Description
The first fragrance from Queen Latifah, the charismatic and curvaceous award-winning rapper, actress and singer is presented to the market in Fall 2009, in the US, with an international roll-out shortly thereafter. According to Queen Latifah, “Beauty really does start on the inside. It’s like a state of mind, a state of love if you will. So I see fragrance as just a natural expression of this state of love: scent expresses a woman’s confidence and sensuality, it’s how she embraces her body, her mind and her strength.”
“Queen Latifah exudes a radiant confidence and inimitable style,” Neil Katz, Chairman and CEO of Parlux Fragrances, Inc. observes. “Individuals of all ages connect with her compelling charisma and her compassion. Every woman is a Queen in Latifah’s world. With that sense of empowerment in mind, this first fragrance, Queen, naturally, expresses not simply beauty and sensuality but inner strength and an exuberant sense of confidence.”
THE FRAGRANCE
The glimmer of warmth illuminates the opening notes of QUEEN by Queen Latifah. A sparkling, sumptuous golden accord, reminiscent of aged Tequila, shines the light on citrus notes of Italian Bergamot and Mediterranean Mandarin. Sultry, sensual, remarkably rare Baie Rose harmonizes with Jasmine Noir, while Cognac, authoritative and intriguing, meets aromatic Moroccan Coriander as the heart of the fragrance comes to life. The base notes create a powerful, mysterious accord for this deep, rich Oriental fragrance: Indonesian Patchouli and precious Sandalwood enhance the soft allure of Vanilla and Tonka Absolute. The fragrance finishes with a graceful sojourn, made memorable with passionate Egyptian Incense and sexy Musk.
THE BOTTLE
Ruby red, delicately faceted and edged with gold borders, the bold, sexy square bottle is as dynamic as Queen Latifah herself. A dimensional heart emerges on the façade, reinforcing Queen’s message of beauty from within.
THE QUEEN by Queen Latifah COLLECTION
The bold, sexy fragrance collection includes: Eau de Parfum Spray – 3.4 oz., Eau de Parfum Spray – 1.7 oz., Body Lotion – 6.0 oz., Body Butter – 5.0 oz.
The nose behind this fragrance is Steve Demercado.
copernik – :
Guys, this smells good on a man. Sweet but also studly, the scent lingers on hair. Does not seem to last on skin. So I gave it to my husband because he really likes it, and since he has more hair on his body than me (thank god, right?), this lasts all day and into the night on him. He loves Tobacco Vanille and Dark Rebel, so if those fragrances suit your body chemistry, give this boozy unisex gourmand a go. You can still pick up a big bottle for a great bargain!
olia.mazay – :
ONE of my all time favorite comfort scents. Dreamy rum, vanilla and patchouli. I also detect licorice. This is a very elegant fragrance masterfully blended and unique. Sillage is arms length causing this concoction to float about you. There is something soft but very present. It is a quiet masterpiece.
ГелийИванович – :
A spicy, sirupy vanilla fragrance. I think this is one of the better celebrity fragrances. Patchouli, vanilla and cognac are very prominent. I also get a lot of coriander, which smells weird, but nice in a way. Definitely a winter/fall fragrance.
Sillage is moderate, longevity is about 6-7 hours.
tareto1983 – :
This isn’t so much of a review as it is a shout out to the commenter below, “who.am.i.you” on the brilliant idea of MONTHLY PERFUME TRAYS!
What a fantastic idea!!!!! THANKS!
