Cabochard Eau De Toilette Review-The Sultry Librarian Scent

Cabochard Eau De Toilette Spray 1oz

Can a perfume with leather notes like Cabochard actually smell good? The first time I read that Cabochard had an unusual blend of notes that included leather, I tried to remember if any of my old scents had ever contained a leathery note. No, I don't think so. The last scent I remember with this note was my Grandfather's Old Spice aftershave.

History Tidbits Behind The Cabochard Fragrance
This perfume has reached the halls of classic because it was created in 1959 by one very interesting lady by the name Madame Gres. Something about her trip to India inspired her to commingle those scents into one great fragrance. She is also known for another classic, Cabotine.

The Bottle Design
Simply elegant are the words I use to describe my bottle design. The container itself is thin and sleek and feels nice in the hand. The etched 3-D bow is lovely and makes a girly statement extraordinaire. Pretty! However, the girly bottle hides an un-girly secret.

What You Read About Cabochard Online
I enjoy reading what other people have to say about fragrances, especially unusual scents like Cabochard. The extreme varying opinions can be incredibly interesting to read.  On a positive note, Cabochard has been described as smooth, bold and sophisticated. Those who hate it mention gasoline, bug spray, men's aftershave and just plain stinky. How is that for differing opinions?

Cabochard : French for stubborn or headstrong

Cabochard Perfume Notes
There are so many notes that it could explain the wide variety of responses you get from all the different noses out there.

• Top Notes- Sage, lemon, spices, fruits, aldehydes
• Middle Notes-Rose, ylang-ylang, geranium, orris root, jasmine
• Base Notes- Oakmoss, sandalwood, coconut, amber, vetiver, patchouli, leather, tobacco

Trying This Fragrance In Real Time
Here is my scent experience in real time as it happens:

• Cap off and first sniff- An old leather purse that someone spilled rose perfume on is my first impression when I sniff the spray nozzle.
• At first spray-Okay, here we go. Spray on wrist. A burst of lime, immediately followed by the most intense floral bouquet cloud with roses and geraniums prominent.
• After 15 minutes-At this point, something stinky and most unpleasant begins to peek through the florals; perhaps the orris root. My wrist smells musty, sour and a bit metallic. This is probably where the bug spray comments come from.
• After 30 minutes-Here comes the leather note in full force. It replaces the sour, musty scent with a fragrance that smells like rose perfume in a library of vintage books after the librarian had a cigarette. Rich, heady, mysterious. Stubborn? Perhaps.
• Full dry down after 1 hour-After an hour, I smell my wrist and what I am left with is a warm oakmoss, woody-leather residue with all traces of floral notes gone.

Patchouli? If it's in there, I didn't smell it and I am a patchouli hound. Coconut, no. None. Sadly, whatever sandalwood or amber notes it contained, didn't bloom on my skin. The burst of lime I mentioned turned out to be a lemon note instead.

What I Love About It
Other than the pretty bottle, I love having perfumes with an interesting story or person behind them. Cabochard lets me experience the wild spectrum of perfume blending uniqueness. I love thinking I have a scent that was invented 57 years ago that reminded somebody of her trip to India. When other perfume-aholics discuss their Cabochard reviews, it's great to have some on hand for a re-sniff.
 

What I Dislike About It
It's not a quick-spritz for casual times scent. Cabochard is meant to be worn for something that requires a statement. The biggest disappointment is probably how I feel when I wear it. I rarely reach for it because I have to be in one those moods where I need to make a major don't-give-a-hoot announcement. In other words, Cabochard is perfect for those rebel-without-a-cause-moments.


My Personal Recommendations

If you are looking for a classic floral, this is not it. I would recommend Cabochard all day and everyday for the perfume collector simply because this is one of the most unusual perfumes on the planet. It really is a love it, hate it, or curio scent at best. For me, it's a curio.

