Unforgivable Woman by Sean John {Perfume Short (Review)} {New Fragrance}
Unforgivable Woman by Sean John is, perhaps not surprisingly so, like the macho dream of a women's fragrance. The slight surprise comes with the realization that this is not just a sexy fragrance. The scandalous flavor of the ad campaign made one expect to discover a sulfurous potion. It is indeed a man's trap, but in a more complete sense. In this case and after a while the soft powdery and creamy floral that is Unforgivable Woman betrays the desire of the man who envisioned it to be both seduced and protected by the woman who wears it. The age-old dichotomies of "la mama y la puta" or again the virgin-mother and the whore are somehow weaved into the perfume with its suggestions of innocent baby powder and powdered milk allied with the subliminally comforting notes of apple, pina colada, coconut, and orange flower and then the racier musk, patchouli, and woods.........
The perfume was created by David Apel from Givaudan, who already composed Unforgivable, which was a major hit, being the #1 men's fragrance sold in the US last year. The press release adds that, "An aficionado of scents, Sean Combs himself was intimately involved in the development of the fragrance." Further, we read about Sean John's precise vision of what kind of woman this perfume was meant for,
"When she moves, I stop. When she speaks I am lost. She is desire. She is illusion. Elusive in her way. A beauty catching you off guard. Enticing and unnerving. She is control and submission. Intellect and innocence. Sensuality and strength. Capable of taking what you dream and making it real. Of making what's real the ultimate dream. She is the tease. The fulfillment. Only she knows the path between sensuality and strength. Able to entice and unbalance. She is everything that makes dreams real. Everything that pushes limits. Everything that makes this life sexy. She is UNFORGIVABLE."
That woman appears to be so unforgivable that one thinks that this man will be strongly tempted to marry her and bring out her reassuring maternal side as well.
Despite a very long description of notes, the fragrance is blended in such a way as to make the notes appear barely distinct from one another. You can get an impression of citruses, blackcurrant, Pina Colada/pineapple, coconut, creamy florals, amber, musk, vetiver, and patchouli, but it is not really the point as the goal here is to suggest a veil of intimacy, femininity, and seduction rather than call attention to the composition. The showcasing of vetiver, and the woods in general, is noteworthy as it adds a smoky, dry edge to the perfume which otherwise would be much more common, i.e., your ordinary musky floral except the ingredients are much better too. It is the necessary slightly dissonant part of a perfume to render it more interesting, like some of the more dissonant accords in P Diddy's music. The longer musky dry-down is very realistic and makes you think of the natural body odor of a woman with a slightly natural musky scent who has perspired a bit. Just like Unforgivable the original fragrance, Unforgivable Woman is very well balanced, harmonious, and a little sweet.
It is one of those fragrances that are meant to evoke a moral type more specifically, an ideal of femininity and sensual awakening and it succeeds on both counts.The scent is easy to wear without lacking in personality.
It seems that P Diddy together with David Apel have the touch for coming up with well-balanced ideals of both masculinity and femininity as translated into perfumes.
Description of notes: top notes of bergamot, orange, neroli, cassis, grapefruit, apple, cucumber, piña colada and orange flower; the heart is of jasmine, violet, muguet, freesia and cyclamen, and the drydown is of amber, tonka beans, coco de mer and vanilla tears mixed with cedar, sandalwood, oak moss, patchouli, vetiver and iris.
The perfume is available for $55 and $75 online on the Sean John Fragrances website where you can also watch a 3mn edition of the controversial ad for the perfume.
(Movie poster from allo ciné blogs)
Previous Posts in Perfume Shorts:
Osmanthus Interdite by Parfum d'Empire - New Imperial Trilogy, Part I
Tom Ford Black Orchid Voile de Fleur
Montaigne Eau de Parfum (2007) & Montaigne Eau de Toilette (1986-87)
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Comments
hi marie,
i was excited to see your review of unforgivable. i can't say that puffy has made a classic fragrance, but just as you said, and i do agree, that he can put together nice masculine and feminine ideal fragrances. when i 1st saw the notes for this one at the beginning of the year, i thought, "here's another concoction with a lot of notes that will come out smelling like nothing remarkable. but i have to say, it is well-balanced and not as immature as i thought it was before it hit the store counter.
Posted by: kennyken | October 4, 2007
Hi Kennyken,
Yes, and I don't see any reasons for Unforgivable Woman not to be a smashing hit except competition perhaps.It deserves it and women will feel better for wearing it. It strikes a nice balance.
Posted by: Marie-Helene | October 5, 2007
I have been wearing Sean John's Unforgivable for a few months, but have started having an allergic reaction to it. Where or who do I contact for information about sending it back or exchanging for something different? To expensive to throw away.
Posted by: Amonda riley | May 19, 2008
This is one of the most comprehensive and intelligently written reviews I have seen for this perfume. The reivew is highly informative and truly does highlight the lushness that is Unforgivable. This truly is a phenomenal scent, and I suspect that much of the tripe that has been written about the scent has not so much to do with the perfume itself but rather people's aversion to it's designer. I think people simply cannot get behind a black successful man the way they can more traditional succesful types. So even those who would otherwise adore this scent (were it sampled blind, without indication of author)will deride the scent no matter how incontestable its wonderful scent is.
Posted by: blueenigma | August 26, 2008