P.S. I will purchase Queen, based on reviews here, (and because my obsession with Alice requires a Queen of Hearts rep on the “Wonderland” perfume shelf – this will look AMAZING) and I’ll come back to review.. 😉
Thanks for sharing your genius!
doubsTesInons – :
My full size tester bottle of Queen (no cap) arrived yesterday. I have such an extensive collection that I have not purchased anything within the last several months, but something told me I had to have this. I got a great deal on Ebay and I do not regret it. If you like Angel, Fancy Nights, Estee Lauder Sensuous Noir or Organza Indecence, Queen is a safe blind buy for you. It’s not really the right weather for Queen here in the Northeast – hot and a little muggy – but I think I am going to wear this today anyway.
nexia2010 – :
It is a shame this is no longer on the market. There is plenty available on EBay for the meantime. Lots of vanilla but not overly sweet and nicely balanced. At the offset I get a bit too much sandalwood, but that soon changes. This is a lovely scent that unfolds as it is worn. If you like a lovely vanilla that avoids being too sweet, this is it. A beautiful celebrity scent.
JVN2012 – :
A little safe, a little generic, a little sweet but A LOT of awesomeness!! Warm, balsamic, spicy, boozy, vanilla, soft but not weak at all. It is a shame this is discontinued, but there still seems to be a pretty good back stock. This is one helluva good “celebrity” scent. If this was maybe a different name, different bottle or a bigger name celebrity, this would not be discontinued!
Queen lasts a long time. 2-3 sprays is plenty to last most of the day. It is so warm and boozy with the perfect amount of soft vanilla!! This is the kind of scent that you might get compliments on, but it does not matter. The DRYDOWN is A M A Z I N G! You will not be able to stop smelling your wrist or arm or wherever you spray it. The drydown is so soft, warm and smells incredibly expensive and delicious!! It just smells good!! Love, love!!!
Liafjernekike – :
My friend turned me onto this a few months ago and recently I bought a full bottle. This is warm, yummy and easy to wear. Queen may be similar to other fragrances but I don’t care. I read someone describe this as a gourmand oriental and I agree: boozy vanilla, incense, patchouli, tonka and and sandalwood. This is sooooo good, perfect for colder days and nights.
Also, this is the ONLY celebrity fragrence I have ever bought, so that says something. A bargain shopper’s delight!
mskeleton – :
Similar to Angel Liqueur de Parfum except with a big dose of orange.
scorpion37 – :
Spicy, smoky and red. It just says red. You know “Frasier’s” apartment on that show? It was clean and retro-modern with a jazzy air. Queen smells like how that looks, complete with a fire in the fireplace and the city lights sparkling in the background. But replace Kelsey Grammar with Queen Latifah, dressed in red gown and holding a glass of champagne.
To my barely-functional nose, it is spicy, smoky and warm. It does not have that undertone that’s common in cheapie perfumes. As far as ‘expensive smelling,’ it’s at the level of Chopard’s Wish, Jessica Simpson’s Fancy Nights, and Shalimar and Initial by Guerlain. It’s slightly below Boucheron pour femme, Initial by Boucheron, Vintage Sublime by Jean Patou and L’Instant du Temps by Guerlain. Just my opinion, for what it’s worth. Although, to be honest, I don’t know whether I’d be able to separate the expensive from the less expensive using just my nose. That would be a fun experiment.
But after experiencing Fancy Nights and Queen, “expensive-smelling” has lost its meaning. The person who made those two fragrances is a genius.
alex230593 – :
Sweet, slightly spicy, smokey, soft and warm. The vanilla and cognac take center stage while the warm spice and woods play up the background.
This is a very sexy perfume in my opinion. I’m glad I finally got to try it out
angasolka – :
Oh wow. This is wonderful. Like swimming in a bowl of Maraschino cherries. Very red-berry-ish, boozy and decadent. It’s like cheating on your diet with a delectable piece of strawberry cheesecake- extra butter in the graham cracker crust.
Amazing for the price. You could easily fool people into thinking Queen is a much more expensive fragrance. Safe to blind buy.
Overtoobtob – :
I do not see the resemblance to Angel at all! I really like this. It’s a mellow vanilla without all the too sweet sugar notes. Totally a winner for me. I could wear this cozy gem all winter!
15753217 – :
Queen was launched before Rebelle.
And the two smell nothing alike. Lol.
