Review: Heidi Klum Shine

Ever since I fell in love with Halle by Halle Berry, I've been kind of a sucker for celebrity fragrances that you can purchase at the drugstore. So when the folks at Rite Aid presented me with the opportunity to receive a sample of Heidi Klum's new fragrance, Shine, I couldn't say no.

Heidi Klum Shine eau de toilette

(retail: $17, 0.5 oz)

When asked why Ms. Klum named her first fragrance "Shine", she replied:

"My husband [singer Seal] had a little bit to do with it. I get dressed a lot for my husband. A lot of times he'd say, "You're beautiful. You shine." It's a very beautiful word, a positive word."

The bottle itself evokes "shine" to me. It seems to radiate light and spread it outward, which I find quite pretty.

Heidi Klum on the scent of Shine:

"I didn't want something that was super-sweet. I wanted sensual. That was my main word. I didn't want clean. I wanted to smell like a woman. I wanted something that is long-lasting but not hovering."

Top notes: Mandarin, Pink Peppercorn, Pear Williams

Heart notes: Mimosa Absolute, Muguet (Lily-of-the-valley), Sunflower

Dry down: Vanilla, Tonka Bean Venezuela, Musk Cosmone

From the moment I first smelled this fragrance, it felt...familiar. I can't put my finger on it, but I know I've smelled a fragrance similar to this in the past, and I'm pretty sure it was something at the department store, not drugstore. Anyway, for me, Shine comes across as more of an oriental floral type of fragrance. It's got the rich floral notes of sunflower and muguet, but the pink peppercorn gives it spiciness as well. The vanilla in this fragrance seems to give it a bit of a smoothness and creaminess the longer it's on my skin, but the overall feel that I get when I wear it is...sophisticated and yes, sensual.

In my opinion, this isn't a youthful, airy, daytime fragrance (not that it claims to be). It confused me a little because, given its name, I immediately thought Shine was going to be light, uplifting and maybe even a little bit bubbly. It's actually quite the opposite and feels more like a cold-weather fragrance that would pair well with scarves and mittens rather than sundresses and straw hats. 

FINAL VERDICT: Given what Heidi Klum tried to achieve with this fragrance, I'd say she absolutely got what she wanted. If you're generally attracted to spicy florals and sensual fragrances that seem made for cold weather, this might be worth a sniff the next time you're at the drugstore. Everyone's chemistry is different, but I found this fragrance to wear close to the skin (it doesn't enter the room before I do), which is exactly what I like when it comes to fragrances of this nature. I can get about 5-6 hours of wear from Shine before it becomes very faint on my skin, and I can foresee the 0.5 oz bottle lasting me quite a long time.

Heidi Klum Shine is now available at Rite Aid and other mass-market retailers across the nation. For more information, visit heidiklumfragrance.com.

A sample of this product was given to Nouveau Cheap for editorial purposes, either directly from the manufacturer or from the agency that works on behalf of the manufacturer. All reviews on NouveauCheap.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author and editorial samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews.