Mainstream Monday – Sniffing a Popular (limited edition) Perfume:
I’ve always been obsessed with style. And like the pop stars I’ve always admired, I like to reinvent myself…at least every 2 years. I go through these style stages. For the past few years I’ve been in a rut…I blame it on age and lack of inspiration. I’ve been there done that, you know. I’m feeling some inspiration again and I am going back to my mod 60’s – Japanese shibuya-kei stage. I want prints, bright colors, chunky heels, bell sleeves, and a bouffant – camp. I’m in a campy stage again, another Groove is in the Heart stage. But, more grown up this time, less literal. And I guess this fragrance, Guess Seductive Sunkissed, came around at a good time for my summer of camp.
Seductive Sunkissed opens with fruits. And strangely, I like it. It has a humidity to it that is well, sexy. I get this mix of thorny berries, black currant (which I’m a sucker for) and grapefruit juice. This isn’t soapy, squeaky clean fruits. There is a “rawness” and humidity, what I’m saying is that these fruits are very ripe. The problem is that this overripe fruit and floral top doesn’t last very long. I get some generic humid florals and vanilla musk in the heart. The dry-down is a “sheer vanilla”. I really wish that ripe fruity top lasted longer because the rest of the fragrance is generic.
Is Seductive Sunkissed a brilliant, intellectual perfume? No. But, that’s why I like it. It’s fun and I don’t have to think about it. It’s fruity, sweet, and pink. It’s not serious. It’s tacky and tasteless but somehow it works like Poetic License shoes can work…sometimes.
I’ve made fun of Guess Seductive and Guess Seductive flanker bottles in the past. For some reason I find this one cute because of the red lipstick charm. It’s a little bit RuPaul’s Drag Race and that’s why I love it. It’s OTT and trying very hard to impersonate a glamorous woman. Bring on the camp!
Notes listed include pear, raspberry, black currant blossom, pink grapefruit, jasmine, Brazilian orchid, vanilla, musk, violet and macassar ebony. PERFUMER – Bernard Ellena (of Symrise)
Give Seductive Sunkissed a try if you like sweet, fruity fragrances. Or if you like perfumes like YSL Baby Doll, Byredo Pulp (a more “artsy” and tasteful version of this), Gucci II, and/or Escada Magnetism. Years ago, Elizabeth Arden had a summer version of Green Tea called Green Tea Summer (2005). Seductive Sunkissed reminds me of that one but less aquatic and citrusy but they both have the same fruity-trashy-fun limited edition for summer vibe.
This scent has average projection and average longevity for an EDT. If you’re expecting an EDP, you’ll be disappointed. I wish it was a little more potent, but hey, it’s a summer fragrance and if it was heavier it wouldn’t be a “summer” fragrance!
The 1.7 oz EDT retails for $52 and is available at Macy’s.
What are some of your favorite “tacky and tasteless” perfumes? I want to know which perfumes you wear because they are fun!
Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Overripe fruits and summer humidity with a vanilla musk base. I like it in the way I like YSL Baby Doll. It’s fun, sweet and doesn’t take itself seriously.
Want more reviews? Try…
Fragrantica – Member reviews
And here’s my review of Guess Seductive I’m Yours (and it takes itself too seriously).
Intriguing review! I may have to try this, since I’m a big fan of Pulp. I don’t think I could handle that bottle, though. The lipstick charm is cute, as you said, but other than that … I’d be decanting it. 🙂
This is like Pulp in the way that Baja Fresh is “Mexican” food.
I don’t think the bottle is that bad. The others in the line look worse in person. This one actually looks better. But, it’s still not um, beautiful.
Ha. Yeah, knowing it was from Guess, I figured it would not be a Pulp dupe, but I’m not above the perfume equivalent of Baja Fresh. 🙂
Dare I say it’s more like Taco Bell, lol?