Bare

VS Bare is thankfully not what I thought it would be. After trying it, I knew I needed a bottle. Especially when it didn't turn out to be a Santal 33 interpretation with those notes. This original, being my favorite out of all the Bares, is a sweet but dewy violet. Not a powdered violet candy, but there is an unlisted vanilla or sugar note. The dewiness is fresh in a way which lifts the fragrance and keeps the vanilla from being too heavy. The sandalwood adds a creamy cozy facet without being too woody and the musk is like a hug from someone with a clean sweater on. The projection is not the loudest but the sillage carries when you walk. Longevity is moderate at 5 hrs, but it does stick to clothes. And even though I don't like the bottle design, can't beat it for the price. I really love that this is an amalgamation of various fragrances I've loved and liked. All in all I'm heavily reminded of the lifted vanilla in Mizensir Tres Chere, the creamy violet and purple fruit shampoo in Gucci Gorgeous Mangnolia without the depth of patchouli, Rania J Musc Moschus but Bare doesn't get syrupy or too "purple" fruity in warm weather, Phlur Soft Spot but Bare has a cleaner dewiness with less suede and powder, Cheirosa 59 but Bare is more refined and a tad less caramelized which works when it's warm out. I can see how the dew reminds of Byredo Mojave Ghost but that is more watery fruity shampoo with no vanilla. New Notes Bonbons Violette also has that dewiness, but it's more non-fruity natural violet that ends up drying down with a BR540 vibe. Lots of comparisons, but hopefully you can get an idea.

A creamy sandalwood, with violet and a hint of citrus up top... Bare is a little more than a skin scent on me, used it a few times now, to test what people say about it, and weirdly guys have told me that this scent is quite provocative, and that too over 7 hours since I put it on, (though I do 6 to 8 sprays of this scent). Friends tell me I smell nice (Females), guy friends tell me I smell super nice, and have even asked me to spray their jackets with a few sprays of Bare. I've even been stopped a few times since using this scent by straight couples and the girl will ask me about the scent because their partner found it very interesting, and I'd pull out my mini rollerball I carry around whenever I use this scent and offer the girl to apply it and tell them where to get it from and they would become so excited and thank me for being so nice about it. Honestly speaking I find this scent tends to smell very calming and caring to my nose, almost like being in the embrace of a warm kind sincere person (lol not trying to self project here), just describing what I picture when I get a whiff of this scent. Lasts over 10 hours on me with moderate projection especially when I sweat. 9/10 If this is a "your skin but better" kind of scent then count me in, Victoria Secret scents tend to play extremely well off my skin (weird, as I'm a Male), so yeah guess I'm just a lucky guy.

Editing 6 months later to add: I switched from the spray version of this to the rollerball. Not only does it last longer, the initial application is less screechy. Also picked up some of the perfume oil (came in a gift box) and Oh. My. God. Becky. I used the oil only on my legs, sparingly after shaving, and I had people commenting how amazing I smelled WHILE AT A FUNERAL. I wasn’t kidding when I said this fragrance is comforting - Wow. **************** This feels like a distant cousin to the OG Heavenly (which I wore the hell out of back in 1999). They start off completely different, but dry down to similar warm sandalwood/amber notes. The current Heavenly doesn’t seduce me in the same way. Bare, however, immediately won me over (and now I'm a little obsessed). It starts off fresh, a little fruity, and then it warms up to a comforting, soft, cozy confidence. Like getting really physically close to someone you trust, who you know will keep all your secrets and elevate you, and will definitely NOT try to steal your lover. tip: you can layer your Bare products with In The Stars shower gel from Bath & Body Works. The notes are *really* close. However: The mist and lotion of In The Stars are not as close to the Bare EDP scent as the shower gel. The moisturizing body wash version was FOUL ... I’m still a little traumatized by it.

Bare is living proof that skin chemistry is real. I live in a hot, tropical climate, have a warm skin temperature, and sweat easily. Usually, Victoria’s Secret fragrances turn very off-putting on my skin, but Bare completely broke that streak. It even convinced my non-fraghead friends that skin chemistry isn't just a myth. On testing stripes, they prefer other fragrances in store, but once I tried it on my skin — all agreed that this is the one! It’s a beautifully crafted "your-skin-but-better" scent. It opens with an almost lactonic, milky warmth — yet it never feels juvenile, sticky, or weird. As it dries down, it settles into an incredibly sophisticated, warm, and elegant woody-vanilla aura (and to be clear, it’s not "vanilla-ey" like those redundant vanilla perfumes out there). I get zero fruitiness at all from first spray to base. Instead, it feels as if I have a warm cashmere wrapping over my upper body, floating up to my nose from time to time when I least expect it. It’s not perfumey, but it’s definitely not basic either. It’s the kind of fragrance you wear both for yourself and for the people around you. VS perfumes are quite expensive where I live, but I’ve wanted this for so long and I have zero regrets. I genuinely cannot stop smelling myself.

You guys, I could drink this perfume. Seriously, what is IN this stuff?? I got a travel size from VS yesterday and have fallen madly in love. I’ve never had a perfume make me smile after every time I catch a whiff, along with no headache (I love notoriously sweet perfumes, headache or not haha). Not even my beloved Black Opium gets this kinda reaction from me. It’s sweet, warm, inviting, all day-every day kinda scent. Perfect for every occasion except maybe date nights haha, it’s maybe not deep and sexy enough, imo. I’m not the best at picking out individual scent profiles, but there’s nothing that sticks out in the spotlight in this perfume. Just sweet, slightly musky, blended goodness. I can’t tell if there’s vanilla or not.. but definitely sweet and yummy. And it lasts! I’m still enjoying it 5 hours later, and for me that’s a win. Most scents become skin scents on me within a few hours. But not this baby! Definitely getting a full bottle soon, I don’t wanna run out of my travel spray :)