Sixteen92 Spring 2020 Collection

For Sixteen92’s first seasonal collection of 2020, they decided to theme it, fittingly, after the Roarin’ 20’s. This is sadly my last month as a member of the Circle, which is Sixteen92’s yearly membership where members receive every seasonal collection in samples before its released, along with a 10% off discount for the entire year, and a window of having a 30% off discount to purchase any of the full sized fragrances of new collections with early access. There’s also one special full sized fragrance for circle members only, which came with this collection, so I’ll review it in this post! This past year as a member of the Circle was actually my birthday gift from Giulia last year, which was so thoughtful, she knows how much I adore Sixteen92 and how they were the indie that started it all for me.

Anyways! On to the review.

As per usual with my fragrance reviews, I will start with the brand’s description of the scent, then go through with my first impressions and overall review of the scent, and end with a GIF that I think matches the vibe of the perfume. Let’s get started!

Each fragrance in this collection is named after an actress from the Golden age of Hollywood, with a short description of them along with the scent notes.

Bette

Brand Description.

I’d like to kiss ya but I just washed my hair

Bette Davis (born  Ruth Elizabeth Davis, 5 April 1908 – 6 October 1989) One of the most illustrious leading ladies of US cinema, Bette Davis began her career on broadway and moved to Hollywood in 1930. She is best known for her roles in All About Eve, Dangerous, and Jezebel, and was the first female president of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 

☾ Notes: ☽
Angel food cake, floral honey, marshmallow, pistachio, French vanilla, loose black tea

☾ Fragrance Family: ☽
A classy and chic floral gourmand

In the bottle: The marshmallow is very present at first sniff. I’m worried it’s going to smell like something from Bath and Body Works that’s Holiday Themed, and not in a good way.

On the Skin: Ok… the gooey sweetness has settled a bit. The tea and honey adds a bit of complexity to the sugary gourmand. I love the pistachio note, it adds an earthiness that grounds the whole thing.

Overall: This quickly goes from sugary sweet to a feminine ‘warm sweater’ type smell. I ended up liking this much more than I thought, and I could see this in as an everyday scent that would make Barbara say ‘ooooh, you smell good!’ as you walk by her in the office. It’s not too foody to me, but it’s not very floral either. The dusky tea and earthy pistachio round it out, and it fades to a sweet skin musk.

Throw and Duration Notes: This has a bit of a throw but doesn’t last long on my skin. Traditionally, my skin eats up Sixteen92’s fragrances, so take this with a grain of salt.

Greta

Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson, 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990)Garbo began her career in Sweden, and her first roles in U.S. films were silent as she could not yet speak English. She is best known for her roles in Camille, Mata Hari, and Grand Hotel. Famously private and reclusive, Garbo never signed autographs, rarely attended industry events, and declined most interviews. 

☾ Notes: ☽
Secluded garden walls, turned earth, quiet sidewalks, citrus grove, soft linen, sunlit jasmine, warm dew

☾ Fragrance Family: ☽
A reticent & warm green atmospheric

In the bottle: Straight out of the bottle this smells more like a green forest scent than a floral. I was worried about the jasmine not, but it’s not overly present upon first sniff.

On the Skin: This is super interesting. This is a combination of soft laundry, with the smell of wet grass, almost like a grass stain on the knees of jeans. The citrus is so light but it adds another layer of clean. I would call this clean and sophisticated, but still natural.

Overall: Over time, this just gets better and better. It softens into the skin and leaves a warm cotton scent that is so sweet and clean. This smells like summer, in a really atmospheric way. This isn’t floral at all, and there is the petrichor of sidewalks and earth that keep this from being too feminine. It’s just lovely.

Throw and Duration Notes: This is strong, so be wary not to put on too much when you wear this. It lasts very long, which is surprising for a Sixteen92 scent on me.

Jean

Jean Harlow (born Harlean Harlow Carpenter, 3 March 1911 – 7 June 1937)Despite her short career due to her tragic death at the age of 26, Jean Harlow quickly catapulted to A-list stardom after signing with eccentric billionaire producer Howard Hughes in 1930. The original “blonde bombshell,” Harlow is best known for her roles in Red-Headed Woman, Dinner at Eight, and Suzy. Due to a series of lasting health complications after suffering from influenza and scarlet fever, Harlow tragically died of kidney failure shortly before completion of her final movie, Saratoga in 1937.

☾ Notes: ☽
White gardenia, Mexican tuberose, sparkling aldehydes, ginger ale, passion fruit, coconut water, silken musks

☾ Fragrance Family: ☽
A glamorous aldehydic white floral

In the bottle: This is sweet and fresh right off the bat. It’s almost like a bubblegum scent, but not too heavy.

On the Skin: Sixteen92 really surprises me with the way they handle florals in a way that works for me. The soft florals are balanced with musk and coconut, and the aldehydes add a sparkle that’s hard to define. This is beautiful and soft.

Overall: This is a really feminine but mature scent. The musks and aldehydes keep it close to the skin and make it cozy as it wears. The sweet notes of passionfruit and coconut water aren’t overly fruity or synthetic, they’re just fresh. This is just really sexy in a down to earth way, like warm summer skin with a flower in your hair. I love this, which is surprising to me!

Throw and Duration Notes: This has a descent throw and lasts long, and as it wears, it becomes a soft, feminine, skin musk.

