A few days ago I wrote a review of all the Carl & Claire Perfumes in My Life (so far), and today I already have something to add to that post. Carl & Claire offered to send me a 12ml travel-sized EDP of my choice, and who is this girl to refuse? I shared with them a few top priorities of my Carl & Claire wishlist, and they sent me Lady.
Unlike the silver-colored 12ml travel-sized EDPs I already have, Lady comes in a glass tube with a rose-gold cap. Apparently the packaging is updated since the last time I bought the travel-sized sets last year. Anyway, I do like the rose-gold cap better, and it’s pretty fitting with the scent if you ask me!
I suck at guessing perfume notes, so here are the notes according to Carl & Claire website :
| Top Notes | Citrus, Floral (Rose, Peony, Jasmine), Fruity |
| Middle Notes | Floral, Fruity, Lactonic |
| Base Notes | Ambery, Floral, Musky |
On the first whiff you catch something citrusy, and then, explosion of rose-dominant floral notes. If Velvet is dark, smoky rose, then Lady’s rose is bright and glimmering. Combined with the soft notes of white floral and jasmine, it delivers a refreshing powdery scent. I cannot attest to the peony since it’s a scent I’m not familiar with, but whatever it’s doing there, it’s doing good. It fades into a warm caress of musky rose, feels like raining flower petals on your skin. Lady really is the epitome of pretty in pink.
Some says that this is a dupe of Miss Dior, although I’m not sure which flanker, and certainly I haven’t smelled enough to compare. For me the type of rose scent in Lady is reminiscent of The Body Shop British Rose. I dismissed TBS British Rose when I’m looking for rose perfumes because to me it’s a type of cold, straightforward rose that I’m not partial to. Strangely, I quite like Carl & Claire Lady. It has a warmer quality that is not present in TBS British Rose, layers of depth that is probably provided by the musky base.
The longevity is okay, but a bit underwhelming compared to other Carl & Claire perfumes I have owned. Sprayed to skin, with my usual low-to-moderate activity level, it stays for probably 4 hours. Sprayed to fabrics, though, it stays for literally days. Up to two hours after spraying, the scent travels across the room, but it quickly recedes after that. Afterwards, the smell is still pretty but it’s nothing attention seeking. A good day time scent, still OK for office and perhaps casual dating, like going to a lunch- date and watching movies on Saturday afternoon.
READ ALSO : Reviews of All The Carl & Claire Perfumes in My Life (So Far)
Conclusion
Lady is a pleasant surprise; I don’t expect to like it that much. It’s traditionally, exquisitely feminine. It really befits its name, it calls to mind an image of Mrs. Rose Arbuthnot in The Enchanted April*; an Edwardian lady in flowy dress and wide-brimmed hat, staring longingly from atop of a castle terrace in Portofino. The character somewhat fits as well : I imagine Lady as the scent of someone that is prim and proper on the outside, but underneath she has so much love for life, worldly joy, and beauty. It might compete with Blossom to be my favorite Carl & Claire fragrance so far (because honestly my wishlist is still quite long).
Will I purchase the full-sized bottle? In a heartbeat! Though I’ll probably wait for discount since I need to frequently respray it, it’s used up quite quickly.
I believe normally you cannot get the travel-sized 12 ml EDP on its own. Carl & Claire do have it in bundles with their 30ml EDPs, or you can also get it in the sets. For Lady, I believe you can get it in For Her Mini Collection (along with Gorgeous, Delicate, Lavish, Beautiful Life, and Cherish) or Triple Romantic Edition (with Romance and Gorgeous, but they have yet to restock this one). The full 30-ml size retails for Rp 279.000 and can be found online here :
Have you tried Carl & Claire Lady? If yes, what do you think of it? Please let me know in the comments below š