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dzigo29 – :
What a gorgeous little rarity this one is. What a shame it can only be found for quite a lot on ebay…if it wasn’t so expensive this would be my new signature. Worth every penny though. Gala is liquid gold. This is what Bal a Versailles would smell like if Chanel made it! Smooth, impeccably blended animalic floral.. so gloriously animalic but not skanky enough to shock, just enough to raise maybe one eyebrow.. haha. This is sexy without screaming “sex!” like My Sin or Shocking.
Gala is beautifully constructed from start to finish, with every honey-sweet layer there are no shrill or shrieky notes, nothing sour or offensive..just pure class in a bottle. I personally love to spritz this on before bed and when I wake up in the morning it is so nice to luxuriate in the cloud this fragrance creates. It lasts quite long for an EDT and projection is polite but noticeable.
This is my holy grail animalic, for sure! The jasmine is not indolic and the aldehydes are soapy clean…they create a wonderful clean contrast to the civet and castoreum!
алин73 – :
Also exist in a 50 ml EDT bottle. Gloriouse powerhouse perfume for animallovers ;)!!
ovattacle – :
Animalic aldehydes.
It’s almost everything animalic lovers wished for in a bottle! castoreum is dominating thw whole scene along side with jasmines, then comes the ylang, then civet, & carnation within the aldehydes, AND lily of the valley frame. I sense bits of coconut as well.
This blend reminds me allof of “Iquitos” by Alain Delon but less coconut, with castoreum addition.
It’s very interesting and i can sense the transition of the 80s animalic into the 90s cleanness happening in here. It’s like a contrast of animalic yet soapy.
iirinal – :
Gala is a glamorous and beautiful Oriental floral musk, quite outdated by today’s standards but wearable if you’ve put on the costume that is the fragrance Diva by Ungaro. At times it also reminds me of Chanel No. 5 because they share similar notes of citrus, rose, jasmine, ylang, and civet. This is a luxurious evening cologne and with a name like GALA one can wear it to a gala, wedding, or dinner party. It’s such an elegant fragrance.
I’m not crazy about the opening and the first spritz. It’s typical aldehydes and citrus. You’ve experienced it in Chanel No. 5 First Van Cleef & Arpels. The heart is the best part. Love those floral notes of rose, jasmine, ylang and lily of the valley. They start off as green florals but turn into powdery floral notes. Soft but heady, luminous with those aldehydes. The dry down reveals an Oriental character, redolent with patchouli, sandalwood and amber. There’s civet in this fragrance and it’s musky but it’s not too overpowering a musk. It’s warm and cozy.
The fragrance smells expensive and it’s a rare jewel in a world of so many fragrances. Wear this and everyone will stop to look at you, to approach you, they’ll want to take the time to have small talk with you just to be near that beautiful aroma!
Stunning
I’m continually impressed by the quality of fragrances that are selling online and that one can look up through Fragrantica. Even if you take the plunge into a blind purchase, you won’t be disappointed as long as you love old time florals, powders and musks. If you can wear No. 5 this should be a piece of cake.
sawa81 – :
Fragrance Review For Gala By Loewe
Top Notes
Aldehydes Bergamot Green Notes Lemon Rosewood
Middle Notes
Carnation Jasmine Lily of the Valley Rose Ylang Ylang
Base Notes
Amber Benzoin Castoreum Labdanum Civet Patchouli Sandalwood Vanilla
When perfume was perfume it smelled like Gala. Gala is an evening cologne of luxury, a provocative Oriental aroma that matches up with a black evening gown, black gloves, the opera, candlelight dinners, romantic dates and the sophistication of a woman who knows a good perfume when she smells one. This is a fragrance that belongs in the era of Coco Eau de Parfum, Diva by Ungaro, and to a degree, the 80’s issues of Chanel No. 5. It’s a strong fragrance for a strong woman.
Gala has a lot of the things I look for in fragrances. It has aldehydes, flowers, and sandalwood. The opening is an aldehyde that is very old fashioned and instantly calls to mind fragrances like Chanel No. 5, Diva, Coco, and even First by Van Cleef and Arpels. The aldehydes then turn floral with rose, jasmine, and ylang ylang. The lily of the valley and the green notes give it that green herbal-floral scent but it’s more on the perfumy floral, not powdery, just old fashioned mature flowers. These are like flowers that have a purpose: to seduce. It’s when women wore fragrances of flowers to attract someone. Well they attracted me!