Red label – :
Smells like a female hustler who calls herself The Queen (with a capital ‘T’ and a capital ‘Q’)
One of the best boozy vanilla scents by a celebrity but honestly reminds me too much of Angel…
Edit: perhaps a bit fruitier than Angel. It’s not a copy, it’s just similar.
The vanilla in this is amazing, along with a sweet congac. Tonka & strawberries.
4websuissef – :
This was a gift from a wonderful swapper.
The first hour is rather Angel-like but with some differences. The rose and cognac give a red berry-ish impression. The incense, sandalwood, and tonka cut down on the sweetness some and give it a good sense of elegance.
The drydown gets powdery sweet again. I’m going to have to compare it to La Vie Est Belle sometime because it seems similar.
So Muegler + LVEB sounds like sometime that should be the most popular stuff ever, but in all seriousness this does have an unmistakable appeal.
At seven hours it is faint but still detectable with a modest two sprays. At 3-4 it’s never overpowering and lasted over 12, with an amazing candy and incense drydown.
guf – :
As of September, I started making monthly perfume trays in order to get to know the perfumes I already own even better. This is on October’s tray, and now that the last days of October are coming to an end, I feel that I can give a pretty fair review on this. 🙂
I understand the Angel references now. Before owning a sample of Angel, I did not realize how these two could compare. The patchouli is similar between the two, but instead of chocolate and cotton candy found in Angel, Queen has cognac and incense. This is a warm, woody, gourmand for sure. It does smell more expensive than it is and smells great in autumn! This really lasts and lasts too. My cardigan I sprayed last week still smells like this stuff. It engulfs you in a boozy, vanilla forest. A very beautiful perfume that I’ll enjoy while I have it. I probably would not repurchase just because it’s not the most unique scent. I will miss it however on the days that I crave this because it is truly well done and nice.
Big_Jack – :
By all the warm balsamic notes & spice in the composition I should love this. It’s not bad, and it’s a tremendous bargain scent but on my skin it just emits a coldness, even a bit of funereal bouquet waxiness, that makes me want to skip over it’s cute little bottle when choosing my scent.
As always, YMMV.
silverstong – :
Initial spray: Angel, is that you?!
1 min dry down: oh, warm, fresh baked sugar cookies, nice.
5 min dry down: is that the booze everyone is talking about? it’s very subtle, like a whisper of sweet liqueur rather than face-punching, blackout cognac.
Overall impression: the polarizing patchouli of Angel meets a cozy warm sweater of vanilla extract with a sprinkle of turbinado sugar and cake spice. Amazing for the price I paid.
EDIT: since this is discontinued, I won’t be paying any exorbitant prices for it once the supply inevitably runs out. It’s not worth paying more than $20 for something that smells essentially like an Angel flanker, IMO. I also find myself wishing it was a bit heavier on the vanilla and spice to cut through the strong patchouli, but alas.
EDIT EDIT: I asked my sister and mom to smell the cap of this perfume and got an unexpected reaction. My mom said it smelled musty, sensual, and good for date night, while my sister straight up likened it to dirty underwear. Both of them basically think it smells skanky, which is an aspect of Queen that completely flew over my head. I still think of Queen as soft, warm, and cuddly, but I figured I’d mention these second opinions because scent is so subjective.
Shok13 – :
You may say I’m crazy, but I think this fragrance may smell like what everyone else smells in Mugler’s Angel. If you’ve read my review of Angel, you know that I don’t “get” it at all – I simply don’t smell what everyone else is describing. Angel doesn’t smell sweet or gourmand on me at al (more like rotten pine), but Queen does. I think I’ve heard other people make this comparison before, so I can’t be completely off my rocker.
Meanp599intitytek – :
Soft, mild but longlasting. Nice Patchouli, Vanilla & Cognac mix. I was gifted a sample and will use it, but not buy a bottle – I’m not always into Patchouli-notes. Absolutely worth a try and a safe gift to a grown-up woman.
acquirmimpame – :
I have to agree with the review girly scientist gave.
This is just nice. The bottle is cute too.
If try this you will like it. I think so anyway.
