Queen by Queen Latifah

I originally got the 2nd scent "Queen of Hearts" 1st as I had found it quicker online. I have this "thing" about testers, which I know is kind of irrational, I mean it's brand new, sealed, and the same, only missing a cap and comes in a OEM box. Yet there you have it, since I store my scents in the boxes on my wardrobe, it just irks me. Everyone has a thing :-). So anyway, after falling deeply in love with the 2nd scent I was desperate to get her first one. After researching I found out why It was so hard to find online, to my near tears, the line was discontinued. So, for the 1st time I was forced to get a new sealed 3.4 tester, and not cheaply at that. It was worth every penny and took me away as I kind of figured it would. This scent is darker than the 2nd but not by much and delightfully so. The opening was amazing, a sultry smoke and exotic wave on some south pacific island at midnight. It lingered and dried down to the most amazing spicy musk. Coming from the same nose as another of my favorite really dark vintage scents (amazingly) Jessica Simpson's Fancy Nights. They aren't the same by any means but both sit in the darkest old school vintage and exotic past. So many celeb scents are just cotton candy awfulness, or cheap synthetic cash grabs, or even "Weak as water" as my Gran would say. But there are a few that you can tell were done with a REAL love of fragrance in mind. Both of Queen Latifah's scents are firmly in that realm. I've been wearing this all night, and have probably buried my face in my arm 40 times through the evening just to get a fresh pass. Nothing more relaxing than a dark sultry scent DONE RIGHT, and this wrapped me in a warm blanket of comfort. Grab some while you can, as like me, you will be finding it harder and harder to locate. I'll be guarding this bottle with my life :-)

I live in the southern US where there is this tradition of comforting foods and drinks that runs deep in our culture. One of those things is what we call a 'Pineapple Upside Down Cake' usually made in a large cast-iron skillet with slices of pineapple, yellow butter cake mix, maraschino cherries, dark brown sugar and lots of real butter. It comes out of the skillet in a this nice round circle.already glazed in a buttery-sweet syrup from the combination of the sugar. fruits and butter. It's good stuff on a cool autumn day. When I wear this juice all I can think about is Pineapple Upside Down cake. It smells SO delicious! This is not a typical sugar-rush gourmand frag, it's more 'grounded' than that, probably tempered by the patch, incense and coriander. Were it not for those notes I wouldn't be able to wear this, but wear it, I do! GLADLY...it's spicy edge and the smokiness of the sandalwood and incense are just enough to keep this sweetish, somewhat boozy frag in my collection. I like wearing this when I'm relaxing with the family, you know in a favorite sweatshirt and jeans or even my comfiest fluffy PJ's. It's comforting but lovely all at once. Whenever I wear this someone always tells me I smell beautiful. It's true! I wouldn't want to wear this around a business associate or to a serious meeting-it's too laid back for that. But for hanging out with my girls on a Saturday afternoon, just being easy going and relaxing, this would be my go-to. Comforting scents and laughter and ease. That's what this was made for...yummy and fun!

Picked this one up today at my good old TJ Maxx for $9.99! What a steal!! Having never tested this one before, I took the chance and bought it anyway, besides, never had a Queen Latifah fragrance in my collection before! With high hopes, I sprayed this directly on the back of my hand, gave it a few seconds, and went in for a whiff. Something about it felt...familiar! Right off the bat, you're smacked in the face with booze (Cognac) and something faintly sweet (Vanilla) And for the first 5-10 seconds... it was almost too much booze for my liking! But then... it softened and warmed up on my skin, the patchouli really comes out in this one, it's thick, rich, and sensual. However, it's the "dirty" kind, not weighed down and mellowed out by all the sweetness, I don't get "fruitchouli" at ALL in this fragrance. I get absolutely NO citrus, and hardly anything "floral". The cognac, vanilla, patchouli, incense, sandalwood, and tonka bean DOMINATE this scent! I get subtle hints of something warm spicy, possibly from the coriander. After it settles on the skin for a good 30 minutes - that same familiar aroma appears! After reading some reviews, I can say I DEFINITELY see the relation between Queen and Angel by Thierry Mugler. And in all honestly, I was perplexed at the fact that Queen had no dark chocolate note! It's slightly sweet, warm, empowering, bold, and confident. It's simply fabulous <3 So excited to wear this one during the winter! It smells 3x more expensive than it is!!! *Edit: Longevity~ About 8 hours on me! :) Sillage~ Moderate

