Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.
The other day I found myself uncharacteristically flipping through radio stations searching for something beyond the standard rotation of Top 40 hits. Listening to the ubiquitous pop tunes made me realize that mainstream music and mainstream perfumery share many similar themes—saccharine sweetness, simple harmonies, catchy elements, and a tendency to reflect current trends rather than push the envelope. A perfect example of these observations in fragrance is Marc Jacobs Daisy, a well-made, pretty fragrance, yet one that is not likely to be a revelation. You’ve smelled it all before in Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue!
Originally, Daisy was launched in the Eau de Toilette version in 2007. Created by renowned perfumer Alberto Morillas, it explores the amber and green apple crispness of Light Blue, albeit fashioning it into a bubbly, sparkling guise. It has a scintillating grapefruit and green apple opening, with the creamy sweetness of red berries softening the sharp, fresh quality. The dry amber, rendered crisp and transparent as rock sugar crystals, supports the composition and lends it a vivid and rich quality. The floral elements of the Eau de Toilette do not recall any specific flower, but rather the blur of white and pink petals. By the time the fragrance dries down to a simple, caramel tinged combination of cedarwood and musk, its pop appeal is already well entrenched. It is modern, playful and bright. Daisy is not a girl who has spells of dark moods and unpredictable tendencies.
While the Eau de Toilette is crisp and fruity, the Eau de Parfum launched in 2008 takes Daisy into a lush floral direction with a stronger accent on jasmine and gardenia. The sweet note that oscillates between violet and raspberry lends it an appealing twist reminiscent of makeup scents. The green violet leaf note persists into the drydown and attenuates the caramelized sweetness that I found cloying in the Eau de Toilette. While the Eau de Parfum still channels the pop princess prettiness of Daisy, it has a more sophisticated aura.
Not so with the most recent version from 2011! Daisy Eau So Fresh, launched to appeal to the younger market, tries very hard to please everybody. The crystalline sharpness of amber is softened considerably, the crisp green notes are made lighter, while the main accents are on the caramel and milky notes that can be found in just about every gourmand floral on the market today. Morillas’ brilliant touch, however, does not allow Eau So Fresh to degenerate into a completely trite fragrance. The green pear and raspberry make for a luscious prelude, while the petally and sheer floral accord has a delicate prettiness. Though I do not find Eau So Fresh particularly compelling, when compared to most launches with obvious overtures towards the teenage market, it stands out for its relative nuance and sophistication.
A glance at my iPod full of Bach, Portishead and Massive Attack indicates that I rarely gravitate to pop. Still, there is no denying that Daisy is certainly appealing, just like Katy Perry is appealing on some days. For the most part though, I like my music and perfume somewhat darker and moodier.
Marc Jacobs Daisy includes notes of grapefruit, violet leaves, wild strawberry, gardenia, jasmine, violet, musk, vanilla, and white wood.
Marc Jacobs Eau So Fresh contains notes of grapefruit, pear, raspberry, apple blossom, wild rose, violet, cedarwood, musks, caramel, plum. Available from all major retailers and Sephora.
Samples: my own acquisition.
24 Comments
rosarita: Interesting take on the comparison of today’s pop music and perfumery, and I agree with your assessment. I’m in a classic rock phase atm as a palette cleanser to the top 40 station that’s the background to my workplace. Love the sound of both your iPod and your perfumes! I would describe my own collection as *brooding*. 🙂 March 17, 2011 at 4:16am
Olfactoria: I reviewed this today too (great minds also schedule alike it seems ;)), although not as graciously as you. 🙂 March 17, 2011 at 4:12am
Gitcheegumee: I think that Eau So So sums it all up,ne c’est pas? March 17, 2011 at 10:31am
Marina: I have Katy Perry on my iPod…. March 17, 2011 at 9:58am
Victoria: Eau So Fresh is everywhere! March 17, 2011 at 9:59am
Victoria: and Lady Gaga, as I recall. I also remember spotting a huge poster of Justin Bieber in your house, although you are probably not the one looking at him with utter adoration. 🙂 March 17, 2011 at 10:00am
Victoria: My own collection of music and perfume is well described by the word “brooding.” 🙂
Prestige perfumery like Marc Jacobs, D&G, etc. today is definitely all about pop appeal. One has to explore the niche, indie labels to find something interesting.
