Be was launched late last year by Becker.eshaya, a joint collaboration between John Eshaya and Kristin Becker. The notes are mandarin, rose, pink peony, lily of the valley and white musk.
Be is a soapy-clean floral musk fragrance. The peony is predominant in the early stages, but none of the floral notes really stand out, and the fragrance stays both fresh and close to the skin. It is mildly sweet, with (as advertised) a young, summery, California contemporary-ish feel. It is nothing terribly unusual, but it is pretty and the lasting power is excellent. Available at beautyhabit.
Calyspo Gardenia is a limited edition from Christiane Celle, with notes of fresh citrus, white gardenia, brazilian spices, narcissus, peach blossom, jasmine, vetiver, coriander, vanilla and musk. It starts with gardenia, heady and sweet, but as is often the case, the gardenia part doesn’t really last. The narcissus is strong in the early stages — if you don’t like narcissus, I seriously doubt that this fragrance will work for you — after that, it is a more indistinct blended floral with traces of green and a mildly spicy kick.
It is pretty and spring-like, and much more to my taste than the Becker.eshaya. I like the Calypso line of fragrances: they tend to be in a casual, nothing-overly-complicated style —what a friend meant recently when she said she needed a fragrance she could wear with jeans — but they aren’t, like so many such fragrances, dumbed down with an excess of sugar. I’m going to give the Gardenia a few more tries and decide if it is full-bottle-worthy, but I have a feeling that it is something I’d like in a 10 ml decant.
An aside: Can anyone believe that I haven’t bought a single bottle so far in 2006? I can hardly believe it myself, and I hope this isn’t another case of denial like I had last year, when I conveniently forgot several bottles I’d purchased. But the last bottle I remember buying is the Osmanthe Yunnan.
Update: did a little nosing around (pardon the pun). I found a 15 ml bottle of Timbuktu that I bought in December, so I have bought something since the Osmanthe Yunnan, but I still stand by my statement that I haven’t bought a bottle in 2006.
Meanwhile, availability on the Gardenia, see the listing for Calypso under Perfume Houses.
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These do not even sound remotely appealing to me. I was curious about Calypso Gardenia, but L. and T. killed that interest with their comments.
R, I haven't bought a bottle since September 2005! That is not quite as amazing as it sounds, given that I purchased three SL bell bottles in September 2005, and have had much life busy-ness to distract me from shopping in the meantime, but still!
Hah — that is EXACTLY the sort of thing you make the mistake of writing before you sniff some $300 thing that you'll die without, and you read about the new perfume that X made for Y perfumery that you have to have immediately… you'll be making one of those pie charts again showing you spent 85% of your money on perfume! FWIW I don't “count” decant purchases, even though they're as much as several bottles by the end of the year;-)
PS — what is your Blue Jean fragrance? Is it different in winter and summer?
You have not purchased anything fragrance-wise since December??? I find that so hard to believe. What is your secret, R? Do you have a fairy godmother(s) of fragrance that sends you decants and bottles of perfume? I am intrigued…
Hugs!
Heh. I *wish* I haven't bottle anything in 2006. It is already proving to be a more spend-ful year than 2005 *sigh*
At least I won't be adding these two scents to my long To Buy list.
I don't think you would like either of them, V.
Wow! Wow on the no-buy since September, and another wow on the 3 bell bottles. Good for you
M, I have to many jeans perfumes to list, really. I like lots of casual scents. And yes, I'm bound to buy something expensive soon!
R, No secret except that I have too many already, and my “want to buy” list is so long that I can't seem to make up my mind which thing to get next….so I dither, and then buy nothing. Have a feeling a little spending spree is coming soon, LOL…
No, M, you would like either of them so you are safe!
Not so impressive really, as it was not in any way a deliberate no-buy! I am quite sure I would have failed miserably had I attempted an official no-buy! And, since upcoming circumstances are hopefully going to increase my free time, I am sure we will see the bottle wishlist dwindling rapidly as the purchases mount in coming months!
re the “young, summery, California contemporary-ish feel” of Be … there is a market segment crying out for a middle-aged, autumnal, Idaho provincial-ish scent. I don't see — or smell — that need being met. Just saying. xoxo
These two don't appeal to me either, though I always love your reviews. Robin, I am amazed you haven't bought a bottle of anything so far in 2006. I cannot lay claim to this statement, as I've already spent WAY too much, and am still plotting my next bottle purchase. Meanwhile I'm buying decants like a crazy person…
Today I wore Hiris, and adore it, it's one of the rare florals in my collection, and it's just brilliant. I also got samples from Tauer perfumes in the mail today, after over 30 days of waiting, no fault of Tauer. Customs issues. Truly, they're well worth the wait so far…and the customer service is amazing.
I'm with you, Mireille. In the same way that I can't wear ultra-low-cut short shorts, I can't wear perfumes like “Be”. I'd like to find something fun and casual that doesn't make me feel like I'm trying to be 13 (eewwww! Why would I ever want to?) or make me smell like my grandma (you know the “old-lady perfume” smell?).
Yes, the Calypso Gardenia was a big bust. Too bad. Murky and heavy, heavy on the tuberose/jasmine thing. Like Fracas' dirty country cousin.
LOL! Good one, M.
Be smells young, but not *that* young — or at least not to me. It isn't like Pink Sugar or something. Its just a simple floral musk.
LOL at “Fracas' dirty country cousin” — I liked it much better than you did, L!
Hiris is one of my all time favorites, of course. Haven't yet tried the Tauer's but I hear they are wonderful.
I can't stand this fragrance! It smells like a mass produced “teeny-bopper” scent. YUCK!
I'm talking about the Be. I thought I should clarify.
)
Really, teeny-bopper? It really didn't seem that bad to me, just not particularly interesting or something that I would wear. I'd rather see teenagers wear this than what I do smell at the mall, which is usually something much sweeter & much, much stronger
The Tauers are WONDERFUL, Robin. Truly they are. Well worth the wait – and I'm absolutely putting them on my list of bottles I must own.
Will have to get samples then, thanks!
I purchased this unsniffed (I know, mistake!) and received it yesterday. On me, I only get a big huge grapefruit. Not my cup of tea. I was hoping for the florals but ick was my reaction.
Do you mean the Calypso? Either way, sorry, and take the advice that I don't follow myself — never buy unsniffed!
About the previous reviewer's comment about Calypso being Fracas' dirty country cousin, as far as Fracas goes, I have many “gardenia” scents and Fracas is one of my favorites. More people love it then don't if you read reviews on other boards. It's actually more Tuberose than Gardenia; most perfumers use Tuberose to make Gardenia, or use Tuberose and call it Gardenia, but regardless Fracas is a wonderful scent!!
Fracas is wonderful