Didn't know if I would like this one or not as it is discontinued in the stores and could not test first, but the ingredients sounded great. I got it at a low price from Ross so figured so what if I do not like it. Well, much to my surprise, I do like it, very much! This fragrance is well made, mixed, whatever you call you call it. It smells great for a long time too. I have my doubts is Miss Latifah wears this one very often but if she does, she must smell beautiful. The notes are listed with a sparkling, sumptuous golden accord, like aged Tequila, citrus notes of Italian Bergamot and Mediterranean Mandarin, rare Baie Rose, Jasmine Noir, Cognac, Moroccan Coriander is the heart of the fragrance. The base note being Indonesian Patchouli and precious Sandalwood enhance the Vanilla and Tonka Absolute. The fragrance completes itself with Egyptian Incense and Musk. I don't drink so I am not too sure what aged Tequila smells like ;-), nor cognac. I can smell the rose, jasmine, incense, and the patchouli right away. I was not so sure about the fragrance having patchouli because it can be very over powering to the rest of the notes, but this is blended lightly and brings just the right amount of 'ole school into the mix. I said yes to buy it again but I do know this has been discontinued. I have a large bottle so I think I will not have to rebuy this one for a long time. I am glad I took a chance on this fragrance. It smells very expensive to me and is well worth adding to my collection.

I think it bears repeating that, though the comparisons with Angel may be plentiful, the perfumes smell nothing alike. To me the comparisons are plentiful because both perfumes are deeply complex and boozy. Dare I say, Queen is the more sophisticated of the two- and I adore Angel! Never in a million years would I have imagined a celebrity perfume (a "cheap" celebrity perfume at that) could be so delicious yet complex and of such good quality. The cognac in this perfume is so rich I'm surprised I have not gotten tipsy after a spray. The patchouli takes a backseat to the rich tonka and sweet incense. This is how a vanilla oriental should be done. I have read many reviews stating utter surprise at this sleeper of a gem. I have heard perfume snobs say its in their secret top 5 scents. I wholeheartedly agree. The longevity and quality of this fragrance amaze me. I sprayed it in my hair and three days later I could still smell that heady, potent mix of booze and sweetness. For a perfume of this quality I would have paid triple what I did, but fortunately this scent is found in discount stores everywhere for under $10. I find the bottle sturdy and nice, the full size fits easily in my glovebox. I have designated this perfume as my BMW's signature scent not because I don't love it, but because I do! Every time I slide behind the wheel I am able to enjoy that relaxing feeling that only comes with being enveloped in a comforting, rich scent.

Mmmm..This smells amazing. Very similar to Thierry Mugler's Angel, but much more tolerable and boozier. I've always liked Angel, but it was too heavy and suffocating and kind of "dirty" for me to smell beyond 30 minutes or I'd develop a headache. Queen doesn't do that, but a light hand should still be used, it's still a strong scented fragrance. Like Angel, this will be something people either love or hate. Patchouli works well with some people and smells good and earthy, and with others.....unfortunately it can turn to a body odor kind of thing. Fortunatey, It works well with my body chemistry and I don't get the b.o. smell that some get. I LOVE THE OPENING. I'm a patchouli lover, and I feel like you get that and all the base notes almost from the first spray. If you like Angel, or vanilla, spicy, patchouli, sweet fragrances, give this a try. Cozy, warm, and intoxicating. I found it in my local Ross for $10 for the big 3.4 bottle. I am loving it. Makes for a great fall/winter scent. Longevity is OK, and sillage is even better. I will get a lot of use from this one this fall/winter. I'm happy with this blind buy.