Granted, there is nothing wrong with pop appeal! Even I cannot live on the steady diet of incense and Portishead alone. 🙂 March 17, 2011 at 10:03am
Victoria: Short, sweet and the point! 🙂 March 17, 2011 at 10:55am
March: Should I be ashamed to admit I’ve bought more than one bottle of Daisy for people who wanted a generic, mainstream thing with a cute bottle? And that in those instances it didn’t feel appropriate for me to “educate” them into something more interesting? Sometimes, all we want is a hamburger. Since I own a couple of hamburger scents myself (Addict, anyone? Betsey Johnson?) I’m not judging. Too much. 🙂
BTW my older daughter sailed past me yesterday in a cloud of Light Blue. I actually like Light Blue, but am always encouraging her to wear less of it. March 17, 2011 at 12:01pm
Victoria: You should not be ashamed at all! All in all, Daisy is a very nicely crafted fragrance, and it wears really well. I generally just go for Light Blue, if I am ever in the mood for this kind of fruity amber, but I admit that Daisy is appealing. Nina by Nina Ricci (the one in the pretty pink bottle) is a Light Blue clone I cannot stomach. Talk about cloying!
Addict for some reason strikes me as exhibiting occasional moodiness. I really like it. March 17, 2011 at 12:18pm
Lynn Morgan: Both Daisy and Light Blue are wonderful, lightweight Summer scents for warm climates. (I live in LA. August and September can be pretty brutal.) They are the frgrance equivalents of a tall glass of lemonade with a sprig of fresh mint: nothing serious, but delightful and refreshing. And, I must admit, being canine obsessed, I kinda dig wearing a scent named after MJ’s miniature bull terrier, Daisy, who no doubt gets invited to better parties than I do! March 17, 2011 at 6:38pm
mals86: For some reason, my husband really likes Daisy. I mean, he really, really likes it… it encourages him to cuddle, which is no bad thing. (Is it the musk that pleases him? the white flowers? I don’t know. I do get much less berry and sugar, and more white flowers, out of it than many people seem to get, which is probably helpful.)
I do very much like it for an inoffensive, “wallpaper” sort of fragrance, especially because most of my recent loves are so Not-Wallpapery. March 17, 2011 at 3:04pm
sweetlife: I am really enjoying your analysis of these mainstream frags, V. I learn a lot. And I like a little top forty every now and then, too, though mostly I like mine from about 1978 backwards, lol.
I wonder what the perfume equivalent of indie pop would be? Especially indie sugar pop, like my favorite loony Japan girl band, Petty Booka: two girls with ukeleles covering the American pop they grew up with and adore. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZawyE_PaGA March 17, 2011 at 3:13pm
Victoria: It is very appealing, and whenever I wear it, I get lots of compliments. It is just such a crowd pleaser really, and sometimes it is exactly what one wants. March 17, 2011 at 5:42pm
Victoria: I am working right now with this playing in the background:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjBwe6IL10o&feature=related
Now, I wonder what would it smells like? Comme des Garcons Synthetic Series, perhaps…. March 17, 2011 at 5:45pm
Victoria: Light Blue used to be a staple for me in India. Even on the hottest day, it feels crisp and refreshing. March 18, 2011 at 10:51am
sweetlife: Goodness gracious, V. That lady has some crazy vampire teeth! But yes, Comme des Garcons Synthetic series, for sure.
And for Petty Booka, maybe Ananas Fizz? March 18, 2011 at 11:08am
Victoria: Either Ananas Fizz or Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune capture that spirit for me! March 18, 2011 at 12:14pm
Pia: I wore Daisy for a while and I got TONS of compliments! Somehow it´s not generic at all on me. Anyway, I was CONVINCED there was freesia in it! March 19, 2013 at 7:00pm
Elle: Thanks for your review. There are so many versions of Daisy now that I don’t even know what to think. I picked up a bottle of Daisy Dream a year back b/c I really need a simple, uplifting scent to wear to the gym that wasn’t overpowering and wouldn’t offend or irritate others. However, it also needed to be lasting enough to cover up the unpleasant odors one often encounters while at the gym (whether it be equipment or people). Left to my own devices, I gravitate toward darker, more complex, brooding scents but alas, one must join the rest of the world every now and then. Unlike a couple of people I know who wouldn’t dare stoop to such “mainstream” choices, I personally don’t find these “pop fragrances” embarrassing. There’s nothing wrong with wanting something simple & straightforward when the occasion calls for it, right? July 12, 2015 at 3:14pm
Victoria: Nothing wrong at all! Daisy is a well-made fragrance. There are many flankers, but I like the original the best. It’s bright and sparkling. July 13, 2015 at 3:36pm
kyotodeb: Love your site! I just read Coming To My Senses and and that’s where I discovered your site. I have been reading reviews for days now and digging out all my perfumes and samples to learn more. So addictive 🙂 August 17, 2016 at 12:36pm
kyotodeb: oops! I didn’t realize this comment would go on this review page! Sorry! August 17, 2016 at 12:38pm
Victoria: Thank you very much! And welcome to Bois de Jasmin! August 18, 2016 at 12:58pm