Loretta

This has Andy Tauer all over it. To me, this is a blend of the three Tauer scents: 01 Le Maroc Pour Elle (rose and wood), 09 Orange Star (orange blossom), & Pentachords Auburn (cinnamon and woody notes). Since I happen to have all three FB's of the aforementioned, I am not sure if I would spring for a bottle of this or not. I have a very ample sample, so will try this for a few days and see if I start to crave it, as I did Andy's others. I think Andy Tauer is brilliant. He is absolutely one of my favorites. The only thing about this for me was, I was really hoping for more of an "oriental" flavor... I was hoping for less of what Andy has already offered up to us in his current line, and more of something in the Kenzo Oriental meets Mauboussin Mauboussin range. More plum, more labdanum, resins & dry woody, less sweet rose & orange blossom. But that's just me. Seriously, no real complaints with this. And, like all of Andy's frags, this has big booming monster Sillage and longevity. You get your money's worth folks. Another thing too, I find that I notice Tauer's scents on me throughout the day, where, with most other fragrances (even CK Obsession), I can't smell the scent on myself after 15 or so minutes. And I end up over-spraying. Which, for other people, might get annoying since they say they can smell my scent even when I can't detect it. But I buy this stuff for ME. So, my Tauers last longer in the bottle than just about anything else I use. Overall: 9 out of 10 for me. If she was more unique to my already happy Tauer nose, I'd give Loretta a 10. Edit: And, I think I'll go for the FB... she has grown on me over time. The plum (one of my favorites) and orange blossom are divine. And the drydown is perfect for me. And I can't say it enough... longevity! Just wonderful. Edit: I would like to add that since I originally tested Loretta, I have come to realize what she represents with regard to the film Woman's Picture. Loretta represents the charactor in the film and Brian Pera and Andy Tauer collaborated on the scent with the charactor in mind. So, while my review was "cold" (as in, without knowlege of it's context), it was just a straight up review of my impression of the juice (which is pretty damn good on its own and as an introduction to Tauer's creations if you've never experienced them). I'd like to watch the film (and plan to) and revisit the scent with the context of Loretta, the charactor, in mind.

When I first tried Loretta more than a year ago, I felt a bit disappointed. I was expecting a ripe fruit drenched tuberose. Leather. The bad stuff IFRA wants out of our diet. Sorry, perfume. Instead I got a kind of musty gasoline accord, something that I wasn't expecting at all, and that I would later find amplified in Sotto la Luna Gardenia. I couldn't for the life of me imagine the star of the movie by Brian Pera wearing it. It wasn't right. Many wearings later I kind of found the appeal in Gardenia, and while I no longer feel like crawling out of my skin when I wear it, I long to be in Lorreta's skin. Tauer offerings tend to divide people; love or hate. And if you hate them at first, there's a little voice that whispers "try me" deep inside the bottle. Loretta has evolved. Or rather, I've evolved. Now, under the misty halo, there's everything I wanted from her. There's a ripe fruitiness I can't quit figure, but it feels extremely decadent. The kind of ripeness that is well past expiration. There's a tuberose that feels austere, but at the same time elegant. The matriarch tuberose. The gasoline accord feels more like an 'oily' accord. As if the perfume was drawn as an oil canvas, rich in color saturation. The leather and the Tauerade add a musky feel to the entire picture. I guess that I saw Loretta, the protagonist, as full of life. But that's not the case. Loretta lives in a dream world. And as is so often the case, imaginary is quite often more vivid. More languid. It might work or it might not. I'm happy that I kept paying attention to the little voice, because when I let Loretta take me inside her world, her imagination became mine. I dreamt her dreams. As much as it sounds austere and weird, it isn't. After all it's a tuberose fragrance. With animalic leather, and plum, and carnations. It's a powerhouse floral, in the dream dimension. I'm just happy to be there, whenever I feel like escaping my world. Out of the 3 offerings, I found my alter ego in Loretta; she's strong, powerful and long lasting. She feels with her heart, and if you're one of the lucky ones to enter her world, well it's a hell of a ride. But be prepared for it; she ain't easy, and she ain't here to please you. She's just here to help you please yourself. A hedonistic tuberose ride!

I was lucky to try this new perfume thanks to a generous fragantican (katarina82). Now I can't make comparisons with the perfumes suggested below as I have never sniffed them. On the first sniff I was sure I have smelled this before as the immediate opening notes were smilar to Poeme and Fracas but that is where the smilarity ends. Once the loud, smack in your face tuberose, calms down, it turns fruity (dried plump fruit) and deliciously spicy. It is almost like a spicy tutti-fruity tuberose. At that point it reminds me of Sacrebleu which I love for the very same notes. Thereafter it calms down to a very very nice cinamony white floral. The longevity was pretty good and so was projection. I kept getting whiffs of this from underneath my top and thinking mmmmmmm...... The question is, would I buy a full bottle of this? Well, I guess, if money was no object, most likely YES. At this point in my life, probably NOT but I would most certainly consider buying a body spray/roller ball. My only concern is it might end up becoming an irritating scent after a while and you would most definitely need to be in the right mood for it.

LORETTA got me hooked from the first sniff. I do not think this is particularly pretty fragrance, but it's so unique that it got me sniffing my arm all day trough. It opened with a blast of weird bubblegum leather and even weirder tuberose, in some levels it reminded me of my favorite Comme des Garcons DAPHNE. LORETTA is a very playful fragrance, it is a bit kinky and sexual yet childish and playful (the bubblegum note). It has a weird animalic undertone making this raw and sensual. As I said before it is a very addictive fragrance and I love it to bits. I did not get head-over-heels for the drydown, so I won't be getting a bottle, but I enjoyed the journey nevertheless. Def. worth a try!

There is something very nice about it that I haven't figured out yet. But why does it smell like gasoline?? I waited maybe it will change and go away but persisted. I don't know what to think of this. I do not hate it but maybe I can't wear it. Edit: I tried it again, it's spring time. After the harsh spicy opening, it settles down to a chic and grown up white floral, with a twist. Playful and mature at the same time. Good longevity stays all day remains pleasant and fresh. Worth a try if you are looking for a different white floral.