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belaya-tigra – :
I didn’t like this fragrance at first but now I love it. When it’s left to settle, it smells like luxury face cream from Shishedo or La Prarie. It gives you that “I’m so wealthy, I smell of luxury without wearing perfume” vibe like Givenchy Mademoiselle does.
I can’t see what’s wrong with smelling like an old lady by the way – many old ladies are more wealthy, glamorous, and successful than us.
bolwoybrat – :
Ugh this is awful. I got this in the mail today and opened it up expecting my beautiful Hanae Mori EDP (which is what I ordered) and promptly sprayed this all over me. And then… I gagged… choked… gagged some more… this smells TERRIBLE! I looked down at the bottle and realized I was holding the wrong scent. It is every bit as nasty as HM is lovely. It is acrid, bitter, suffocating, mothball stench. Can’t imagine anyone actually WANTING to smell like this, total scrubber and can’t believe that they named such a stink bomb “Haute Couture”
alexa6680 – :
Long ago I wrote a review on this perfume. I notice a mix of comments, here. The secret to wearing this fragrance is that a little goes a long way. This is definitely one you spray twice in the air, then walk into the mist. It evolves as the day goes on and does become lighter, especially on me. Surprisingly, this is one that works really well in Fall and winter. There is a coolness on top of the floral. i really encourage all to give it a try. I am still wearing mine. Also, at least on me, there is no need to spray it on more than once a day. Enjoy!
MonstR1586 – :
Too vintagey. Smells like fresh bedsheets but at the same time it has that “old lady” vibe.
paratapak – :
Somewhere between antiquity and modern. Between clean sheets and Bolsjoi Theatre: flowers, chic, elegance. Cleanness. Somewhere between heaven and earth, I love it! Very classy .
On my warm skin gets a note of White Linen Estee, while Estee is “sharper”.
p.s. It’s funny to read the reviews in different languages: they are so controversial! Where European and American women prefer simplistic, delicious and practical (in common), Russian girls write poems of adoration about Hanae Couture on russian- spoken Fragrantica. Nice to play with: choosing a good everyday scent, I rather read reviews in English ( I’m living in Europe). And choosing a special- occasion scent I rely on opinion of my russian friends))
faliaf-1968 – :
…and if this is ‘old-lady-mothball’ then I am all for it 😀
voronina10 – :
Arms in the air – whuppah – I love this woody soapy white-gren musky beauty.
On me/ to me it is both white and green. It starts out like a fine soap. After half and hour or so the soapy note fades out and the tangerine and black currant fades in, but the white and green notes dominates the picture all the time slightly tangy.
I don’t really get much spice, but maybe, it is just because, I don’t recognize it.
The white notes are anchored in the base notes, so that they never gets squeaky, on the contrary it is quite soft.
There is no sweetness. – (If you should like a clear, rather cold, white flower sweet scent, L’eau par Kenzo could be a nice choice.)
This perfume will work equally well with both dress and high heels, and jeans with a white cotton shirt.
andry19921109 – :
I got a sample of this one. Feels oldschool to me. Not for me at all.
Jag fick ett prov på denna, känns lite gammaldags på min hud. Inget för mig.
zhuravliov-rom – :
A lovely perfume that unfortunately does NOT work on my skin.
I’ve a full bottle still in the box up for trade for anyone in the States who’s interested. 🙂
toort – :
Additionally, I just realized as I was smelling this ( I sprayed it to write the review… I realized that this is a variation of another favorite of mine- Avon’s COTILLION. Cotillion is softer, and sweeter, but by no means something that you smell and say ‘ oh, that’s a sweet scent’. So this Haute Couture…… BEAUTIFUL I would say for Fall winter, and spring. It has a coolness to it for me, that can put it in winter, spices for fall, and a light floral ( if you put very little on) for Spring. I definitely would not dare to wear this in summer. I tried, and it’s well….. not a good layer of time and place.
sanek9 – :
Hmmmm OK, I was lucky enough to get a tester from ebay. The testers usually last longer and tend to be stronger in my experience. So, that said, the bottle I have , 3.4 oz lasts a loooong time I mean LOOOOOONG time after spraying and at least with the tester, you can count on 12 hours….that has been MY experience anyhow.