Cabotine By Gres- Eau De Toilette Review

How lovely it is to spend part of a weekend morning reviewing one of the perfume classics; Cabotine by Gres. I can't recall exactly when or where I picked up my 1 oz. spray bottle, but it has had a home in my collection for a few seasons now. I became curious about Cabotine when I stumbled on reviews and the history of this particular fragrance.

Although I didn't discover it until 2013 or so, it has been on the market since 1990. I knew going in that this was some type of floral and that it has a cult following of women that absolutely love it. That, and the great price made me decide to go ahead and try it.


The Cabotine Perfume Bottle

Cabotine by Gres-1oz. Eau de Toilette

Sadly, the picture I have posted here doesn't do the bottle much justice. With the leafy, broccoli-like cap and well-balanced body, the Cabotine bottle is pretty, pretty, pretty. The lettering on the bottle matches the green of the cap.

Cabotine Notes
Cabotine is listed as a Floral-Adelhyde scent that revolves around the very rare Ginger Lily flower. Other notes include:

• Top Notes-Plum, pear, blackcurrant, coriander
• Middle Notes-Ginger lily, rose, violet, tuberose
• Base Notes-Musk, amber, vanilla, cedar wood

Spraying On Cabotine In Real Time 

• The bottle cap sniff test- Soapy-fresh notes that smell like baby shampoo with a bit of musk added in; not the most thrilling sniff test in the world.
• On First Spray-A gorgeous burst of rose, pear and plum notes. The first spray smells beautiful. I can really get the violets and the hyacinths too. Spring is in the air!
• After 10 Minutes-At this stage, something sharp and bitter emerges. The tuberose? Perhaps that ginger lily? Here, the scent becomes weird to me. It reeks of sour flowers.
• After 30 Minutes-I search desperately for any notes of musk, amber or cedar wood contained in the base notes. None. Vanilla? No. What I do get, however, is that original bottle cap smell of soap and shampoo. My wrist smells like carnation-scented Ivory liquid.
• Complete Dry down-This is it. Cabotine smells like weak Yardley English Rose soap on me. Considering Cabotine means a dramatic, theatrical poser and ham, I am saddened by the undramatic qualities of smelling like soft floral soap.

What I Like About It
What I like is the adorable bottle. It could sit there for ages and just look pretty if I were to never use it again. The best thing that Cabotine has going for it is an affordable price point. This is not a wildly expensive perfume to buy.

Things I Don't Like
Other than the un-theatrical dry down, the bottle cap is a major dust magnet. All those nooks and crannies means a regular rinse under water, sometimes using an old toothbrush to make it shiny and clean again. Although the bottle cap is supposed to represent a flower, I still feel as though I am washing a broccoli top.

My Recommendations
Who do I think might like this fragrance? If you love those "clean" scents that remind you of fresh laundry and you happen to like multiple floral notes with a tad of sharpness, you might like this one. I am sure this is why so many women like it; it becomes a very soft, fresh-out-of-the-shower perfume that you could be okay wearing to work.


Cabotine by Gres Eau de Toilette

Coty L'Origan Cologne Spray Review

1.8oz Cologne Spray

 Good old Coty. The name has been around forever as a supplier of cosmetics and fragrances. When I was young, one of Coty's most famous scents was a light Lily of the Valley cologne called Muguet de Bois. It seems that I have tried them all. Coty colognes were cheap and easy to find at the drugstore.

I got away from Coty fragrances and moved on to more sophisticated stuff over the years. However, there is a nostalgic pull that my girlhood perfumes have over me, so occasionally, I will order an old classic just to revisit the past.

The L'Origan  Bottle
The bottle in itself is pretty and well-balanced. The fluted glass bottom and plastic cap give it some fanciness. It is surprisingly heavy for an inexpensive fragrance. The weight keeps it from falling over.It also looks nice displayed with my other bottles; a plus.

L'Origan Perfume Notes
L'Origan was created more than 110 years ago as a Floral or Floriental fragrance. The name means oregano according to Google Translate. Oregano Cologne...somehow that doesn't work in English, does it?

