I give up. I was told that MDCI Promess de l’aube was reformulated, but I’m smelling the old version and the new one and can only pick up minor differences on the open and maybe a little less powderiness in the new version. The new version seems to last longer and have more strength in the drydown. So that’s my take on it. Anyone else compared the two yet? If you’re a fan of the scent, you won’t be crying with the new version.
Jo Malone has a new scent, officially released in September, though bottles are showing up on eBay, so I’m guessing it is out there in Europe maybe. Created by Christine Nagel, it features notes of bluebell, clove, lily of the valley, rose, jasmine, white amber and musk.
I’m not sure I’ve smelled bluebell before, so no idea whether it hits the mark. If this is what bluebell smells like, I gotta say I like it! It’s a very pretty fragrance, and I’ve been spritzing it on a lot this week because it is working great with the growing heat of the summer. The one thing I’ve always appreciated about Jo Malone, through their ownership changes, etc., they stay true to who they are. This scent fits in their line and is enough different that it doesn’t feel like a retreat or minor variation or flanker. It’s slightly sweet, a little musky so it has depth, has nice green lily of the valley notes that keep it lilting in that “spring in your step” way that Jo Malone always seems to have. It’s not as linear as some of their fragrances, there’s minor development in the drydown when you hit more of the amber and musk.
I’m digging it. Not in that swoony over-the-moon way, but it’s a solid entry in their line that I think will be well loved, worn a lot without annoying all your office mates/friends/family and sell well for them. Have you seen the advertising for it? It’s got an Alice in Wonderland theme, and I think I read somewhere that this is the first advertising where they will have a person in the photos instead of just the bottle of perfume.
Do you have a perfume that fits in that pretty mainstream category? Do you like that you have one of those or do you feel a little embarrassed that you do?
I’d like to do a draw, and you can pick either the new Jo Malone sample or the comparison of the MDCI samples. Just drop a comment to be entered, and I’ll pick two winners.
I have something from Victoria’s Secret that I’ve thought of throwing away for years… but just can’t. I really don’t even ever wear it. I smell it on others fairly frequently though and I still think it smells good, if altogether to common and recognizable.
Anyway, if not too late as I didn’t see a cutoff, I’d love the Jo Malone. Thanks
I have quite a few mainstream scents that I’m glad I own. CAlyx, DK Gold, Coty Sand & Sable, lots of Chanels, YSL Paris/Parisenne/some spring flankers, Paul Sebastion Casual, Jessica McClintock….there’s many others.
Please enter me in the draw, if it’s not too late. Thanks!
Bulgari Green Tea, Amazing Grace fit that category. Bluebell if I win please!
My favorite “pretty mainstream” scents would have to be NR for her and Bulgari White Tea, and truly, most of the JM scents (digging on the wild fig, white jasmine, and even the english pear layered with the pomegranate noir is really pretty)… i would love to smell the bluebell.. i’m really excited about that one!!
Bluebell sounds interesting. The simplicity of Jo Malone perfumes suit me in the summer.
hmmm…I like what smells good on me, what else is there? & if it is inexpensive, I feel brilliant! Haven’t tried either of the frags, would be grateful with any. Thanks!
My mainstream scent right now is Stella. I’m not embarrassed to wear a mainstream scent vs a niche — as long as I like it.
I’d love to sniff the Bluebell. I agree that I’m not certain if I’ve ever smelled a real one or not…but I do like some Jo Malone scents, though I only own the Nectarine.
I really enjoy Estee Lauder Private Collection and O de Lancome, which I assume count as mainstream as they are in most department stores. I also have a number of perfumes that fall into a “suitable for the office” category which means that they have to meet certain creteria ie unlikely to drive colleagues into another room- and these can be niche or mainstream. I would be interested to hear what other people wear at work?
Please enter me for the MDCI samples
I’m generally a bit embarrassed about wearing “pretty” scents because that seems too young and girly for me. But I really enjoy the extraordinarily pretty BK Beyond Love and Liaisons Dangereuses and decided WTH, life is too short to be embarrassed about anything that does no harm.
Those are not exactly mainstream, I guess. OK, TPC had a special on decants of CSP Fleurs de Peche and I liked it so much I bought two more. Wish CSP had not discontinued that one.
I’d love to try Bluebell!
I love the MDCI line, I just wish I could afford them.
For pretty this summer I am wearing the Dior New Look 1947.
Dior New Look 1947 is pretty! If it came in a 3-oz size, I would have a bottle by now!
I’ve tried Penhaligon’s Blueball, which is pretty nasty; the flower smells delicious, though. I would love the opportunity to try Jo Malone’s take on the scent.
oops, Bluebell!
I am ashamed to admit that I have been coveting my roommate’s Viva La Juicy Couture for its easy fresh-fruity-floral aroma (SHAME!). I was also taken aback today when I complimented someone on their fragrance and found out they were wearing Happy. Intrigued.
I would be happy to sample either!
I think my Vera Wang qualifies as mainstream. I’m not embarrassed by it though. I just don’t wear it much. I’m reaching for Apres L’Ondee almost daily. It seems to lift me in the oppressive heat we’ve been seeing daily.
