Description
Smiley is a fragrance of “happy therapy”, based on olfactory molecules theobromine and phenylethylamine that are known to trigger happiness. Arthes group is behind this perfume, developed by Firmenich, while the design credits go to Ora-Ito. The perfumer is Jean Pierre Bethouart.
Top notes: bergamot, orange and pimento berry. Heart: cocoa, praline and curacao. Base: myrrh, musk and patchouli.
It is available as EDP, EDT and perfume extract and in an “Emergency Kit” that includes EDP, body gel and therapeutic bath. Other products include tanning stimulator, body deodorant and All-In-One washing solution.
The nose behind this fragrance is Jean-Pierre Bethouart.
margan56 – :
Smiley’s silly name and even sillier bottle don’t properly represent the actual fragrance: a serious silage. Maybe that’s why it was discontinued, and why it was available for next to nothing at discount stores. I think Smiley would’ve had a fighting chance with a more fitting campaign: sexy, ambiguous, deep, dark and full of warmth, rather than the brightness that was miscommunicated.
There’s a bit of CDG 2 here, and hints of Coco Chanel and Jil Sander No. 4, only far less complicated. This could be Angel with a shot of orange liqueur.
If it weren’t for the orange Robitussin note that predominates on my skin, I would probably love this.
Garick00 – :
This is the only fragrance I have ever actually hoarded. I don’t mean I bought a couple of extra bottles. I mean I have a gigantic Rubbermaid container in the closet packed with Smiley. I am ashamed to even admit how much I spent buying every one on Ebay. Is the fragrance spectacular? While incredibly nice, no not really spectacular. Then, what is my deal? Actually, I am not quite sure but I will try to explain.
I will tell you what makes it extra special to me.
I went to LA in October of 2007 with my lifelong best friend for her birthday. While I was there, I was determined to buy and smuggle a new fragrance home with me from Apothia at Fred Segal. I sniffed and sniffed and sprayed and sprayed while Angie patiently waited…and I had narrowed it down to 3. I asked Angie which one she liked the best, and knowing how particular and discerning she was about EVERYTHING, I decided her choice would be the keeper. She chose Smiley. We both doused ourselves in it during our entire trip. Neither one of us could get enough. It set the tone for our trip – SMILING, laughing, never wanting it to end…she said it was the best birthday she ever had.
Angie died suddenly and unexpectedly only 2 months later. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to deal with. But the scent of Smiley always reminds me of her and our last trip together…and our last two months together because I always had it on during that period. She said that scent would always remind her of how much fun we had in LA. It will forever remind me of it as well.
Is this what caused me to love it so much? I will never know.
All I know is that this fragrance is just feels so personal to me. It has a part of Angie with it. Maybe that is why I feel so panic stricken at the thought of ever letting it go. But for me this is magic in a bottle. Magic with a silly name but a very personal meaning. I dread the day when I spray the last drop from my hoard. If I live long enough for that to ever happen. To be honest, I hope that my Smiley survives me so that I never have to face being without it.
vfrc-80 – :
I tested this a few years ago when I was pregnant with my daughter, and then about a year after she was born (to be sure my hormones hadn’t unduly influenced my perception). This smells absolutely awful on me. Clinique Happy smells bad on me too…but Smiley gave me one of the worse headaches I’ve ever had. I was nauseated. I don’t understand it…based on the notes, the theme, even the packaging, I should at least LIKE this…I LOVE Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune for Pete’s sake! Smiley, on me, smells like citronella oil, propane, baking shortening, and musty cedar wood.
wzv522Unlogrere – :
I dont if it really puts one in a happy mood,but really this is a very pleasant, sunny scent with a soft sweet touch and power enough to last for a few hours, cannot see difference beetwen the edp and the edt anyway, today than I was a little down I tried that one and the effect wasnt bad…
doorhankazkz – :
A strong EDT, especially in the first couple of hours, which starts like bland cocoa and ends as a near patchoulli gourmand..
I applied 6 heavy sprays
0-1.5 hours. 1.25 foot projection though the entire room was flooded. The projecting scent is feminine and mid-mature – ages 44-58 which is like Chopard Wish but without the sweetness or similar to Angel, but more serious and bland. The scent on the skin is very mature masculine – Ages 52-68 with a stern yet bland heavy dullness
1.5 hours – 3 hours – 8 inch projection. Smell on skin is loosning up a bit. Patchoulli now starts to dominate so much so that its like a gourmand of heaviness, yet I still like it for its strength of heart
3 hours – 5 hours – 4 inch projection. Good for an EDT!
5 – 7 Hours. 1.5 inch projection. Subtle though
I received this for my wife from smelling_gr8 below, which was a lovely act of kindness and she has worn it several times already
I like it, but youth may not.
It is heavy but fun. The marketing does not suit this. A brown bottle would more suit. This bottle shape is like an ear syringe
Winter frag! and perhaps on colder days it will bring a smile(y) to your face?
mailo78 – :
🙂 such a peculiar scent this is! Right from the start, the packaging is really weird, it looks like a box of homeopathic remedy, the bottle itself looks like a sore throat spray lol and the scent…well it opens as very sweet citrusy blast, almost like candied citrus peel and then bitterness comes through quite promptly and I think ‘aaaarrrgghhhh not patchouli again I really am not fond of patchouli!!!’ but this one is quite strange. It’s almost like a candied citrus peel coated in dark chocolate, it’ so real it’s almost edible lol. The trouble is, the citrus faints quite quickly and patchouli overpowers it SIGH!. I don’t know about this being a happy fragrance as I do not like patchouli but I don’t hate this one either. It’s almost like a citrus vesion of angel if that makes sense. Well it was rather cheap from TKMaxx so I guess can’t really whinge too much 🙂
Joimmidly – :
I got an edt of this for a real bargain price without trying it first. I had a feeling that this will be a rather puzzling fragrance and I was right.
