Sixteen92 Summer Collection Review – 1989 Mixtape

I am SO excited to be writing this post, and have been looking forward to it. This collection has really reaffirmed my love of indie perfume and got me so excited for summer. As a music lover from all genres and eras, I love how this collection has painted a picture of such a specific and fun time. Also, this is my first year as a member of the Sixteen92 Circle – which means I get to try every seasonal collection before it releases, as well as get first access to new release sales and an annual discount code. This is all thanks to my best friend and partner on this blog, Giulia, who got this for me for my birthday. She’s an angel.

Without further ado, here are all the scents and my reviews for each, along with a gif that matches my impression of the scent.

SUMMER 1989 MIX TAPE

Release Date : Friday, June 7
Listen to the Summer Mix Tape playlist on Spotify – Claire, the owner of Sixteen92, created this playlist to accompany the scents, which I of course listened to while writing this review.

BAD REPUTATION

Joan Jett – Rolling paper, cannabis, cherry cola, worn leather jacket, torn magazine pages
Smells like: Skipping school at the mall

In the bottle: Yum. Cherry cola syrup is the first thing I smell, along with a bit of worn in leather and a smell that’s sort of reminiscent of gasoline.

On the Skin: I was a bit concerned about the cannabis, but luckily this doesn’t smell like stinky skunk weed. There is the slightest note of earthiness. The strongest immediate smell is the cherry cola, but it’s muted, almost as if it’s just someones breath after drinking a cherry coke. Is that weird?

Overall: As this warms into the skin, the leather and paper smells become more apparent. I think the gasoline I smelled earlier was more so the magazine ink. This is so unique, it’s the perfect balance of sweet skin with the edge of leather. I have met Joan Jett; she’s one of my idols, and I think she’d love this.

CRUEL SUMMER

Bananarama – Beach rock, hot sand, palm fronds, sunblock, salt, rum
Smells like: Lazy afternoons at the beach

In the bottle: Oooo this is the perfect fruity sweet scent of sunblock. It reminds me immediately of summers in the Jersey Shore as a kid.

On the skin: It doesn’t take long to realize that this is much more complex than a simple suncreen scent. There’s a greenness to this and the atmospheric scent of ocean air.

Overall: This is summer in a bottle. It’s absolutely perfect. The sunblock scent stays put, but it’s not artificial, it’s more like sunblock on skin that’s laying on a towel on the beach. There is the slightest green floral, and the atmospheric air of heat and sun. The rum is not overpowering, it just adds the slightest bit of sweetness.

POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME

Def Leppard – White peach, raspberry syrup, citrus flower, sweet mango, cotton candy, pink lipstick
Smells like: Raiding your big sister’s makeup stash

In the Bottle: This smells like a fruity cocktail from a beach bar. Just hot.. sticky.. sweet.

On the skin: Just as expected, this is just sweet af. It’s not a gourmand, and by that I mean it doesn’t smell like food. It smells like a sweet lip balm or body spray. The mango is the most intense note and melds well with the citrus flower.

Overall: This reminds me of the body sprays the girls would have in their backpacks. After a bit of wear, there’s a sort of waxy note which I’m assuming is the pink lipstick. This one fades quickly.

TIME AFTER TIME

Cyndi Lauper – Watermelon lipgloss, peony blossom, new roller skates, vanilla malt, sugar musk
Smells like: Late-night phone calls from your crush

In the Bottle: Cute and sweet, but also it really does smell like lipgloss! I don’t know what to call that scent but it’s very specific.

On the skin: Wow, this is definitely my unexpected favorite of the bunch. It’s fruity sweet like bubblegum, with the slightest floral that blends perfectly. It’s not overwhelming or headachy.

Overall: I love this and will most likely purchase a full size of this. It smells like sweet skin, fruity gum, lip gloss, and the slightest hint of new leather. This is literally exactly what I would expect Cyndi Lauper to smell like. Overtime, the vanilla malt and sugar musk last the longest, and just leave you with the sweetest natural scent ever. Sixteen92 is always broadening my horizons on what notes and fragrances I’ll love.

SHOUT AT THE DEVIL

Mötley Crüe – Smeared makeup, c●●●ine, hairspray, fog machine, nag champa
Smells like: Backstage at The Roxy

In the Bottle: Fog machine juice! I’ve worked with fog machines many times and it smells just like this, which also sort of smells like a subway platform or a steaming manhole in NYC.

On the skin: This is interesting. The nag champa is very present, but it almost has a skin essence to it. The smeared makeup is a kind of a melted smell, like when you leave your favorite lipstick in the car and it liquifies.

Overall: My first impression when reading the notes of this scent was a big eyeroll, because as a recovering cocaine addict, I was like what even does coke smell like? Obviously if you freebase it, it smells but I don’t think Mötley Crüe was doing that, although I could be wrong. I know it’s there to set a mood, and I can guarantee that there was cocaine backstage at a Mötley Crüe concert. Feelings towards this drug were very different in the 80’s.. meaning everyone did it and didn’t think much of it. I just have conflicting feelings, but I’m a unique case, and am probably taking it too literally. ANYWAY, I love this scent. It does smell like a smokey, sweaty backstage area with leather and incense. Over time, the incense blends with the skin, and becomes a really sexy, faint scent.

YOUTH GONE WILD

Skid Row – New vinyl records, warm night air, polished arcade wood, hot asphalt, burned rubber (premium)
Smells like: A night ride in an IROC z28

In the bottle: Oh wow, I immediately love it. The first thing I smell is polished wood, I can hear the squeak of bowling shoes on the slick, gleaming wooden alley.

On the skin: This is an atmospheric, and a really really good one. This is to be expected, as in my opinion, Claire is the queen of atmospherics and painting a picture with scent.

Overall: I feel like I’m inside a bowling alley or roller rink as a teenager. My first kiss was behind a skating rink in the summer. (Hi Shawn, if you’re reading this). The asphalt is so real, and you can feel the heat rising from it as the sun goes down. The burned rubber just further increases the feeling of coming screeching to a halt with the old roller skates that have the rubber stoppers on the back. I love this and will be keeping it in my collection forever. This smells REAL. You will smell like burned rubber, asphalt, and polished wood.

Overall Thoughts

This is one of the most unique and inspired collections I’ve seen in a long time. Claire is a true artist, and I always look forward to seeing what she creates next. I’m so excited to be a part of the circle this year so I can experience every new collection. My favorites are Time After Time, Youth Gone Wild, and Cruel Summer. They’re all excellent. The one I would pass on would be Pour Some Sugar on Me, it’s nothing exciting. It also seems to disappear quickly. This collection paints a picture so well, and it’s one I’ll treasure for a long time.

*This post is not sponsored, these were purchased, and all thoughts and opinions are our own.