Worth atry.
irinka347 – :
Solidly nice. Warm ambery patchouli with some spices. Great fall/winter fragrance for when you don’t want to try too hard.
For the incredibly low price point, it’s worth the hype. If you ignore the cheapness and just consider it as a fragrance, it’s just nice. It’s not super complex or expertly blended. It’s not going to impress anyone with your obvious sophistication. But it’s solidly nice and I will certainly use up all 15 mLs of the mini bottle that I got.
partizan2501 – :
I finally got my hands on a big, fat 100ml bottle of Queen at a fair price – no mean feat in the UK – and I am feeling very happy with myself!
Boozy, smoky, a hit of true vanilla and a sprinkle of spice – this is delicious and as others have said, amazing quality for a celebrity fragrance.
I sniff definite similarities to 4160 Tuesdays delectable boozy Gourmand, Captured by Candlelight. This is lighter on projection, though, but has decent lasting power.
A sensual perfume for autumn/winter evening occasions. Quality.
monax46 – :
I love this scent but it does not last on my skin. But, it DOES last on clothing and hair. Spray your mane, ladies and gentlemen! It works better on my husband because, well, he has more hair than I do on his chest and arms. He applied Queen last night around 10pm on his forearms and his chest, and woke up around 8am this morning….and Queen was definitely still lingering on him. Guys, this smells great on you so do not be put off by this being marketed to women. This Queen will smell like a King on you, and I think it smells richer with a little testosterone!
TupOccakTaf – :
I originally got the 2nd scent “Queen of Hearts” 1st as I had found it quicker online. I have this “thing” about testers, which I know is kind of irrational, I mean it’s brand new, sealed, and the same, only missing a cap and comes in a OEM box. Yet there you have it, since I store my scents in the boxes on my wardrobe, it just irks me. Everyone has a thing :-). So anyway, after falling deeply in love with the 2nd scent I was desperate to get her first one. After researching I found out why It was so hard to find online, to my near tears, the line was discontinued. So, for the 1st time I was forced to get a new sealed 3.4 tester, and not cheaply at that. It was worth every penny and took me away as I kind of figured it would. This scent is darker than the 2nd but not by much and delightfully so. The opening was amazing, a sultry smoke and exotic wave on some south pacific island at midnight. It lingered and dried down to the most amazing spicy musk. Coming from the same nose as another of my favorite really dark vintage scents (amazingly) Jessica Simpson’s Fancy Nights. They aren’t the same by any means but both sit in the darkest old school vintage and exotic past. So many celeb scents are just cotton candy awfulness, or cheap synthetic cash grabs, or even “Weak as water” as my Gran would say. But there are a few that you can tell were done with a REAL love of fragrance in mind. Both of Queen Latifah’s scents are firmly in that realm. I’ve been wearing this all night, and have probably buried my face in my arm 40 times through the evening just to get a fresh pass. Nothing more relaxing than a dark sultry scent DONE RIGHT, and this wrapped me in a warm blanket of comfort. Grab some while you can, as like me, you will be finding it harder and harder to locate. I’ll be guarding this bottle with my life 🙂
snteel – :
Let me start out by saying u do not buy or wear celeb scents this was given to me and I just sprayed it about 20 mins and let be just say how shocked I am this is gorgeous I freaking love everything about Queen I am head over heals in love I didn’t think I could love a scent this much. I am going to get the biggest bottle right now and a back up bottle and lotion.
Raalam – :
Wow! Pleasantly surprised indeed! A warm nutty yet sweet gentle balanced fragrance. It’s really beautiful. I also haven’t smelled anything like it before. It’s non artificial or offensive really lovely.
BAJIK – :
I bought this because it was $4 at Ross for a huge bottle. I figured I didn’t have much to lose.
It was one of my better decisions in life. I generally don’t do great with gourmands. Some I quite like but often they don’t like me back. This isn’t a gourmand. But it fills that niche in my collection.
