Dangerous Curves

Oh Dangerous curves, How I love the OTT perfumery of thee. Instantly smashes you over the head with perfumey, perfume stuff, I describe it as the excitement of smelling the air as you approach a perfume department, which many would think to be the more tenacious, divisive stuff, a cloud of ambrox and woody ambers (which it almost certainly can be) but I have a much more romantic meaning in mind, it's the tingle of labdanum and the heady swoosh of roses freshened with fruits and pink pepper, floralisers and all that shit! This is the stuff that gets me primed with anticipation to smell some new perfumes and probably tricked into buying stuff I really shouldn't, but hey ho! Dangerous curves is a perfume made for Transgender model and socialite Amanda Lapore and it's just as much of a warping of the Marilyn Monroe aesthetic, in olfactory form. This is a BIG perfume but it's not vulgar or too much it's actually very refined for all it's power. I actually get a resinous opening to me, spicy, labdanumish, somewhat sharp, full bodied mildly fruity. Then all the sparkle and effervescent booze of the champagne which I often associate with cognac materials. An indolic sort of civety blast just washes over, the most subtle nod to classic perfumery and then it's gone. The rose is quite powdery to start off but then you get that cosmetic iris feel but it's more ionones than irones, it's nothing like Malle's Lipstick rose or anything of the sort, I'd say it's merely a smudge of lippy. What it did remind me of was Amouage Lyric Man and woman, as she settles in to a lovely soapy, airy rose accord, really lovely but doesn't quite have the same whispy, floating smoke quality (not smoky) because there's some other heavyweight ambery type accords in here but possibly led me to believe there may have been some olibanum which could add to that bubbly, airiness? I think it's fantastic anyway, lots of common themes perhaps but the execution is so different and allows for quite a busy composition to feel like it has breathing space, not an easy thing to achieve. Throw expectations out of the window and enjoy this perfume for the lovely experience that it is. Wonderful.

Unique, charismatic, and sickly in a fun new way. I’m excited by this, but I don’t think I could handle a full bottle. It is a sweet makeup smell but not fresh - it’s waxy old-faithful lipstick imprinted with the wearer’s lips, morphed by use and time, a small fleck of dry skin wedged in. The florals seem to make this scent less shiny needles and plastic surgery, more Club Kid dressing room. Dusty skirting boards. Ostrich feathers draped on the mirror. Re the fleck of skin - to my nose there’s something bodily and slightly grimy happening amidst the sweet and florals. (Is this due to the civet? People who know more about perfume than me, let me know!) Bear with me here but on a simmering, low level, this perfume is Secretions Magnifiques if Secretions Magnifiques served cunt (and was significantly less disgusting and repellent). For better or for worse, the griminess is accompanied by cleanliness: sometimes in a mopping the floors in an 80s fetish mag rubber-maid way, but also at times my grandfather’s nursing home (don’t let this put you off, I think this is a very specific scent memory that we won’t share). Chemical processing in stockings and garters. Perfect for a John Waters screening, or even better a forcefemming occasion. Thus the hunt for a forcemasc perfume begins.

Love this! Everything is exaggerated and pushed to its limits without feeling unbalanced, nothing demure here (much like Miss Lepore's persona). It definitely doesn't smell "natural" nor should it! A huge peach smeared with lipstick floating in a vat of civet-y champagne. I crave this often.

Also... Can anyone confirm whether the civet in this is synthetic or not? Still trying to figure out what The Rules are regarding using animal products like civet musk. I’d be very upset to think a perfume I have had used the real thing!

Oh my that stuff is strong. It's like a mix and match of all the ingredients above right in your face. It smells very femme "fatale that drinks champagne and wear a tightly fitted black dress" if that makes sense. The lipstick smell is quite detectable. If you cannot tolerate vintage makeup smells you won't like this. I can smell the Daphnee on opening than it morphs with the rest. On the drydown I can smell fruity florals and vintage makeup. There's also a slight alcoholic smells that stays there. Champagne maybe ? The longevity is fantastic and overall this is not a discrete perfume. It could actually bothers people around you so keep that in mind. Bold creation for sure.