A good fragrance has got to have a good base. This one reminds me a bit of the base notes in Bill Blass and Bijan. If you like any of the fragrances I’ve mentioned – Diva, Coco, No. 5, First, Bill Blass and Bijan, the way this perfume develops, it’s sillage and longevity, and the composition will entice you. It’s elegant and womanly, gorgeous. It’s like a 6 thousand dollar evening gown, and it makes you feel glamorous and empowered. No matter how many clothes I have in my life, truly they can’t compare to the invisible wardrobe of perfume. Perfume has the greater charm. This is such a beautiful perfume and it’s too bad it is not as well known as the other frags I’ve mentioned. It’s in the same league.
I recently rediscovered this perfume when my mother found it online and bought one for herself and for me! We are both perfumistas and don’t mind wearing the same perfume. This is an opulent perfume and I can’t tell you how much I love it.
Клещь – :
I had been waiting for this fragrance for months. It was a blind buy based upon some recommendations and from reading the reviews in Fragrantica. I had no expectations other than what I had read. I found it a very strange fragrance in the beginning and not like anything that I have. The beginning felt very earthy,almost loamy, which quickly disappeared. Then came the heart which wrapped around me in a deep almost dark way. This is not for the faint of heart and it is not for someone who wants a “clean” perfume. It is sultry and sensual, yet not overtly sexual in its interaction with one’s chemistry. I find it reminiscent of the great perfumes of the ’80s. I’m so glad that I bought it.
NasFer – :
I think this perfume is really pretty, and the bottle is amazing!
This opens citrussy and becomes smokey and ambery quickly. When it settles down I also get some sandalwood and some nice floral notes (white floral and roses).
It starts quite heavy, but when it settles down the floral notes add some lightness to this perfume which makes this perfume very interesting and a bit complex. The sandalwood makes it powdery and the amber gives it warmth. Very well balanced notes!
I think this is beautiful for special occasions.
FERID_IMAN – :
Amazing- it has already jockeyed its way to my top favorites. God Bless the nose who created this!
Gala is intensely animalic, slightly resinous, and softly sweet. Later on in the drydown, the jasmine and perhaps a hint of the other flowers bloom, and the entire beautiful concoction wafts around you. It is the bottled essence of the elegant, upright, femme fatale you’ve always wanted to be. It is definitely reflected in the rich, inky midnight blue bottle with lace-like gold embellishments. Much more a formal fragrance than your every-day wear, I can only wish I had more well-dressed events to scent with this.
What a pity that this is so hard to find! I accidentally ordered one vial just as I was offered another in a swap, so I now have two minis of this gorgeous perfume; I will cherish them both.
Edit: I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS! GIVE ME MORE! I am now head-over-heels infatuated with this incredible work of art. It is only outdone by my Gucci EDP (though that one has strong memories tied to it) which is a significant statement for me to make.
vikusya161085 – :
I have NEVER been blown away by any perfume,
the way GALA did!
I have just discovered it, and I am still wondering what hit me!
The most intelligent I can express at the moment is
buzzzz.z.z…z………
warlike – :
This one is another summer frag for me ;seems that my skin needs help from the hot and humid summer to have a complete reaction and transformation of perfumes and finally pull out the hidden treasures incapsulated inside the mollecules.
Now ,in the cold of the winter it is twin to an italian oldie called Schuberth(fuchsia and black) ,the vintage one ,the new I never tried.It’s nice ,but somehow “stiff” and cold ,which is not me.I remember it beeing wonderful and warm in summertime.It unfolds all its inner beauty .Will have to wait for next summer to enjoy it again.
uyw564Unlogrere – :
It reminds me of D&G with the red cap. Those aldehydes, sandalwood and carnation. Maybe it´s placebo, but i even smell a hint of coriander in Gala too (which is probably patchouli along with labdanum)
While D&G smells almost vulgar to me, (TOO much musk smelling like female body odour with mega sillage…) Gala is a real Lady.
