Passion by Elizabeth Taylor

It has no rival; it’s unique and brutal. It smells of rose, incense, and coconut at full blast. If you can’t handle the strength, run, because if you over-spray, it chokes you.

Seeing the notes, you know it smells like the 80s, and it is. The opening is loaded with aldehydes and reminds you of Chanel N5 (though to me, it’s not the same), making you think of someone older. As it dries, those aldehydes disappear and release white florals, leather, spices, and a talcum-powder sensation. How curious that perfumery evolves and gender roles change; it was launched for women, but in 2023, it smells like a man’s scent, and no one is surprised. Maybe by 2050, Good Girl by CH or Scandal by JPG will be considered masculine? We’ll see. It’s dark, sexy, and retro, with 8 hours of longevity in my case. For the 20€ I paid, it’s amazing. It smells expensive despite being cheap. Don’t expect sweetness or modernity; it smells retro. Totally unisex, with a gorgeous bottle that mixes Art Deco with a dark purple typical of Liz Taylor. It’s not easy or linear; I loved it, and it smells different on everyone. I will definitely repurchase.

This fragrance is literally the life of Elizabeth Taylor: the woman who married 8 times, earned a million for Cleopatra, detoxed 3 times, the Diva the public saw grow from a child to a sex symbol. A woman of character, ahead of her time, enigmatic, full of legends, parties, heartbreaks, and qualities that made her unique. Her violet eyes were her trademark, and she knew how to use them. This perfume is for that mature woman, of character, full of experiences, who knows what she wants and never goes unnoticed. It’s that character that gives you the final push to go after what you want. It has something aphrodisiac; it screams ‘I sleep with men’; it has an androgynous side like the 30s ones. I believe Liz’s olfactory memory recalled fragrances from the war era, which were unisex. PASSION is that: young Liz yearning for the perfumes of adult actresses. It was launched in 1988 with adult Liz framing her memories. It took her a year and a half to find the perfect potion; she was present in every note. Today, it’s not for everyone because it has vintage DNA; nothing about smelling like cupcakes or vanilla ice cream. It’s an intoxicating potion with animal notes, leather, and flowers with honey, a certain sweetness. To catch it, your nose must be trained. I imagine Liz creating this potion with an African witch under the full moon to intoxicate men and ensure you never go unnoticed. I also imagine Cleopatra using it. If you’re a collector, this must be in your vanity. It was the first celebrity fragrance and one of the best-selling. Elizabeth Taylor left her life framed in a perfume. That Hollywood diva, who kept secrets from James Dean, the first to defend the LGBT community, who called everyone ignorant regarding HIV/AIDS and didn’t care, faithful to her convictions. The one who defended Michael Jackson while everyone else panned him. Oh Liz, you were unique! Back to the perfume: one side warm/sweet and the other character/passionate. I love you Liz, wherever you are.

A jewel! A complex and unconventional fragrance, made for noses with broad perception. It’s an exquisite woody oriental, worthy of an elegant and characterful woman. You should try it before buying, but if your nose is trained and you love potent, personality-filled perfumes from the past, this is a great success: the quality and price are excellent, and the longevity is spectacular. I love it.

Passion isn’t for everyone; it has a complex soul with aldehydes, civet, leather, spices, flowers, incense, honey, moss, and sandalwood. Everything blends so well it’s a true gem. I love its leather note—the most beautiful I’ve ever heard; its roughness turns into a floral, soapy, smoky embrace as it dries. It lasts forever and is absolutely worth it.

Passion by Elizabeth Taylor (1988) is an extraordinary amber, the classic powerhouse perfume of the 80s, packed with personality and everything, almost overflowing the perfumer’s palette. There’s a lot of rock and roll here; nothing is missing, which explains its extreme longevity. It reminds me of the style of V&L’s Carmen. I don’t mind that these gems are back in the 2000s; they shouldn’t have died out.

Elizabeth Taylor building a perfumery empire, one of the most successful brands. Far from the movies, this active woman couldn’t stop. Her intention was to deliver her passion to the world through aromas. Although there were celebrity fragrances before and after, Taylor still leads in sales after 30 years. Many dream, few achieve. While niche or designer pieces are discontinued, the Diva’s launches remain standing. She was involved in everything: commercials, details, inlays, designs, colors, names. Who could say no to her? Passion was her first perfume; it has ALL the 80s glamour in its essence. Just look at the quantity and type of notes: spices, incense, leather, white flowers, animal notes… Spices, incense, leather, white flowers, animal notes… What else? Oh yes, formidable quality, a Celebrity perfume on par with the best designer at an accessible price. Passion is the color violet, ostentation, provocation almost bordering on lust. Its opening is loaded with aldehydes, full of spicy white florals embedded in sweet honey, with a sensual smoky tone from the incense, the pheromonal aroma of musk, all surrounded by a base of leather, spices, and sandalwood articulated perfectly. There’s something that carries the DNA of White Diamonds, but Passion is more complex and darker. In fact, I would place this fragrance and Paloma Picasso’s at the same height of perversity and insolence. Bal à Versailles might be, but Passion is dirtier. I know Taylor’s perfume wouldn’t fit the sensuality standards of the early 2000s, but today, with incense and leather being trendy, I see a wild woman using this fragrance and conquering gazes. My review is about the first formula, an exquisite; the second is quite good. The fabulous thing about the first is the incense note, so sparkling and of good quality, the honey intoxicating the florals. The current version lacks that quality in the incense, the intoxicating honey is less noticeable, the aldehydes last longer, the oakmoss is more amplified, and the leather is more talcum-like. But in general, I also like it, and before knowing the first, I loved the second, so I enjoy both. The longevity is very good in both. That said, it’s not for everyone, and in small doses, it’s better. Taylor conquered me with this fragrance.

