Mainstream Monday – Sniffing a Popular Perfume
I’m an Estee Lauder fan girl. Estee Lauder fragrances are attainable, affordable and well-done. Out of all of the Estee Lauder scents, Cinnabar, the spicy floral, is the most “me”.
Cinnabar opens with this wonderful citrus floral nail polish. It’s classic Estee Lauder aldehydes and fruits. I get this antiqued, charming peach and stewed plum. The scent gets dustier with spices, cinnamon and clove, over spicy, fresh florals. I feel that Cinnabar uses lily wonderfully, one of the best lilies in this type of perfume. The clove in this gives a feeling of carnation. The spices in Cinnabar are dry, warm and dusty. The base is a mix of patchouli, amber and spice. Cinnabar is abstract; it smells like perfume.
Notes listed include jasmine, orange flower, tangerine, clove, muguet, lily, olibanum, sandalwood, and patchouli.
Give Cinnabar a try if you like spicy floral fragrances or perfumes like YSL Opium, Chanel Coco, Aramis JHL, Guerlain Jicky, Estee Lauder Youth Dew, and/or Calvin Klein Obsession for Women. Cinnabar does seem dated or “antique” so keep that in mind. This is why I like it. But, it’s also why people dislike it. Because it is a popular fragrance and it has been around since 1978, people may associate it with a grandmother, mother, mother-in-law, etc.
Cinnabar has sillage. Even I use just one spray of Cinnabar. It’s also long-lasting. I prefer to wear it in the fall/winter. The bottle is plain but you don’t pay too much for this fragrance, so I excuse it.
The 1.7 oz. spray retails for $42. Cinnabar is available at Ulta, Nordstrom and Harrods (UK).
Victoria’s Final EauPINION – A classic spicy floral. My favorite Estee Lauder perfume.
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Basenotes – Member reviews
Yesterday’s Perfume – Review of the vintage
I love Cinnabar, yet hate, hate, hate Youth Dew. Why is that?
Hmm…good question 🙂 I think that many of us have been burnt by Youth Dew. Personally, I’m from a family that wears too much of it. You go into their homes and actually taste Youth Dew. Yuck.
This use to be my signature scent in my teens. I think they are making a comeback (like everything does). I’ve read a lot of post that say it’s been reformulated and does not smell the same. Is this true? 🙁 I really wanted to start wearing it again as I’m really picky w/my fragrances….just don’t want to be disappointed. Any thoughts?
It’s really amazing to see a perfume last on the market more than 5 years these days. I think there will be a generation of people that won’t be able to ever find what they wore when they were a teen.
As far as reformulation, I can’t speak to that. My bottle is about 5 years old, maybe older. I have not tried anything that was sold this year. I’ve always felt that the Estee Lauder line has kept very true to the originals, for example I own a Youth Dew from its birth year and a new bottle, some differences but very, very similar. It’s always possible that a company has reformulated and they don’t have to tell us.
My advice, find a tester at a counter and try it. It may or may not be what you remember.
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