Watch the video review:
* Fame starts with a dark and sweet floral note.
* The noted is listed as the poisonous Belladonna flower – I can’t confirm this as I have never smelled it.
* The scent wears differently on me each time. The flower always stays the focus, but is sometimes joined by nag champa incense or dark, dry fruit (apricot, peach, and pear) or honey/hay (the saffron).
* I guess the way the scent wears differently each time is a result of the “push-pull technology,” which the press release touts so loudly.
* The dark/sweet floral of the top mellows in the base as it is joined by jasmine, orchid, and violet.
Summary: When Lady Gaga first announced this scent, she said it would be inspired by bodily fluids like blood and semen. That’s clearly not what Fame ended up being. The dark, sweet floral is strong, powerful, and a step above the majority of celebrity scents on the market. The scent projects loudly for the first hour and then calms down after the third hour. I easily get twelve hours (as a skin scent) whenever I wear it. This is clearly aimed at women, but guys can rock this as well. I could easily imagine walking into a gay bar and smelling this on a lot of guys.
As is often the case, there’s an easy comparison – to Madonna, whose Truth or Dare is a modern take of her beloved Fracas, the eau de Tuberose. Fame is a darkly modern take on the fruity floral, and it is definitely a Lady Gaga fragrance. You can look past the gimmicky technology- black fluid turning clear (it will still stain white clothing)- and just appreciate a quality and enjoyable fragrance that is easy to love. It’s kind of like her music – if you look past all the glitch-y noises, makeup, and outfits, Gaga is a great singer/songrwriter who produces some of the best pop music of recent time.
Fame will be available later this month in major department stores and other fragrance outlets.
Disclaimer: Sample provided by sales associate. Image courtesy of www.macys.com