This opens with the definition of a boozy smell. It is heavenly. A little vanilla slowly creeps up. But it isn’t a sweet candy vanilla or vanilla extract. This is a vanilla bean. Tonka and smoke show up next. The whole thing is sitting on a velvety patchouli that is lovely even when I am sick of patch.
I went online and bought a bunch of cheap bottles when I found it was going to be discontinued.
ugana – :
I have smelled many niche brands which don’t smell half as good as this one, but it is what it is, a celeb scent, which is created for the masses.
I think that this has been created with a good amount of love and thought and I feel that Queen Latifa herself, has had a real say in the notes that she wants included in the composition. I paid £7.00 for my 100ml bottle but I don’t find the perfume to be cheap and synthetic, in fact, this smells very nice on me and gets me complements where my more expensive fragrances don’t get commented on at all.
The perfume is sweet and woody and like all perfumes, is dependent on the chemistry of the person who wears it.
Some say that the longevity is short, but I get 5/6 hours, which is amazing, considering the price tag.
I like this fragrance, it’s perfectly nice and inoffensive and is perfect for those days where I just want something cheap and simple to wear.
ImmomoStickm82965 – :
Agree this is one of the better kinds of celebrity fragrances. A little sweet for me but loving the spice (smoke?) and balsamic feel and cognac. Not sure about longevity…
vilka2007 – :
I had a sample of this and liked it so much I bought a large bottle. I’m sort of a perfume snob when it comes to celebrity fragrances, some of them smell cheap IMO, but this is beautiful. I love the boozy vanilla of it. And the longevity is amazing, I could still smell it on me the next day. Siliage is good as well. I was very happily surprised it smells much more expensive than it is. Just glad I got a bottle before it gets discontinued, then the price will go way up. Love it!
Insaf_882 – :
I bought its at Jan 2017 and My suggestion is this perfume is so sweet, charm and long lasting 4 or 5 hour.
I also fine the perfume of long lasting and heavy smell.
tanya33396 – :
This is a boozy sultry smokey nighttime date fragrance. Anniversary dinner with my husband, wearing a sexy leapord print dress, 3″ nude heels, and red lipstick – this is the scent to match! I’m in love!
KAI070191 – :
It was a blind buy but a good one!
It’s very sharp and spicy but sweet at the same time.
It’s longlasting and even though the bootle looks cheap, the perfume doesnt!
barry65 – :
This is fragrance and unbreakable bond are my best blind buys. This fragrance is extremely long lasting and a few sprays goes a long way. I get a lot of the cognac and vanilla notes which smells truly amazing blended together. This is a perfect evening, Fall/Winter fragrance for a guy or a mature and sophisticated woman.
vika1501 – :
Totally agree with you Andie! Fancy Nights by JS and Queen have the same nose behind them so no surprise they are sisters! lol to me Queen is sweeter and Fancy nights is dryer both work very well with my chemistry thank the lord!
Big-slon – :
I felt a bit disappointed when I first tried this, the initial spray was like a blast of Jessica Simpsons Fancy Nights and I sooooo do not like that! I put it away and thought oh well there’s another destined never to see the light of day again…but wait….as the day progressed I kept getting beautiful wafts of a lovely warm smell, in fact it was gorgeous, I sniffed my wrist where I’d sprayed Queen and it was her!! Oh my what a beautiful fragrance this turns into, I’ve managed to get past the initial Patchouli blast, it doesn’t last long and it’s worth it to get to what this beauty develops into. I absolutely love it and would recommend trying it 🙂
zseruy – :
I love this so much that I also had to get a back up cos knowing my luck it will be discontinued. I find this much better than Angel. It is quite boozy and so cozy. Vanilla, booze and tonka are a match made in heaven. I dont think it is heavy on the patch but just right. I prefer this to JS Fancy because it is far less sickly sweet. For a cheapish celeb fragrance it smells quite expensive. Its one of my go to’s on cold days or when I want to cheer myself up. Moderate sillage and longevity.
