Basic Instinct

This is the ONLY Victoria's Secret perfume I consider wearable. I got the new bottles (my production date is April of 2016) in the small purple rectangles. Loved it so much. The scent goes on very musky, I almost dismissed it as generic and a blind buy mistake. But it settles in to a musky, sweet plum. I think it is WAY better than Lovely or Narciso Rodriguez, because it is musk, tinged with a sweetness from the plum and tuberose. I do think it is sexy, but it is also a very "professional sexy." Not professional as in prostitute.....but more of a sexy librarian type. You could easily wear this at the office, then straight out for a night on the town. It has a grown up, mysterious quality about it. Oh, and it is long lasting! I can smell it on myself the next morning when I wake up. Like I said, this is the ONLY VS perfume I can wear. All the others I have tried, well.....they seem like they are just trying too hard. Like a pre-teen who steals her mom's high heels and makeup and thinks she is the hottest kid in school, but ten years later, looks back and realizes how silly she looked. I tried NIGHT and Forbidden seduction, they COULD have been good scents, but there was always something off about them, like they refused to blend. THIS ONE is smooth and rich. No one would ever guess it was a cheapie from an underwear store.

Very seductive, dark and mysterious fragrance! First I didn't notice its beauty because it seemed to me musky enough. But then I really felt in love with it. Most of all I feel the plum note in this fragrance. I'm a huge plum note lover because between the fruit notes this note seems the most seductive to me. And its plum note is the best plum note in perfumes for me. It reminds a dark plum wine scent. And it really makes this fragrance very intriguing and alluring. Between the floral notes the gardenia note is the most noticeable. And this note makes this fragrance very much suitable as an evening fragrance. Actually, all notes are noticeable. The tuberose note brings floral sweetness to this fragrance. The Turkish rose note makes it more beautiful. The apricot note makes it softer. The patchouli note is strong enough in the base and makes this fragrance intensive enough. While the musk note makes it more femenine and sensual. And finally the vanilla note makes this fragrance normally sweet. I really love this fragrance. It's very sexy!

I absolutely love this scent! When not oversprayed, it's perfect and classy. In a class all it's own. Made the mistake of overspraying when purchased last year, during semi-annual sale, and it was over-the-top almost headache-inducing. Tried again today--almost a year later--with a lighter hand, and have fallen in love. I'm tempted to spray more but know that would be a huge mistake. Worth the purchase. It is what I recall what VS scents used to be, when they were less fruity-floral and more provocative and sexy, geared towards a woman, not a "pink" teenage young lady. Don't get me wrong, I still love the "pink" teenage scents and own quite a few. My intention is not to offend any age groups. I'm trying to describe how I interpret the scent. Go ahead and try Basic Instinct. Expensive quality with a cheap price tag. I'm sure you'll agree.

This one was a bit of a surprise for me. It's very powdery, and has a more mature and sophisticated vibe than most other Victoria's Secret offerings, which tend to have a fruity, juicy flair for the younger crowd... but this is different. It has a timeless quality, probably due to all that powder. Patchouli is strong here, but not offputting, for those who are hesitant about the note. It dances effortlessly with the plum and white floral notes, just the right blend to create a soothing, dark, sophisticated and seductive scent. Very well done, and a shame it's discontinued. This is similar to Natori, except that Natori has a sparkling, effervescent (aldehydic) quality to it that Basic Instinct lacks. Not that that's a bad thing, they're just a bit different.

I still remember my first time trying Basic Instinct. I smelled it once in Victoria's Secret and knew I had to have a bottle. The opening notes are quite potent. I smell plum and patchouli and they’re rather intense upon that initial spray. As it mellows out, it gets really, really floral. This perfume has very heady white florals. Tuberose is indeed an acquired scent but it along with gardenia are very nicely done in Basic Instinct. I’ve had this bottle of perfume for several years now. I don’t always reach for it but on those rare occasions when I do, it’s always a crowd pleaser. The longevity with this one is really good. I think it would be better suited for the fall and winter season.