On the back of the bottle ( remember this is a tester) is a list of notes. Here they are: bergamot,tangerine,coriander,black currant. narcissus, gardenia, rose, jasmine, tuberose, lily of the valley, aldehydes, iris,muscs, ambers, sandalwood, precious woods. It’s no wonder the drydown is so complex!
On me , it turns into a beautiful powdery floral with a soft spice,. VERY soft. To tell you the truth, I have never smelled anything like it. To me it is beautiful. I would say that the floral mix, really makes it. I don’t really smell the tuberose, but going by what it says on the bottle, I guess it’s there. I think that very little tuberose was used, but just enough that it takes the edge off. I highly recommend it. As F_A indicated, yes, dusty, but in a good way…DEFINITELY elegant, vintage classy. Just use very little.
zx1802 – :
Someone didn’t want this anymore and gave it to me. It’s strong and overwhelming. It’s very oldfashioned too. I couldn’t bring myself to wear it either.
ClaliadascirL – :
I’m slightly amazed that I’m the only person that seems to dislike this. Unlike the original HM, which is a soft, warm, sweet vanilla-like scent, this smells like mothballs and old roses to me. It’s like the quintessential “old lady” perfume, and that’s not really an attractive smell on a 17 year old girl (at least to me). I might have just gotten a bad bottle of HMHC, but I honestly did not enjoy it at all.
yuv451elipseskism – :
My favorite of the Hanae Mori line so far, though admittedly, it is only the third I have tried. The others I tried did not make a big impression on me, but wow! Couture is a powerhouse compared to the original HM and Magical Moon.
It’s very green and floral on me, with a bit of spice and not much sweetness. It has a touch of the old school about it, recalling vintage Intimate and Cachet and some other green or chypre scents of yesteryear. Two little dabs from my sample vial almost seemed like too much. Sillage was incredible and longevity was decent. Very pretty and the perfect scent when you want to cast your fragrance aura far and wide.
Vladimir 2009 – :
Starts out as a sweet, soft, slightly spicy, slightly powdery fragrance. It’s also a little fruity, with green apples, and a hint of coumarin-infused tobacco. I do smell the coriander a little, and some cinnamon, too, eventually producing a powerful apple-pie scent, in which the apples are sugared, spiced, vanilla-flavored, and fully cooked. There’s mega-sillage, making me feel like a baking pie radiating its scent all over the place.
The baked apple scent lasts for 6-8 hours or more, after which it subsides a little, adding a bit of generic woody-muskiness, but it never goes away completely. I like HC, but quickly learned that it’s extremely strong and should not be sprayed. If you like powerful gourmand fruity scents, it would be worth a try.
Anastacia – :
This does not present itself as a floral green at all to my nose. I get a spicy floral heart (a subtle spiciness, in the way that some flowers naturally have a spicy smell to them – like carnations and some roses), with a musky, slightly soapy base. It has sort of an old-fashioned, vintage appeal and does actually look like something the woman pictured on the box would wear.
On me, this is almost a skin scent, as if you bathed with some great-smelling, expensive French soap that left a trace of it’s scent lingering on your skin. Not the type of scent that I am usually drawn too, but I have to admit, I’m really quite taken with this one.
Reminds me a bit of Gucci Accenti, but HM Haute Couture is really quite it’s own unique creation.
razka – :
Yes indeed different from HM’s other offerings, which are somewhat gourmand. I think it’s a floral aldehyde b/c it has that slightly soapy feel..extremely pleasant and fresh floral. I’m not detecting the jasmine so much as the chrysanthemum, maybe geranium. The carnation’s not presenting strong my skin-it’s only slightly spicy. I’d suggest trying it on skin before you buy, it’s quite unique!
VIK-T-OR – :
I was really surprised to see that Hanae Mori’s Haute Couture is listed as FLORAL GREEN. It actually manifests in a more SPICY manner on me. It is definitely distinctive for sure!!!
I would say it is one of those where a little goes a long way and stays all day. I would suggest getting the lighter version ( Cologne) and spray a mist and walk through it.
it really stays with you all day, and it is kind of hard to wash off , so if you wear it, wear it LIGHT, and be sure you like it.