Boythichcyday – :
First realllllly cool day of our fall season and so now I can bring out my Queen. Boy, this stuff is good. When I first tried this, the sales lady said, “just wait. This makes my eyes roll back in my head.” Ha! And it is that gorgeous. It starts of with a sweet boozy blast as others have said.
It has the most potent cognac, vanilla, tonka, patchouli blend carried through the whole experience. I think the sweet candyish orange burns off fairly quickly, and after about 30 min. some beautiful incense and coriander emerges to mingle and make the whole fragrance more interesting. To me, this is a fancy or festive perfume, but I often wear it in my pjs if I just want to wallow in a big cloud of gorgeous. Long lasting.
amacconka – :
This is so weak. I can’t get it to last on me for anything. Whhhyyyyy?!!!!! (Cries with fists in the air) it smells so good : (
IzyaSlavv – :
Received this beauty in a swap and wow I don’t know what I was expecting bc of the mixed reviews but it’s deff something I like and will enjoy to wear!!!! On my skin it’s very yummy warm vanilla it has some dimension to it it’s rich I can see how the incense makes this more well rounded it’s the oriental I was craving it’s still gourmand without being tooth achingly sweet but much more grown up and sexy! I love it!
Gewolit – :
It’s really a shame that some of celeb perfumes aren’t available in my country.not just in my town,there are never here,not even available online.forever from Mariah Carey,cancan from Paris Hinton,still from Jlo and couple of Britney,Rihanna,Katy Perry,Beyonce and kardashian are almost all the celebrity perfumes widely available here.but some are nowhere to be found:madonna naked,lolavae,taylor swift’s perfumes and lots of others.unfortunately queen latifah is also among them and I was dying to try her perfumes.I had to blindbuy it from amazon whilst amazon has no shipping to my country.so no need to say I faced lots of challenges to have this square red bottle in my hand.
now,lets start with queen.it opens with boozy notes and a hint of spicy citruses.not bad but nothing that I’d love.it’s middle is a lil nicer with a whisper of florals and less sharpness.after ten minutes I’m in heaven.congac melts in some smokey vanilla and tonka and creates a lovely,unique aura which has a mysterious,sexy and dark vibe and is also delicious.not the deliciousness of a gourmand ofcourse but still very apealing in a mature way.congac looks like rum in the base notes and rum and amaretto are my two favorite boozy notes
patchouli is tame and doesn’t bother me.there’s just a hint of Musky florals blending with this subtle combination to add more feminity. I have nothing in my collection that smells similar to queen and I’m really happy to own it.it’s definitely a fall and winter fragrance and a mature one.I don’t find it too spicy or too sweet or too smokey or too anything.it’s balanced and it’s value and quality is much more than it’s price tag.I’ll edit this to add about it’s longevity and sillage.for now I feel it’s not gonna be strong,not a weak one either
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Edit:Longevity and sillage are both acceptable,stays for 5-6 hours and sillage is moderate at first and then it’s a soft but noticeable cloud of boozy vanilla, smokey Tonka and spicy patchouli.It’s a potent and interesting scent and if it was stronger, it would be impossible to wear it at office.I mostly wear it in university and anyone sits near me comments on how classy also cozy, elegant and charming it smells.one of my classmates always says that it’s the most expensive smelling perfume he’s ever smelled and very unique! even my perfumista cousin thought it’s a niche perfume claiming such high quality and well-put together scent can’t be found in designers.no one knows it where I live so it remains my little secret 😉
2nd edit: after a while I purchased other perfume of Queen and while I believe that one is also far beyond it’s price and celebrity standards I didn’t like it as much as this one and gave it to my friend who loved it(just because I don’t like incense)
I wish to see more perfumes under queen’s name.her two attempts are both memorable and sophisticated so I really wish to see a third and fourth one
Candypoeth5 – :
Bought this as a blind buy earlier this year and loved it then on paper; really did not try on skin as I purchased it in the summer and it seemed a bit to heavy for the hot days. Tried it again a few days ago, on skin, and while I enjoyed it at first, it soon faded on my skin into nothingness. I remember initially thinking it was a heavy, boozy, smoky, classy fragrance during the summer. When I tried it a few days ago and had some spicy energy with a little smoke and waited for the boozy warmth to kick in. Nothing. Nada. Did not even last 2 hours. I had really high hopes for this one being absolutely dazzling in the cooler months especially with all the rave reviews here. I don’t find it sweet at all. Sorry to say, but I think I prefer the other Queen Latifah fragrance, Queen of Hearts, as being longer lasting. May have to try it again and see what happened.
