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.

Aviance Night Musk Review- A 1980's Fragrance Flashback

Aviance Night Musk Cologne Spray 2.6 oz.

When I think about the many reasons why I love perfume, one is the tantalizing image they portray. Like others, I  can find myself caught up by the fantasy that perfume marketers try to tempt us with. I can't think of a better example than Aviance.  Although the original came out in the 1970's, the night musk version hit the shelves in the early 1980's.

When I was growing up, there was always some delicious smelling scent from Prince Matchabelli around. Windsong and Cachet are two that come to mind.

Aviance Night Musk Bottle Design

Like a pigeon standing at attention, the bottle is top heavy, yet has that distinctive crown logo that marks the Prince Matchabelli line. Because of its flat profile, wide top and small base, it falls over  quite frequently.


The Fragrance Notes

From online sources, the night musk version is described as a fragrant blend of Rose, jasmine, lavender, cloves, cinnamon, citrus and apple. * Nobody mentioned musk!*


Aviance Night Musk In Real Time

• Sniffing The Cap Impression-An unusual kind of apple-spice with a slight floral in the background. Weird is what comes to mind.
• On First Spray-The first spray comes out strongly of alcohol, then I am hit with some type of spiced lavender and a tad of cinnamon scented roses.
• After 15 Minutes-Okay, here comes some of those roses, a bit of jasmine and perhaps some other floral notes.
• After 30 Minutes-The only way to describe it is what a barrel of rotten apples smells like after being thrown into a fire.
• Complete Dry-down- Wouldn't you know that the perfumes you find the stinkiest last the longest? On my skin, this scent dries down to a putrid blend of pomander balls and plastic bags.

What I Like About It

If I could name one thing positive about this scent it's the memories of old-school scents and those unforgettable commercials that made us rush out to buy them. Okay, I can give it a second like; it's perfect for noses seeking to sniff unique combos of notes.


What I Don't Like

I find it slightly tacky that Prince Matchabelli puts different perfumes into the same bottle type. You will find that Windsong comes in the same exact bottle style.Sadly, there is much to dislike about this one.

In my opinion, Aviance Night Musk is all over the place. It isn't a spice, nor a floral, nor a fruit scent.  I sniffed high and low for the musk, but never found it. It's just plain strange and doesn't work for me. By now you may be wondering if I dislike it so much, why is my bottle is almost empty? Every once in awhile, I will "visit" it hoping for a more pleasant bloom that never happens. This is what happens when a perfume addict refuses to face ( or smell) reality.


My Recommendations

You stink!

If you are a die-hard collector of vintage perfumes, you might enjoy having this in your collection. However, in my honest opinion, it isn't worth what people are selling it for these days; especially on eBay.

It's a strange name, Aviance Night Musk. There is nothing musky about it. Perhaps it is best for night so people don't recognize you as you waft by smelling of rotten campfire apples.

Patchouli By Molinard Review

3.3 oz Eau de Toilette version

If you ever search online for patchouli-rich scents, one name you see mentioned is the fragrance by Molinard. There are so many different variations of what manufacturers call patchouli perfumes that you really need to try them  for yourself. After reading that Patchouli by Molinard is one powerhouse perfume that is heavy with this note, I decided to buy a tester ( without cap) and smell what all the fuss was about.

The Bottle Design
One compliment that I can give Molinard is that they didn't skimp on the quality of the glass base. It is heavy and substantial. Of course, I hate the fact that my bottle doesn't have a cap as it looks a bit like a headless horseman.

The bottle is purposefully androgynous to appeal to both men and women. This fragrance is classified as unisex.

Patchouli Molinard Perfume Notes
Don't you love the simplicity of the notes here?

• Top Notes- Geranium, orange, orange flower
• Middle Notes-Patchouli
• Base Notes-Musk, sandalwood, vanilla

Real Time Fragrance Experience

• Smelling The Cap- A very faint  sweetness; perhaps a hint of vanilla.
• The First Spritz -The first blast is strong on alcohol at first, then I get the full effect of  earthy, woodsy patchouli. All patchouli. Nowhere do I smell orange flowers, oranges or geraniums.
• After 10 Minutes-Wet, damp and earthy like walking through the woods after a rain storm in the fall. This is patchouli in all its glory.
• After 30 Minutes-After half an hour, the smoky, slightly bitter patch leaf scent is still prominent on my skin. Like described, the middle note of pure patchouli lingers and lingers.
• One Hour Later-After an hour, the scent has dried down to a very soft, bittery maple fragrance that is probably the vanilla note coming to life. I don't catch any whiff of sandalwood and absolutely nothing of musk.

What I Love About This Scent

Patchouli Leaves

What I enjoy about my Molinard scent is knowing that when I crave a pure sniff of genuine patchouli, it's there for me. It's perfect for layering and adding an extra spicy element to other perfumes in my collection.

What I Don't Like About It
Although it adds a punch to my other perfumes, sillage and lasting power is pretty weak. Another slight disappointment is the fact that nobody notices or compliments me when I wear it. That can be good or bad depending on what you expect from your fragrances.

My Recommendations
If you miss the good old smell of damp, earthy patchouli leaves, you should give this a try. It really is the old-school hippie-type patchouli scent, but it doesn't knock people out when you wear it. If you love the real-deal smell of patch leaves, you will love having this one in your collection.




Image Credit: Patchouli Leaves By Maša Sinreih in Valentina Vivod (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons