Femme Fatale

this is a lovely take on fig with some lovely florals really nice feminine fragrance

Let me preface by saying I don't have a very refined palate or knack for describing perfumes yet. To me, it smells like the colour purple. A little bit sweet and dark but mostly floral, and a little fruity. There's a little bit of Something unusual in there that I can't tell if I like or not, but I think it adds to the overall smell profile. You can really smell the sandalwood. It sits very close to the skin, I have to really press my nose up to get anything, but every now and then it'll waft a bit in the wind. It also kinda reminds me of body spray, specifically this $10 sugarplum dupe thing I got at a discount store. Overall it's a yummy and pleasant smell, but I don't like it enough to buy a full bottle. It's not as sexy as the name led me to believe but I'd wear this at night or if I wanted a more feminine vibe. EDIT: An hour later all I'm smelling is sandalwood. Final verdict: I'm not a fan of this fragrance. Maybe if the fruity floral notes lasted a little longer I'd enjoy it more?

Femme Fatale starts off beautifully, but the violet and fig dissipates within 30 minutes, leaving only a fuzzy sandalwood haze behind for the rest of the day, which is ultimately boring. Nothing about it really says "femme fatale" in the first place, as it's a rather pretty and powdery fragrance, far from the sex appeal that any femme fatale would exude. I'd say Margot Elena got "femme fatale" right when she created Tainted Love; that's a good one! Dead Sexy, too. I went head over heels with her 2011 collection - the longevity and projection were savage, so good they were everywhere in Sephora stores, and an absolute STEAL for $50ish a bottle. I still have Arsenic and Bittersweet. But these latest ones - not just from this year, but the 4 she put out in 2021 - are not worth it. I own Hypnotic (2024) and really like it, but like I said: awful longevity, mild projection (while it even lasts), minimal effort in these blends. Still gorgeous gothic bottles, though.