Spicy, smoky and red. It just says red. You know "Frasier's" apartment on that show? It was clean and retro-modern with a jazzy air. Queen smells like how that looks, complete with a fire in the fireplace and the city lights sparkling in the background. But replace Kelsey Grammar with Queen Latifah, dressed in red gown and holding a glass of champagne. To my barely-functional nose, it is spicy, smoky and warm. It does not have that undertone that's common in cheapie perfumes. As far as 'expensive smelling,' it's at the level of Chopard's Wish, Jessica Simpson's Fancy Nights, and Shalimar and Initial by Guerlain. It's slightly below Boucheron pour femme, Initial by Boucheron, Vintage Sublime by Jean Patou and L'Instant du Temps by Guerlain. Just my opinion, for what it's worth. Although, to be honest, I don't know whether I'd be able to separate the expensive from the less expensive using just my nose. That would be a fun experiment. But after experiencing Fancy Nights and Queen, "expensive-smelling" has lost its meaning. The person who made those two fragrances is a genius.

I have to admit, I did not like this scent when I first smelled it on my boyfriend about a year ago. I thought it was way to strong for me. As time went on, I guess my tastes have changed? I absolutely love it now! Maybe it makes me think of him? Who knows! I went out and bought a bottle of it, thats how much it grew on me! I bought a gift set for $14.99 at my local Marshalls. It included a 3.4oz (100ml) bottle and a 5.0oz tub of Body Butter! When I use the two of them combined, it smells heavenly! I read that Body Butter is better for your skin than body lotion, so I figured I would give it a try! I love it! This does smell a bit like Mugler's Angel! But in a good way! :) Definitely worth the money! I WILL re-purchase! This is a affordable scent, that smells like an expensive designer scent! Can't beat that! I also own Latifa's second fragrance called "Queen Of Hearts" ! That one is really good too! Queen is good for Fall and Winter and QOH is good for spring and Summer! :) But I will wear in all seasons! Definitely a good buy people! I recommend Latifah's fragrances!

Right out of the bottle, for about 2 seconds I see what others are saying about the Angel similarity. Its the tonka bean, patchouli and vanilla but it is just for a couple of seconds then Queen moves on to a smooth, creamy, woodsy, boozy cream. Whereas Angel continues on with the similar mix then lays out the syrupy sweet fruit. I can understand where people are coming from in their reviews but they are not correct. Angel is a sillage patch. monster....Queen is for the creamy vanilla lover. I can see Queen being used is close quarters and not offending whereas we all know Angels naughty reputation (I have several bottles of Angel and I love it). I have found that Queen is not extremely long lasting on me (maybe 4 hours) which can be changed if you put fragrance free lotion on and then spray on your skin AND clothing. Overall, all I would say this is a very sensual, creamy mature fragrance. I am happy to have it because I don't gravitate toward vanilla but I love this one! Its yummy! "WEAR YOUR GOOD PERFUME EVERYDAY BECAUSE EVERYDAY IS A SPECIAL OCCASION"-ACG

Whaaaattttt???!?!?!?! Saw this at Ross and was $9.99 for their 3.4 oz bottles. They had 3 left and I thought maybe it wasn't really good because there were a handful of them and ...so cheap! Since they were so cheap, however, figured I can try, and if I didn't like, I can give it away or something. Wow. This smells really great. It is what I typically like in a scent. Spicy, sweet, boozy, patchouli! Something about it is slightly cocoa-y, but I think it's really the tonka bean, which gives it a gourmand kind of smell. I can see the resemblance to Rebelle, but Rebelle isn't as sweet and boozy. I put a spritz on my knee as a test and it was still there pretty strong 6 hours later before my shower. Plan on wearing it today to test it more long-term. So unexpected for such an underrated celebrity scent. I never even noticed this in stores. Very nice. Edit: Just noticed that Steve Demercado (the nose behind the fragrance) was also behind Jessica Simpson's Fancy Nights. Figures because I love that scent too :).

