Skip to main content

Gap The Lover

Apricot, Mint Leaves, Patchouli.

I've been meaning to snag a bottle of this for a few years now and I finally got around to it. To be exact, I purchased 2 NIB 50ml. on auction because the price was perfect. Lo and behold, when they arrived, both sprayers were damaged and 25% of each bottle had leaked. I own a few Gap Individual fragrances and while they don't have "quality" spray mechanisms, none have this defect. I really wanted to keep one of these unopened, but oh well..........

That frustration aside, I decided to keep them and simply decant what remained into a good sized atomizer and call it good. I did so mainly because The Lover smells nice. This is a fruitchouli that has a little more going on than the 3 listed notes. There's a mild citrus in the opening accord, yet I experience no mint or mentholated quality whatsoever. The first few minutes however reveal a pleasant Bergamot mingled with a "fruit" aspect that I don't recognize as Apricot, but who cares. Whatever it really is, I like it. It plays nicely off the evaporating citrus and oncoming Patchouli. This version of Patch has a mild smoke incorporated into it.

The volume and presence of Gap The Lover is moderate, but the aroma is rather full bodied. It's safe to say that it has substance up close, but lacks serious projection. Personally, I think that's a "plus" in this case and enjoy the manner in which it performs. It's simplistic, pleasant and has a rendition of patchouli that's on the mild side with a very subtle smoke and all the while, leaning a bit sweet. For me, what's not to like?

Now, great it's not. It does have quality though and with its price point ( if you're patient ), is an intelligent purchase. It's sensual while having the ability to be worn by either gender with no qualms at all. I have been enjoying it more than I thought I would. I also find it to be a good, close quarter scent with enough versatility to succeed in numerous situations, from personal, social to economic. Sillage is average with longevity approximately 3 hours on my skin. Thumbs up from Aromi for Gap's The Lover with a strong recommendation to sample before purchase.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Black Suede by Avon

Nutmeg, Clove, Amber, Musk, Moss, Wood Notes. Yes.........I am reviewing one of the Rodney Dangerfield's of fragrance. Black Suede has been gracing medicine cabinets, for better or worse, since 1980 my friends. If you're expecting me to inform you ( like others may have already ) that Black Suede is a nasty scrubber, you will be disappointed. On the other hand, if you're expecting a glowing review claiming it's a diamond in the rough, you won't hear that from me either. I will say though that Black Suede doesn't deserve the hate it's received and most of that is due to snobbery aimed at Avon products in general. I kid you not when I state that a close relative to this fragrance is Cacharel Pour L'Homme. The array of spice in both ensure comparison, but the "smoother" of the two is Black Suede due to its implementation of Amber. While wearing Black Suede, one can detect a hint of "drugstore". That quality doesn't manife...

Oriental Lounge by The Different Company

Bergamot, Curry Leaf, Pepper, Red Rose, Tonka Bean, Labdanum, Satinwood. I suppose the first thing I noticed about Oriental Lounge is that as a man, this is a bit of a stretch to pull off. Since the core of Oriental Lounge is a powdery tonka and amber duo, it really does lean a bit too far feminine for me to wear. However, it would smell just as lovely on a woman and more appropriate as well. I bring this up simply because it's marketed as shared. I was wondering about the curry leaf. Actually, this "note" brought nothing to the table with the exception of possibly enhancing the pepper note just a bit. Even so, the pepper note itself was low key ( at least on me ) and both blended nicely with the citrus opening. From the onset of Oriental Lounge, it's unmistakable that this fragrance is.......well.....an oriental. From other opinions, I read some gripes about longevity, but it lasts on me quite awhile. This fragrance is uncomplicated and without much movemen...

Chanel copying Guerlain. Why?

                      Last month, I had the pleasure of trying Comète by Chanel, the latest addition to their prestigious Les Exclusifs line. This fragrance follows the release of Le Lion in 2020, another standout in the same collection. Like Le Lion , Comète is a beautiful perfume that captures the essence of Chanel’s refined elegance. However, both fragrances bear a striking resemblance to classic creations by Guerlain, leading me to ponder the direction Chanel is taking. Chanel has a great fragrance history. Not as hallowed and old as Guerlain but for past three decades it has far outshone Guerlain. In my view, no other perfume house has come close to Chanel’s excellence in this century. This makes their recent approach of echoing Guerlain classics somewhat perplexing. Have they run out of fresh ideas? Is Roger Dove at the helm of their fragrance division, or have they perhaps...