Review: New Bath & Body Works Carried Away Fragrance Mist

I'd like to start out this review by telling you some very good news! My dear friend Yuliya told me last week that the I LUV BBW Club (which I blogged about here) is going to be available for registration again THIS MAY! So those of you who were upset about missing this opportunity to get FREE stuff from BBW every month are going to have another opportunity to join in a few months! Set a reminder on your phone for May 1st (that's what I plan to do, so that I can remind you of this opportunity when it comes back around). If the registration starts earlier than May 1st, I'll blog about it as soon as I find out.

So this month's freebie for I LUV BBW Club members is your choice of one travel size body mist, one travel size lotion and one travel size shower gel. The best part is that you don't have to choose all three products in the same scent! I picked my freebies up last Thursday (I'll be blogging about them soon) but when I was making my purchase I saw these near the register and I couldn't resist the price, which is currently $2 for a 3 oz bottle:

Bath & Body Works Fragrance Mist in Carried Away

(retail: $5 but currently on promotion near the

registers at BBW stores for $2, 3 oz)

The newest fragrance from BBW, Carried Away is described on the BBW site as:

...a whimsical blend of lush raspberries, white jasmine and whipped vanilla inspired by the way love sweeps you off your feet.

• Fragrance Top Notes: Italian Bergamot, Meyer Lemon, Mandarin, Juicy Pear Nectar, Lush Raspberries
• Fragrance Mid Notes: Purple Freesia, White Tuberose, White Jasmine, Soft Violet Petals
• Fragrance Base Notes: Creamy Sandalwood, Whipped Vanilla, Musk

Since the bottle in my photos is a promotional, travel-size bottle, it does not contain the pretty floral packaging of the Carried Away line. Definitely click here to see the pretty packaging of this fragrance.

In perfume-speak, the top notes of a fragrance are generally the notes you smell upon initial application. They're the notes that seem to burst forward upon first sniff. Well, I'm delighted to say that I actually do get a burst of all five top notes when I first apply this fragrance! I can really smell the citrus, the peach and the fresh raspberry notes.

Middle notes are basically the heart of the fragrance, and they're what you generally smell once the top notes have settled or faded away. When it comes to Carried Away, the middles notes of this fragrance are strong, intense floral notes and I can definitely smell them once the fizzy top notes have faded. Tuberose is such a dominant fragrance, so when I saw that tuberose was a middle note in this fragrance I was scared that it would dominate the other notes. I'm happy to report that's not the case, as I can definitely detect the freesia in Carried Away. In fact, I'd say freesia is the most dominant note in this fragrance (to my nose, of course).

Base notes are basically the notes you will probably smell on your skin about 30 minutes to an hour after application. Base notes are the deep, rich anchor of a fragrance, and they tend to blend with the middle notes and remain on your skin long after the top notes have faded. Since the base notes of Carried Away are creamy sandalwood, whipped vanilla and musk, they lend a creaminess to the overall fragrance and what lingers on my skin is a sweet, rich, creamy floral type of fragrance.

To my nose, Carried Away is first and foremost a floral fragrance. If you like freesia, you will probably love this fragrance. My best description of Carried Away would be that it's a sweet, creamy freesia-based floral with very subtle effervescent notes of citrus and berry. I think that it would be considered heavy or maybe even cloying for those who tend to shy away from floral-based fragrances, while others may find its combination of citrus, berry, freesia and cream an absolute delight. It really all depends on your sniffer, as well as your body chemistry.

FINAL VERDICT: If you're a fan of freesia, I think you definitely ought to give this one a shot. If you generally gravitate toward rich, sweet fragrances that are a mixture of floral and berry notes, you will probably find Carried Away absolutely delightful. If you're more of a citrus lover or one who tends to gravitate toward clean, soapy types of fragrances, this one might be a tad too heavy for you. If you want to try it for yourself, I'd suggest getting to BBW right away to take advantage of the $2 promotion for this fragrance mist while it's still available.

Have you already tried this fragrance? If so, were you carried away by Carried Away? Do you think this sounds like a fragrance for you? I'd love to hear your thoughts!