I am beyond impressed at how amazing this smells. The first time I took it out of its carton a distinct smokey scent which one would associate with a more mature fragrance, so I was skeptical as to wearing it in fall time, but the moment I sprayed this beauty, I was delighted. It has a smooth, sweet, boozy effect with strong woody, almost organic, sensuality that lies just beneath the surface. The incense and tonka bean/vanilla are combined so lusciously, I swear my arm was edible at times. This is certainly a mood lifter, it had me smiling since I applied it. The rum follows the scent throughout until the drydown, and mingles with the musk & florals in perfect union. This is going to be my winter-wear, go-to fragrance. I love it! EDIT/SIDE NOTE: I also do not find any comparison to TM's Angel, as I own that one as well. Angel is Caramel & Musk on me, nothing else. Dare I say this fragrance has more depth?

I am very impressed by this one. It was a blind buy--I have never seen it in a store, and so had no hope of testing it first--and luckily my instincts about it were right. The cognac note in this is really unique, and the way it blends with the vanilla is delicious. It's a sweet perfume but never candylike; instead it's a little boozy but in a classy, wearable way. When I think "Queen Latifah perfume" it's not what comes immediately to mind, but it's easy to picture her wearing this! I sprayed this on a couple of hours before bed last night and now that I am awake again (ten hours later) it is in its drydown and still very much present. I smell every note listed in the base and it is lovely! The vanilla/incense combination is especially nice. This is easily one of the best celeb fragrances I've tried, both in quality and lasting power; good job, Queen Latifah!

I guess skin chemistry really is everything - Queen doesn't remind me of Angel at all. The only similarities to my nose are that they both are rather heavy on patchouli and they are both bold scents, especially suitable for colder weather. Angel is fruitier and candy sweet, I do not enjoy Angel but I love Queen! I would describe this as an elegant oriental fragrance, which indeed has a strong patchouli note. It's boozy and woodsy (the sandalwood is very strong on me, not that I complain) as well as incense-y. According to the votes, vanilla is one of the main notes, but it's hardly there at all on my skin, nor are the fruits. I do get a lot of tonka, though. It's sweet (but not sugar sweet) and very warm. This, to me, is a fragrance for a bold and sensual woman. I have a full-size bottle but I'm thinking about buying a back up. Staying power is pretty good.

Leave it to the amazing Queen Latifah to put her name on a fragrance so luscious, bold, and sweet at the same time. I bought this blind after reading the rave reviews- only $8 on Ebay! The perfume starts out spicy, boozy, and loud- the Queen making her entrance! It's woody enough to almost be masculine, a sign of her power. Then she relaxes a little and it's just smoky vanilla and tonka bean and soft incense. This perfume stands out like royalty among all the other floral/fruity/blah fragrances out there. I've tried TONS of perfumes over the last few weeks, trying to find my signature... this is the only one that really left a lasting impression on me. I wasn't sure if I really liked it at first but then I couldn't stop sniffing myself! Try it! At under $10 you can't go wrong :) P.S. This smells nothing like Angel to me, as some reviewers say. I hate Angel.

If Thierry Mugler's Angel and Calvin Klein's Euphoria had a love child, Queen would be it! I picked a 3.4 oz bottle of this baby up at TJ Maxx for $10. As a blind buy I thought, "What the heck? If I hate it, at least I only spent $10." Best $10 I ever spent! For me, the most noticeable note is patchouli. In this cocktail, it blends lovely with cognac and incense to make an intoxicating concoction. Lasts fairly well on my skin (about 2 hours), but much longer on my clothes (about 8 hrs). Sillage is great; I'm told by family they can smell it a few feet away. Definately a fall/winter scent for nighttime, but I'm going to wear during the day, too. Queen smells much more expensive that she is. If you put this potion in a name brand bottle like Klein or Mugler, people would go nuts over it. I plan to purchase another bottle when this one runs out!

