NOYZ

 Be Her By Ella Langley

Most Helpful Critical Review

I wanted to Be Her so bad, but...

...it hurts so bad to write this review. Similar to another reviewer, I too find this perfume to lean more on the masculine side. And honestly? It kind of makes sense given that Ella embodies the strong, independent woman archetype so well. That being said, I thought this would have more of a dual...ity moment: a scent that played into both Ella's feminine and masculine sides while allowing the feminine side to overpower the masculine in this instance, since that's the wistful theme of her song. Reading that the top notes incorporated violet, bergamot, and lotus flower (feminine, inviting, cool dew), followed by tobacco accord, honey accord, and peony (rugged, sweet, flirty) in the middle, with a base comprised of cashmere woods, salted amber, creamy musk, and tonka bean (sophisticated, sultry, sensual, gourmand) further supported this theory of juxtaposition. However, the note that's the most overpowering is the tobacco accord. Oddly enough, the lotus flower and bergamot somehow balance it by pulling the fragrance toward a cooler, fresher side (think D and G Light Blue). The overall blend feels like two scent profiles attempting to coexist without ever fully harmonizing. It's like a note is missing, but I can't quite pinpoint what it is that would make this fragrance more in tune and give it that "glow" factor. In a strange, nostalgic way, the fragrance vaguely reminds me of walking into a luxury hotel lobby in London full of leather furniture on a brisk winter's day, expecting a roaring fireplace...only to realize nobody lit it. Which isn't at all a bad thing for a scent profile, just...unexpected for a women's perfume. And if this tells you anything, when I sprayed it and had my teenage nieces smell it, their exact words were, "Oh my God, did you go on a date?! Whose cologne is that?! He smells fiiiine. You should go out with him again." (Insert face palm emoji here, lol). I don't necessarily disagree, and in that regard, maybe it would make a great unisex eau de parfum? I will give credit where it's due, though, and admit that the wear test on this is impressive. It takes hoursss before it begins to fade. I swear I could still smell it after showering, lol. If I decide to keep it (probably not), I'll only wear it in the fall/winter months, likely layered with a warm vanilla (maybe Eilish Eau de Parfum would blend nicely?). But at that point, I might as well splurge on Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille, haha. I tried pairing it with my Jimmy Choo Blossom in attempts to make it summery, and while it worked, it didn't impress me enough to keep mixing the two. To me, this perfume is ultimately missing something distinctly feminine that would give the fragrance that top notch, "It Girl" feel that makes you want to Be Her.