Givenchy Extravagance d' Amarige
Written: Mar 22 '03 (Updated Jul 02 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: sweet without being overly floral. spicy without smelling like pumpkin or apple pie
Cons: none
The Bottom Line: A balanced scent that can take you from daytime to evening, though probably best for evening wear.
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| naphtalia's Full Review: Givenchy Extravagance D Amarige 1.7oz Spray by Giv... |
Sometimes I shop to escape the world. There are certain stores where I know the only interaction I'm likely to have with an employee is either when they count the garments I take into the fitting room, or when they take my credit card before I leave. Shopping has become more of a self-service activity. Once in a while, however, I want the pleasure of being waited on. Going to a restaurant and having a meal won't do it. A waitperson must split his/her attention between me and people sitting at half a dozen other tables. When I'm craving service, I want it all. That's when I go shopping for a new fragrance.
If what you want is attention, you need to find a place that sells a variety of perfumes. It won't do to go to the Estee Lauder counter. There you will only find Estee Lauder. You need to go to a perfumery store or counter. We have a local drug store that has such a counter. The lady who works there is somewhere in her 50s. Age is not important, but maturity is. One needs to have a salesperson who is patient and unrushed.
It was on a day where I was craving a few moments as the center of the universe that I discovered Extravagance d'Amarige. I told her I was looking for a new scent for spring, but that I wanted to avoid smelling like roses or lilies. I have no objection to roses or lilies, but I already have more than enough scents with those bases.
Out came the cards for spraying perfume testers on and the ground coffee so one can get rid of the old scent before smelling the new one. We started with lighter scents and slowly worked our way up towards stronger and more sensual stuff. I didn't take long to start eliminating scents. I eventually settled on Extravagance D'Amarige by Givenchy.
I tend to prefer fruity scents to floral. I like strong wood and spice notes, too. Amarige has a nice balance of all these elements. When it first sprays on, it is mostly fruity. There is an aroma of mandarin or mimosa oranges, white pepper, and violets. I like this violet aroma which is much more subtle than the average rose scent that so many perfumes seem to have. These first scents last a surprisingly long time. Usually within 20 minutes or so I'm losing those first scents to the heart of the perfume. While I lose the peppercorn fairly quickly, the mandarin and violet stay about 30 to 40 minutes.
Those first aromas eventually fade into jasmine, orange blossom, melon, plum, apricot and wisteria. The sweet fruit here keeps the floral element from being overpowering.
The background scents are sandalwood, cedarwood and iris. I really like the way sandalwood brings depth to floral scents. It is fast becoming my favorite wood tone. The cedar is a nice element, too. The iris adds a nice balance.
Extravagance D'Amarige is recommended for evening use, but if you apply it lightly at home and have time for it to mature, you can wear it for daytime, too.
Amarige comes in a 3.4 ounce bottle which lists for about $75, but which I found at the drugstore (Drug Emporium) for $35 and which without effort I've found on line at a number of places for about $40. I bought the 1.7 ounce bottle which has a sleeker looking profile. At the drug store, it was $29. I found it on line for about the same.
Amarige can also be purchased as part of a gift set. The most common gift set I found was the 1.7 ounce bottle of perfume with a 3.3 ounce tube of body lotion.
I really like my Amarige and have gotten compliments from friends and family on it. Of course, I had to stick my wrist under a few noses to get opinions. That's okay though. People shouldn't be able to smell you from across the room. Perfume should be a subtle thing.
I don't know that Amarige will become a new favorite, but it is certainly going to become a scent that I will wear regurally. I love it.
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If you are interested in reading more of my women's fragrance reviews, you can find some of them at these links:
Asja by Fendi
White Linen by Estee Lauder
Tuscany Per Donna by Estee Lauder
Oui! By Lancome
Tresor by Lancome
Private Collection by Estee Lauder
4711 Unisex Cologne
Youth Dew by Estee Lauder
Paloma Picasso Perfume
Samsara by Guerlain
Knowing by Estee Lauder
Spellbound by Estee Lauder
Maja by Myrugia
5th Avenue by Elizabeth Arden
Extravagance d’Amarige by Givenchy
Realm by Erox
Boucheron by Boucheron
Oscar for Women by Oscar de la Renta
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
naphtalia
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Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn't mean the_circus has left town.
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