Just Not That Into You 2: Gaultier Le Male Terrible

terribleI don’t wear many Gaultier fragrances. My ex used to wear at least two, and while I do like them they’re sort of intrinsically tied to him in my brain, so I never even try to. I was in Sephora the other day killing time before meeting friends for dinner and was in the Gaultier area and noticed something called “Terrible” and asked for them to make me up a sample.

First, the name. “Terrible?” Is there some hidden French meaning of this that the marketers knew about that is sailing past my brain? Didn’t they think that nasty little bloggers like me the world over wouldn’t pounce on that like a hungry puma in a room full of plump, juicy rodents?

Well, it isn’t terrible. It really isn’t much of anything. It starts out with a vaguely peppered sort-of grapefruit, then gets lavender in there then sort of collapsed on my skin in less than 20 minutes into a wan vanilla, then completely disappears. Which is surprising because if I remember the ones my ex favored they had the strength and the half-life of strontium 90..

Notes (from Sephora): Grapefruit, Pink Pepper, Lavender, Vanilla, Vetiver.

$50 for 1.3 ounces, which I suppose a not so “terrible” price.

My sample was asked for and provided by the Sephora in the Beverly Center

Image: Sephora

  • Katherine says:

    This one sounds awful. I think I might have to give it to an ex boyfriend.

  • Barbara says:

    What’s up with the razor blade?

    • einsof says:

      that’s how you know he’s “terrible”… dangerous…. and probably has a lot of bandages on his chest.

  • einsof says:

    while i adore the MAN, his perfumes will always remind me of sitting single in a mid to late 90’s gay bar. then going home to listen to my roommate and his endless conquests, going to work the next day and people LITERALLY asking me if i was wearing some Gaultier perfume. NO THAT’S JUST WHAT THE INSIDE OF OUR APARTMENT SMELLS LIKE.

    needless to say, i moved.

    in all fairness, i will grant it was better than the previous obsession those same men in the those same bars had with Joop! — only the Gaultier didn’t give me a migraine that made me want to kill people.

    and now we have Angel… in all it’s various torturous incarnations. i don’t go to bars anymore… my single nature has become my LaCroix cross to bear. (“But it’s a LACROIX, sweetie!” “oh maybe i can throw up on something to go with it.. oh i see someone already has.”)

    meanwhile i hope you are feeling better Mr. Tom!! now smile pretty for the… oh. i don’t have a camera. well, i hope you feeling better anyway!! cheers!

  • Musette says:

    the Gauliter ‘package’ bottles always give me a giggle. You owe me a keyboard, btw. This brief review, scathing in its fain (non) praise, is HYSTERICAL!

    xoxoxoxoxA

  • Portia says:

    HA HA HA! I have much better luck with this ones longevity Tom. Your post made me chuckle though.
    Portia xx

  • Ann says:

    Hi, Tom! Guess the only thing that was Terrible about it was that it was terribly boring then 🙂 Money saved, which is always a good thing. I tried the first couple of Gaultiers but after awhile all those torso bottles confused me and I gave up. Thanks for taking one for the team.