There is something very like-able about Avril Lavigne. For those who don’t know anything about her, Avril Lavigne is a young, Canadian singer/actress/ fashion designer, who has sold gazilliion millions of her albums, around the globe. While her early image was very ‘pop-punk,” she has matured into a more sophisticated, young woman.
It may seem like an unlikely comparison, but I tend to associate Avril in many ways, with singer/actress/fashion designer, Jessica Simpson, although their personalities and personal style are very different. Both ladies have come a long way since they become stars as singing sensations. And I think the personal road that both young women have traveled is reflected in their fragrances, especially now. Both women have had love gone wrong (Jessica divorced Nicholas Lachey and has had a number of very public romances go sour in the past few years. Most recently, Avril has been in the public eye due to her divorce from husband Deryck Whibley), but both women continue to suck it up and move forward in their lives and careers.
If that isn’t enough to compare, both Jessica Simpson and Avril Lavigne have made a name for themselves as fashion designers, and most recently, both women have new launched new fragrances (I reviewed Jessica’s latest, Fancy Nights, not long ago on this Advice Sisters Blog at: http://www.advicesisters.com/uncategorized/jessica-simpsons-fancy-nights. Avril’s Forbidden Rose, available at Kohl’s stores nationwide, launched this July. I don’t know whether it is just due to their heartbreaks, or the current “Vampire” craze, but both Jessica and Avril also feature darkness and “the night” as the theme of their latest scent offerings.
Forbidden Rose, the latest scent from Avril, is classified as a sparkling, fruity floral with some woody base notes. Avril’s first fragrance, Black Star back in October on the Advice Sisters Blog: http://www.advicesisters.com/uncategorized/avril-lavigne-introduces-her-firs
w a pleasing, flirty, uncomplicated, fruity floral that had just a wee bit of an edge.Before I attempt to review the fragrance, I think it’s important to note that the Eau de Parfum (50 ml 1.6 fl. Oz) is just $39.00, and the 30 ml version is just $29.99. This is inexpensive for a premium scent associated with a celebrity. That means that even the most accomplished perfumer had to work within a tighter budget. I think the fruity/gourmand Black Star reflects this. It isn’t “drugstore” but there isn’t much that is exotic in it.
One place where budget might have been more generously bestowed, is in the packaging. Black Star featured a hot pink theme with hot pink juice and a star topper. Forbidden Rose arrives in a mostly black carton with purple accents and a purple rose held aloft by a shiny, silver stem with thorns. The label and her name are done in brushed silver, black and purple . It’s pretty. But in a goth sort of way. Inside., there’s a very pretty, star-shaped flacon (reminds me a bit of a symmetrical take on Mugler’s Angel bottle) containing a lovely, violet-colored juice. The topper over the spray diffuser, this time, features a black rose in full bloom. Under it there’s a little secret and a bonus: a silver “friendship” ring with what appears to be a barbed wire (or it is thorns?) design around it. The ring is removable from the bottle, so you can actually wear it (I think it is a size 7, which should fit most young women’s middle fingers). Unlike some of these ring-style elements, If you remove this one, the bottle still has a shiny, silver collar underneath so the bottle design doesn’t suffer.
So what is the fragrance like? Not disappointing, exactly, but it really doesn’t jibe as well as I think it should, with the “gothic/vampire fantasy” you feel from the packaging. The tag line is “Dare to Discover” a gentle way for pop icons to encourage women (or in this case, younger women) to empower themselves and reach for their dreams. Forbidden Rose is based on a “goth garden” with a black rose. I’m not quite sure what message that sends young girls. Avril, however, has kept an edgy appeal, so simply giving girls a pink or red rose wouldn’t reflect her personal style. Maybe there is some irony in the fact that this fragrance is called Forbidden Rose, because there is no black rose, or rose of any kind in it! The rose is the “forbidden” part? That is ok with me, but there is a promise of something dark, forbidden, edgy. All that, despite the “goth” black and purple packaging, isn’t reflected in any of the notes. Maybe that’s to keep moms from worrying that their young and impressionable daughters will “dare to discover” just a bit too much. This scent is for young women, and perhaps the company reasoned that if they touted a dark and sensual scent, young girls who wear it might get than they bargained for!
So what is the scent really like? It’s pretty, youthful, and fun to wear. It’s a fruity floral with a hint of gourmand notes. It seems “safe.” The top notes include white peach and red apple. The heart has white lotus, while there are gourmand notes at the base: vanilla and sweet praline, plus a woody accord. Despite the “Dark Shadows” hype, there’s nothing “dark” or “forbidden” or “rose” about it,. That being said, for those who love Avril Lavigne, and for those who find the suggestion of a forbidden rose (along with the singer’s name,recognition) to be enticing, it will definitely, satisfy. You can’t beat the gorgeous bottle for eye appeal, either (it is sure to be collectible).
For older women, it’ s an easy, light, fun to wear fragrance for casual wear and hot weather.
Forbidden ROSE IS a pleasing, new scent for you to dare to discover!
I am glad you said that it isn't just for young girls.. No offence to my Mum but now I can buy it for her.