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Quinton – :
I should’ve trusted the majority of reviewers, notes listed here are not correct, there is no lilac in this, there’s only LILLY, big time lilly, exactly the same as Gold edp, but since it is an edt it has a few hours shorter duration (4h, while Gold last for good 10h on my skin), and because of that lilly I can’t smell any accacia-robinia-locust…
Fila735 – :
Fragrance Review For Gold Sparkling
Donna Karan
Notes
Black Locust
Amber
Patchouli
Berry Fruit
Citruses
Jasmine
Carnation
Lilac
I’m the first to cheer for Donna Karan my favorite American New York based fashion designer whose fashions I have loved and followed. But this time around this fragrance falls a bit flat, at least for me. The notes are appetizing as I love locust (acacia/mimosa) and citrus, carnation, jasmine, lilac and patchouli. There are no top middle or base notes so the whole thing is linear and quite simple. It comes and goes and doesn’t last too long. While it does last it’s a very beautiful fruity-floral with pronounced ylang ylang. It is the locust note with the berry fruit mix that brings out the unlisted ylang ylang. It’s definitely a very modern fruity floral with a shampoo like air. Refreshing and sparkling with citrus and heady with white carnation and jasmine. This is very nice but it might as well be a Bath & Body Works.
The opening is mainly a sparkling citrus wine that matches up with the Gold Sparkling moniker. Then as quickly as I detect the florals (including the unlisted ylang) I detect plenty of amber at the base. I don’t smell any patchouli. Without musk or wood it is mainly supported by an amber note. This gives it a warmth but a short life and it collapses on itself. Too bad because I really love how this smells and only wish it would last longer so I can enjoy it even more.
It’s feminine, mature, and quite easy to wear. This is giving me a casual but also a formal vibe so it can be worn with casual dress (blouse T shirt shorts) or a cocktail dress or evening gown. It sits on the skin close to you and does not project like a missile so others won’t notice it readily on you. The scent is not meant to be intoxicating or provocative. It is a heady floral ylang ylang and amber somewhat tropical sweet fruity delicious citrusy scent meant to be enjoyed by the wearer for their own pleasure. Donna K has done better but ever since her brand became DKNY all they ever make is fruity sweet stuff in their Delicious line that is essentially a shampoo in perfume form. But this one I do like very much.
Lutovigor – :
It smells exactly like ylang ylang, and nothing else. Very realistic, very linear, no vanilla, nor any tropical fruits, other florals, and other backing notes ever touched the enthralling fragrance of the flower in this scent, just the exact smell of ylang ylang when you gather a few perfectly riped sweetly fragrant petals from the tree to your palms and take great whiff, mmmmmmm…..
UPDATE (10-17-17):
Well, not really… Yes it reminds me of ylang ylang but this one is definitly much more feminine & perfumey. It doesn’t really smell EXACTLY like ylang ylang, the flower itself. It’s got something in it, I can’t tell what it is. It was Ok though. I don’t exactly know what I was thinking about that time when I posted this review, which is the time when I just bought it.
It is not a succesful ylang ylang soliflore anyway (which is completely ok since it’s not really what they’re going for)
5/10
schelokow – :
„DKN-Yes!”
I love Donna Karan’s more mature scents. I am not a huge fan of the apples though I recognise the appeal to young people. BlackCashmere, Cashmere Mist, Gold and Donna Karan on the other hand are great and interesting perfums and I wish I had all of them.
Gold Sparkling is a very lovely scent indeed. Sharp and fresh, a tiny bit bitter but first of all: delicious. This is a fragrance for daytime. I would wear it when going to a café, shopping, lunch, a day out in the sun and for work. I would not wear it while doing sports (the bitter note makes the sweat more obvious), at dinner, or on a romantic date. Actually, that is one thing I like about this scent: to me it seems obvious what it is all about.
It has an immense longevity. It stays in your clothes for days and that is amazing since it is so fresh. Usually the fresh scents do not last long on me (ô de lancome, vv de verino etc.) But this does. It stays close to the skin, so you offend no one. But YOU can smell it 🙂
The flacon is very classy and seems inspired by some of the wonderful Japanese masterpieces from kenzo, miyake and shiseido. Nature refined, but still nature. Using the raw materials’ unique structure instead of changing them into something you can not recognise. Black Cashmere has that same beautiful, Japanese feeling to it as well, shaped as a stone. I think Donna did a great job here 🙂
Thumbs up for Gold Sparkling!
SergVas – :
Lily indeed, I totally agree on this with Jillita. Can you image it is not even listed?!
