Beautiful by Estée Lauder

Very vintage.

What you need to read… Alongside Givenchy’s Amarige, these are the best florals in history. The quality is undeniable, but they aren’t for everyone (and they don’t need to be). I love that people call it baroque, old-fashioned, or cloying… whatever, there are people who just don’t know how to appreciate certain things. It has the same galbanum as Loewe’s L, which I adore, but here the white flowers (lily of the valley, magnolia, freesia…) and the fruits take the lead. The woody-green base is top-tier. It’s perfectly balanced despite being an explosion. Very long-lasting with great sillage. If you like florals, try it; it won’t leave you indifferent. I love it.

My aunt used to wear this and she remembered it with fondness, but now it seems to have aged terribly. It feels overwhelming to me; the flowers aren’t natural or fresh, but all clumped together and they suffocate. It’s not my style: I’m looking for something more natural and without that heavy, concentrated “perfume” smell. It can be quite invasive for others.

The vintage version of Estée Lauder’s Beautiful doesn’t go unnoticed: at first, it might seem out of touch because today it’s rare to find titans with such aldehydic-floral notes. But that gives sovereignty to the woman who wears it with confidence. It has a medium-heavy weight that makes it seem almost light among the bomb-shells of its era. It starts with a touch of anise and then green mandarin. The flowers dominate but don’t suffocate, offering delicacy amidst that powerful 80s vibe. The pleasure lies in the heart. On my skin, the heart continues to pump flowers much more than expected, blending into a plush, creamy, woody base. Beautiful reflects what we seek in perfumery: perfect interaction for magical moments, like when two people meet, with that special warmth that flows through an unforgettable moment.

A classic, elegant, floral, and intense without being overwhelming. Ideal for feeling confident and vivacious. It will always make you feel feminine and tasteful. I like it because it’s not one of those cloyingly sweet scents that bother you after 5 minutes. I love it.

To those who made it this far to criticize this beauty, I want to ask: what do you wear? Tell me, because to read the nasty things I’ve read, I’m intrigued to know if you have the money to buy an Estée Lauder with Beautiful. Because it’s not just about wearing the perfume on your skin; it’s about knowing how to carry it with appropriate clothing, suitable shoes, and above all, style… so when you reach that level, C R I T I Q U E.

A journey into the splendid floral and green perfumery of the 80s. A fruitful era marked by the generosity of ingredients. Beautiful is the child of a time when slightly green floral fragrances with earthy and woody accents were understood as beautiful. Always from a very feminine, elegant, and opulent point of view. I can’t help but think of formulas like Chanel’s 19 or Hermès’ Amazone. Beautiful is a sum of a thousand notes that culminate in a unique, compact scent evoking flowers, plants, trees, and vintage gardens. A history of perfumery that very well represents the taste of an era and continues to work. *edit: that note that leads to woodiness without actually being wood is galbanum and hyacinth. Like Feaubourg, 19, Miss Dior original… Fashion notes from that era.

It smells like a classic, powerful, super vintage floral. There are so many flowers that I can’t tell which one stands out. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it either—it’s just not my style. I wouldn’t wear it to a formal evening event because its scent screams elegance and maturity.

Three times with different people at different times, I’ve smelled a very strong, quite ugly, cloying, and even foul perfume. I asked them what they were wearing and all three proudly told me: ‘Beautiful by Estée Lauder’…???. That’s enough for me not to try it on my skin, let alone buy it… I’d rather stick with the fresh floral of Pleasures.

It’s one of my favorite perfumes; it defines the feminine, elegant, charming, and conservative woman. Without a doubt, it’s not for every woman, because as soon as you detect it, you can’t help but turn around. Fresh flowers dominate with a touch of elegance. Walking into a meeting with it, you’re sure to catch attention; I always have to have it on. It’s a clean, white fragrance that denotes purity and neatness, almost like education itself turned into perfume. I’ve been wearing it for years and always find something different; I even realized it changes depending on how much you apply, just like other Estée Lauder scents. It’s a jewel.

Flowers, flowers, and more flowers; that’s Beautiful. It’s a whole floral bouquet; it makes you feel like you’re sitting in the middle of a garden filled with all kinds and colors of flowers; to me, Beautiful embodies spring and the beauty of flowers. Beautiful is a perfume that has always stood out since it was launched in the 80s; back then, fruity and oriental bombs were dominant, but Beautiful hit the market by dusting off the proposals of early perfumes, those from the beautiful era, incorporating their modern air. It took those old floral proposals and made them more intense and aldehyde-free, perhaps closely following the pattern set by Quelques L’Original Fleur (with which it shares much similarity in its opening). This fragrance is a flower bomb that, as it evolves, becomes somewhat sweet, woody, and powdery. Although it has been reformulated, it retains great resemblance to its vintage version and still maintains good longevity and trail. For those who like flowers, this is their perfume; without a doubt, they will love it.

It’s my personal fragrance. A love that turns 24 this December. Fortunately, the reformulations haven’t made it unrecognizable. It remains luminous, luxurious, feminine, with decent longevity and sillage. It’s worn on any occasion, day or night, all year round. It’s a true gem, I love it so much! (Forgive the lack of accents, my mobile keyboard doesn’t have the Spanish alphabet).

Of the miniatures I bought looking for a charming scent, this is the only one that I kind of liked, although I wouldn’t buy it. It’s a bit baroque for my taste.

Few perfumes are truly feminine, and this is one of them… sweet, beautiful, and floral, yet without feeling old or heavy. It’s easy to wear and very romantic. Notes of lilies, neroli, roses, mimosa, and magnolias wrapped in a sweet citrus like ripe fruit. A special fragrance for women whose style doesn’t seek glamour. A great creation; Kirtash says it’s like an adaptation of Coco, just more wearable for any occasion. My mom used it in the 90s and still has a miniature in her collection. Powerful trail, soft, and great longevity.

Beautiful!!! It’s a beauty; it will make the woman inside you shine, totally feminine. It’s a classic floral fragrance, well-formulated, with incredible longevity, one of Estée Lauder’s best-sellers in the US. Though it’s not the national anthem like Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel, it’s worthy of any woman regardless of age, timeless, and one of my favorites. And as a bonus, you’ll always be recognized by it; the quality of Beautiful and its scent are from the same lineage as Coco Chanel, which Kirtash agrees with.