Tuesday, April 11, 2006

REVIEW: Michael Kors, Island

Notes: Kauai Waterfalls, Oxygenated Water, Chinese Kiwi, Hydroponic Honeysuckle, Parrot Tulip, Champaca Flowers, Ginger Lilies, Bulgarian Rose, Stephanotis, White Bark Accord, Galapagos Driftwood.

Pros: Fresh, breezey, subtle floral undertones, sweet, woody drydown; great bottle.

Cons: Not entirely an original concept...an ozonic floral...the list of comparisons is endless.

Reminds me of: A less berry-tinged version of Cool Water Woman, perhaps slightly sweeter and more powdery; Body Shop Oceanus.

Development: Doesn't really develop much, but becomes slightly woodsy as it dries.

Longevity: Not bad, not great. The topnotes of lily and champaca fade after a couple of hours leaving a sweet barely-there powdery marine note.

Sillage: Very minimal.

Where can I buy it? $59.99 for a 3.4 oz EDP spray at 1stPerfume.com.

Bottleworthy? At nearly $60 for a 100ml, it's not gonna break the bank, but let's face it...it's a marine floral named Island...As pretty as it smells I'd prefer to wear Ferre's new cologne, Bergamotto Marine, or spend the money and go for Malle's Lys Mediteranee.

The Bottom Line: A very mediocre scent from a designer that I expected better from. Michael was a creamy floral incense; Michael for Men a plum-tinged leather; Kors a rich red Port...Island just doesn't keep up. As mentioned above, there are better alternatives, especially considering Island's pricepoint. This is one island that I'll admire from afar and not visit myself. A beautiful composition, but ultimately uninspired on my skin.

Rating (out of 10): 5

What designer scents of recent release didn't quite bowl you over?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

ROTFLMAO - "Kauai Waterfalls?" "Galapagos Driftwood?" Talk about selling the sizzle and not the steak! Sounds like a lot of hot air for the money. I am sure it's nice, for what it is, but whoever decided on the purple prose for the description of the notes should be locked in a closet for a few hours with nothing but a bottle of White Diamonds and see if they could find ONE nice thing to say about it.... :-D

Anonymous said...

Notes of Kauai waterfalls? Puh-leeezzzzze! What's next in watery notes? Still pool beneath Iguazu waterfalls at noon on a partly cloudy October Sunday?
Does oxygenated water have a smell?
And what's hydroponic watersuckle?
Does Galapagos driftwood smell different from, say, Cornwall driftwood?
And I haven't even touched on the white bark yet..... This fragrance raises entirely too many questions. And too many questions just kill off any need to go and try it.....

By the way: nice to be able to read you again!

marlen said...

Flora, Dinazad - I know, I know...the writing is a bit...florid, and the scent a bit...dull. You'd think with those kinds of descriptions the scent would be a little more vivacious.

Anonymous said...

What designer scents of recent release didn't quite bowl you over?
well the list has to be long...
aramis always , alwaysd him; CK euphoria, burberry london, givenchy's lovely prism, hugo pure purple,and the one i liked the best but didn't Love: In love again Jasmin Etoile by YSL, i mean i liked it but i just wouldn't buy it...and for me (i have no patience for waiting) if i don't like it right away, it's a no-buy. I may be missing out but i have gotten stuff in the past that "promised " to be better on the drydown and i just couldn't get over the smell of the top notes. Is that too bad? i think i am forgetting more...

Anonymous said...

Is it me or the bottle looks like a cousin of Escada's Escada (2005) only that the kors one has sharper edges , even the color is a bit similar...what about the scent , any similarities? i like escada btw but it doesn't last as much as i wanted to even though its' an EDP...the sillage is ok to average but i just like the smell...

Mark said...

BVLGARI The Rouge
Dior Homme
Tommy Bahama Very Cool
Anything Armani released recently
Estee Lauder Pure White Linen
La Prairie Silver Rain
Missoni for women
Creed's Original Santal
Cartier Delices

I could go on, but why bother? Of all my lists, this is the biggest.

marlen said...

castor - it does resemble Escada, but Escada is a bit more floral, similar to the original Escada. And I agree, if I don't enjoy every stage of a fragrance, so long...there's just too many other things to try and enjoy!

marlen said...

Mark - the original Missoni for women is by far their best creation as of yet.