Dolce & Gabbana: 4 posts

Whenever I need some basic skincare or makeup, I usually go to the local perfumeries like Planet Parfum or Ici Paris XL. They carry the usual prestige brand suspects and are located on pretty much every corner in Brussels. As I get ready to leave with my purchases, a sales lady usually asks if I would like a spritz of perfume. I usually decline, but on one occasion I gamely decided to try her top choice. That’s how I met the new Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme and spent the rest of my day trying to scrub it off.

First, a bit of a back story. Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme has existed since 1992 as an aldehydic floral. Created by perfumers Jean-Pierre Mary and Martine Pallix (she also worked on Comme des Garcons Odeur 53), Pour Femme was the kind of high glamour fragrance with a whiff of the 1980s that you could still find in the early 1990s, and it made quite a statement.

Dramatic though it was, Pour Femme didn’t have much to appeal to the generation of perfume wearers who are used to sweeter, less assertive fragrances. Dolce & Gabbana rectified it by presenting a new version of Pour Femme–a fruity gourmand. Are you surprised?

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

My fingertips smell of peppery flowers and vanilla. The sample vial of Dolce & Gabbana Velvet Love has spilled in my handbag, and I have been trailing the spicy carnation with me for the past couple of weeks. Every time I reach into my purse to fish out my wallet or a pen, my fingers catch some of the fragrance as well. Soon, I started applying Velvet Love out of choice to indulge in its smoky sweetness.

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

At a time when there are 600+ annual releases, a fragrance that stays on the list of best-sellers is as much a rarity as a source of intense curiosity. My first encounter with Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue did not promise to develop into anything but a brief acquaintance—it was lighthearted, and sparkly, in marked contrast to my usual more brooding favorites. Yet, as I continued to study and delve further into perfumery, Light Blue would appear again and again. Not only is it one of the most popular fragrances on store shelves, it is also highly regarded by many top perfumers. Therefore, I resolved to take a closer look at Light Blue and decode its allure….

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Sicily provides an interesting example of using a heavy dose of aldehydes (effervescent aroma-materials made famous by Chanel No 5)  in a modern composition. Created by Nathalie Lorson for Dolce & Gabbana in 2003, Sicily rests its floral-aldehydic heart upon the vanillic oriental base. The result is an unexpectedly seductive juxtaposition of soapy notes and powdered honeysuckle, which gently allude to the sun tan oil before segueing into the creamy sweetness of sandalwood. …

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