It opens with hints of bergamot and pepper, and a blast of sweet orange which I find both ‘marmaladey’ sweet and a little zesty at the same time. After about 20 minutes strong patchouli comes through and mixes with the marmalade orange (not really zesty any more) and tiny whiffs of chocolate sweets. At this stage it really starts to remind me of Cacharel’s Liberte which, on me, smells mostly of bitter orange marmalade and killer patchouli. The main difference is that in Liberte sweetness comes from very clearly sugary notes, whilst in Smiley the sweetener is chocolate, which makes it a bit ‘dense’, although not heavy.
I agree that it is a little medicinal and syrupy, probably due to the Curacao liqeur mixing with patchouli and creating a somewhat herbal feeling to it. The fact my skin has a tendency to intensify patchouli and make it very dirrty probably isn’t an insignificant detail here. As much as I like patchouli, I simply cannot be around it for too long because it gives me headaches, so I’m afraid I will need to part with this interesting little number.
It lasted for about 5 hours and sillage was moderate on my skin. I could smell it on myself and others could detect it when I walked by, although they weren’t suffocated by the cloud of fragrance which definietely is not an ultimate crowd pleaser. I suppose that it can be more of an acquired taste for some people, so I would encourage you to give it a go, but be careful if you’re not keen on orangey notes and patchouli!
Prelandez – :
O M G !
I’m so glad I could lay my hands on a discounted 30ml EDT of this weird beauty. I was tempted by this weird concept that it should make you happy.
I have tried it several months ago on a paper strip, and when I was sniffing it in a store at first I expected it to smell more fresh and yellow but this was completely different, a bit weird and all that unexpected sweetnes and it did smell like medicine, but I wrote down on a paper strip what it was and took it home along with other strips of perfumes that I have tested that day.
Then sitting in front of my pc with all those strips I was mostly drawn to this weird cough syrupy smell, I couldn’t stop sniffing it. knowing it was discontinued and for being so unique I had to get a bottle, but when I came back to the shop several weeks later, it wasn’t there anymore, and only recently I found a last bottle in another shop.
What can I say? It sure is very sweet, but in an unexpected way, syrupy and kind a like a happy potion, I wasn’t expecting it to make me feel happy, but I’m sure it has a calming soothing effect on me. The concept is complety awesome and I’m proud to have this baby in my collection.
EDIT:
I’m totally addicted 🙂 and I could be a great diet perfume, this helps me also with food cravings. Totally a happy potion!
zwer007 – :
I thought that this smells nicely like orange cookies. Quite yummy. I would have bought it if it hadn’t been discontinued so quickly 🙂
SERG240161 – :
I just got this out of the bargain bin at The Perfume Shop for £5 simply for the packaging, which is great. It’s designed to look like a packet of pills, right down to having braille writing down the side 🙂 The fragrance itself reminds of Aqua Allegoria Orange Magnifica. I love this! I may go back and see if I can wheedle the tester out of them..
I looked to see if I could buy this on line anywhere but I cannot find it. If anyone has any more information I would appreciate it.
Said to have phenylalanine and theobromine in, which are chemicals which make you happy. Think the perfume had clinical trials conducted which proved it worked to some degree. However, genuine results do not seem to have given this the success it perhaps deserved. Website no longer appears to be working..
Danila888 – :
Strange but intriguing scent, I didn’t instantly like it because it didn’t have the bright citrusy quality (I’m thinking vibrant lemons & oranges) I was expecting…..BUT it quickly grew on me & now I enjoy wearing it basically everyday, though I still can’t pinpoint exactly what the scent reminds me of….something somewhat delicate & sweet like marzipan sweets, perhaps. That’s as close as I’ve gotten so far, but it still piques the curiosity of my memory.
Interestingly, it does pick up my mood. 🙂 I was hoping to find something that would.
Nice unique creation, I will try the EDP next (I have EDT).
I also like to layer this w/other fragrances that are fruity or sweet, like vanilla oil or Fresh ‘Sugar Lychee’ EDP.
The delicious, warm cocoa quality develops during dry-down (my favorite part of this scent).
777Svoi – :
Smells like a Christmas cake. Didn’t make me smile. I was expecting citruses, something energizing, but I got a strange spicied (myrhh) fragrance that I wouldn’t wear.
tawatmori – :
I love this scent. I have the 30ml EdT which comes in an oval glass bottle that has the name written in braille and the big nozzle that reminds me of a muppet schnozz. It feels good in my hand, like holding a smooth stone and the fragrance is just lovely. I find it to be a nice citrus rose fragrance, simple and straightforward.
Paul87 – :
SMILEY EDT: First the sensation of fresh orange-peels, bergamot-peels, & pink grapefruit-peels sliced of the fruit in thin, thin slices (like the way you do when you slice citrus-fruit for a cake, or decoration for it). It brightens up my mood totally. After 20min the freshness settles, & SMILEY among *with the sweetened citrusfruit-peels still there* turns into a Mitsouko edp-Gourmand without the moss and slight “harshness” Mitsouku has. Yes it’s true !! Really amazing is what this is. After 30min you get a slight hint of freshly cut open cocoa fruit (like the fesh cocoa-note that Jo Malones “Blue Agava and Cacao” has.) In the end myrrh, musk and a woody patchouli comes into the picture (but not harsh overwhelming patchouli, just perfectly enough). I’m amazed! Ps to “Action”: Yeah it IS amazing – you got to try it 😀 😀 😀 !!!