Karambay – :
Wow! Really beautiful!
annouraordild – :
Queen is warm and sweet. On my skin i get alot of cognac, vanilla, patchouli and a bit of incense to help tie everything together. The first 20 seconds reminds of the Angel EDT but then it changes and becomes it’s own scent. Once it settles it reminds me a bit of Noir de Noir by Tom Ford but not as complex and dark- this is warm and cheerful and welcoming. Its like a big warm hug from someone that you love, overall Queen is a gorgeous and affordable fragrance that has excellent lasting power and is definitely in a league of its own when you compare it to other celeb fragrances
zenit2344 – :
Ordinarily, I would not buy a celebrity scent (I did buy Adam Levine but in my own defense I had no idea who he was!), snobby as that may sound. But on the whole they all smell much of a muchness to me, and I’m sorry to say it, but they generally smell cheap to me, too. But again I was lured by the reviews here, and so I thought it’s inexpensive enough to take a punt. Certainly according to the notes, it ought to be a winner for me, although I’m not sure how cognac is in a perfume.
Anyway, I tried it on my hand today. As soon as I sprayed it it seemed of lesser quality to me. I was also surprised by how fruity the opening smelled to me. But it wasn’t citrus. I thought I could smell some kind of orange scent (barely) but it was more like an orange flavoured something, not a real orange, no zestiness. It was also quite sweet, much sweeter than I was expecting this fragrance to be. Presumably some of that comes from the cognac.
Not long after it became a big vanilla scent. In one way it reminded me a bit of Jovan Secret Amber, but much sweeter. I have to say it smelled slightly more complex than simply a straight vanilla, but I couldn’t really detect anything in particular from the notes above.
The spritz to the back of my hand has been on my skin now for about 4 to 5 hours, and it definitely is still quite strong for such a small amount. If I had put more on in the first place, I think it would be enough without having to go back for more.
At this stage, the smell is now reminiscent of candy, like that chalky pastel coloured candy that some easter eggs are made out of. It’s still a bit vanillary I suppose but I wouldn’t really call this fragrance an oriental. I’m no expert but to my nose it is more like I would expect a gourmand to be.
Really, it’s too sweet for my taste, too candy smelling. But it might make a suitable scent during the Christmas season perhaps.
EDIT: layered it with Obsession and it’s working pretty well for me as it sweetens up the Obsession and knocks some of the sweetness out of Queen
ezhov – :
This is a surprisingly satisfying fragrance for such an inexpensive, celebrity fragrance. It opens with citrus notes, more orange than bergamot, which burn off very quickly. Then comes the deep boozy notes with a touch of sweetness, sandalwood, and barely there florals. I can’t really pick up the musk or smoke in this, which is disappointing because I love musk and think smoke usually adds depth and interest. Throughout the entire composition there is something dirty as well as something medicinal, I’m going to guess that this is the patchouli and jasmine, but I can’t say for sure. Yes, you can tell it is an inexpensive fragrance, as it is not as well made as more expensive fragrances, and because of its poor longevity, but for the price you can reapply as much as you want. One more thing…when I spray this on the inside of my elbows it turns into rotten oranges, bathed in rubbing alcohol. So my advice is, don’t apply it there, lol.
