Bob Mackie Perfume For Women

Bob Mackie For Women Eau de Toilette 3.4oz spray

In the 1990's, a few well-known fashion designers decided to add fragrances to their collection. I  distinctly remember the Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Diane Von Furstenburg scents of that era. Bob Mackie was a name that was very well-known in fashion circles, especially after he rose to fame as Cher's dress designer.

Although we are bombarded with celebrity and designer perfumes up to our ears today, back then it was a little more restrained and special.

I stumbled upon a few reviews of Bob Mackie For Women describing it as an "old-school" powerhouse perfume worth trying.  After suffering disappointment and anger with modern watery ripoffs, I had to buy some and try it.

The Bottle Design

Leave it to a designer like Bob Mackie to come up with a bottle shape like this one. From the side, it looks a bit like a pregnant penguin; flat chested, but with a puffed out lower abdomen. The glass has substantial weight. The etched glass creates a 3D or art-deco effect that is very modern looking.

The cap is made with odd angles that never "match" the straight lines of the bottle neck. If you like things that line up neatly, you will be playing perfume rubics cube every time you use it. However, the bottle looks sophisticated just sitting there. The puffed front and flat back makes it prone to fall over easily.

Bob Mackie Perfume Notes

This fragrance is classified as a Floral Oriental with fruity components.

Top Notes-  Peach, raspberry, pineapple
Middle Notes-Honeysuckle, rose, orange blossom, jasmine, ylang-ylang, tuberose, narcissus
Base Notes- Patchouli, musk, vetiver, sandalwood, amber

My Real Time Scent Experience

• The Cap Sniff-When I take off the cap and put the nozzle to my nose, I smell a rich, sweet scent like vanilla infused flowers. I don't know why I get vanilla as it isn't listed in the notes.
• First Spray-Yes, I can give it the okay for those citrus notes of peach and pineapple. I don't smell any raspberry, however. Something dances underneath the citrus; perhaps the tuberose.
• After 15 Minutes-Pure tuberose at this point, maybe a bit of ylang-ylang lurking beneath the surface. I adore honeysuckle, but no matter how hard I sniff, I don't detect it.
• After 30 Minutes-Here is where this perfume gets interesting on my skin. From a distance, I get wafts of rose and orange blossom. Sniffing my wrist up close I smell something sour and dank hiding under the florals. Perhaps the vetiver?
• Complete Drydown-It has been over an hour now. Those luscious base notes of amber, patchouli, musk, sandalwood and vetiver have all melded together into a very soft, powdery scent where no one note stands out above the other. Powdered fruits is a good description.

What I Like About This Fragrance

In my opinion, Bob Mackie smells rich and elegant. It is a sophisticated fragrance full of unusual nuances. It is a lovely reminder of the 1990's and what was popular back then. Bob Mackie is still a full-bodied fragrance that hasn't been watered down or tampered with.

Compared to those modern celebrity scents that are overpriced and underwhelming, Bob Mackie For Women won't break the budget. The fragrance is rich enough to give you your money's worth.

What I Don't Like About It

For a scent classified as an oriental, it just doesn't have that air of mystery that I crave in oriental perfumes. There is no spice, no sass, no reason to don sunglasses and act like Greta Garbo on a secret mission. It may be in the oriental family, but it is very far removed; like a 5th cousin.

My Recommendations 

Anyone who loves rich, fruity florals with a heavy rose accent might like Bob Mackie perfume.  I could definitely see this scent blooming into a real beauty on someone with the right chemistry. The drydown is very soft, so don't let the "powerhouse" description scare you.