ASK MARLEN: Butterflies are free...

Marlen,

Your last article on Basenotes about the difference between male and female fragrances was very enlightening. What are your thoughts about Hanae Mori butterfly? Could a male pull this off? What do you think about this particular fragrance? Do you like it?

Thanks!
jDear j,

I used to sell a lot of Hanae Mori in the days when I worked at Nordstroms. It was a fairly new scent at the time and I really enjoyed the almond-tinged fruity oriental with notes of Strawberries, Bilberries, Blackcurrant, Bulgarian rose, Jasmine, Ylang-ylang, Sandalwood, Almond, and Praline. It strongly reminded me of Chopard's Casmir, another favorite from the early 90's that I definitely DID wear.

As for a man pulling this off, you know what my answer is gonna be, don'tcha? As I always say:

"If you love it, wear it, be happy, and enjoy!"

Do I personally like it? Yes, I love it, and I also think the men's fragrance is a unique and bold composition. Do I wear either of them these days? No, I think overdosed on them back in my Nordies' days.

So bottom line - try it on your skin, see how you feel when wearing it, and if it's something you need to smell on yourself more often, go for it!

Quick note: The scent with the blue butterflies printed on the box, is the EDP, the heaviest and sweetest; the pink butterflies are the EDT, lighter and not as long-lasting; and the yellow butterflies are the EAU FRAICHE, a much lighter version, but still true to the original composition, that works well in warmer weather, and doesn't have the heavy sweetness of some of the fruity basenotes. The box with the sketched figure of a woman is a totally different scent - Haute Couture - although the bottle is exactly the same.

Marlen