Every time I stroll past the Parfums de Coeur Body Fantasies section of my local drugstore, it's as if I'm a teenager again and I'm driving by my ex-boyfriend's house. I'm hoping that I'll see something exciting, something that might get my heart racing a bit, but it's usually nothing but a big, boring let-down.
I don't know why I put such high expectations on this line of cheapie drugstore body mists, but I never give up hope that something, someday, is going to really knock my socks off.
I thought that Parfums de Coeur's latest line of dupes of Victoria's Secret scents, "Sexiest Fantasies", might do it for me, but really they're just dupes of the same ol' scents I'm used to seeing. Yes, they're great, and I even wrote a review of them here, but nothing earth-shattering in terms of something new and fun.
Well after taking a peek at the Body Fantasies website yesterday, I noticed not one, but THREE new scents that got me a little excited!
First we have "Fresh Lemon Sugar". Um, I'm sorry but doesn't the wildly popular "Fresh Sugar Lemon" by Fresh immediately come to mind when you read this? Actually, the notes in Body Fantasies "Fresh Lemon Sugar" more closely resemble "Sugar" by Fresh than "Fresh Sugar Lemon" by Fresh. Check it out:
The description of "Fresh Lemon Sugar" on the Body Fantasies website:
"Tangy, sweet lemons, complimented by rich nuances of sweet cream, coconut and gourmand vanilla bean."
The description of "Sugar" on the Fresh website:
"SUGAR EAU DE PARFUM is a delicious fragrance that combines sparkling citrus notes of bergamot and Brazilian sweet orange, soft floral notes of white lily and heliotrope, and gourmand base notes of caramel and vanilla."
Compare these to the description of "Sugar Lemon" on the Fresh website:
"SUGAR LEMON EAU DE PARFUM is a bright effervescent fragrance that combines zesty citrus notes of Italian lemon and mandarin with fruity florals such as orange blossom and ginger flower and sensual undertones of oak moss, caramel, and white santal."
My guess is that Body Fantasies "Fresh Lemon Sugar" probably smells a lot like "Sugar" by Fresh, which would be FABULOUS if true, because "Sugar" is one of my favorite summertimes fragrances of all time.
Now that I've confused you with a round a "Who's on First?", let me add to the confusion with my take on Body Fantasies "Feel Elegant":
I tried and tried to figure out what this fragrance is duping (I'm sorry but the name "Feel Elegant" is just too generic for this not to be a dupe) and after typing the notes into google a zillion times, the best I could come up with is "Nina", by Nina Ricci.
Feel Elegant notes in purple, Nina by Nina Ricci notes in red:
muguet petals
muguet
white rose
rose
tuberose
tangerine
lemon and lime
ripe raspberries
raspberry
apple peel
apple
plum blossom
strawberry
vanilla powder accord
praline
cedarwood
white cedarwood
amber leaf
patchouli
The complete list of notes in "Nina", (compliments of the British Society of Perfumers website) if you're interested:
Lime, lemon, strawberry, raspberry, apple, rose, jasmine, muguet, moss, patchouli, ethyl maltol, musk. Moonflower, apple wood, white cedarwood, praline.
Now I am in NO way saying that "Feel Elegant" is a dupe of "Nina" but this was the best I could do in terms of finding a fragrance that has more than 2 or 3 notes in common with "Feel Elegant". If you've sniffed "Feel Elegant" and you think it's an obvious dupe of something else, PLEASE leave a comment here!
Lastly we have "Apricot Honey" which sounds pretty darn yummy, according to the Body Fantasies website: "Sweet and tantalizing apricots, nectarines, and pink grapefruit drenched in Hawaiian Honey and velvety musks." Thank GOODNESS apricot & honey fragrances have been around forever and I don't have to try and determine what this is duping. Bottom line: It sounds yummy and I hope it doesn't disappoint.
I can't wait for all three of these new body mists to make their way to my area because I'll finally have something to be giddy about when I stalk the Body Fantasies aisle.
muguet
white rose
rose
tuberose
tangerine
lemon and lime
ripe raspberries
raspberry
apple peel
apple
plum blossom
strawberry
vanilla powder accord
praline
cedarwood
white cedarwood
amber leaf
patchouli
The complete list of notes in "Nina", (compliments of the British Society of Perfumers website) if you're interested:
Lime, lemon, strawberry, raspberry, apple, rose, jasmine, muguet, moss, patchouli, ethyl maltol, musk. Moonflower, apple wood, white cedarwood, praline.
