Fragrances for Day and Night: My Fresh Faves Review

I am highly allergic to floral scents and many fragrances give me a headache. I have loads of fragrances and tend to prefer body sprays and splashes to actual perfumes. However, I have a few standbys that I wear that always get my compliments. You won't see very high end brands here. I like what I like and most of the brands I like aren't overly pricey comparatively.

If you want to leave a good impression without causing people to be overwhelmed by your scent, give these fragrances a try. I love them all and I feel clean, fresh, and sexy when I wear them. And If I'm ever stuck in an elevator with a bunch of people, no one will have an asthma attack from my strong perfume. I hate when people impose their scents in my space. These fragrances do NOT do that to others.

In no particular order, my fragrance faves:

O De Lancome

This fragrance is one I have been wearing for years. Made by Lancome (obviously), this fragrance offers up a blend of lemon, mandarin, jasmine, honeysuckle, sandalwood, and wild rosemary. It smells warm yet had a citrus undertone. It is not too sweet and not floral. It is so sexy. Every time I wear it, I get compliments from men and women and it lasts forever on my skin. This fragrance is affordable at around $60.00 for 4.2 ounces (Compare prices!) and it lasts forever. One bottle will easily go through season after season.

O De Lancome isn't a summer or winter fragrance. It can be worn year round. It's both casual and formal and it's never out of place. Wear it with jeans or an evening gown. You can't go wrong!

L'eau D'Issey by Issey Miyake

I just said I didn't like florals yet here is one. But it is by no means a heady floral perfume. I was given a bottle of this fragrance when I was in my ex-boss's wedding. I didn't think i would like it considering it seemed to be a floral perfume. Was I wrong. This fragrance starts out a bit strong then dries down to the most feminine, sexy, sophisticated perfume I have worn.

L'eau D'Issey is made up of lotus, cyclamen, freesia and carnations, white lilies, with hints of amber-seed musk. But throw away whatever you think it smells like because it smells like no other perfume out there. It's unique and I always get compliments when I wear it. I tend to wear this fragrance at night and for more formal occasions because it is so complex and sophisticated. It's magic in a bottle and one of the only floral based fragrances I can wear without getting a headache or wanting to shower immediately. It's so sexy! And the scent lasts forever on my skin.

My son liked it so much he bought the version for men and that is just as sexy on him. That sounded so wrong. I mean, the men's version is great as well and a good buy as a gift for any man. That sounds better. :)

Fresh Sugar Lemon

This fragrance isn't as simple as JUST sugar and lemon.  t has top notes of Italian lemon and mandarin, middle notes of lychee flower, orange blossom, ginger flower, and base notes of oak moss, caramel, and white santal. But I smell a super fresh, somewhat sweet lemon scent with lots of extras to make this fragrance super unique and oh, so fresh. This is a good daytime, anytime fragrance. I buy the layering items like lotion and body wash because the fragrance is light and tends to fade quickly. Layering keeps the scent front and center.

If you like citrus scents, Fresh Sugar Lemon may be for you. It's a tad pricey but nothing like the high priced designer brands. It makes me feel fresh and free. A great summertime fragrance, this scent will take you back to the sand and sea any time of the year.

Philosophy Pure Grace

This little bottle of clean has a very pure, very clean scent. Once dubbed a "soap and water" scent, this fragrance makes me smell just out of the shower clean, anytime, all the time. It's not a very uncomplicated scent but does have some sweetness to it and a little bit of innocent sexiness that appeals to me and apparently to those around me. One man asked me if I would write down the name of my perfume so he could buy his wife some. He said he had followed me around for a while just to be sure it was me that had that super clean scent on. Ehh, stalkerish but he seemed well intentioned.

At any rate, this is a great casual fragrance but doesn't last long on the skin. I layer with the new Pure Grace oil and lotion of the same scent. When I am just heading out to the store or to a friend's home, I spray or roll on Philosophy Pure Grace and I know I smell very fresh, clean, and appealing without overwhelming those around me.

Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue

This is my all time favorite fragrance. It's a bit pricey but I don't care. I need it at all times. With notes of Sicilian citron, bluebell, Granny Smith apple, jasmine sambac, bamboo, white rose, cedarwood, amber, and musk, you may think this perfume is floral or overwhelming. Not at all. It is the freshest scent I ever wore. It's super sexy and appealing to men and women. I have never gotten so many compliments and remarks as I have when I wear Light Blue. People just have to know what the name of the scent is. It's subtle and never overwhelms but it draws people to me. My husband loves this scent as do I. I wear it when I am alone just to smell it on me. I try to buy testers to lower the price and I often find them online. Although Light Blue doesn't last for hours on my skin, I layer it with the lotion and it settles in fine for a long day or night,

This fragrance goes from casual to work to formal. It seems to smell different on everyone and it uniquely your fragrance when it mixes with your body chemistry. If I could only wear one fragrance for a lifetime, this would be it. I consider it to be my signature fragrance. I used to go to a quaint hair styling place and the girls all raved over how I smelled every time I went. I finally bought them a small bottle to try and they fought over it until the owner bought them all the fragrance. No lie. It would have been nice if he bought ME a bottle but he didn't. They went out of business, Karma! Ha!

I recommend D&G Light Blue to every woman who loves to smell subtly sexy and fresh. To women old and young, wild and conservative, casual or formal. It's that wonderful.

Honorable Mention

Secrets by Dana

It's nearly impossible to find this fragrance now and I'm going crazy. if anyone knows where I can get it, PLEASE tell me. This fragrance is just lovely. It's not expensive at all. But it has that clean, somewhat citrus (more lemon than anything), warm, sexy scent that I am drawn to. It's really one of the nicest smelling scents I have come across. I can't find it anywhere except at times, online here and there. I really would love more but I think it was discontinued. If you see it, snag it. The scent reminds me of snuggling up on freshly laundered sheets and blankets with someone I love and just cuddling. I was once told I smelled good enough to cuddle. BY A STRANGER. Luckily he was male and pretty good looking but still. That was strange but oddly complimentary because Secrets by Dana DOES smell that way. It's inexpensive and long lasting. Find me some!

There you have my top picks. I have loads of other fragrances from DKNY Cashmere to Vera Wang Look to Elizabeth Arden's Green Tea to body splashes, all natural perfumes, and much more. But these are my op pics. You can see that I like fresh fragrances with citrus undertones and shun typical florals. None of these gives me a headache nor smells too strong. All smell unique and all make me feel clean, fresh, sexy, and breezy. What are your faves? Do share!

Thanks for reading!

Patty