Gold Sparkling is a very floral, fresh, light, airy and ‘sparkling’ fragrance that cools you when the weather is warm.
vic1961 – :
This was sold to me as OG — or original Gold, but based on the bottle it’s Gold Sparkling. I’ll happily overlook, because this scent is stunning either way. If you like the aldehyde and grassy greens of a Balenciaga, like the classic Prelude, and a very pure and prominent Stargazer Lily, and an Opium like clove and myrrh, with an extremely sexy soft patchouli basenote, well this is your stop on the line. I am floored by the perfect lily. It’s so faithful to its natural master I could swear it’s an essential oil. Lily’s far and away the main theme of this scent, so if you don’t like Stargazer Lily stay very far and away. Lily is the dom, and then you have her subordinates of certain spring and fall notes, diametrically opposed, with sparkling greens and fresh notes, mowed grass under morning dew, counterbalanced by mulling spices. There is a medicinal Band-Aid floating somewhere in there, perhaps carnation and pepper. Jasmine makes an appearance, but lily overpowers all. I love this on me so much I am tempted to go out and buy every single bottle in existence. It’s a ’70s disco lady floral, also ’80s shoulder-pad bold, and it’s sexy for the evening — an all-purpose, ultra-feminine floral. I think it’s under-sung as a fragrance. I think the name Gold is misleading. It should be, simply: Donna Karan Lily.
OPEN – :
I bought this as a blind buy and it did not work on my skin. I am allergic to the main accord, Lily, which should have been a tip off, but I guess it was an off day for me!
BOTTAK – :
Another blind buy. Although not listed I get lots of violets or/and violet leaves.
This is a nice warm oriental however the violet leaves are overwelming to me.. VERY GREEN.. if that works for you this would be great, unfortunately greens turn very sour on my acidic skin..
I’m not saying this is a bad scent just bad on me.
HEAVY sillage and even after scrubbing it off hours ago I can still smell it lightly 12 hrs later
Mihaylo26 – :
blind buy….not like it the smell make me like yukssss….someone wanna to trade with me???
VOLDEMAR372009 – :
blind buy goes wrong…smells like cucumber with watermelons…too light for an Opium woman.
ahhiles – :
This has become my signature fragrance; beating out Arpege.
brunko – :
I actually like DK Gold Sparkling. It smells a lot better than the Gold. It’s light, flowery, and at a good price $8.55 for 1.7 oz.
BriexicdixHor – :
Donna Karan Gold Sparkling smells like tree bark and dirt! There is nothing “sparkling” about this fragrance. Glad to have gotten rid of my bottle! Dislike!
vivyitedlex – :
I was expecting this to be quite removed from the original but found a lot of the same things going on.
This is less sweet as there is a tiny little citrus in the opening. The black locust and lily notes are still most prominent here. It lacks the pollen and spiciness of the orignal as well as the heavy base. All in all it is very linear but in a good way. It has refreshing wetness to it, not aquatic but damp.
I am impressed at how strong the scent it. It lasts most of the day witha few sprays and the sillage is just enough to remind you it’s there thoughout the day.
keygenn – :
Well I received my 30ml EDT version of it today and was so excited to try it, but…. what a disappointment!! I expected bright florals with some fruity notes, but I believe Gold stands true to it’s name. All the flowers smelled very “gold” to me. What I mean is, ‘floral’ in Gold is quiet heavy and little clogging. I found it very very similary to YSL Cinema EDP and Adidas floral dreams (I own both of them as well). So, unfortunately I have 3 frags now which I don’t like as such anymore. May be my taste got changed over the years??
Donna Karan Gold Sparkling is a warm floral scent and if you have YSL Cinema there is no need to get this one. I will be keeping it for my collection, but nothing too special about it to me (maybe because I own 2 other frgs similar to it)
P.S. this was a blind buy.
ооо777ооо – :
I had tested the DNK Gold edp, and I liked its creamy white florals, gentle, fresh, almost green. I did not find it after some months, so I bought finally the edt gold sparkling, without testing it first. I expected it to be citrus (from the name …sparkling!) and so it is. Well, it was a nice surprise for me. Of course it is not a fresh creamy floral from the very beginning, but it becomes such at its dry down, when all the sourness has been faded. Yes, it starts with a strong lemony note, turns a bit spicy, and remains opulent, floral and creamy as well. Nice scent for Spring and Summer. Not something unique and unforgetable, yet complex, and well done. A comfortable, and feminine smell that it uplifts the senses also.
puzanov.nikolai2112 – :
Smells like ylang ylang to me..celestial to me. This is dark and warm and I really like it.
