purchase, I am so glad I got this! I love ELDO's Fils de Dieu du Riz et des Agrumes and this smells very similar in the dry down so I'm happy to have another fragrance that evolves into a warm, spicy, milky coconut and lime base. If you don't enjoy the opening (which I'm not a fan of) just be patient and wait for the majestic evolution of this one. Be warned, this opens as very strong and pungent baby powder. Imagine opening a brand new box of baby diapers, yeah, that's Crush's opening and it is eternal. As the top notes disappear the heart can be appreciated. This phase reminds me of Latte D'Or by Le Monde Gourmand. A spicy and lactonic candied orange with a noticeable doll head tinge (just like my beloved Gucci Rush). Finally the base is revealed: mouthwatering, savory, milky-fleshy tender coconut drenched with realistic lime juice and sprinkled with spicy cardamom. I'm definitely getting multiples of this perfume just to be sure I never run out! Oh! One last thing to add. I've been obsessed with the discontinued Versace perfume V/S from the 90s since it was released. Nothing smells like it and there is not much out there (still in production) that resembles it slightly. ELDO's Fils de Dieu is so close but not a replacement. Crush is even less of a replacement but if you loved V/S and want to catch a whiff of something to remind you of the very particular and one of a kind dry down of the greatest perfume ever created, then run to your local Ross and get a bottle of Curve Crush!

I love love love these kinds of scents. Creamy and softy spicy. Very comforting, great for bedtime wear. It reminds me of The Body Shop's Shea fragrance, but less aromatic, but has the same softly spicy warm creamy nutty feeling. Curve Crush starts out spicy with cloves and slightly sweet citrusy. Here the opening reminds me of some or caharel's perfume openings that I used to love in the 90's. The spice becomes softer and makes way for the creamy milk notes, spiced and sweetened by sugar and cinnamon. The cinnamon isn't a sharp spicy cinnamon, but a sweet one, like horchata or milky chai tea. Although it's not in the notes listed, I smell maybe a violet leaf that sort of makes the composition slightly powdery? After that it reaches the drydown stage which consists of mostly white musk, soft vanilla, and a bit of milk and cloves blended together but without the spiciness. I consider this unisex leaning feminine because it's not overly floral or sugary, I think men can wear this nicely. Plus the sweet spice is sexy. Unfortunately, the silage of this toilette is like none. I have to really dig my nose into my skin to smell it. You can hardly over spray it. I have the dabber and I am applying it everywhere, short of just pouring it on me and the scent is not really radiating. It doesn't last very long either. Probably one hour. I'm trying it in the winter, perhaps it will project better in the summer but I don't think this type of scent is suitable for summer use anyways. A shame. Maybe I'll apply it to my clothing.