Lipstick On

I used up three bottles of this one, for me, it's an absolutely gorgeous scent, like no other, nothing was the same, I tried many of the 'reminds me of' and none were a good alternative. Then for some crazy unexplainable reason, I sold my last bottle, what a big mistake 😔 as now it's very hard to find. What I don't get is why someone hasn't released a clone and made it affordable, and while they are at it, put it in a nice big two hundred and fifty ml body spray bottle, I'm sure it would be a big hit. The Ange one up in the reminds me of section is an ok attempt but needs to remove the sesame seed note, it's killing the potential, and instead add something sweet powdery, so although Ange is a remind me of its like wearing lipstick on in an Asian street food stall where they use to much sesame seed oil, not pleasant after the initial excitement of the fact they almost nailed the lipstick on but then you realise they didn't. Anyway, there is so much potential here for perfumists to capitalise on the lipstick on DNA. Some of the other 'reminds me of' are nice but are making their versions too sweet, too berry, too lolly. What makes Lipstick On the winner is it's actually not super sweet, it's got a dry element to it. Most people would have enjoyed Lipstick on a lot more if it was a more affordable price so everyone could have had it. What I find ironic with a lot of these expensive perfumes is they make them quite weak and unaffordable for the average person and in this day and age there is no excuse for it. Let people have a good dose of the glory and they will return to the source. Someone needs to open the floodgates on this unique juice and put it into a great big body spray bottles and watch it fly off the shelves. I myself would buy a crate of it. But for the price of lipstick on and the way we have to hunt for this and the fact that many people can't smell it, even though I can smell it well, it's not worth it. I do remember the first year owning this I could hardly smell it and then I could after I got used to it, so if you have a bottle and having that issue maybe don't give up on it because I trained my olfactory sense to pick up the scent ten fold. So now I am using a dupe from Palermo W735 and it's very good, good enough that I think it's worth mentioning so people like myself can keep using this stunning DNA which after many attempts to find a substitute, nothing cured the itch until the Palermo, so I use that one now for the last few months and love it, but it's in only 50ml plain bottle so as I mentioned before I think there is an opening in the market for someone to dupe this as Palermo did but put it into a great big bottle and watch it fly out the door. Most people would be happy with its strength if they weren't having to pay over one hundred dollars for it. A remarketing for the wider audience is what is needed here IMHO Anyway as for Lipstick On, I love love love her and would welcome her back to my home with open arms. 💖 Highly recommended, grab a bottle if you are lucky enough to find one.

In a nutshell: Guerlain French Kiss + HdP 1889 Moulin Rouge = MMM Lipstick On I'm crazy about perfumes with cosmetic accords so I just had to give Lipstick On a try. Fellow Fragrantica and MUA member Sharks likened it to Histoires de Parfums 1889 Moulin Rouge, which I thought was an interesting comparison. After finally trying it myself, I couldn't agree more. Spot on. But it was an unexpected comparison to me initially based on the note pyramid. I was thinking it would be more along the lines of other violet makeup-inspired scents such as Chanel Misia or even Lipstick Rose. But to me it is nothing like the latter two, and I'm glad because it's more truly unique. But the reviewers below me here compared it to Guerlain French Kiss and I can see that as well. Basically, Lipstick On takes the waxiness from Moulin Rouge and combines that with the violet, heliotrope, and vanilla combo from French Kiss. What you get is a soft, sweet, and delicate ultrafemme scent, glamorous and chic. Lipstick On's waxiness comes from the iris/orris root mixed with the galbanum. I've only had it on for about 15 minutes and already the waxiness is fading away, as Jenge below noted. It's incredibly disappointing, because that waxiness is what gives this scent that lipstick feel. I've tried so many makeup inspired perfumes at this point and I think Moulin Rouge is the cream of the crop from this category. It is remarkably realistic to my nose and that lipstick-like waxiness lasts throughout wear time. For this reason, I think of it as sort of a novelty scent. Yet it is very wearable and distinctive, a must-try for anyone who loves cosmetic accords in perfumery. And so is Lipstick On. My favorite makeup-inspired scents, for the record, are Ombre Mercure, Lipstick Rose, Love, Chloe Eau Intense, Ferragamo Emozione, and Chanel Misia. I feel that Moulin Rouge and Lipstick On are different enough from each other to justify owning both, but if you're not crazy about this niche genre of fragrances, you probably won't agree. I'll have to test Lipstick On a few times before determining if it is full bottle worthy. UPDATE 11/18/15: I ended up buying a full bottle of Lipstick On, I just love the combo of lipstick wax + powdery sweetness in this scent. French Kiss is much fruitier and rosier in comparison. If you felt like French Kiss wasn't makeup-y enough, Lipstick On is an excellent (and much more affordable) alternative. Sillage is moderate and longevity is average for an EDT on my skin, about 8 hours. UPDATE 12/12/15: Just wanted to clarify about the waxiness fading- while the iris/galbanum decreases in prominence as wear time progresses, they do not disappear. The scent does become more vanillic, but the lipstick feel is definitely present throughout wear time on my skin, thankfully! Now that I've owned it for a while, I can say for sure that it's one of my favorite scents from this category, because of the realistic lipstick note.

