Introducing Harajuku Lovers Fragrance: A Fatal Attraction to Cuteness

Posted by Katia on October 18, 2008 · 3 Comments 

“A woman who does not wear perfume has no future.”— Coco Chanel

Perhaps these words spoken by the late Coco Chanel are a bit extreme, but nonetheless, yours truly wholeheartedly believes that perfume, much like diamonds, are a girl’s best friend—that is, unless your natural scent is like that of an aphrodisiac so powerful that suitors line up at your front door like stubborn bargain hunters on Boxing Day! Now perfume is in no way mandatory, myself having gone without it for years, but a little mist here and there has certainly served me well once I adopted this most pleasant daily ritual.

My fragrances of choice usually fall along the lines of sexy, feminine, and elegant scents such as Insolence by Guerlain, or Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel, but when the Toronto-based marketing firm Matchstick asked me to review Gwen Stefani’s fun new fragrance Harajuku Lovers, this perfume aficionado just couldn’t say no!

Harajuku Lovers comprises five different scents which embody the unique personalities of Stefani and the members of her Japanese performance quartet. Dubbed “Baby”,  “G”, “Lil’ Angel”, “Love”, and “Music”, these fragrances are an ode to cuteness, made evident through the packaging and marketing of the product. If cuteness is the name of the game, well there’s no doubt that Harajuku Lovers hits a home run.

Of the five fragrances, I was given the 10mL retail format “Lil’ Angel” fragrance for review. Very cute packaging, the plastic figurine so evocative of a Matryoshka doll, those Russian stacking dolls that all of us have enjoyed playing with at least once in our lives, except that in this case, you only have one under which is placed the fragrance. Incidentally, “Lil’ Angel” happens to be my favorite of the entire bunch. It is a strong, but not too strong concoction of fruity floral scents. I like the fact that I can’t quite put my finger on the ingredients used to create this one, which I find adds an appealing shroud of mystery to it.

Following closely behind, “Baby”, like the name so aptly denotes, is a powdery whiff truly evocative of sweet, refreshing baby powder. Oh, how I wish I could turn back the hands of time!

“Love” is a sweet and sensuous aroma. Perfect for a special rendez-vous. It will certainly do when your more sophisticated fragrances run out.

“Music” resembles “Lil’ Angel”, but is a more delicate version. Subtle in effect.

Finally, “G” happens to be my least favorite. I liked it at first, but I soon realized that it is too strong, too sweet, and too engulfing a scent. The smell of coconut takes centre stage in this production, and for someone with an intense aversion to anything coconut flavoured, I must give “G” a thumbs down.

Hence, Harajuku Lovers is a winning fragrance inasmuch as it offers perfume lovers a choice of five different scents introduced in an inventive, cute, and playful package. Yes, each fragrance is cute, but in my opinion, cute is the prerogative of tweens, exuberant and young-spirited folks, and Gwen Stefani (she does cute very well!) I’m definitely not cute anymore, nor do I wish to be because frankly, everyone knows I’m just an old nana masquerading as an energetic 20-something! (Just kidding. I have plenty of energy, I assure you.) While this fragrance is not for the likes of understated folks like myself, it would make the perfect gift for a teenage girl, or the more flamboyant, bold style experimenters within your circle of friends. These scents are tailored to the cute, bubbly perfume lovers in your life, which they will surely enjoy.

Thank you, Matchstick!

P.S. For anyone interested in getting samples of these fragrances, simply contact me by e-mail.

Filed under Health & Beauty, Reviews · Tagged with Fragrances, Gwen Stefani, Harajuku Lovers, Perfume, Review