China Rain

This version is supposedly the original China Rain from The Body Shop (later Body Time) and I am sold. I wore the Terranova China Rain oil for years but I always found it a little harsh and wouldn’t really mix with my chemistry, just sat on my skin until it was gone. Remedy’s (Perfectly Scentsable nowadays) has a softness that I think comes from the rose, making it a little soapy and green but never cloying or loud. It is powdery but in a delicate way, no baby wipes or hairspray here. It dries down to a wonderful woodsy musky base that’s exquisite and lasts until you shower. A million thumbs up

Beautiful clean and soapy fragrance. Clover, Muguet, Rose, Sandalwood, Musk, Oakmoss are the notes. Stays with me all day and everyone says "you always smell clean". It's quite unique.

I really wish I could go back in time and try the original “Berkeley” formula of Body Time’s China Rain. Sadly, I haven’t come across this beauty in all its original glory. From what I understand, TerraNova (sister company to the now defunct Body Time) still produces A China Rain but not THE China Rain. Nakedcity nailed the review below me. Falling down this particular rabbit hole was fun but really confusing at the same time. So many searches ended in futility unfortunately. I must admit that the first time I smelled Glow, it was like a musky gateway drug for me lol. I do understand what people are talking about when they describe Glow with phrases such as “hairspray-like”, “has an undertone of Elmer’s glue”, “chemically”, “artificial” as well as just too plain and boring. At this point in time in the fragrance world, of course Glow could be perceived as redundant and overdone! I mean, it’s been nearly two decades since it initially came out. You have smelled it even if you didn’t want to because it was ubiquitous. I can understand why people claim artificiality lingers in the base of this fragrance. It’s only slightly in my experience. What could one really expect with a massively produced celebrity fragrance? I was late to this party. I only discovered Glow last year. I have to say, of all the perfumes that I now have, I keep going back to it. Glow gets a lot of guff but whatever, It’s perfect to me! Who doesn’t want their skin to smell like they just stepped out of a humid, ivory soap shower all day long? Well, apparently not everyone because there does seem to be some bias against soapy on Fragrantica. But that’s the beauty of fragrance. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. We all wear what appeals to us. Glow has just seduced me because of how fresh, crisp and clean it is. And yes, 🧼-y. Longevity is a little better than average. The first of its kind. Jennifer Lopez did good!!! But did she really? See, I had absolutely no idea that Glow was a replica of anything because it was new to me. Body Time has since disclosed that JLo was a prominent customer of their company and purchased large quantities of China Rain to have on hand in every single city she happened to be in at all times. If that doesn’t speak volumes about China Rain then I really don’t know what does because she had access to any perfume she wished. So, it would just make logical sense that she would have emulated China Rain in regards to her debut fragrance. I guess you COULD say that she ripped them off but the old adages of imitation being the highest from of flattery and comparison being a thief ring true enough to me. I am perfectly happy with Glow. I personally find that the better aspects outnumber the minor bad ones here. Even the reformulated version performs really well to this day. However... I was curious to trace the origin of this scent in order to try it out for myself. It’s so hard to find a formula that has the OG fans of China Rain impressed. I think 2017 was the last year that the official, “Berkeley” China Rain was produced. Original bottles are very hard to come by and are long gone from EBay or sites like Mercari. I didn’t know it was possible to miss something I have never known. With that being said, I am also not going to pay out the ace for an original bottle. I have heard some women say that they bought as many as twenty bottles of China Rain when Body Time closed. Sigh. You lucky souls. Supposedly, Ava Luxe did a decent dupe but I couldn’t find that anywhere either. That’s where Perfectly Scentsable (formerly Remedy) comes into play. Of all the other China Rain oils out there, this one seems to be the best tried and truest. The good reviews convinced me to buy a small rollerball off of Etsy. I thought that for $20, free shipping and a 10% discount on my first order, how badly can it all go awry? Well, I have since ordered three more rollerballs! It’s such a beautiful formula. It’s really clean and fresh like Glow but it is softer, better blended, longer lasting and more luxurious smelling. There’s absolutely nothing artificial smelling in this. The only con I can really detect is that it becomes just a tad sweeter and powdery in the dry down than I personally enjoy. Not much is lacking here. This works as a standalone but I also like layering it as well with white floral scents. I think for the price, the quality of this oil is outstanding. A little dab will do you for a good 6-8 hours. Really, it’s solid staple in any collection especially for the musky, soapy lovers like myself. If you like Glow, Jessica McClintock (vintage) or Paul Sebastian’s Casual, trust and believe that you would want to have this in your arsenal. It’s THAT vibe. I cannot imagine a lot of people being unhappy with this but what do I know at the end of the day? Some ladies on here take fragrances really seriously so they might not be impressed with this version. There’s bound to be a critic somewhere no matter how close the resemblance is. Again, I have nothing with which to reference having never smelled the original but this was such a good purchase especially a blind one at that. I can absolutely see the hype now behind China Rain and why it was such a cult classic decades before Glow glew(?). Ahhh... glew! Get it? Because of the Elmer’s comparisons? 🤣😂🤣 Someone had to have made that joke before. Okay, I will see myself out...

This "review" is for the CHINA RAIN perfume oil now sold by... PERFECTLY SCENTSABLE. I feel "so so lucky" to have discovered that... the company PERFECTLY SCENTSABLE is selling the perfumes "originally" made by the former BODY TIME of Berkeley CA. A DEAR friend of mine "back in the day" lived in the BAY AREA for some years, and WE "always" made a trip to the BODY TIME store during my visits, and she would also send ME my "favorites" in the mail "if needed." ANYTHING and EVERYTHING in the "China Rain" scent was a "must have" for... ME! The smell is clean... fresh... and PRETTY... what MORE could you want?

Beautiful China Rain scent, brings me right back to the 90s. A blend of fresh, clean green notes, some well blended rose & lily, and some clean light musk. I don’t get a lot of sandalwood from this. I love that it’s in oil form. My preference is oil based perfumes because they stay closer to the skin, and don’t project as much. This company has great customer service, and sample packs, if you’d like to try a variety of scents. I’ll definitely be checking more out from this company.

Danielle.crump yes!!!! I have really been wanting to try that one as well as Michael Kors White and Calvin Klein’s Women. Love those soapy florals 💗

@drearydearie check out KENNETH COLE FOR HER it's another one in the China rain/ glow family. Very affordable too!