kizimaske – :
Queen Latifah’s perfume is for ladies only, classy dames and sophisticated women who know a good perfume when she smells one. This is very unique and different from other celebrity perfumes out there. You’re not going to get a scent of cotton candy, vanilla ice cream or cupcakes. It’s not a gourmand although it can easily be worn at a fancy dinner or wedding. The opening is citrus with delicious mandarin orange but before long it’s a cognac boozy scent rich with a heady jasmine and rose. It’s mature for sure but that’s not a bad thing. I think it’s exotic, mysterious, Oriental, and very seductive. I love to wear this only when I want to be the temptress. The color red of the packaging matches up with the way this scent feels. It’s like a red wine on the lips of a beautiful woman wearing bold red lipstick and a red dress. This perfume goes well with red cocktail dresses and formal red evening gowns. It’s a night time perfume and because of that warm incense and the booze it’s perfect for winter and the colder months. Bon appetite.
fvalg – :
I bought Queen “blind”, because of the reviews here, and at another site. The price is unbelievably low for the quality. I’ve also ordered several bottles to give as gifts; so far the recipients have been pleased.
Once it has dried down, I smell vanilla, tonka, sandalwood and booze. It is a warm, comforting scent, and is long-lasting. Sillage is moderate.
DimonBorman – :
This is one of those rare cheap perfumes that is worth its weight in gold. I got my bottle for around $10 and it is divine. Vanilla, booze, just sweet enough to satisfy. It lasts me about half a day (applied at 8am, at 4:30 it’s just barely detectable). It’s a comfortable, cozy scent that I can wear pretty much all year.
Utterly versatile, utterly delicious. This is just good perfume folks. I feel a little silly how much I’ve spent on other perfumes when I spritz on this $10 wonder. Probably something every perfume collection should contain. If you like vanilla, pick this one up.
timruss – :
This is a fabulous Oriental-Gourmand. I recently fell in love with a very similar scent ( Marc Rosen Shanghai) which has been discontinued and very hard to find not to mention expensive. I was thrilled to discover such an inexpensive alternative. This is sweet without being cloying and perfect for any weather. I will be reaching for this often as I find it quite intoxicating.
Kaliga – :
I just received this perfume by today. I bought it online from USA, because this perfume hard to find out in Malaysia market. For the first spray, I really impressed with the smell because I able to smell the base notes of this perfume, Vanilla (I’m a big fan of Vanilla scent).
After few hours I’m wearing this perfume, I still smelling the Vanilla scent on my clothes. I’m lovin it! <3
Mkaran – :
I can’t stop putting this on even though I should put it away for next fall. I’d heard about this from YouTube reviewers and have to agree that it’s a delicious, wonderful fragrance for next to nothing. It’s very similar to Angel but I personally think it’s better since it doesn’t have that weird plastic doll head smell. Starts off a bit strong (but still yummy in my book) but the dry down is to die for; a sweet, delicious gourmand oriental. Boozy vanilla goodness!
Perninnonut – :
I tried it some days ago and found it somewhat Angel-y and quite pleasant. Now when I spray it on my wrist again I get the same impression, but with a clear fishy note (!), like eyelash glue. Luckily it seems to dissipate after some 10 minutes, but it actually made my stomach turn. I don’t know what’s up with that. It is a nice boozy vanilla though, I sense the coriander (it is the same type of coriander as in Gucci Rush to me, even though the fragrances do not smell the same at all) and the patch is turned up to 11.
reilfegurnarf – :
This was marked down to $3.49 at TJ Maxx. Obviously, I had to try it.
I really like it. The incense is a lovely addition. It keeps the vanilla from being overwhelming. This is a fabulous vanilla perfume for people (like me) who generally dislike or flat out hate vanilla. It is a little boozy and that makes it warm and comforting rather than cloying. I deeply dislike Angel, but I still love this. This is a great gourmand for non-gormound folks.
I am slowly learning not to be a snob and reject all celebrity perfumes.
Lefthander70 – :
Whaaaattttt???!?!?!?! Saw this at Ross and was $9.99 for their 3.4 oz bottles. They had 3 left and I thought maybe it wasn’t really good because there were a handful of them and …so cheap! Since they were so cheap, however, f