Wow, I do NOT wear this one often enough. It hasn't been that cold here in New England this winter, but today it's flurrying and the wind is howling. My kind of weather. Queen is perfect in colder temperatures. Cognac, vanilla, I smell some jasmine and maybe ... something that smells like brown sugar, to me, anyway. Queen is not exactly gourmand, but it is sweet enough to make you crave some Irish coffee and creme brulee. Since it is out of production and it has gotten very expensive online, I wear this one sparingly, but it is just gorgeous. It does remind me of Halloween, since I tend to wear it as soon as it starts to get cool here. If you have this one, enjoy it. If you can track it down affordably online, and you like sweet, strong, boozy vanillas, I think you will really enjoy Queen. God bless you all and stay warm and safe.

A little safe, a little generic, a little sweet but A LOT of awesomeness!! Warm, balsamic, spicy, boozy, vanilla, soft but not weak at all. It is a shame this is discontinued, but there still seems to be a pretty good back stock. This is one helluva good "celebrity" scent. If this was maybe a different name, different bottle or a bigger name celebrity, this would not be discontinued! Queen lasts a long time. 2-3 sprays is plenty to last most of the day. It is so warm and boozy with the perfect amount of soft vanilla!! This is the kind of scent that you might get compliments on, but it does not matter. The DRYDOWN is A M A Z I N G! You will not be able to stop smelling your wrist or arm or wherever you spray it. The drydown is so soft, warm and smells incredibly expensive and delicious!! It just smells good!! Love, love!!!

A beautiful and exceptional fragrance. This is the BEST celebrity fragrance I have ever tried, and should serve as the standard for other celebrities when they endeavor to create actual, sophisticated, elegant, and wearable perfume. The vanilla, cognac, patchouli, and amber are all beautifully balanced with each other; detectable, yet coalesce together in delicious symbiosis. The incense is soft and comforting, and wafts in and out, like olfactory hide-and-seek. The overall effect is that of a regal, well-traveled, mysterious, and powerful woman whose presence is undeniable. She draws you in and keeps you in, her smile and voice are alluring and intoxicating, but simultaneously comforting and welcoming. This is an absolute purchase, I slowly see it being phased out of production. Definitely purchase if you find.

I’ve had this one for years and I haven’t worn it in a long time; my appreciation for it has grown. While I’ve always liked it, I rarely craved it. But for some reason, something “clicked” when I wore it today. Queen is dignified and decadent, refined and indulgent, elegant and sensual. The booziness immediately gets my attention. While vanilla is a difficult note for me, it manages to be distinct and yet so complimentary to the mysterious incense and intoxicating cognac. Patchouli, tonka, and sandalwood play notable supporting roles. Sweet (not sickly), sexy, intoxicating, and unique among the world of mass-appealing celebrity fragrances, Queen is special. I am glad the lady at the perfume counter many years ago insisted I try it, despite my disinterest in celebrity scents at the time.

There is a phase of this that, especially when I first tried it, disagrees with me; I think the citrus notes develop briefly to a synthetic vibe about an hour or so into a liberal spritzing. However all the notes come together initially, and then again for the long-lasting dry down, and I found I really enjoyed this. In fact, after wearing it several times, I did not mind the citrus phase. If you have it, be sure to try it several times before giving it away :)! Edit: prices went waay up. Since first getting it, I found my sister loved it and it worked better for her, so I did give her mine LOL. But I would still rate it a love, and would pay a higher price...as a gift ;). **Second edit: I swapped to get another one. I missed The Queen. Some days she is just perfect.