Every Woman Is A Queen

Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely ~ perfume review
 


Lovely is Sarah Jessica Parker’s first fragrance release. It was created by perfumers Laurent Le Guernec and Clement Gavarry. It is due for official launch this August, but is already available at Nordstroms, who have exclusive rights until September. Lovely is described as “a “silky white amber” and has notes of mandarin, bergamot, rosewood, lavender, apple martini, patchouli, paper whites, orchid, cedar, white amber, musk and woods.

The word on the fragrance forums is that Lovely is very similar to Narciso Rodriguez For Her, which I found hard to believe given the list of notes. After trying it, I am not so surprised, but I can’t say just how close they are because I only know what Narciso Rodriguez smells like from reading reviews — one whiff and my throat and nose seize up instantly. An overdose of aldehydes? Something similar happens to me after a long day of perfume shopping, but Narciso is the only fragrance that can do it single handedly.

Lovely starts as a soft citrusy wood scent. There is a touch of lavender, but no corresponding harshness. It dries down to a subdued musky-woods perfume, with distinct notes of rosewood and cedar. The floral notes are extremely muted, the amber is clean, and the patchouli is a mere whisper. I never caught the apple martini at all.

Sarah Jessica Parker said she did not want a perfume that dominated the room, and Lovely fits those requirements: it is a very soft, quiet fragrance, all rounded edges, and it stays relatively close to the skin. It does not interest me personally, but it is very wearable, and I would guess that unlike many celebrity fragrances, it will find fans of all ages. For that matter, it is not at all overtly feminine, and although the bottle and name are not likely to appeal, a man could easily wear it. I predict (not that it requires much foresight) that Ms. Parker will make a pretty penny from it.

Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely is an Eau de Parfum, and the lasting power is excellent. It comes in a 50 ml bottle for $48, or 100 ml for $62. There is also a matching body lotion and a shower gel.