Following my previous perfume comparison article, I’ve decided to compare another three fragrances that have had a lot of media hype surrounding them. One of the perfume’s I have decided to review is the much awaited James Bond 007 fragrance, that follows the release of the latest Bond movie – Skyfall. I realise it’s a male fragrance (however, I guess it can be used by women too) but I wanted to provide something in here for the men too (or the women who want to buy their boyfriend a new fragrance) – so I hope you don’t mind me including it too much.
007 Fragrance
This hotly awaited fragrance follows the recent release of Skyfall – the latest Bond film (that I haven’t yet had a chance to see unfortunately!) as well as celebrating the Bond film’s 50th anniversary. Although it hasn’t been exclusively endorsed by Mr Daniel Craig himself, it did sell out within a few days of going on sale – and now back in stock (with a gift set ready for Bond fans this Xmas) I decided to trial it to see if it was really worth all the hype.
Rather ‘conservatively’ described as the ‘most dangerously sophisticated fragrance in the world’, I was half expecting to be absolutely blown away by the musky, mysterious and ‘dangerous’ scent, however this wasn’t quite the case. Whilst it is a really lovely, musky and manly scent that I do love, it is perhaps not as good as the attention surrounding it and the hype that has been created.
The bottle itself is very 007-esque with a secret swivel mechanism (that I’m embarrassed to say took me fifteen minutes to open), however the fragrance is rather ordinary upon first spritz. As it mellows, it does somewhat improve, with notes of sandalwood, cardamom and coumarin (basically a really manly, yet fresh musky scent). It’s one of those scents that doesn’t really wear off – as you will still be smelling the top notes of apple and cinnamon throughout the day.
Overall, I’d say it’s definitely worth a try – but perhaps not as absolutely mind-blowing as the media (and the advert) makes out. I was expecting something really majorly different about this but I was greeted by familiar scents. It may be correct to say that I’m not the best person to judge this fragrance, seeing as I am not the intended wearer – however, for £19.99, it would make a great Christmas gift and shouldn’t be ruled out.
Kim Kardashian True Reflection
Until a few months ago, I hadn’t really understood the attention surrounding the Kardashians. This was until I discovered ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’. Not only is is reality television at its best (and this should not be scoffed at), but they must be the craziest/coolest/most gorgeous family in the entire world. Anyway, when I heard that Kim Kardashian had brought out a fragrance, I simply had to try it out. I wasn’t expecting absolute miracles, as I often underestimate celebrity perfumes for being more to promote the person in question rather than to provide consumers with a great product, however this really surprised me and it’s recently become a regular fragrance for me.
I am pretty awful when it comes to describing perfumes and how they actually smell, as you may have noticed from my previous descriptions. However, I try and describe it in the most relate-able and understandable way – so hopefully this helps. The only way I can describe True Reflection is a mix of coconut rum (sort of), lotus flower and chocolate and vanilla. The coconut rum is a really subtle note, however the chocolate and the vanilla come through really strongly, producing this really gorgeous girly scent that is by no means overpowering.
The internet labels it a ‘sultry’ scent, which I can definitely agree with. It’s sophisticated, feminine and yet not too sickly, which often celebrity female fragrances can be (think Britney Spears, Jenifer Aniston).
Hugo Boss Nuit
Hugo Boss’ latest perfume has been endorsed by Gwyneth Paltrow, which I guess is why it falls into the celebrity fragrance category (well, for the sake of this article it does anyway). Apparently inspired by the phenomena surrounding ‘little black dresses’, this fragrance is every bit as glamorous as it makes out to be. It is a perfect mix of woody, floral and powdery notes – all working together to create a really smart and elegant scent that mellows well and doesn’t fade.
It’s quite a creamy scent, which I personally love – as this often tones down any sickly sweet floral notes that can be overpowering and the overall impression of the fragrance is that it is very expensive and confident. I haven’t ever tried a Hugo Boss fragrance before, as I guess I’ve always associated Hugo Boss with male scents, however I was pleasantly surprised by this one and will definitely be trying out their future releases.
Although it works well as an evening fragrance, it is very wearable and light – so would definitely be suitable for day wear also. I was really impressed by the sleek black and gold packaging, which gives a really glamorous and smart finish to what is a very exceptionally glamorous and smart fragrance.
