Perceive by Avon

In the distant years of the 2000s it was gifted to my sister but she hated it from the first spray so she gave it to me. At first I really liked its little bottle—an irregular prism that was very cute and eye-catching. Then I discovered that THAT was the scent I had perceived and loved so much so I happily accepted it. It’s a delight for my nose 😍. I didn’t know its notes then and honestly I don’t care now. I only know that its scent whenever I smell it lifts my mood makes me feel happy fulfilled and full of energy. No matter how much I’ve searched and searched I haven’t found up to this day a perfume (expensive or cheap) that makes me feel this way again.

Bought it blind in 2000 just for the bottle. It didn’t disgust me; it was a common scent but today I struggle to identify the notes—imagine it’s been 21 years. The only thing I remember is that I never detected any floral notes and several people told me they didn’t like it. Maybe it was just my skin but in the end I gave it away. Perhaps it wasn’t right for my age.

Bought it blind thinking I might like the blend of its notes. Lucky I grabbed the 30ml bottle on sale because I absolutely hated it on my skin. It smells of very synthetic freesia pepper and cedar. It feels like a cheap perfume for old ladies 🙁 The longevity is medium and the sillage isn’t very wide.

I love this fragrance! Smelling it reminded me of the perfume my best friend used in high school. It’s been a very refreshing addition to my collection. I love the resulting aroma from the fusion of pepper with flowers and a sweet touch perhaps from pear plum or both. It smells clean on me even a bit marine and feels very soft and wearable. It’s fantastic to alternate with the heavy perfumes I usually love. Next time I’ll buy a larger bottle. Scent 8/10 Longevity 6/10 Sillage 6/10 Value 9/10 Versatility 9/10 Packaging 9/10 Would I buy again? Yes.

What a laugh with this fragrance back in 2000… A friend was looking for the perfume that flooded the hallways of an English teacher. They told her it was Avon’s Perceive so she tracked it down and bought it though later we found out it was actually by Jacqueline Bisset. I still remember my friend’s face of disappointment when she smelled it… she was horrified put it back in the bottle and said good riddance . It was somewhere between floral and spicy anemic and oily with a super sharp and spicy freesia that gave it a horrible body of nail polish or perfumed medical chloroform. The bottle stayed on the shelf; the only use we had for it was to laugh our heads off when we’d arrive drunk in the early morning and playfully spray unsuspecting necks. Perceive had an ultra-chemical scent like a lab musk greasy and very insidious. I see Sheldrake made it; I’d love to try it again 🙂