Smells like pure incense and detergent, very heavy. I feel like I’m inside a candle shop and I hate it.

Very complex fragrance. Incense stands out, accentuated by an explosion of exotic spices mixed with a very intrusive lily root. Longevity is amazing. Although it’s for women, I used it because on my skin it becomes unisex, and I’m amazed at how it blended with my pH. I’m fascinated by this imposing, seductive, and versatile fragrance. I believe I couldn’t have made a better purchase.

ELIZABETH TAYLOR’s PASSION, launched in 1988, is that romantic, exotic, and seductive perfume that made it cool for stars to release their own fragrances. No one did it better than she did, the actress who played Cleopatra and who loved the oriental and smoky. When I wear Passion, I feel like a queen of the East. It’s strong and unforgettable, as if you’ve bathed in incense. It opens with aldehydes, tarragon, coriander, bergamot, ylang-ylang, and lily; it smells like gardenia, her favorite flower, even more fragrant than a rose. The heart features honey, sandalwood, jasmine, cedar, spices, and tuberose. You can really smell the heliotrope and patchouli, that precious incense from start to finish, with captivating honey, fresh nard, cedar, rose, and leather. The ambrette gives a warm hug. It’s rare because it’s both strong and sweet. In the dry-down, there’s vanilla, coconut, musk, and oakmoss. It’s a masterpiece created by her with love. It has great sillage, smells delicious, and lasts 24 hours—sometimes it lingers on scarves for weeks. It’s a nighttime scent for any season. It’s a must-have in my collection (I’ve lost count of the bottles since I was 18). Liz Taylor captured her beauty and personality. It’s opulent, lavish, mysterious, elegant, wonderful—a luxury that fascinates me.

Smells like clove even though it doesn’t have it, very much on my skin. It’s similar to Black Pearls by the same brand. Elizabeth Taylor captured her royal beauty in this. It suits me as sweet and wild, extremely elegant and wonderful. I love it and it lasts forever.

Passion arrived at an inopportune time for me to appreciate it. It was a birthday gift when I was 19, and I found it excessively intense and aggressive, but as an addict, I used every last drop. It’s very oriental, where incense, spices, woods, honey, and civet overshadow everything. The fusion of incense, honey, and civet was extraordinary, although my age didn’t allow me to wear it well; instead of me wearing the perfume, the perfume was wearing me. It’s very sexual—SI SEXUAL, not sensual. If this perfume embodies a woman, it’s Mata Hari. The longevity seemed eternal and the projection huge. Maybe today I could give it another chance; I probably have the maturity now to wear it with dignity.

I was looking for frankincense without spending €130 on luxury brands and found this Liz Taylor Passion. I was surprised that galbanum, frankincense, and leather dominated. Is it true that an affordable 80s perfume still offers these notes? There’s a lack of pure civet and frankincense offerings. I want a linear frankincense scent, not like Man by Comme des Garçons, Ambre Fétiche, or Loewe 7. I want oriental frankincense, linear, perhaps with Catholic or fantasy touches. Passion is a frankincense bomb. Elizabeth Taylor, opulence, 80s perfumes. It’s said to be very masculine. Galbanum, frankincense, lots of frankincense, leather. Conan the Barbarian, Red Sonja, sword and sorcery in a bottle. Pure joy. Opening: dry leather, very masculine, like Versace L’Homme. Hints of Sex Appeal by Iovan or Magno gel, but dry leather with touches of acidic gardenia prevails. Dry down: soapy/residual musk, the only ‘oriental’ phase where you feel a bit of frankincense. It’s a shy oriental; the name is too big for it. It reminds me of cheap incense sticks, not a refined oriental. It’s not ugly, but it’s irrelevant. No trace of frankincense or galbanum as promised. We’ll keep looking. When I find one that delivers, I’ll celebrate.

Does anyone write a good review? While searching for perfumes, I found this Passion and was intrigued by comparisons to two masculine scents and Ysatis, which I miss. Is it as masculine as it seems? Or have fashions changed so much that ultra-feminine, sexy 80s perfumes like Passion, La Nuit, Ysatis, or Poison now seem masculine?

My grandparents gave it to me, and it’s a love. The most intense scent I know. It’s for older people, mysterious, and not for everyone, but if you collect, it’s yours. My honest opinion.