Overall, I like it. I’ve had people stop me on the street to ask what I am wearing. As a rule, as with when ever I am complimented on a perfume or asked about it, I ask people what it smells like to them, when they compliment it, or ask about it. They can never quite describe it.
SOme people say it smells like cool air, others have said, it smells like spice and flowers. Hm, multiple personality perfume. This Review is just ‘FYI’. I love perfumes and had an expernsive perfume store owner once tell me that they opened an account for me. When I asked why, they said that even though they know that I’m not RICH, I buy like I am. HAHAHAHAHAH.
Well, now with online purchase, I find perfumes in the stores and then see if I can find them less expensive online.
There are some that are expensive everywhere. But, Haute Couture, when you feel like being a little daring, it would be good to have this little magic elixer in your arsenal!!!
anea_dulap – :
Hanae Mori HAUTE COUTURE, one of my increasingly rare blind buys, really did catch me by surprise, and I suspect that the same would be true for others familiar with HANAE MORI.
Basically, HAUTE COUTURE is the strict antithesis of HANAE MORI! Not sweet in the least, spicy in a unisex way, with coriander and flowers such as carnation, geranium, chrysanthemum–not sure which exactly, as they all meld together to produce a peppery floral mix.
I imagine that this perfume must be something of a marketing disaster, since anyone who purchased it blind under the belief that it would be something along the lines of HANAE MORI would be sorely disappointed, while anyone who dislikes that fragrance would probably steer clear, missing out on what might well be a pleasant surprise.
Although for some HAUTE COUTURE must be an acquired taste, for others this composition will be most welcome as a low-key floral with coriander as the dominant note–at least to my nose. Definitely suitable for men as well, and perfect for the summer, since the sillage is low and the overall effect quite subtle. I certainly can attest that this quasi-linear composition holds up to heat and humidity!
suigento – :
I hate HM’s other perfumes so I thought this would be another sickly spicy oriental mess, hmm I was pleasantly surprised. This is a floral baby! and a beautiful classy smooth floral! The first whiff I got spices but then it evolves into jasmine and fruits, I normally hate jasmine too but this is tempered beautifully by the fruits. I might just have to buy me a full bottle now! Yum, a just right scent for anytime.
dembelb2006 – :
Haute Couture has, by far, the strangest evolution of notes I have ever experienced in a fragrance! It starts out smelling like narcissus. Then, in the heart, it morphs into marmalade. HUH? The base smells like baked apples (without any cinnamon) and a little bit of narcissus again.
I AM BAFFLED.
.desert; – :
If Lune de Miel by Fragonard was a soap it will be the Haute Couture.
Fruity, juicy, soapy. It can become overwhelming as have been said, so 2 sprays are enough. Bought a pink version on a sale, so it’s a very pretty scent for a low price ))))
I do not recommend it for teens and for summer.
Can anyone tell me, does the blue version differ from pink?
Xeroxqlvmo – :
For me Haute couture was a blind buy, EDT…I expected something more “green”, but instead I have a light version of Armani`s Gio. It is lush with jasmine in particular and loaded with floral notes in general.This scent also gave me a feeling that I just smoked a full blast Marlboro cigarette!
The fans of Charlie Gold and Gio would be delighted to have Haute Couture as a lighter version of their faves!
evgenij-757 – :
This is a very unique, elegant and feminine perfume. The dry down has a chrysanthemum scent which is not mentioned in the notes and I just love it.
alex977 – :
everything about this perfume is wonderful!the box,bottle & fresh smelling which is not for teens nor old fashioned.despite the classic shape,it’s a blend between classics & moderns.my mum can wear it just as I can wear it easily.
and about the smell the dried flowers is the most dominant scent.so sharp at the first,but it’ll be soften soon.
SerjOm – :
This is not like Hanae Mori butterfly! It is like the name set up, couture and elegant. This is a spicey scent with strong floraln notes. It is strong so little is needed. I would be great for a special occasion.
pastych – :
Wonderful fresh, flowery and at the same time “dusty” fragrance. The scent of flowers in this fragrance is very strong and it stays from the top notes to the base which makes it look a bit linear. There’s a big risk of having too much of the fragrance – it might become too overwelming, too intensive if sprayed more than needed…
Anyway it is a very elegant, a bit extravagant vintage scent. Staying power is incredibly good.