Pretty and mainstream: Balmain La Mome.
I’ve never found a Jo Malone to love, but this one sounds really nice.
And Tammy? Uncle Serge doesn’t like me either. Hold your head high. ;-)
For straight up pretty, I like Calyx ( though usually only in warm weather), Balenciaga Paris, JM Vintage Gardeniaand Cashmere Mist. I’ve been wearing a sample of Flowerbomb as well and surprising myself by liking it. I would love to try the Bluebell, thanks!
I would love to try the Jo Malone Bluebell. I really like JM White Jasmine & Mint. I enjoy simple, pretty, mainstream perfumes – I have several tiny purse sprays of Clinique’s now discontinued Happy to Be that I always bring with when traveling for work. Jennifer Lopez Deseo is another cheap, light floral with a slightly beachy feel.
I would have it say that “Look” by Vera Wang is my go-to mainstream, if that qualifies. Thanks so much for the draw! I’d be happy with either of the choices.
There are days when something simply pretty is exactly what’s needed.
My go-to’s for those times are Calyx, Jo Malone Orange Blossom, and my samples of the new O L’Orangerie by Lancome and the Jennifer Aniston scent at Sephora. Thanks for the draw and I would be tickled pink to win either of these scents.
P.S. Just tried the JM Bluebell and it was just so-so on me, so think I’d rather try the Promesse, should I win. Many thanks!!
My favorite straight up pretty fragrances (not really mainstream) would be Iris Poudre, Un Lys and By Killian Love and Tears..(though Iris Poudre and Un Lys *are* more beautiful rather than ‘pretty’)
Oh- I did enjoy YSL Parissiene – very pretty and feminine and mainstream..
Would love to be entered in the draw for either..
I love Jo Malone’s Intense Rose Water and Vanilla. I find it a very soothing, mellow and long lasting fragrance. Please enter me in for the new Jo Malone Bluebell.
I don’t know if YSL Paris is considered mainstream, but it certainly is my “pretty” and feminine fragrance. If I win, I would be happy with either sample.
I have a too-big-for-me bottle of Pleasures. Sadly, I don’t like it so much after its first hour, so I need to come up with something to layer with it after the prettiness leaves.
I promise to wear any sample of Bluebell with an Alice-blue headband…!
I like pretty, easy, undemanding, office-friendly scents and i don’t care who knows it! Jo Malone is always a favorite (Honeysuckle and Jasmine, French Lime Blossom blended with Red Roses) and I’ll look forward to sampling this new one too. Jennifer Aniston’s scent fits this category as well, and so does Lovely – though as a rule, I AM a little embarrassed about the whole celebrity scent thing. Still, I like the way these two perfumes smell on me – and that’s the important thing.
Would love to try the Bluebell. I’m a fan of simple and pretty in the summertime. I love complex and weird, but prefer both when the temps are under 85.
Color me a bit shocked, but I’ve been wearing Tommy Bahama this June. I picked up a 1-oz tester for a mere $8 on the Bay, thinking this would be something young and pretty I’d pass on to my dil. Wound up liking it myself. Wore it last week in Houston when I was in a training session and got dozens of compliments. The scent is light and freshly floral without being overly fruity or sugary. Not groundbreaking, classic or special. But definitely pretty.
I also love Fresh Lemon Sugar. Another favorite of mine is “V” by Valentino. I never hear it mentioned by anyone else, but I use it all the time, and it is easy to afford, and lovely.
Please enter me in the draw, thanks.
I heard about this Bluebell recently and it is on my mind to try. I have been loving the Assam/Grapefruit lately in the sweltering heat of South TX. Please enter me in the draw /:)
No need to enter me in the draw but I did want to weigh in (a hefty visual, for sure ;)) ) and echo what so many others have said on here. I like the pretty for everyday wear – life is challenging enough – and while I’m not too heavily invested in mainstreams, it’s only because my nearly-niche group is focused on ‘pretty’; among the mainstream, though, I could Hermes Pamplemousse Rose, which gets mucho compliments (and I love it), Calyx (ditto), No5, Diorella and Diorissimo (the latter is just so pretty – the former is weird but pretty wonderful).
Oh! let’s not forget Fresh Lemon Sugar!
xo >-)
I’m currently wearing a lot of Guerlain’s Champs-Elysees, in memory of a friend who passed away (it was her favorite), and I’m enjoying it primarily because it IS straight-up pretty. I love straight-up pretty. Surely those things are easier to wear around people? I don’t worry about blowing out a room when wearing something like that.
I’d love to try the Jo Malone too. I’ve definitely got a Jo Malone problem. I don’t wear them often, but they’re so pretty and so inexpensive that I keep buying them. And they layer! They’re like Legos. A Legos Jo Malone addiction.
