Realities Original

The OG, Liz Claiborne Realities, in the heavy, frosted glass cube bottle (topped by a smaller golden cube) with a green cube cap. This lovely peachy/green/herbal/floral juice comprised my youthful holy trinity of rotating signature scents; along with Lauren by Ralph Lauren and Liz Claiborne in the triangular glass bottle (or plastic triangle covered bottle) for 25+ years. A girl needed no others. I received numerous compliments back in the day, by women and men, on what a gorgeously rich and unique scent this was. The peach and herbal notes were prominent, yet exquisitely restrained blended and balanced. The vanilla base gave depth and richness that clung to my skin and clothes ALL day. Men especially found the sillage intoxicating as this scent could easily go from day to night (and oftentimes did.) I always received gift sets at Christmases and birthdays, so I stayed well stocked up on my three favs and all their accompanying lotions, splashes, powders & shower gels. So, I didn't notice immediately when reformulation struck. CK One, and others whose names I can't even remember, came along and turned my head in the 90's. B&BW led me astray in the 00's. Realities became scarce, then disappeared from ds. The imposter by the same name only served to confuse. Now Realities is back, and can be found online. unfortunately, it's just a shadow of its former glorious self. The sculptural frosted bottle now topped by a smaller "green" cube that matches the green cap. The basis of the OG scent is still there (kinda), but the peach 🍑 note is less pronounced while sage/herbals are amped up. That exquisitely balanced perfection, forever altered. Sadly, the sillage and longevity suffered the most. I know that government regulation of specific ingredients is to blame and it's a done deal. Yet, no matter how many new fragrances I discover, flirt with and even love, I still haunt the Internet looking for these vintage bottles of gold. Lauren, Liz and Realities will always be the holy trinity/ride or die fragrances of my youth. I collect and cherish every vintage bottle that I find, just like the memories one whiff of them can summon.

In my experience, peach is the predominant note in this fragrance, but it's a very sharp peach - a different creature from the supersweet modern fruit perfumes. The sage isn't intrusive (this isn't one of those scents that leaves you feeling like a spice rack, not even a little bit) but the dark, rooted aspect of the herb provides a small counterbalance. Once the heart notes have a chance to come in, the white florals turn it just a little sweeter and a little creamier. This followed the original Liz Claiborne scent in the triangular bottle, back when Liz was a department store name, and if you're familiar with both you can tell that they're siblings. Of course, some of the notes are the same (amber, peach, freesia, jasmine) but there's more to it than that: they may be pictures of two different scenes, but they were clearly taken with the same camera. Realities has the warm glow you'd expect from an 80's-early 90's department store scent, and while distinctive it's dignified, pleasing, and appropriate for work - as it had to be to meet the old Claiborne aesthetic. The new fragrance by the same name is an entirely separate and far less interesting creation. (Pinkish juice in rounded bottle: new scent. Yellowy juice in whimsical stacked-cubes bottle: old scent.) Note that some merchants who still have this in stock sell it unboxed, probably because the unusual triangular carton is tall and impossible to stack. But of course, any bottle sold like that has been exposed to light for who knows how long and may not be worth it.

A bright, aldehydic sunshine fogs the air with the first soft spray. As translucent drops wet my skin, a sharp pungency awakens sinus folds and constricts wide the accompanying nostrils. My facial expression relaxes. This was the first in a line up, that sparked! Lost to the purgatory of an out-of-the-way antique shop, less than an entirely pleasing bottle stood before me. A frosted glass cube with varying askew plastic cubes in gold and teal, progressively smaller towards the top, housed this new discovery. Softly spicy, worth attention, and a patina-ed gold foil won the purchase. But, I was to find out, that was only the beginning! Walking into my house, the sillage finally caught me, like Peter Pan to his shadow. Chamomile and sage, warmed from my skin, and dusted with peach - as fuzzy as the powdery chords which wrapped a layer of comfort around my weary body. Tender kisses of freesia and carnation, in the most feminine form, punctuated the creases of my arms and neck. Hints of a resinous-laden amber, and whispers of sandalwood, frolicked and flirted within the ether. It was the smell of a caress, and the warmth of an intimate embrace. It was the steaming breath of nature that fills one's soul, or the cozy robe your mother wore, awoken from sleep to offer comfort. Lost unknowingly amongst the sympathetic folds of weathered flannel, where true peace is found. That is where this fragrance belongs; aloof and alive, amid a warmhearted reality.

I wore this perfume in the late 80s and loved it. I found a real vintage bottle on Ebay. I do sense what I recalled about the perfume. I like the spicy smell. Since it's been reformulated I'll use this sparingly and store it out of the sunlight, heat, etc. This perfume will always be an important thing in my life. I had the bottle on my vanity without the cap on when my 2 year old daughter toddled up to the vanity. I told her "Don't touch that." Which to her meant go for it!! LOL!! She was at eye level with the spritzer and delivered herself a squirt into one of her eyes. The screaming ensued. Tried to flush it out of her eye (I'm a RN) but ended up in the emergency room for care. So, when I got this bottle I showed it to her and asked if she remembered the bottle. She said yes but didn't want to relive that again. LOL!! UPDATE 6-1-2022: I'm really loving this perfume. And I've noted that I only have to apply it once per day. It lasts and lasts! So many scents don't have longevity any longer.

