Charlie Red

Associations for scent vary much, eh? I wasn't generally exposed to fragrance at a young age, so with most scent I am completely immune to era oriented scent memories. This is actually a plus, if not for absent memories! ;) In the case of Charlie Red I am amused at how strong are the opinions and impressions. My first experience with her is when I was desperately searching for a feminine, happy floral to wear during a time of ill health. It was the first fragrance I researched here at Fragrantica.... (Thank you, Fragrantica - you are wonderful!!!) I had almost no perfume left, but for a bit of Tatiana, which my store had just stopped carrying. It was NECESSARY to find something wonderful ASAP. What a timely and exciting discovery to find this cheerful elixir. :D I will say that what smelled good in cold weather ultimately became a bit nauseous for me in steamy hot weather, so I later passed the bottle along to my mother. She who loves Red and is sometimes guilty of over spraying in her enthusiasm, hehe. This is a total 'other' experience than you will have when wearing merely One spray in icy temperatures. I recommend the latter, not the former! As to the scent itself, Red Door is an apt comparison without being in any way a dupe. It is actually closer in profile with Amarige (or it's near perfect twin, Al Rehab Susan) to my nose. They All smell 'red' and contain a sizeable amount of a tuberose/aroma chemical that could be headache inducing for some. I get a headache from Amarige, not Red Door or Charlie Red. To me that is how they should be listed - in order of least wearable, Charlie Red winning the wearability contest hands down! And while I admit that on the right skin in scant proportions all three can be charming, Red is easily the friendliest and most approachable of the three. Value is out of this world good, and the bottle practical and easy to use. What's not to like? Tuberose, obviously! If you hate anything this powerful with tuberose, do avoid, please. The rest of you will smell fabulous for pennies! Oh, and just ONE spray, to trail in the wake of your fond followers and admirers. <3 Note - This review is for the Eau Fraiche version.

Very classy and affordable vintage scent ! It is a seductive, elegant and dainty perfume, creamy yet powdery in an effortless yet distinguished way. The association of Honey, Ylang-Ylang and the white florals (Gardenia, Tuberose, Jasmine, Lily-of-the-Valley, Orange Blossom), creates a really well blended creamy aspect to the scent. It gives Charlie Red this really seductive and confident side Then the powdery facet, dominated by the Sandalwood and Musk, then followed by the other florals (Carnation, Rose, Violet and Orchid) makes it more dainty and elegant. To make this hole blend the perfect vintage fantasy, you have the fruity notes (Peach, Black Currant, Plum) making the blend sweeter and even creamier, another woody note with the Cedar, and Amber to create more depth. The sillage is quite impressive for such an inexpensive scent (bought it for less than 6 euros), since it does lasts on the skin and clothes, maybe around 6 hours I would say, and the sillage isn't beast mode but it is strong. The only bad things are led by the price being really low, the things I consider bad being the fragrance's cap, the tag that is slapped on the bottle so vulgarly. But for the price can we complain ? It's in similar fields than some other vintage perfumes such as Cléa by Yves Rocher, or Red Door by Elizabeth Arden. I used to hate these scent profiles but now I am truly obsessed ! It reminds me of a kind grandma who smiles at everyone and who's heart is warmer than a fire, she's casual but makes it so elegant. Classy but will never brag about it, and she's always willing to help people out. This perfume really embodies this elegance and this class, but ever so modestly. I will be this grandma in the future haha. 9/10, I'm glad I gave it a second chance because I fell in love !

It's totally different than Charlie Blue. This one is powdery, floral, long lasting scent. It's totally all year arounder and easily wearable at any time. Tuberose, carnation, violet, gardenia... Tons of flowers in this bouquet.... If Sarah Key illustrations had scent, this would be the perfect one. Too bad that this quality perfume is marked as cheap because it definitely doesn't perform as common cheap ones, but on the other hand.... I'm glad that it's cheap so I can get it anytime I want. Many people (especially younger generations), will not reach for it because it's "cheap" and in "ugly" bottle and there's nothing fancy about it at first glance... But inside is liquid gold..... So, "don't judge a book by its cover", you've heard that one, I'm sure..... Just a little note, if the tester bottle is empty in the store, don't bother trying it through the cap or the sprayer, try it only if there is perfume in the bottle. It doesn't smell like Red Door, many people were disappointed because they thought it was a Red Door dupe.... Just in case you are Red Door fan, don't blind buy it cuz you might get disappointed.

Actually this is really nice. It’s light and interesting. It’s not exactly a sweet floral. It’s more of a brisk white floral. I have two bottles that appear to be different formulations. One has clear juice and the other has light yellow juice. The clear juice smells lighter and I like it more. It’s just a light, fresh smell with the fruity notes peeking through with sort of a tart effect amid the brisk, slightly sweet and slightly astringent, piquant florals. There’s a slightly spicy note that may be part of the carnation accord. The composition is beautifully inoffensive and wearable. It dries down to a skin scent within a few hours. Sometimes I’m in the mood for that if I’m around the house or just running some errands. It lasts a long time and stays relatively close to the skin with pleasant wafts occasionally reaching my nose. It’s hard to over-apply. The light yellow juice is all of the above but louder and slightly tacky. Louder is not always better. I prefer the clear formulation. It smells simpler but more sophisticated.

I'm actually in awe because I did not expect this fragrance to smell as delightful as it does because the Original Charlie is not my cup of tea. I bought a BIG CLEAR bottle ( NOT FROSTED) off of eBay for $7.50 It reminds me of a soft version of Sand and Sable and Kim Kardashian Pure Honey with tuberose, lilies and honey. It's s very tropical scent. Very light and whimsical. Nice sillage not too strong. Lasts a few hours before needing to reapply but for such an inexpensive product I don't mind spraying it often. This smells better than most expensive perfumes. Some say it smells like Maroussia but not so much. Maroussia is my signature scent that's why I bought this because people said it smells like Maroussia. Give this fragrance a try. It's great for the daytime in the summer and not to strong for the office. Honestly, it's a perfect scent. It a tad fruity and creamy. It is kind of soapy but in the best way possible ..it's very fresh. I'm delighted with this product. I hope they never stop making it.