Mainstream Monday: Sniffing Popular Perfumes
Years ago Kat Von D had launched perfumes. They were discontinued. I remember them very vaguely but not enough to do a comparison between those and the new 2017 edition. One thing that I can certainly say is that the new 2017 bottles are gorgeous. They’re an improvement!
Saint
Notes listed include clary sage, mirabelle plum, jasmine, almond blossom, caramel, tiaré, lily-of-the-valley, vanilla, sandalwood, peach and musk.
So, let’s start with the “candied floral” one that is supposed to represent the “softer side of Kat Von D“. Saint opens as something vaguely familiar. That familiarity is “other designer perfumes sold in white bottles”. It’s a tart plum and squeaky clean jasmine but somehow it’s like marshmallows too. Oh, hello, peaches and almond nougat! Saint wears as powdery and vague – like petals dusted in sugar, peach talcum powder and white musk. It’s just one of those soft, powdery florals with some sweetness and fruits. The dry-down is like powdery marshmallows and white musk.
I finally remembered what Saint reminds me of – Jessica Simpson Fancy Love. And I actually remember liking Fancy Love because it reminded me of a tween version of the original Burberry, one of my favorites from my teen years. I guess there’s something in here that is sort of Lancôme Trésor-ish but really watered down. OMG, it just hit me. Is Saint Kat Von D’s reference to Coty Exclamation? Because the more I’m wearing this, the more I’m getting Exclamation and I can’t get that thought out of my head. I mean, Saint is more jasmine than rose, but still. It’s that sort of marshmallow musk floral that was popular in the 90’s.
Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Smells like a popular girl in junior high circa 1994. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing (assuming you haven’t lived through this before or if you were that popular girl). It’s a pleasant enough fragrance but not my sort of thing.
Sinner
Notes listed include mandarin orange, orange blossom, plum, jasmine, white flowers, cinnamon, patchouli, vetiver, vanilla and musk.
Sinner is “the fragrant embodiment of the edgy, unapologetic, and outspoken Kat Von D“. OK, then. Like a saint can’t be outspoken. Please. Anyway, let’s get to the perfume. Sinner is another one that seems familiar. It opens with some orange blossoms and plum syrup. And then it’s a lot of musk, like that in Narciso Rodriguez. The heart is clean white flowers, something vaguely nutty and the most minuscule amount of cinnamon ever. The dry-down is the sort of musk, patchouli and vetiver that reminds me very much of Narciso Rodriguez (again).
Really Sinner seems like it could have been a flanker to one of the Narciso Rodriguez perfumes. It’s that same orange blossom plus musky theme that is prevalent in NR perfumes. However, this one is lighter/sheerer and has less florals. It’s also fruitier in the opening (plums!). Everyone that likes this sort of thing is already wearing Narciso Rodriguez so I don’t really see the purpose of this one other than the bottle is pretty. There’s a discontinued Victoria’s Secret perfume, Basic Instinct, that sort of reminds me of Sinner too. If you’ve been looking for a replacement for that one, try this…or Estee Lauder Modern Muse Chic, which also shares similarities with Sinner.
Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Plum and musky orange blossoms. It’s fine but if I’m going to do something like this, I want it to be bolder. And luckily for me, bolder ones exist and I already own them!
Overall, I’ll skip both of these even though they’re completely adequate perfumes. I think the packaging (which is even gorgeous in person) really fits with the brand, but the perfumes themselves could fit with a lot of people’s brands.
Projection and longevity of both of these are average.
Kat Von D perfumes are available in a few sizes with the 1.7 oz retailing for $65 at Sephora. A travel size is also available.
*Sampled obtained by me. Product pic from Sephora. Daria pic from fanpop.com. Post contains an affiliate link. Thanks!