This is one of my staple fragrances for when I want to wear something light and soft but not a citrus, green, or aquatic fragrance. I mostly smell peach, chamomile, and osmanthus. I would call it a fruity floral, not a floral green. I really don't smell much of anything green in it aside from a light herbal note. It smells like a peachy herbal tea to me. It has very low sillage and poor staying power. The bottles being sold now perform like a body spray. The vintage formula is more robust but getting harder to find old new stock or used bottles online.

I'm back here again! Totally agree with SuzScents. Bought the new version. Yesss.. something is missing... I tried storing it in the fridge to subtle the smell.. but no :(. This is definitely not the one that used to I love..

Unexpected love for this one! So warm, sweet, like an oily rich perfume but it isn't! Bought it very cheap and I must say is one of my favourite 😍 Niche smell... at a fracture of price, super interesting!

I would wear this as a teenager (sneaking sprays from my Mum). It was one of my faves. I wouldn't buy the new one though because I fear the reformation would have stripped it of it's essence.

I love this perfume. But like Eiza said it hard to get here in Malaysia. Wonder if there is something that smells similiar to LC Realities? Help me!

This is the scent I wore on my wedding day in 1992. It was a light, sweet floral that was my signature scent for several years.

Does anyone know, did Sophia Grojsman work on this? It smells like one of her works.

similar to Calyx. A fruity green floral with a hint of chypre.

Thanks NuriaRose. Will go to Chloe counter today.

I wore this in the 1990’s. Still beautiful 🧡

I remember a friend’s sister having this perfume right after it first came out. I smelled it once and remembered liking it. It’s been 30 years since then, and I decided to buy it for my collection. I was unexpectedly very familiar with the scent when I sprayed it, and not because I have an awesome scent memory from 30 years ago🤣...I knew this smell very well. It took me a minute to realize it smells exactly like Tresor, which I never thought I cared for. It smells really nice though! Not a love, but a strong like. I even smelled the Tresor tester the last time I was at a department store just to compare the two...it was pretty much spot on! It actually smells a little better than Tresor, IMO. Save yourself $100 and buy this instead. I got it for about $16 online. I should note that it’s no longer Liz Claiborne Realities since Elizabeth Arden purchased Liz Claiborne fragrances. It’s just Realities now, which seems to confuse people. Lots of reviewers think it’s a counterfeit product now because Liz Claiborne isn’t printed on the box or bottle. I suspect that just like Curve and the original Liz Claiborne perfume (both of which I have the newer formulations of) it’s the same as it’s always been, maybe just a tad less potent. It’s a great, inoffensive work fragrance! Safe blind buy.

I was gifted this fragrance several years ago and though I found it pleasant enough it didn't particularly impress me at the time. I wore it however just to use up the bottle, always surprised at the ENDLESS compliments I received from strangers - men and women alike - whenever I wore it!! Something about the prominent chamomile note mixed with soft florals and sandalwood seemed to meld perfectly with my chemistry. I was repeatedly told I smelled "soooo good!" (My roommate even hugged me continuously for ten solid minutes refusing to let go, bringing to mind a certain humorous American commercial for Gain laundry detergent)! I still have the empty bottle for old times sake. If I ever find a replacement bottle it will probably become my signature scent! I do wish Liz Claiborne would re-release this fragrance!

I have always loved this, at least in theory. I distinctly remember the ads in 1990 when it came out, very heart warming family togetherness type images. I have had a bottle ever since- and I'm thinking this must be the second bottle. I like the smell of it, I just haven't quite figured out when, where and how to wear it. Notice there are no votes for smell-alike perfumes- that's because there aren't any. The first Realities is completely unique, the second Realities is totally generic. Anyway, this one is a strong, verging on pungent floral-herbal, whatever that means. It seems most suited to a daytime spring weekend, one spray to the navel area perhaps or the nape of the neck would be plenty. This is a must-try, love/hate perfume that I would not want to be without.

Edit: I wore this today to church and then work and was very happy with it. The scent has somehow morphed into a much softer version, or anyway, several sprays all over left me smelling just very, very nice- and spring like- without stinking up the place.I was not afraid to sit next to people. I will be wearing frequently in the springy weeks to come.A bit fruity, perhaps, but not like today's fruity offerings. Very different animal. You should try this one if you can, nothing is like it!!

I remember loving this on my boyfriends Mom back in 1992. I ordered a bottle based on this with great anticipation. My nose has changed some. I truly love some of the more current perfumes out today and the old realities I loved and wanted just fell a bit short. When I layer it with Gucci Flora Gracious Tuberose I get an amazing scent so its not all for nothing.

I loved this back in the day, when I was in college. Used it up and went looking for a replacement.... All the bottles looked different, so I looked it up. Different formula, so I passed. I went to an estate sale today, and I scooped it up with 2 pair vintage (dead stock) Reebok sneakers, some jeans and a shirtt, for $20. So happy with my purchase,