Skin & Tonics : Skincare Guides & Product Reviews

There is an unofficial category of perfumes that smell like really pleasant shampoos. Often, perfumes in this category will start with big, grandiose tops and dry down to a youthful, vaguely fruity floral scent. Many instantly dismiss a perfume out of hand if it has this particular shampoo-like quality. I, on the other hand, feel it has its place – these perfumes are inoffensive and ideal for office wear, or just wanting to smell nice on a long car trip. I have a pretty straightforward name for this class of fragrances: Shampoo Perfumes. So, here’s the thing about See by Chloe Eau de Parfum: it is the inverse of a Shampoo Perfume, in a Benjamin Button sort of way, and that is precisely what I love about it.

Officially, See by Chloe EDP, which was released at the end of last year, is in the fruity-floral family, but it’s not like any other fruity floral I’ve ever experienced. The top notes are bergamot and apple blossom, the heart notes are jasmine and ylang-ylang, and they all sit upon a base of vanilla and musk. It doesn’t seem like See by Chloe would be that groundbreaking to read that list of notes. In fact, this perfume starts off smelling like an expensive hair product, and in the first few moments of wear I thought See by Chloe was going to be a Shampoo Perfume. But then something surprising happened. Very quickly, the fragrance began to unfold into something really unique. The apple blossom and jasmine were prominent, but there was also a fresh, spicy quality that permeated the whole experience. The spicy quality reminded me of clove, except that it wasn’t as dark and deep as a clove note would typically be. It was similar to a spiced pear, if spiced pears were also bright and fresh.

See by Chloe is also interesting in that its dimension allows it to be appropriate for a variety of settings. It’s definitely good for wearing at work, but it’s also dressy and unique enough to wear for dinner on the town. I think of it as dressy casual – like wearing an expensive white blazer with a favorite pair of jeans.

In terms of longevity, the lighter notes tend to wear off within a few hours, but I am always still able to smell its bright, spicy essence though the end of the day.

The bottle for this perfume is really interesting as well. It’s said to be inspired by vintage bird cages, which makes sense. However, what I see is a chic, 70’s couture grenade. Either way, it looks great on my dresser.

As it turns out, the perfumer behind this fragrance, Michel Amairac, has a seriously impressive portfolio. Among his creations are Chloe EDP (the new 2008 one, which I love), Bottega Veneta (I’ve been wanting to buy this one for months, but it’s been out of my price range), Burberry Women, Burberry Body, Gucci Rush, and several Bond No.9s, among a multitude of others.

You can pick this fragrance up at Sephora for $78 for 1.7 oz. Or, you can do what I did, and buy it at FragranceNet.com, use a 21% off coupon (enter NCT2A at checkout) and get the same 1.7 oz. bottle for $55.

Skin & Tonics Rating:
Performance: 5/5 – Unique, versatile fragrance that and isn’t cloying.

Quality: 5/5 – Beautiful packaging, decent longevity.

Value: 4/5 – In terms of department store perfumes, $78 is on the high side of medium in terms of price. But it’s a good quality fragrance, and there are deals to be found if you look online.

Overall: 4.7/5

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