Light sweet veil of flowers, ylang soap, velvety sandalwood and a trace amount of civet.
EDT
sharpei20001 – :
Got my hands on a mini bottle (black with gold) a while ago. I gave it a quick sniff, thought “not bad” and placed it in my perfume cabinet. Well, today, I was looking for something “different” to wear later in the day. Saw this darling little bottle and thought what the heck, let’s give her a good try. Oh baby! This thing sings on my skin! All the notes I love… Ylang, jasmine, civet and castoreum, muget, sandalwood, wowza!! This is so rich and yummy. I guess I’ll have to move this to the top of my want list, and hope for a decent buy on a FB.
qwerty1715 – :
Found this in the clearance section of a Sephora store in Las Vegas. Not a spray! I was blown-away on how potent this scent was, concentrated and heavy when first applied. But Wow! Amberly, almost smoky. I did not smell a fruit in the house, unless it was stomped on by the Labdanum, benzoin, patchouli, and sandlewood. Its blend is heavy. But you have to give it time to mellow to a wonderful adult-evening scent. Not for work definitely!
Beautiful dark blue bottle!
waveEteplesap – :
I have only just discovered this fragrance and it is AWESOME !! I LOVE IT. So classy, so beautiful – really divine. This has now become my favourite for evenings out and everyone comments on how lovely it is and asks what it’s called and where I bought it. This is definitely the best fragrance ever.
anastasija19874 – :
I absolutely adore this perfume, and I treasure my mini bottle. WHY is it nearly impossible to find it in a larger size? Has it been discontinued? (Please say it isn’t so!!)
Unfortunately when I search for it, I am shown too many bottles of that other stuff in the green packaging but very, very few of the desired black bottles.
Update!
It cost a great amount (for me) but I now have a REAL spray bottle of this scent!!! It had to be sent to me from Hungary which I am sure contributed to the price. But now I really, truly know how this long beloved perfume smells on my body! It bears little resemblance to how splashes from my mini bottle smell, but it is still very very good.
dashacom – :
first smell too strong and a litle weird but left for 1 hour and magic covered me. I love for special time, my gala time.
Darling25 – :
That is what i call A REAL, SERIOUS perfume.
Took me half a day to figure it out- this is a masterpiece. I slowly fall in love.
This type of perfume from ‘antique’ range like Shalimar and 24 Fabourgh….Strong, heavy, heady, very articulate – WOW!!! makes a firm and undisputable statement, I would class it as a special occasion – well that would be for me at least, as I got not much of it in a great swap! Pity it is impossible to get it anywhere…otherwise would stock up….
U consider urself a lucky one, if find a bottle!!!
PanfiliJ – :
Yes, this transcends Shalimar-not derivative of it. At times I found it to have a touch of a spicy oriental vibe but not lately-and sadly I’m finding it less lovable- The longer & more often I ware it the less complex it seems because one note drowns out the others the more I smell it-how odd- usually that’s the reverse. I’m finding a particular synthetic amber note increasingly dominant-overbearing- the more I wear it. I did love it but now not sure what to make of it- growing hyper-sensitized to that note and not a big fan. Still fond of it – will need to follow up on this one.
ANTIalletephame – :
Well, Imoore, we agree once more! I LOVE Loewe perfumes so much, but Aire is the ABSOLUTE Exception. But Gala and the masterpiece Aura….AMAZING!!
alexSTpav1 – :
Yes Yes Yes castoreum and civet in a same bottle, and they are complementing each other rather than trying to go to the top on one of the other.
I truly hate Aire from Loewe!
I believe if you like
Aire you will not appreciate Gala which is very FRANCH, no fruits and woods to detect.
If you like Leonard Balahe you are going to love Gala.
patric – :
For all you ladies out there, I am very sorry to say, but it leaves Shalimar in the dust. I was a Shalimar lover for decades, but my taste evolved further to this type of Oriental. Extremely classy.
likov – :
OMG XSX, you found the notes!! I do not know how much to thank you!! This is one of my favorite Orientals ever!!!
Love you,
Action