A good friend of mine gave me a bottle of Tokyo Milk’s Song In D Minor for my birthday. As safe and mainstream as it may be I really do like it. It smells like the month of May, (My birthday month) here in Minnesota where I live if that makes any sense. I’m not embarassed by it at all in fact it makes me think of that friend and how much she means to me whenever I wear it. I have a lot of more complex, more expensive, more niche fragrances in my collection but somedays call for a scent that is easy and comfortable.
I’d love to try the new Jo Malone.
If No. 5 Eau Premiere is considered mainstream then that’s the one I own and wear without shame. It’s pretty and sophisticated and available at my local Macy’s. I adore it.
I do enjoy Couture Couture by JC. I figure well-made is well-made, regardless of the designer or attached aesthetic.
Please enter me in the draw.
For straight-up pretty, I usually turn to Joy, or my vintage Lauren.
Carline Herrera Flore and Vera Wang Pink are my two most mainstream pretties, I suppose.
The Malone sounds like it’s worth trying for sure.
yes, I have and wear (and not ashamed to)some “mainstream” fragrances- le feu d’Issey, for instance..
Please, enter me the draw, I would like to try Wild Bluebell
See, that’s me, too, I could care less if a scent is department store or mainstream…if I likes it I wears it.
My biggest shame is that I don’t like Uncle Serge. :)
No shame in that game, imo! I have only found one Serge to love – the iris one that is not Iris Silver Mist….:-? crap. Not the Boxeuses one…crap. Hang on..Bas des Soie! (my mind is like a steel sieve :”>
xososo >-)
Sometimes, when I know I wont be leaving the house, I spritz on a little Chloe. Shhh…don’t tell anyone. I would love to try the Jo Malone Wild Bluebell.
Great question, and one which I thought would be easy to answer as I basically prefer “pretty” perfumes. But upon reflection, I realize that most of what I consider pretty or even beautiful is probably not also considered mainstream. The closest would probably be Guerlain’s L’Heure Bleue or Samsara (although I only like the older versions of that) as they are available in dept. stores. I consider Philtre d’Amour pretty, but is it mainstream? Probably not although it *is* available in dept. stores, just not most of them.
I’d love to sample the MDCI’s – many thanks!
I have to echo London and say I do have some pretty perfumes and don’t feel badly about it at all. It’s nice to have something reliable and easy to “throw on.”
I would love to be entered in the draw. Bluebells are such pretty flowers, and I was looking forward to trying this when it is released.
I love my Gucci edp II, the pink stuff, so that’s probably the most mainstream bottle I have. Of course DKNY Gold, YSL Opium, and Coty Sand ‘n’ Sable are all mainstream stuff, aren’t they? I like them, too. Please enter me in the draw for the Wild Bluebell! I’d love to smell that. It doesn’t smell anything like Penhaligon’s Bluebell, does it? Love the advertising image for the Jo Malone Bluebell.
The Wild Bluebell sounds like a winner! I would love to be entered in the draw for it. :-)
Patty, do you know when the new formulation of Promesse was done? I bought a bottle from Lucky Scent last fall, and it smells different than the two samples I’d bought previously from TPC. Much more citrusy and slightly less powdery. I even considered returning it, thinking I got a bad bottle. Then I sprayed the sample and bottle side by side and decided maybe they weren’t so different after all…and yet they are! Maybe it’s the citrus topnotes of the fb that eek me out; they’re more subtle in the samples, or maybe the full blast of the big bottle sprayer..I dunno what to do with this one!
Anyway, please enter me in the draw for the JM Bluebell and thanks as always for a great review! :-)
I love the original Juicy Couture, and am a bit embarrassed by it because of the JC image! Not sure I’d classify it as pretty, cause pretty sounds a bit too demure and quiet. This one makes me happier than mere pretty. :-)
Karin,
My sister wears JC – and it smells absolutely lovely on her!
xo >-)
PS–Luckyscent says Promesse has been discontinued. Anyone know what’s up with that?
My decants of Promesse are from a few years ago, so yes, it would be interesting to compare. This is one of my maybe top three favorites, so I was a little dismayed to hear it had been reformulated and wasn’t as nice. Glad to hear I most likely wouldn’t notice a difference.
My favorite “pretty” fragrance is Balenciaga Paris. It’s lovely on a hot day, and makes me feel very feminine.
Sure I have quite some of them and I’m not embarassed at all. I actually like them all. People mainly wear just what the most agressive commercial is screaming to them.
I would prefer MDCI.
I have lots of pretty perfumes and feel no shame about it at all. Life would be exhausting if you only put exciting things on. Sometimes you just don’t want to be worried about what you’re wearing. I probably have more pretty niche perfumes because I have more niche or classic perfumes in general but the mainstream ones are things like Blush and Foliflora. I have also worn Jo Malone Orange Blossom and Honeysuckle and Jasmine very happily.
I would like to try the Wild Bluebell because I already have a bottle of the Promesse and I don’t think I want to prefer the new version!
PS Please can you review the new Kenzo when you get it. I really hope it smells like UFO.
Toujours Moi. I’m not sure it’s really mainstream in this day and age, but I love how put together I feel when I have it on, and it’s pretty without being intrusive or weird for weird’s sake.
I’d love to be entered for the MDCI