Louise

Louise Brooks (born Mary Louise Brooks, 14 November 1906 – 8 August 1985)The unparalleled hedonistic flapper icon of the Roaring ’20s, Louise Brooks began her career as a (sometimes nude) stage dancer, model, and chorus girl in New York. Best known for her early roles in Pandora’s Box and Diary of a Lost Girl, Louise retired from acting at the age of 32 and took on a series of jobs including copywriter, Saks Fifth Avenue sales clerk, and escort. She published her memoir, Lulu in Hollywood, in 1982 to critical acclaim.

Please note this is a premium fragrance. Samples will be filled approx. 2/3 by weight.

☾ Notes: ☽
Sultry amber, red ink, black kohl, night blooms, Tonkin musk (synthetic), wormwood, soft suede, glistening strands of pearls

☾ Fragrance Family: ☽
A seductive dark atmospheric

In the bottle: Right off the bat, I REALLY like this. It has an almost chemical scent, like acrylic paint, paired with that black licorice scent which I think is derived from anise. It’s just unique right away and I want to keep sniffing.

On the Skin: I LOVE this and I usually hate anything floral with all my heart. The floral notes are apparent too, but they’re just paired so well that it works for me. This smells straight up like India Ink, and if you were a little teenage dirtbag like me, you gave yourself tattoos with india ink and safety pins. That’s exactly what it smells like, and it brings me back to so many memories. UGH! Love this!!

Overall: This smells like the dark of night, like tears, like wet ink and the buzzing of streetlights in the summer. I just FEEL this one in my bones, and I really love it. The florals are leaning towards Iris notes for me, and they smell like the humid southern type of floral note. I love the tinge that the ink note has, combined with the mysterious wormwood, which smells antique, like an old apothecary. This almost has an aquatic side to it as well, maybe that is what is representing the strands of pearls. The suede appears as a skin musk. This just has a personality that is dark and deep, but you want to know anyway. Was Louise Brooks a scorpio? I LOOKED IT UP AND SHE IS IN FACT A SCORPIO. I guarantee you I had no idea who she was before writing this, but this is the most Scorpio fragrance in the world, in honor of a stunning Scorpio woman of days past, so much so that I was able to guess that, which is blowing my mind right now. Also, know seeing her photo, she is breathtakingly beautiful and I will be reading her memoir.

Throw and Duration Notes: Like Greta, Louise is quite strong, so be careful when you apply it. It also lasts very long! I wonder if it’s the type of notes on my skin or if Sixteen92 has changed their formula a bit.

Marlene

Marlene Dietrich (born Marie Magdalene Dietrich, 27 December 1901 – 6 May 1992)Known for continually reinventing herself, Marlene’s career spanned seven decades and multiple fields. In film, she is well known for her roles in Morocco, Shanghai Express, and Desire. Shortly before she renounced her German citizenship, she donated her entire salary ($450,000 – one of the highest for any actress of the time) for her role in Knight Without Armour towards efforts to assist Jews and dissidents escape Nazi Germany. 

☾ Notes: ☽
Alba rose, copal, bearded iris, scarlet lips, flushed cheeks, davana, plum syrup, gin fizz, smoke

☾ Fragrance Family: ☽
A seductive & smoky atmospheric floral

In the bottle: Ohhh lovely. This is a sultry feminine scent for sure, but like all the others, the florals aren’t too heavy.

On the Skin: This is interesting and unique, but of course, it works. The florals are not headachy or powdery, they’re more dark and intriguing, almost like an antique shop. The smoke isn’t overbearing, but adds complexity.

Overall: This is nice, but it’s not what I expected from reading the notes. Also, because it fades so quickly, it’s hard to catch all the notes before it fades into just a sweet musk for me. Regardless, it’s nice and very feminine.

Throw and Duration Notes: This one doesn’t have as big of a throw as all the others, and it fades quickly.

Exclusive Circle Fragrance: The Golden Age

Brand Description:

Pitted dates, dried cherry & raisin, rummy caramel, flowing brandy, golden amber musk, roasted coffee, dusted stained glass, old books

In the bottle: This is really sweet but almost like.. in an old man way. Do you remember the scene in the Parent Trap where fake british Lindsay Lohan tells the Grandpa he smells good, like ‘peppermint and pipe tobacco’. Of course, someone on YouTube had that exact scene, so if you’re curious, here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7yPNP7NLo4. My point here is that my immediate sniff just brings me to posh grandpa smoking a pipe in a library.

On the Skin: This scent is so layered, and it really changes as it wears, but it’s always good. Right away, the natural sweetness of the dried fruits along with the old timey ice cream shop combo of cherry and caramel is super gourmand, but it doesn’t stay that way for long. The roasted scent of coffee is so delicious in this, and the glass and book notes give it the atmosphere I’ve always loved about Sixteen92’s scents.

Overall: This one really took me by surprise, as Sixteen92 tends to do! I’ve been wearing it practically every single day since I got this package. As someone who not only doesn’t drink, but is sober, I usually give a BIG eye roll to booze as notes in perfume. I’m happy to report that this doesn’t smell like alcohol at all, those days are behind me now and I’d like to keep it that way. As this wears, it becomes a sweet, sultry scent. The amber musk is sophisticated and sexy, but the fruit adds a sweetness. The dusty glass and old books give it that old library feeling that I love. I just love this scent and will continue to treasure this one for a long time!

Throw and Duration Notes: This has a decent throw, but the initial intensity wears off quickly. The sweetness of the scent lasts forever, after a long day I can still smell it on my skin.

Overall, I really love this collection. It’s one of my favorites of the past year as a member of the circle, and from Sixteen92 as a whole. I can tell that Claire did a ton of research on these women and put a lot of work and inspiration into these blends.

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