WHAT I SMELL: Iconic Feminine has a sparkling opening that’s full of bright aldehydes that meld into a light and airy saffron. The perfume is clean with a beautiful laundry like infused musk that seems to be full of a sunny breeze. Although light and airy, there is an undercurrent of an impending warmth that is brought to life with a mix of florals with a quiet rose and a delicate violet. This is a pretty perfume that seems to start off as a debutante, but soon moves to the more sophisticated. The rose begins to mature with a coating of honey which gives the perfume some added volume and depth. But the honey is contained and it doesn’t end up moving the perfume to the heavy side. But it does also provide for a bit of a plasticized feel and smell which turns Iconic Feminine to the lightly spiced. But in the end, the rose seems to possess the honey and the perfume fulfills its promise of being truly feminine, although I would argue that it’s iconic.
From the Clive Christian website:
Discover the power of Iconic Feminine. An explosion of Damask Rose, the queen of flowers, meets with rich saffron and a honeyed kiss of plum and violet. Crystal clear florals and ambers sparkle to create the feminine perfume of an iconic pair.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A 1970s pastel dress vibe.
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE ICONIC FEMININE: feminine (surprise!), nostalgic, effortless
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ICONIC FEMININE: That September Muse, Ventvenir
BOTTOM LINE: While I was writing this review the perfume disappeared from the Clive Christian website. I’m not sure if that means it’s being discontinued or if it’s temporarily out of stock. But doing a search on the web it seems that it is available at various retailers. At $440 for 50ml, I’m sure those bottles out there will not be running off of the shelves. Don’t get me wrong though, it is a lovely perfume.
- Bone Rating: 3.5 out of possible 5 bones
- Classification: Unisex
- Expense: Starting at $440 for 5oml eau de parfum
WHAT I SMELL: Je Vois Encore Qadah dans Tes Yeux (I still see Qadah in your eyes) opens with a warmed and grounded bergamot along with a very muted mandarin. It’s earthy, but rather sexy as the florals begin to enter along with a mentholated finish that seems to push them off of the skin. I won’t say that it’s pretty in a light and airy way, but instead is pretty in a mature and somewhat masculine sense. After a bit, the perfume seems to retreat into itself and a smoky leather begins to grown in projection. Here, Qadah is full of energy and meditative reflection as the smokiness continues to build. A hint of vanilla keeps the perfume from relenting to the smoke and gives it a softened finish that wraps the wearer in an incredibly wonderful self assured blanket of scent.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Smoke and incense encompasses the temple.
WHAT I SMELL: Izayoi opens with a fresh green citrus that quickly moves to a putty like plastic-ish yuzu and rose. It’s pretty, but it reminds me of a plastic bottle that would hold shampoo, bubble bath or some product for infants. At this stage the perfume is rather light with a very subtle and subdued projection, but after a few minutes the perfume begins to build with a lightly peppered spice. The spice, mixed with a slightly metallic rose, is again subtle and subdued as it adds just the perfect amount of depth to what I find to be an overall crisp and clean perfume. And not soon after, a vetiver slowly moves the florals out of the picture and together with some anise it takes the perfume in a woody direction. But thankfully the perfume remains light and full of air. In the end, Iazyoi is a light woody vetiver whisper of a perfume.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Japanese Shoji lamp; peaceful beautiful light.
The Scented Hound 