J.Lo Deseo Eau de Parfum Spray

'''Launched''': 2007
'''Available''': Boots, fragrance shops
'''Olfactive group''': Floral, woody, musk

The major perfume houses are very cautious about creating tropical fragrances as they are often deemed unsophisticated and cheap smelling.

I blind tested this (I randomly put on a sample or scent from my untried collection without knowing which one) a couple of weeks ago and really couldn't put my finger ...
...celebrity signatures on it!

Deseo - meaning wish or desire - is a very clever scent as it reveals its seemingly opposite notes - dry and wet, warm and cool - with an elegant ease that creates a truly tropical fragrance throughout, with a touch of oriental.

=== The packaging ===

The bottle of the fragrance is unconventional, though a little bit too busy and looks cheap to me. In fact it is a roughly cut ... more

Launched: 2007
Available: Boots, fragrance shops
Olfactive group: Floral, woody, musk

The major perfume houses are very cautious about creating tropical fragrances as they are often deemed unsophisticated and cheap smelling.

I blind tested this (I randomly put on a sample or scent from my untried collection without knowing which one) a couple of weeks ago and really couldn't put my finger on it at first - it had none of the celebrity signatures on it!

Deseo - meaning wish or desire - is a very clever scent as it reveals its seemingly opposite notes - dry and wet, warm and cool - with an elegant ease that creates a truly tropical fragrance throughout, with a touch of oriental.

The packaging

The bottle of the fragrance is unconventional, though a little bit too busy and looks cheap to me. In fact it is a roughly cut diamond in two distinct colurs: the bottle part is turquoise which nicely reflects the tropical nature of the scent, the lid is golden which I associate with the beach sand and woody notes in the fragrance.

The lid closes off the shape of the bottle and clicks on it doesn't give the impression, the two parts actually belong together. For me this bottle just doesn't cut it (no pun intended), a simpler, rough and irregular rectangular shaped bottle and a similar lid would have made a more dramatic effect on me.

The box - which looks like a cardboard box - is mainly gold in colour and has Deseo written on it in turquiose letters with Jennifer Lopez's signature below.

The fragrance

Top notes: bamboo leaves, yuzu, bergamot

It was strong, sweet smelling at first with sparkling citrus which was almost as sugary as pure mandarin and I immediately thought of Tropiques (2005), one of my favourite scents from Lancome.

The tropical fruity accords of pineapple, coconut and papaya are very similar but sharper and sweeter than in Tropiques. Lancome stays fruity and crisp in the heart while within an hour Deseo turned into a delicious, warm (lovely lovely warm) coconut scent... something that reminded me of Creed Millesime.

Middle notes: freesia, star jasmine, pink geranium flower, orange blossom, mimosa

It smelled luscious, luminous even and there was nothing cheap smelling about it. Creed's Millesime has this wooly type of coconut feel to it, something like the smell of tweed blanket warmed by the sun... I thought I wouldn't find this anywhere else yet to my surprise Deseo has this type of tweed accord. The heart then gradually developed into a nice, powdery floral of jasmine and freesia, again very warm and gently spiced with the ambery base.

Base notes: amber, oak moss, musk, sandalwood, cedar, patchouli, mineral accord

The drydown turned into a subtle woody scent of dried leaves, similar to the smell of wooden furniture in a tropical bungalow.

Inhaling the dusty and warm, woody and spicy tones I could picture the ocean side and the smell of coconut sauce curry in the air - an atmosphere that reminded me of my holiday in Zanzibar last autumn.

The amber, sandalwood and patchouli make Deseo warm and comforting, the musk, cedar and mineral accord giving it a cool edge at the same time.

I could also smell a subtle aquatic accord in it at the end - after about 4 hours- it was a woody accord but slightly salty - it reminded me of wet wood or rocks of the tropical seaside.

Conclusion

Deseo is warm and cool like sweet and sour sauce, creamy and floral in the middle then aquatic and woody at the end. The Eau de Parfum easily lasts up to 6 hours and wearing Deseo can be a very nice way to lighten up the gloomy winter months.

Overall, it's sweet but not too overpowering, a nice woody musk similar to Lancome Hypnose and Lolita L. Its tropical twist makes it different and one of a kind in the celebrity scent world.

I recommend this perfume to any woman of any age, in the shops I've seen quite a few ladies in their 50's sniffing it and humming appreciatively.

As opposed to JLo's previous scents, this to me smelled balanced and professionally blended while staying playful at the same time. It doesn't at all shout 'celebrity' though certainly says 'young'. Not in age but in spirit.

Additional rating

Composition: 4 / 5
Originality: 4 / 5
Staying power: 4 / 5
Overall value: 5 / 5

Price / where to buy

From Boots:

£21 / 30 ml Eau de Toilette
£26 / 50 ml Eau de Toilette
£38 / 100 ml Eau de Toilette
£13.50 / 100 ml Deseo Body Lotion

Thanks for reading my review.

Lilla

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