Marni

I tried Marni Rose yesterday and immediately ordered a bottle...then tried the original version today and did the same. Both are precisely what my nose (and body and mind) loves. Earthy deep rose and patchouli, pepper, incense, cedarwood. Marni is a spicy, earthy, modern oriental that magically remains light and wearable, even in the daytime. Something that is so hard to come by. I am a huge oriental and balsamic fragrance fan and so many of them are too heavy for day wear (though I wear them anyway) but it is heaven on earth to finally find a light version of what I love that can be worn day or night, any time of the year and for any occasion. The Rose version is extremely similar (same base) but with a hefty dose of deep rose oil and it is slightly sweeter and a bit more feminine. I can not decide which version I love the most...so I had to have both. To me, Marni is a sexy unisex fragrance. Not at all mainstream and could scare the sugar, flowers and bows crowd who may be expecting more of a crowd pleaser from a debut designer fragrance. But it is right up my scent alley. Edit: I received my FB and I must say I am very disappointed in the quality of the bottle/nozzle/cap. Good grief. For $100 plus, the cap is an embarrassment to the company. It is ultra cheap plastic, lightweight and tiny, like something from the drug store. It is so cheap and yucky that I don't even want to keep it. The cap is so hard to pull off that it went flying across the room. I am used to much better quality than this and the terribly cheap presentation ruins it for me. I returned it and bought a bunch of samples instead because I do very much enjoy the fragrance.

I've always been a bit ambivalent about the scent of roses. Being a tomboy growing up, I always associated it with an intense femininity that never really suited my personality. Add to that the fact that I associated intense femininity with a) the prissy, pink-loving Mean Girls who tortured me growing up and later b) the older men who would hit on me as a 14 year-old whenever I dressed up or wore makeup, and you develop a dislike for "girly" florals like daisies or roses. With roses, it has to have a bit of a grounded and earthy edge underlying it, like leather in Kelly Caleche or patchouli in Coco Noir, to get me to appreciate the flower - cue the supporting cast of patchouli, amber, spice, aromatic woods... And with that you get someone who fell for this as soon as she heard the notes. Cedar, cardamom, vetiver and patchouli - and oh, yeah, some intense roses mixed in, to show that she's still a girl, but one with some deep roots. Lucky for me when I finally tried a sample the cardamom and cedar really came through on my skin, yet because of the rose and prominent bergamot it didn't have the "too heavy for summer" pitfall I usually find with the fragrances I go for typically. This is a perfect summer scent for someone into heavy spice and orientals, but who doesn't want to suffocate people on the Metro when the AC is broken in 90-degree heat. This is my kind of rose, and a definite must-have on my list this spring and summer.

I got a sample of this today at Saks: I really enjoyed the fragrance on the test strip, so went for a skin sample. The first hour was not my favorite part. Even though there seem to be no fruity notes, I got a sweetness reminiscent of over-ripe peaches; i did not get rose on the floral notes, but rather an undertone of white flowers...the development brought a nice, easy spicy note, not overwhelming, and not too sweet. The woodsy notes become more prominent, and these last quite well. After the initial burst, the fragrance has minimal sillage, and the lasting power is good (6hrs+). Will try the sample again; I don't think it will lead to a FB purchase for me. UPDATE: Tried the sample several more times....and found it more and more interesting while being intensely wearable just about anywhere. The spicy notes were warm and yet light, and I loved the overall lightness of the fragrance. Went back and bought a bottle. I have received compliments on it, and asked what I was wearing.

I find this one full of contradictions and not at all easy to describe. It starts fresh and somewhat citrusy. It's light but with a lot going on underneath. Its easy to dismiss this at first as a light airy floral scent but the longer its on, the more the incense and spices come out, while still being light and transparent. Overall its runs a tad sweet and I'd say the rose note is more floral than rosey. But describing this as a spicy/floral scent doesn't really do this justice either. I'describe this more as an evasive clean woody scent with a hint of spice. I feel a guy can pull this off, it has an modern edge to it and not super obvious. At the end of the day, I like this but can't put my finger on why exactly. Definitely takes some wearing to get use to. Proceed with an open mind. (As a side note I like Marni Rose better. The added rose note kicks thing up a bit more and gives it more bite and surprisingly more of a unisex vibe)

This starts with a refreshing gingery rose, but the rose is subdued, just as much as the ginger. There's something about it that's a bit masculine, like a cologne. I didn't give it much thought other than the fact that it was fresh and pretty at first...and I kept sniffing the paper strip I sprayed it on. Later, I asked for a sample and tried it out on my wrist. This becomes a sophisticated spicy rose in the drydown, but never heavy. It reminds me of Lady Vengeance from JHAG, but without the vanilla, less sweet, and more ethereal, a bit like Prada's L'eau Ambree. It doesn't create a lot of sillage on me and wears closely. I hope they create an intense version of this, because as unique as I find it, I'd love it if it was less of a wallflower. It's a perfect summer to fall perfume, but I need something heftier during Winter. That said, I'm incrediblely happy to find something that's not part of the trend in the market these days.