Now I am in NO way saying that "Feel Elegant" is a dupe of "Nina" but this was the best I could do in terms of finding a fragrance that has more than 2 or 3 notes in common with "Feel Elegant". If you've sniffed "Feel Elegant" and you think it's an obvious dupe of something else, PLEASE leave a comment here!
Lastly we have "Apricot Honey" which sounds pretty darn yummy, according to the Body Fantasies website: "Sweet and tantalizing apricots, nectarines, and pink grapefruit drenched in Hawaiian Honey and velvety musks." Thank GOODNESS apricot & honey fragrances have been around forever and I don't have to try and determine what this is duping. Bottom line: It sounds yummy and I hope it doesn't disappoint.
I can't wait for all three of these new body mists to make their way to my area because I'll finally have something to be giddy about when I stalk the Body Fantasies aisle.
Wow, I know exactly what those sprays remind me of!!! MARCHING BAND. HIGH SCHOOL. I can remember it now! Finishing a parade then climbing back in the bus and changing (of course, trying to conceal ourselves from the boys), then all the girls DRENCHING themselves in this spray (I mean, it was high school, I was a freshman, what else could I/we afford?) before heading back out to whatever event we were at.
ReplyDeleteAhhh, yes...those were the days!
LOL! Glad I could help you bring back some old memories. I don't think these body sprays were even out yet when I was in high school :-O All we had were the canned ones!
ReplyDeleteYou know what, I may be thinking of the CALGON sprays. Either way. Us girls bathed in them =p
ReplyDeleteI think I have seen the Body Fantasies at Walmart, but haven't paid attention to it because my experience with body mists haven't been great. I think maybe my skin is allergic because I got rashes. That was many many years ago, don't know if something has change with body mists. That Apricot Honey Spray sound so mmm mmm mmm!
ReplyDeleteHey Beda! You know, I'm not surprised that your skin had a reaction to these since most inexpensive body sprays contain a LOT of alcohol. But you never know, they could have changed/improved the formula since the last time you tried them. Maybe you can do a tiny patch test of the Apricot Honey on your wrist the next time you're in the store and see what happens? :)
ReplyDeleteOooh.. Next time I go to WalMart I'll be sure to check it! I really liked "Nina" by Nina Ricci, but it was a bit pricey for me. If "Feel Elegant" really is a close dupe, I'm sooo getting it!
ReplyDeleteXOXO Fay.H.
Oh Fay, if you check this out, PLEASE report back and let me know if this is, in deed, a dupe of Nina! I would be so grateful! Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteI currently have Sugar Vanilla Fantasy in my collection, which I love. I get so many compliments on it.
ReplyDeleteMy absolute favorite is Calgon's Marshmallow. Whenever I saw it, I would buy multiple bottles, because I figured a scent like that had to be some sort of Limited Edition. And it DID disappear for a while. But just the other day, I saw it in Rite Aid, in a slightly redesigned/repackaged bottle. So I'm hoping it is here to stay, because Marshmallow BY FAR is the scent I have gotten the most compliments on in my entire life. (Tied for 2nd is Sugar Vanilla Fantasy and Warm Vanilla Sugar by B&BW, 3rd is Fantasy by Britney Spears, LOL).
I have learned over the year that I would much rather smell like a food than a flower.
Oooooh, M.E., you are so not alone in your foodie fragrance love! I've owned all of the fragrances you just mentioned and I agree, Calgon Marshmallow is a winner and I'm so glad they didn't d/c it! Now, since you're a fellow gourmand lover, I just have to ask if you've ever ordered anything from one of my favorite foodie fragrance etailers of all time: cleanseyoursoul.com. If you haven't heard of this site, click the "Scents" link (don't even try to use the A to Z link if it's your first time or you will be overwhelmed). So just click "Scents" and you can scroll immediately to the "Bakery" category and then the "Foody" category. :)
ReplyDeleteM.E., I'm afraid you really started something here! I just have to give you another link because this site...it's just fabulous and even if you're not going to order anything, it's fun just to read the scent descriptions (esp the desserts and tropical drinks). They're known for their tropical drink creations...I own a few and they are out of this world: http://www.coconuthutbeauty.com/scentMenu.php
ReplyDeleteDefinately checking out the site now...
DeleteMy favorite one is the Cotton Candy fantasy. It smells so good! And some of the reviews on MUA say it reminds them of Aquolina Pink Sugar.
ReplyDeleteHi Trisha! Yes, the Cotton Candy Fantasy is such fun, sweet, girly scent. Love to wear that in the summertime on the weekends :)
ReplyDeleteI love these! My favorites are cotton candy , vanilla , sugar vanilla and iced cupcake. Like the above commenters I love foody fragrances. Oh and the sugar apple is a nice one too :-)
ReplyDelete