Why do they always discontinue such gems. I tried a sample of this before it was discontinued and fell in love. Being the deal-hunter I am, I was waiting for the next Sephora sale to pick it up. Just my luck, come sale time it was out of stock, never to return. I had resigned myself to the fact I was never going to have this beauty when it popped up on the L'Oreal clearance site, I snapped it up so fast. I am so happy to finally have this in my collection. The opening is almost all iris and galbanum. It is green, waxy and a little earthy. There is almost no sweetness in the opening. The iris is at it's most "lipstick-y" in the opening. As the fragrance dries down the waxiness fades away and the heliotrope and tonka start to bring their powdery character. The green notes from the glabanum also fade into the background. At this point the fragrance sweetens up and the powderiness intensifies and it smells more like makeup powder than lipstick. I picture a luxury makeup compact from the 1950's held by a glamourous woman. Lipstick On is Maison Martin Margiela being very successful in their intent with the Replica line. I picture exactly what they intend when I smell this fragrance. In the deep, deep drydown the fragrance is more iris vanilla than makeup-y on my skin. I find when it is also sprayed on clothes it retains a lot more makeup-y aspect. Lipstick on is ultra feminine. It is retro without being mature or old fashioned. If it was still readily available I would say it is a must try for everyone that loves lipstick-y and makeup-y fragrances. Sadly it is a little hard to find now, especially at a decent price. Lipstick On is one of my first choices to wear when I want to feel feminine, beautiful and glamorous. The one time of year I tend to stay away from it is summer. I don't generally like really powdery fragrances in high heat, and this one is pretty powdery. Lipstick on is a long lasting fragrance and takes time to go through all of its stages. Thankfully I really enjoy all of them. The waxy opening lasts around an hour, the powdery makeup mid lasts another 3-5 hours while the iris vanilla dry down lasts another 3-5 hours. In total this fragrance lasts 8-10 hours on my skin and on my clothes until I wash them. on clothes it stays mostly at the powdery makeup stage. I really like the combination of smelling that on my clothes and the vanilla on my skin. To me it's the best of both worlds. The projection is moderate, around arms length, maybe a little more early in the wear. Once it reaches the vanilla stage I find it stays a little closer to the body.

This is my first review. And I'm actually new to wearing perfumes. I wore them–of course–in my twenties (in the 80s) but later just got out of the habit. I remember in my early thirties having a client who had chemical sensitivities, so when we met I couldn't have freshly washed my hair or even wear deoderant so she could be spared any possible reactions. From then on, I didn't make wearing a perfume part of my routine. But during the pandemic, I got into scented candles and then perfumes. Just for the luxury, the experience, and for the pleasure. My top preferences are gourmand (fruity) with tobacco - so for a long time, Tom Ford Bitter Peach was my favorite. Lately though, I find myself reaching more and more for this - Maison's Replica Lipstick On. The first time I wore it, I was like others - hmmm. Didn't smell lipstick, but powder. Then, I guess it was about the third or fourth time? I finally got the lipstick. Now it's so obvious I wonder how I missed it. The mind is a funny thing. And it's an odd scent to say I'd like to put on, but I do. It's oily and greasy soon after spraying, like stage makeup. Settles into a sweet powdery scent with that base continuing to ground it. Keep it from falling over that edge into too sugary. I find myself continuing to check out my wrist all day as it continues to warm up to a more comforting slightly caramel tone, but still with that powderpuff hint. What I like is it is consistent through wear, yet complex enough that I don't get exactly the same experience every time I catch a whiff of it. So it doesn't get boring or singular or too linear even though it's completely recognizable. Fortunately decants and originals and samples still available as it's been discontinued. It might become a signature for awhile...

First Impressions (sample spray): I bought a sample of this and it’s an immediate yes for me! The beginning and the middle of the perfume smells like earthy makeup in the bottle. As the title says. The dry down is a sweet vanilla. Edit: I’ve tried this again and I will say that the heliotrope gives an almondy sweetness and the vanilla makes it very sweet to my body chemistry. Not the cloyingly sweet that makes you sick, but the type that is absolutely lovely. The dry down also when I sprayed it more does smell like rice powder. I think it’s the galbanam. It overall does smell sweet, earthy, and waxy. Edit 2: 10/10/23 I just a spray of it, and MY GAWD. That waxy note not grabs my heart everytime. I’m absolutely sad that this is discontinued. Like WHYYYY?!? Bring it back. I actually now want a full bottle of it. Alas, it’ll never be. Overall: I think if you love the makeup smell, and you want to travel in time back to the 50’s, Or you want to smell like your grandmother’s vintage lipstick. This may be for you. As for me, I would say it’s a like for me because I’m not sure if I want to be reminded of my womanly ancestors having to be on barbiturates to get through a man’s world. This appeals to my girly side, and makes me feel pretty. It also alienates my strong masculine side. I also think that for my personality I’m not a sweet person. Thus, this perfume is a mismatch for my blunt, tomboy personality. However, if your are a sweet girly girl kind of person you’ll probably love this one. I think I want to buy a bottle just for date nights or when I feel not the best. Verdict: Sadly a pass- it’s sadly a pass because it’s discontinued, people are selling this for hundreds of dollars, and no one else is creating dupes of this masterpiece. :,(