A few months ago a friend sent me a large box of Victoria's Secret fragrances. He explained that his company would receive promotional items and he knew I could provide a home for these leftover bottles. He said he realized Victoria's Secret was no big deal in the perfume world, seeing that it's in every mall in the country and geared to appeal to a mass market. In other words, these would not be challenging works of art. I assured him that didn't matter and I would be happy to try them. I think it's important to stay informed of the mass marketed scents, even when the world of niche perfume houses is a fascinating rabbit hole of experience. Truth is, when the average person asks me for purchasing suggestions, they would prefer a variety of price points. Niche is expensive and often harder to find. So why not try a bunch of easily available scents and review them for you?
Victoria (2013): The first perfume that I remember trying from the company was called Victoria. This was back in the mid 90s when the store itself was a different incarnation altogether. It catered to classy sexy WOMEN, not college girls/ teenagers. The original Victoria perfume was a heady floral oriental. Now this new scent... same name, different perfume entirely. The name is the only commonality. A blend of tangy cranberry meets creamy caramel drydown in one of the tackiest bottles of all time.
Eau So Sexy: Plain green apple. Men seem to love it even though it's ridiculous simple. Once again, the bottle is ugly. Who is designing these atrocities? I would hide this in a drawer.
Scandalous: Chocolate covered raspberry, toothache sweet. Reminds me of a Bath & Body Works spray. In other words, cheap and lacking nuance. Bottle is adorned with a pouf atomizer. Some designer at Limited Brands who doesn't wear perfume thought this would be cute. There are so many problems with pouf atomizers but that may be another post for another day.
Fearless: Transparent mish mash of berries. Wholly uninspiring, unless your goal is to smell like a Glade candle. The amethyst glass flacon is better looking than most current VS bottles, so it has that one thing going for it.
Bombshell: Bright sour grapefruit and a shampoo floral. Online reviews claim this keep mosquitos away similar to citronella. Not my usual style but I liked it more than I thought I would. It's a nice break from all the vanilla and berry scents. Bombshell has an almost soapy angle to it. I wore it to a job interview. And got the job! They probably thought I seemed wholesome or something.
Sexy Little Things Noir Tease: Another flanker in the extensive 'Sexy Little Things' line and a dead ringer for Viva La Juicy by Juicy Couture. Very gourmand and vanilla. Caramel with a hint of fruit. Smells like something you want to drink. Another atomizer on the bottle, when will the madness end?
Body by Victoria (2012): The company has made 3 perfumes with this name so far. That's like if you named all your children John, even the girls. Most of their perfume lines are launched to go with a new line of lingerie and the 'Body' scents go with their no frills, streamlined collection of smooth shaping bras and panties. I figured out by smell that my sample was the second variation of Body by Victoria. Musky orange blossom, this one surprised me by being fresh and wearable. It's what you put on before or after a workout.
Forever Sexy: My favorite of the whole lot, this was a light lemony citrus with a creamy white floral and coconut drydown. It reminded me of a fancy niche fume called Kedu by Memo. I would buy this as an alternative to the expensive Memo line. The bottle is strange but intriguing, tulle wrapped around with a ribbon laced up the back, corset style.
Dream Angels Kiss: Lesser known flanker in the 'Dream Angels' line. Possibly discontinued? Interesting concept but I'm not sure I care for perfumes with mint leaves as a top note.The smell always makes me think of oral hygiene products. I had this same problem with Guerlain's Herba Fresca.
Love Me: Starring the signature VS amber note they have been using for years. They had an amber based line back in the 90s and this reminds me of it, but it's softer for today's modern woman that's afraid to offend anyone. Almost an edible amber and I do like the bottle with the exception of another darn pouf atomizer. Come on Vic! Get it together.
Very Sexy: There are a million variations of the 'Very Sexy' line and my sample was not marked with a year or anything to tell it apart. I tried to use my nose and listed notes to figure out which one it was but by this point all I could smell was a musky fruity floral in my nostrils, the combination of sniffing one too many extremely interchangeable fragrances. I'm sorry I can't be more helpful.
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