LaphElatPleap – :
Very pretty floral/citrus with some earthiness in the base. I love the original Gold in both EDP and EDT, and while Sparkling lacks the punch of those two, I don’t find it bland or insipid. It’s a grown-up fragrance for warm weather and those occasions when you don’t want a powerful scent. Unlike others here, I DO get a touch of lily with this, although the citrus is very prominent. Happily, I don’t get the berry note at all (not a fan of berries).
nvy960speagoessenda – :
I love D Karan Gold both the edp and edt.I needed time to get to fall in love with those two – no sweet notes at all, a bit heavy, and a bit dark. Gold Sparkling however is great not so dark, easy to wear and very longlasting – yet sparkling is gold – very similar but lighter and easier. Absolute favourite!
Jag älskar D Karan Gold -både EdP och EdT. Jag behövde massor av tid för att falla för dessa, de är inte enkla att bära – inga söta noter alls utan lite tung och mörk i sin doftkombination. Gold Sparkling är lättare, ljusare och lite mer blommig än Gold – lättare att bära – ändå är denna likadan som Gold men bara med en liten twist. En storfavorit!
Stagglusa – :
Thank you Jillzilla for sending me a sample of this. Your review hit it right on the head so there is not much more I can say about this. The opening is pretty strong but it does die down after the first few minutes. For some reason I am also smelling a cedar type note as well. It is a very earthy scent. Not bad!
drunkardever – :
The first thing I get is the jasmine… its subtle enough… but the thing with this kind of fragrance… i don’t like that old school 80s floral thing… it’s a classic style fragrance, not too overpowering. its worth sampling first… i wouldn’t mind it on someone in their 40s onwards, just because it reminds me of that generation of perfume consumers.
DimaCrew – :
It has a very wet, slightly earthy quality to it…not like a damp mossy forest floor, more like the smell of a summer downpour in the backwoods of Michigan, and a bouquet of lilies that has been left out in the rain. It is one of the few perfumes that evokes strong images for me.
The style of the perfume reminds me of Bvlgari Blv II. It’s more about water than about fruits and flowers, but the whole composition comes together to create a fresh, watery feeling that is easy to enjoy.
megafonoff – :
Fabulous onset of crisp, sparkling citrus, just wonderful, but it continues to dry down into a sort of scented hair spray scent, complete with the harsh notes of lacquer. Didn’t work on me in the end, but the onset was gorgeous.
Revann – :
Sparkling Gold is for those days when you want a lighter scent than Gold; it is a lighter floral scent, with a sweet beginning and earthy end. I love both versions of the Gold fragrance – the original and this one – and find them useful for different situations – Gold for when I want a stronger statement and Sparkling when I want something light.
masterandryU – :
Previously I tried DKNY Gold and found an odd note especially at the beginning, something smells like cucumber. That weird note is not present in this Sparkling version and I loved it.
ded100 – :
This is a light, inoffensive fragrance that I like to wear to work in the spring and summer months. As weegee said, it’s very light and it will disappear quickly. I think it lasts about an hour or two on me. I see that it as fruit notes in it, but it’s not a fruity-floral. It’s a super soft floral that is an easy choice – it could go dressy with heels and a skirt or casual flip flops and shorts days.
One last note, don’t pay more than $20 for a bottle of this… eBay always has bottles for cheap. I got my 3.4 oz bottle for $10 shipped. Looking at the bottom of the page, some websites are selling the 1.7 oz version for almost $50! Don’t waste your money on that!
flexx – :
I like this – it’s very floral and packs a bit of a punch. A great fragrance for a wedding, garden party, etc. It’s not a frivolous or juvenile scent but you had better like flowers!
Sonnychka – :
Casablanca lily is the most prominent ingredient in DK’s Gold, there is virtually none here in Gold Sparkling. If you do, indeed, love Casablanca lily, do not buy Sparkling as you’ll be very disappointed.
Sparkling also has no clove which is a prominent note in Gold. Instead of those 2 glorious ingredients, here you’ll find a pale lilac, barely-there carnation and some insipid “citruses” diluted by an amorphous mixed berry fizz.
DK’s Gold has substance & backbone; it’s bold and long-lasting. Sparkling is, in fact both very light and airy and it disappears entirely shortly after application.
If you hate Gold you might just love Sparkling. But if you love Gold don’t buy Sparkling hoping for the same only a bit lighter – Sparkling is a horse of a different color — silver maybe. There is no gold here, sparkling or otherwise.