Cleopatra

The advertising campaign compares 4 Tocca perfumes - This is how they described "Cleopatra" -- A Mediterranean Seductress; Powerful, Seductive, Exotic; Keynotes - Grapefruit, Jasmine, Vanilla Musk. Wear to feel sexy. ----------- I didn't see this advertising gimmick before sampling this perfume. No, I'm NOT a Mediterranean seductress! Nor do I want to be! LOL.... but I'm looking for a good perfume! The dry down of this perfume is truly GORGEOUS! Wow! I am trying a sample of this now. This is really good - so far -- When I first sprayed this, I thought that I picked up the note of cassis, which I have a chemical reaction with - I can't wear perfumes with that particular note in them. Luckily, that note only lasted a few minutes, then this transitioned into a stunningly GORGEOUS perfume. This has an earthy quality to it. The notes of leaves (probably the cassis leaves) are still evident throughout the wear of the perfume. The musk is not that evident, it is definitely singing back up to the other ingredients. This was another recommendation by my Fragrance Angel. She has really excellent taste in perfumes! I never would have tried this without a friend recommending this (because I didn't know about this line). This has an autumnal vibe to it, so it is more in the family of perfumes that I wear in the autumn/winter... but this could possibly be worn year round. This is lovely! The general vibe is like an antique trunk show which is eclectic. Some have compared it to Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely (the original), my sample of this perfume is more in the autumn type family of perfumes. The closest perfume vibe to this that I have tried - would be the YSL Yvresse Champagne perfume that I recently reviewed. This also has more of an autumnal quality to it... I find that Sarah Jessica Parker's perfume is more powdery and musky, so that - I would put more in the classification of a soft summer family. (They all three are beautiful and evoke such different moods). David Yurman's Exotic EDP is also in this same general autumnal genre, Tocca's Cleopatra has a moderate woodsy type smell - DY Exotic EDP is much more woodsy. ----------- If you have a reaction to cassis, I would definitely sample this first. There are moments during the first 30 minutes of wear where this could lean into the realm of "cat lady" - because cassis sometimes has a note which smells like cat urine in the litter box.

I don't know who Tocca works with, but God, this is a 90's feminist type perfume that I miss like crazy. Cleopatra is death, Hatshepsut is on the throne and she goes dressed in her Pharaoh armour on the war battlefield with the Scythians. Lord what a perfume! It has no similarity with Narciso or the Lovely either, not a even one, ok maybe the the end of the end which is a floral powdered musk, but now honestly it's the last note before it disappears so, let be serious, just because a perfume has musk and patchouli doesn't mean it's the same, sure the notes take a different smell on everyone skin but I can't find it similar to NR or Lovely, because categorically it's not lovely this perfume.... It's a spicy green scent, with a scent light to medium of a gentleman aftershave from that old times Caron type, a slight smell of tea, black tea with jasmine and it has a note that I don't realize what it is, I think can be tuberose with a very bitter smell, but anyway I love it, it smells like, for those who remember, Escada blazers when you bought them back in 80-90, I can't be sure what the note is, but God, I missed it. The middle notes are more powdery but almost the same for me, maybe the rice powder, because yes, for my nose smell like rice and harvested grade, the end is a woody floral and at the end of the end it's that vanilla floral musk with that cereals powder. That grapefruit is splendid here just cut all the sweat off and the blackcurrant is actually a bud smell not a mature fruit, and certainly some how resembles with that Cassis the smell of a raw vines in spring. I love this perfume, but I can't wear it how I would like anymore, because my good friend find her signature in this so I don't want to still the show, but some time I rock it.

This is my new signature scent. Funny because I received a sample pack of Tocca rollerballs from my friend for my birthday. I was immediately intrigued with Stella and Florence. I would wear each of them on occasion however neither of them felt 100% ME. Recently I have been looking for a new scent. Previously my signatures have been Gucci Rush and D&G The One. I could not find a new one that had me enamored. Then I decided to give the Tocca's another try because I LOVE the little stories behind them and the beautiful feminine names. I began my search online and starting diving deeper into the notes of the scents- figuring out what I like and what I don't like. Just from reading, I realized that Cleopatra might be the perfect scent for me so I went to the store and was so excited to try it. At first spray I was utterly upset. It is extremely sharp. Too sharp. I almost ran out of the store to wash it off... but don't be fooled by her sour, standoffish first impression. Cleopatra develops into this creamy, sweet, spicy scent that lingers on you like a sweet yet sexy kiss. I don't understand notes yet. I am getting there. So I cant tell you exactly what I am smelling. I do know that I am not getting musk as much as some others have written. I gave Margaux a go recently and that one is MUCH more musky in my opinion. When I started wearing this out and about I began realizing that I would get this amazing whiff here and there of something fruity and vanilla. I kept thinking it was something else. Like my coffee creamer or a candle or something. Then I realized it was ME the whole time that was giving off this little halo of deliciousness. Give Cleo a go!!!

I love love love this. I only wish it was stronger and lasted longer! These reviews are so weird and polarized... I think this is one perfume you will just have to try for yourself and see how your body chemistry works with it, and what your nose picks up. On initial application, bright sweet juicy fruit and leaves. I don’t have the “black currant smells like cat piss” gene so it’s very fresh. I couldn’t distinguish a specific fruit besides the next though... Then it’s a lovely fuzzy peach and white floral which doesn’t lean too much into being a tuberose OR a jasmine bomb, with an amazing and addictive musk-patchouli dry down. Seriously, I could not stop smelling my wrists. Unfortunately it was super lightly scented on me and totally a skin scent by 4 hours! 😭 I just want to turn up the longevity and strength here, and it would be the perfect scent! I think a lot of people comparing this to hairspray/shampoo/whatever maybe don’t know that those products are commonly scented with musk so you’re just really able to identify that note on your skin, haha. I get a balance, but everyone is different. All signs point to me trying Lovely to see if it lasts longer on my skin because of how many people say they’re similar. And I looooooved Cleopatra. A sexy and regal scent. EDIT I tried Lovely and it’s much more floral on top, but I can see how the dry downs are similar. Not identical though and Cleopatra is better imo.

I read some of the other reviews comparing this to SJP’s Lovely. As soon as I got that into my mind I knew why I loved this fragrance so much. I’ve loved the SJP Lovely for many years but after I had my children, my nose changed and I could no longer use Lovely without an instant headache. I have to be so careful with notes and when I find a house that tends to not bother my sensitive new nose, I get a little obsessed. I’ve had enormous luck with Tocca fragrances! This one is so feminine and lovely. I get a beautiful happy feeling from it and it does not make me ill the way Lovely does....although the similarities are unmistakable. I get a beautiful floral opening and later some peach and tiny bit of amber. Although this one does not appear to contain a lavender note, the composition seems to mimic lavender. To me it is a delicious, feminine gem. I think you could probably wear this one all year round as it isn’t “fruity.” This may actually be my favorite fragrance find in a very long time.