• Top Notes- Peach, orange, bergamot, pepper, coriander
• Middle Notes-Violet,rose,orange flower, ylang-ylang, jasmine, nutmeg, spices
• Base Notes- sandalwood, musk, incense,vanilla, cedar

Coty L'Origan In Real Time 

• Okay, here we go, off with the cap. The initial sniff test reveals a spicy baby powder scent. Soft, but not weak.
• First Spray-Yes, I think I smell roses! I detect some orange and maybe a little jasmine. The florals fade very quickly.
• After 10 minutes-Now the pepper,coriander and nutmeg are blooming on my skin. At this point, it becomes a seriously spicy scent; very intriguing.
• Dry down-Alas, after 30 minutes, those tantalizing spices disappear and fade away into baby powder notes.

What I Love About It
What I love is the bottle shape, the history and the nostalgia of using a perfume that was created in 1905. Did French women walk around in their 1905 dresses and hats, carrying parasols and smelling of Coty L'Origan? It's a fascinating thought.

What I Don't Love
Sadly, this isn't one of those attraction "bomb" perfumes that I love. Nobody is going to notice it; including me. It's a baby powder scent. A comfort scent that sits close to skin. What can we say about smelling like baby powder? It isn't sexy, alluring or sophisticated. It doesn't deserve a Skunk Award, but it is a bit of a disappointment in the longevity and silage department.

Charlie Gold Perfume-Is This Revlon's Weirdest Fragrance?

Charlie Gold Eau de Toilette100ml

Being a baby boomer that grew up in the 1970's, one of the most popular, all around scents for teens and women back then was Charlie perfume. The original version. With the popularity of original Charlie, Revlon began producing versions of Charlie like Silver, Gold, White and Red.

Let me mention right now that I adored Charlie back then and I still love it today. It is one scent that has always brought me compliments and attention. It's a powerhouse floral, not a wishy-washy watered down fragrance.

Charlie Silver And Gold Were Disappointing

I was curious to check out the other versions. One particular holiday season, I happened upon a Charlie perfume trio at CVS that included one bottle of original, one Silver and one Red. For the Silver and Red; may I suggest The Skunk Award? Phew!

With those two as major disappointments, I had to research reviews about the other versions. I saw that Charlie Gold was classified as an Oriental Floral scent with spicy notes. My nose ( and money) make a beeline for any perfume that mentions spice or Oriental in the same sentence.

I grabbed the big 100ml Eau de Toilette from eBay; the one-stop shop for perfume-a-holics everywhere.

Charlie Gold Perfume Notes

Orange, plum, peach, apricot, violet, freesia, jasmine, rose, cedar, sandalwood, cloves, cinnamon, musk, amber, caramel.


What I Like

What I like about Charlie perfumes in general is the value. You get a huge bottle of fragrance for a very good price. It's always been an affordable option.

What I Don't Like

 This is definitely one case where my idea of spice and Revlon's idea of spice are two totally different things. It's always a let down when you are expecting a certain fragrance experience and get something else.


My Real Time Charlie Gold Experience

• At first sniff when taking off the cap I get hit with sweet baby powder. 
• At first spray-I smell a slight hint of cloves, orange, cinnamon, and some floral notes mixed in.
• After 10 minutes of dry down, I smell my wrist. I get maple syrup dribbled over dried roses.
• After 30 minutes Charlie Gold has settled on my skin to smell like a maple sugar cookie dipped in fermented greenery.

  

  Skunk Award

There is something "off" about Charlie Gold. A sour, rotten leaf smell that ruins the prettiness of the fragrance.Looking through the notes, perhaps it is the cedar that is to blame. Surely the Orient smells better than this!

All isn't lost, however. In case you are wondering why my bottle is almost empty, I use it as air freshener. All of my perfume fails end up with three outcomes; I give them away, use them as air fresheners, or mix them with my other perfumes. Once I finish this bottle of Charlie Gold, I wont be getting another.