Hot Couture by Givenchy

I’ll just say there’s not a trace of the original left; it smells more like raspberry jelly. Total disappointment with the reformulation.

I adore this perfume. Although it’s fruity due to the raspberry, it has nothing to do with current fruit scents. It’s bottled elegance. I used to wear it all summer, but now I recommend it for night or elegant outings. I have an old bottle and it lasts me forever. Now I treat it like a treasure.

Hot Couture is a brilliant classic: a superbly crafted raspberry that, mixed with the top notes, captivates if you’re a lover of unique perfumes. Luckily, it doesn’t fall into the monotony of overdone raspberry; it’s a very light raspberry. It’s a fragrance with many fans; I think it was a source of inspiration for many perfumers. To sum up, the keyword is distinguished and very sober.

Sweet, elegant, distinguished, sophisticated, and memorable; that’s how I rate Hot Couture. From the start, the raspberry and orange wrap around you, while you perceive a powdery, warm sillage that gives it a distinctive seal. I wear it for special occasions or when I want to stand out, because honestly, it delivers.

Hot Couture is very sweet, but not cloying. On my skin, it behaves linearly: it smells like powdered raspberry with a spicy kick from start to finish. The raspberry is the star, but you also feel the pepper, white musk, and sandalwood (which give a frosted texture), along with the citrus that makes it lighter. Its projection is good; if you smell it without touching it directly, the citrus, magnolia, raspberry, and pepper notes feel heavier. It’s a pretty, cozy perfume, very feminine and youthful, perfect for day wear in any season and informal occasions without drawing too much attention. It brings to mind a pink French macaron. Without resembling it, the feeling is being a fruitier version of Perles de Lalique. Unfortunately, perfumes that remind me of pink aren’t my style. Also, it reminds me too much of body mists and aerosol deodorants from my adolescence. Pleasant: 6/10 Interesting: 7/10 Versatile: 7/10 Original: 7/10

It’s been a while since this happened to me, but this Givenchy went straight to my wishlist from the first sniff. What a wonder! I love it! Fruity opening with lots of pepper, developing into a raspberry that doesn’t go sweet but stays surrounded by a woody halo. The smoky vetiver makes it incredibly cozy and makes me think of sitting by a fireplace. At the core, what I smell most is sandalwood with a touch of musk, without the vetiver disappearing. It smells classic, perhaps even a bit vintage. I’d say it could be unisex and seems very versatile. I don’t know, it’s not something unheard-of or mind-blowing, but I’ve really liked it. It doesn’t have an overwhelming trail or be a groundbreaking scent, but it has something that makes me feel dressed up and elegant… Its longevity on my skin is about 6-7 hours. In reality, both the trail and longevity are a bit short for me, but, you know, I’m loving it. I want it, I need it, even if I have to bathe in it to get better performance. Scent: 8/10 Longevity: 6.5/10 Sillage: 6/10 Value for money: 6/10 Versatility: 8/10 Packaging: 6/10 Would I buy it again? I haven’t bought it (yet).

This fragrance is elegant and cozy all at once. I adore its versatile scent: it shifts from citrus to spicy earthy vetiver, then to the sweetness of amber. I wear it in fall and winter because it makes me feel wrapped up and cherished. It lasts about 8 hours on my skin. It was a gift, and I’d definitely buy it again. 10/10.

I admit I can’t be objective about this fragrance. I have too many memories and emotions attached to it that make me love it. It’s distinctly sensual with a vintage touch, yet it doesn’t smell like ‘old lady.’ Unfortunately, it’s discontinued in my country, and it cost me a fortune to find my second bottle, which I treasure. I’m always at Hot Couture’s feet.

So delicious! It’s the perfume my mom used to wear when I was little, and now I can’t stop associating it with my childhood and a warm, sweet hug. It’s enveloping, very wintry, like a warm embrace, yet spicy, dry, and woody, and elegant. It has a very sweet opening of raspberries, and when it dries down, it smells like the warm wood of a stove or cabin. The longevity is insane; I’ve worn it for about 10 hours and I still smell it. The trail fills an entire room.

I met it through a sample a perfume store gave me: a damp handkerchief with the fragrance in a tiny packet. It seemed magnificent! Sweet and spicy raspberries, slightly powdery and rough… So delicious, bold, and different! Givenchy is making a statement again. It’s not for going unnoticed or daily use. I bought it once; it was very expensive, and later I found a very well-made dupe. I never understood the lack of care in the bottle design or its connection to the name.

If you cut off my finger, I’m the one who loves strawberry, fruit, or raspberry perfumes. I liked this one. A very evident raspberry stood out. But it wasn’t acidic, sweet, or childish. It was luminous and very ethereal, as befits a minimalist fragrance from 2000. Hot Couture was a masterful woody scent: citrus raspberry at the top, cold in the middle with vetiver and amber in the base. The fruity aftertaste didn’t disappear; instead, it soaked into the rest of the notes until it became smoky, woody, with a hint of silk. The EDP bottle was a masterpiece and very uncomfortable: it stayed tilted almost in equilibrium on a small base, with a perceptible bevel to the touch, a twisted cap, and the body engraved in a style reminiscent of Russian avant-garde tinwork. It passed without much glory, and the concept was a mess. The wordplay between ‘hot’ and ‘haute,’ Eva Herzigova surrounded by invisible seamstress hands, needles decorating the box. At that time, McQueen was the creative director of Givenchy; I’m not surprised it might be his idea. I remember the day a friend, tired of everyone smelling like Ultraviolet, bought this. When she wanted to buy another, it was already gone.

Hot Couture is delicious: the sweetness of fruits, the elegance of sandalwood and amber, the freshness of vetiver, and the exoticism of spices. You can smell every note, though the ones that dominate on my skin are raspberry, sweet orange, sandalwood, and amber. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions because it always evolves: suddenly you feel the sweetness, then the spice kick, the elegance of sandalwood, or you jump from the warmth of amber to the cleanliness of vetiver. It’s one of my favorites; I’ve repurchased it several times. Its elegance is timeless, and its sillage and longevity are excellent.

Another masterpiece by Morillas. I adore it; it was my signature fragrance for a long time, and although I’m more of a flâneur now, I keep coming back to it every now and then. It has great character.

It’s my personal signature. It lifts my spirits. Even though I wear other perfumes, I always return to my Hot Couture…

At a friend’s request, wanting to know where to find it and how much it costs, I tried it and… it was delicious. I wish my partner smelled like this someday. It smells exactly like the notes describe, but to me, it reminds me of those refined Italian leather handbags that make us think of only one thing: A SOPHISTICATED BUT JOVIAL WOMAN. PS: I don’t remember if it was EDT or EDP, but according to what I read, there are both versions.