Top Notes 
Bergamot
Orange
Peach
Heart Notes 
Freesia
Rose
Jasmine
Base Notes 
White musk
Vetiver
Patchouli
Peanut
218 Reviews
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Peanut
Helpful Review
10
A Crystal in the Desert
First of all: It’s called "Essence of Woman" by United Colors of Benetton. And not (what a mess!!) Essence of United Colors of Benetton Woman! Know-it-all mode off.
Now to the point. I am a big fan of Benetton's flagship scent "Tribù" from 1993. Mind you, a fan from the very beginning: It was my first great early pubescent love for a fragrance. I still enjoy wearing it today and will probably never be able to completely let it go. However, I never dared to try other Benetton perfumes, probably expecting to be excessively disappointed by them.
Recently, "Essence of Woman" jumped out at me in an online perfumery. Perhaps a "Tribù" brother? And then this optimistic bottle: Like colorful striped socks! So I mustered up some death-defying courage. Clicked it, bought it, paid for it. What could possibly happen, except that I’d make a long face and lament that everything was better in the past?
Two days later came the seconds of truth: The first spray. What happened? I did make a long face and lamented that everything was better in the past. And those at Benetton can’t do anything anymore today. Grumble, stomp, whine.
But minute by minute, my face became shorter and my lamenting quieter. As soon as "Essence of Woman" was warmed by body heat, thawed, and slowly but surely settled in comfortably, it really turned up. A grand aroma unfolded. Radiant like Eternity, ultra-urban like Rive Gauche, with an indecipherable Benetton signature like "Tribù". The ingredients were so wonderfully intertwined that my clumsy nose couldn’t manage to identify them individually. Do I smell flowers? No! Do I smell fruit? Absolutely not! Do I smell citrus? No idea. Woods, musk, patchouli? I can’t say. I smell: crystal and more crystal. Radiant, crackling, sparkling, from start to finish.
And as if that weren’t enough praise: The longevity adds another layer. Doesn’t it say on the bottle in clear letters "Eau de Toilette"? That must be a mistake or a flirtation, because I have rarely experienced longevity like this in both Eau de Toilettes (pardon: Eaux de Toilette) and Eau(x) de Parfum(s). How do they at Benetton do it? What have they poured into this scent that it simply doesn’t get tired? Perhaps stimulants?
My conclusion: Apparently, Benetton can be relied upon. A true oasis in the fragrance desert of many sporty-young fashion lines. Puma, Esprit, Mexx, and all the others of the same ilk: Go and be ashamed, and take a page from Benetton. This is how solid fragrances are made!
Edit: I must strongly correct myself. Either my nose is now more trained or I just needed a few more tries. I can clearly pick out jasmine, rose, and patchouli. Furthermore: If you took the sugary sweetness out of "So Elixir," it would be a scent twin of this one. Even an identical twin.
Now to the point. I am a big fan of Benetton's flagship scent "Tribù" from 1993. Mind you, a fan from the very beginning: It was my first great early pubescent love for a fragrance. I still enjoy wearing it today and will probably never be able to completely let it go. However, I never dared to try other Benetton perfumes, probably expecting to be excessively disappointed by them.
Recently, "Essence of Woman" jumped out at me in an online perfumery. Perhaps a "Tribù" brother? And then this optimistic bottle: Like colorful striped socks! So I mustered up some death-defying courage. Clicked it, bought it, paid for it. What could possibly happen, except that I’d make a long face and lament that everything was better in the past?
Two days later came the seconds of truth: The first spray. What happened? I did make a long face and lamented that everything was better in the past. And those at Benetton can’t do anything anymore today. Grumble, stomp, whine.
But minute by minute, my face became shorter and my lamenting quieter. As soon as "Essence of Woman" was warmed by body heat, thawed, and slowly but surely settled in comfortably, it really turned up. A grand aroma unfolded. Radiant like Eternity, ultra-urban like Rive Gauche, with an indecipherable Benetton signature like "Tribù". The ingredients were so wonderfully intertwined that my clumsy nose couldn’t manage to identify them individually. Do I smell flowers? No! Do I smell fruit? Absolutely not! Do I smell citrus? No idea. Woods, musk, patchouli? I can’t say. I smell: crystal and more crystal. Radiant, crackling, sparkling, from start to finish.
And as if that weren’t enough praise: The longevity adds another layer. Doesn’t it say on the bottle in clear letters "Eau de Toilette"? That must be a mistake or a flirtation, because I have rarely experienced longevity like this in both Eau de Toilettes (pardon: Eaux de Toilette) and Eau(x) de Parfum(s). How do they at Benetton do it? What have they poured into this scent that it simply doesn’t get tired? Perhaps stimulants?
My conclusion: Apparently, Benetton can be relied upon. A true oasis in the fragrance desert of many sporty-young fashion lines. Puma, Esprit, Mexx, and all the others of the same ilk: Go and be ashamed, and take a page from Benetton. This is how solid fragrances are made!
Edit: I must strongly correct myself. Either my nose is now more trained or I just needed a few more tries. I can clearly pick out jasmine, rose, and patchouli. Furthermore: If you took the sugary sweetness out of "So Elixir," it would be a scent twin of this one. Even an identical twin.
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