Perfume Review: Estee Lauder / Tom Ford Azuree Body Oil
 Azurée madness is sweeping my favorite perfume forum. Given that and the fact that Azurée got very positive response from people with most exquisite taste and the fact that almost every online store seems to be sold out and eBay offers the bottles of body oil spray at ridiculous prices…I had to have it. Unsniffed. At $28.50 for 100ml, the risk wasn’t huge, but it still shows how susceptible I am to hype and what a sucker I am for retro, azure-blue packaging. Luckily for me, Azurée turned out to be lovely. Just like Ford promised, it smells of “white sand beaches, azure waters and sultry afternoons that go on forever.” It is an indolent scent, sensual in a lazy sort of way, the smell of beautiful, tanned people, pleasantly fatigued by the sun. The gardenias are languid and sweet, the coconut is creamy and dreamy, the orange blossom (faint as it is) is gently radiant…But there is more to Azurée than that laid-back sumptuousness, there is an unexpectedly woody accord there that saves it from being just a simple, pleasant but forgettable tropical/beachy creation. The accord I am talking about is the combination of vetiver, myrrh and sandalwood; it adds richness, subtle spiciness, a little earthiness, even some agreeable sharpness and quite a bit of character to this otherwise velvety-soft composition. At times, this woody accord has a strange undertone that makes me think, rather bizarrely, about the smell of dill. I find this little quirky aspect to be very appealing. I must add that I am not a big fan of oils, but in the case of Azurée, I actually like the fact that it is offered as oil. The soft texture, the fact that one has to rub it in (or even better, have someone tanned and beautiful rub it in for you) bring the sensuality and the warmth of the scent up a couple of notches.Azuree Body Oil is sold at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Bergdorf Goodman, etc. Most places seem to be out of stock. I got my bottle at Dillard’s online, so that might be worth a check. You can read my review of Tom Ford’s first creation for Estee Lauder, Youth Dew Ambre Nude, here. |
posted by Marina |
12:03 AM
22 Comments:
I've actually avoided ordering this so far and, given all the positive comments, my arm is sore from patting myself on the back for having such unusual self restraint. It's the woody accord that has been making me consider losing that self restraint, but now you tell me it has azure-blue packaging and a possible dill note (am not sure dill is a good thing in scents, but I love it so much in food that I can't help but be curious). Sigh. It really takes so little to push me over the edge into the dark abyss of unsniffed purchasing. Well, not so dark in this case, considering that great price. :-)
I did get to try this, and found it pleasant enough but not compelling. I missed the interesting note (maybe because I was trying on so many things) and got mainly suntan lotion (different suntan lotion from that evoked by Fire Island, but suntan lotion nonetheless). For those desperate for it: I was in the Boston NM on Saturday, and the SA said there were 9 bottles left. You could call (it's out of stock on their website, and at Dillards).
What Lily said. I live where I can sniff this over and over at the store (unless they're sold out -- it is WILDLY popular.) All I can smell is... coconut oil. I mean, like tropical cooking oil. And that's it. So it's been easy for me to resist this one, but I wish with all my heart I could smell what everyone else is smellin'.
Elle,
It is not a matsrepiece, but I thought it was intersting. ON my skin it went beyond just suntan lotion into...I don't even know, from a beach into the woods or something like that :-)
Judith,
So did you think it was too sweet? You should sniff it at leisure though, I promise there IS something there that is more than a coconut suntan lotion. :-)
March,
I am thinking my lucky skin chemistry here than. Tropical cooking oil? Ewww.
Nah, I didn't think it was too sweet. . .I just wasn't knocked out by it-- and I didn't get a lot of woods. Will sniff again next time I'm there (presuming it's not sold out:)
J,
My offer stands...Just sayin'. :-)
Patty,
This is one of very few cases recently where the price is right. In fact, I think it is actually worth more. It smells better than $28.50, if you know what I mean :-)
OK, I bought it about a month ago when it first came out and returned it within two days. My problem was: I got tired of it too quick. Other than that, it's a nice sandalwood based suntan lotion type of smell with decent lasting power. Glad you like it. :)
Ina,
I've been wearing it non-stop since I got it a couple of days ago. Which means I will probably tire of it in a week or two. As my Dad would say, Voman!
Christina,
You summed it up perfectly: "Simple, lightly spicy and perfect when you don't want to wear something too heavy". I really like it! very enjoyable.
Vika,
I agree. And the coconut here doesn't smell of wet cardboard like in so many coconut scents (me and coconut, we are nto very friendly, usyally):-)
Haven't tried it yet, and have been ignoring the furor at MUA. Will have to give it a go, I guess :-)
R,
Nice to have you back!
The furor engulfed me. Peer pressure is hard t withstand :-) But at least I liked Azurre, which I bought unsniffed
I sell EL and this scent sold out in only days. When I first smelled it I was not impressed. My first reaction was "hmm, suntan lotion." However, the more I smelled it the more I liked it. It seems to develop on the skin into a sexy, beguiling, spicy, and yes edible aroma.
While we had it in stock I showed it to all my customers. Many of the ladies tried it on and let it "simmer" on their skin while I engaged them in a consultation. I would say I sold 8 out of 10 bottles this way.
We have been out for weeks and just today a customer came in hoping to find some.
I have reported to my EL representative my experiences with the fragrance and asked that the company consider making this scent part of our regular fragrance offerings. From what I have heard there is this possibility.
I want a bottle too!
I hope they do make it permanent! It is certainly very nicely done. It would be a shame if it is gone forever after this summer.
C,
it is a nice scent isn't it? It seems that although it is out of stock in many places, our little Macy here has plenty.
I wish they would bring this Body Oil out in an EDP. It's so fab. Like the other girl said, it does seem to change while you wear it. It starts out very familiar, but then it changes, and takes you a whole different direction. I bought the Body Tint to layer in hopes of making the scent stronger. It is the only body oil or lotion I've ever know to "wear" like an actual perfume. It gets BETTER as you wear it. I tried some at the counter and really didn't think it was all that great. But when I woke up the next morning, I could smell it on me and it was so delicious. When I went back to the store, it was out. I did a lot of searching, and now I have one that I'm using and two in the fridge--Just in case!
M,
I heard a rumour- mind you, just a rumour, so don't quote me on it :-) - that there WILL be an EDP (or an EDT, I am not sure, but in any case, a non-oil based scent).
Fingers crossed!
I live where I can sniff this over and over at the store (unless they're sold out -- it is WILDLY popular.) All I can smell is... coconut oil. I mean, like tropical cooking oil.
perfumesnow
after reading this lovely review of this oil, i pulled off my shelf and dusted off the box...i can smell the dill and appreciate many of the nice qualities that you described. thank you for renewing my admiration for this oil. i had fallen out of love with it. i feel like this oil and i have been to a counselling session!
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