Michael Kors eau de parfum

A tuberose-tropical, good for summer. Tries hard to evoke a tropical vacation, and pretty much succeeds. The tuberose is light enough to let other notes have a chance, but is overall a weaker strength scent than Fracas or Mahora (some would say that’s very fortunate). Unintended scent by-product: it has a top note smelling almost exactly like Chinese Silk Tree blossoms; we had a huge one in our front yard when I was a small child. Will probably buy it just for this.

Gucci

Sort of similar to Michael Kors but less tropical, more fake-sandalwoody. Little bit of leatheryness too. Goes on smelling sophisticated & expensive, wears out quickly, going cheap & stale in an hour or two. The generic woody-vanilla-amber base note that everything has nowadays lingering forever, which is bad, it’s so boring it’s annoying it won’t go away. You want it to succeed, you really do when it’s fresh, then it grows up to be a big disappointment.

The Beat by Burberry

Goes on smelling like an intriguing unidentifiable pleasant white floral-ish something, just when you think you’ve identified it you can’t think of the word… Soon moves into an odd “urban accord” of exhaust fumes, asphalt, and burning rubber –and quickly exits it. Ends in another generic woody-somethingorother that won’t wash off! I’m 90% sure Comme Des Garçons has covered this ground already, but 100% less timidly.

Mango Mandarin by Bath & Body Works

If I deride B&BW stuff so much, why do I bother trying it? Because I have hope they’ll accidentally make something with depth someday. In the meantime, It was 104 degrees F last week and I just wanted to smell yummy & uncomplicated. The gallons of sweat didn’t warp this chemical juggernaut one bit. Very foody scent. Made me hungry. Wanted a fruit slushy all day.