Product Review: Pink Butterfly by Hanae Mori

aka: It's like I'm pregnant, except I'm totally not.


So, you know how there's this stereotype out there that pregnant women crave crazy things like pickles and ice-cream, or ketchup sandwiches, and what-have-you? I don't know if that's actually true, having spent very little time around pregnant women.

But if changing tastes is what it's all about, maybe I do have a handle on what it's like to be preggers. I'm talkin' perfumes here.

If you will recall, I am a fruity-florals kind of girl. All those faceless, mass-marketed Escada LE-type scents? I'm there. Paris Hilton's perfume? Own it. (Shamefully, of course. I did only pay $20 for it, and I can't stand it now, but I did at one point wear it daily. *shudder*) Now, Paris' offering notwitsthanding, I don't think there's anything wrong with fruity florals -- in fact, they can be downright lovely. But my doctor says I need variety in my diet, which I chose to interpret as "go buy more (different) perfumes".

Which is how I ended up with a sample-sized bottle of Hanae Mori's Pink Butterfly.



Instead of using words to describe this scent right away, let's try to do it using visuals. These are outfits that, in my opinion, call for a fragrance like Pink Butterfly:









Warm-cozy-feminine-sweater scent. That's what Pink Butterfly is to me. It's as close to a gourmand scent as I've ever liked: on first blast, it smells like a vanilla-chocolate martini at full strength. A hint of burnt caramel. It is almost stinging. This aggressiveness fades quickly, and then you're left with warm, casual sophistication.

Although I smell a vanilla/bakery note throughout, there is no actual vanilla in here. Which is nice, because I usually hate vanilla, so I'm not sure why I'm loving this. Anyway, the listed notes are blackberry, strawberry, black currant, bilberry, rose, jasmine, sandalwood and rosewood, which would make it... you guessed it, a fruity floral! It really doesn't smell anything like a fruity floral though. I can detect a hint of strawberry juice in the dry down, but it is a strawberry in the vein of cotton candy, rather than fruit salad.

Despite all this talk of chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla, this is no tween scent. It's warm and inviting -- the woods do a marvelous job of adding complexity and depth. It is sweet, but not tooth-achingly so. Do use a light hand though, as more than a couple sprays will start to knock people out -- the EDT is potent! (My sample vial is a roll-on, which is perfect)

I would be more inclined to wear this in the fall/winter months, but that's really just a personal thing. I think this fragrance would do alright in any season. I've heard that the scent morphs a bit in warm weather, so I'll be excited to try it out! (Assuming it ever warms up around here!)