In late 2011 the House of Liz Claiborne released the first new flankers of the classic Curve line (launched in 1996). I had naturally assumed that since over three years had passed since the last ones (his and hers Connects in 2008), there would be no more. The Curve families (both his and hers) are one of the very select group of mass marketed scents where I liked (if not loved) the original scents and every flanker…and some actually more than the originals.
Liz Claiborne changed the way we shop. She was the first designer to insist that all of her collection not be spread throughout many departments, but kept in one place so you could coordinate your outfit there-in her section. She was the first woman to have started a Fortune 500 company and the first woman CEO and Chairperson of one. Liz Claiborne Inc. was started in 1976 (with her then husband and two others) and by 1981 went public and by 1986 had already accumulated 1.2 billion dollars in annual sales revenue and became a Fortune 500 company. She was a woman of vision and a revolutionary. Her first perfume Liz Claiborne, launched in 1986 (in the red, blue or yellow triangle-shaped bottle) still sells and is in production. You cannot go into a department store, super store or grey market discount chain and NOT see a Liz Claiborne fragrance. Most of her early scent creations still, after decades, continue to sell.
The Curves have created quite the loyal following. Now, 15 years after the release of the initial pair, the Appeals seem to be doing just the same. I called three local retailers (two drugstores and one high end department store) to check availability and procure myself this fragrant pair for this review. Two of them had sold out of the women’s; one had sold out of the men’s, and one place said they had the smaller ones (15mls) but the larger ones were already gone! Despite Liz’s death in 2007 (at the age of 78 after battling abdominal cancer for two years) her company’s releases seem to be able to keep with the times, find an audience and (most importantly) generate sales.
CURVE Appeal for Men gave me pause when I first read the press releases. It was labeled an aromatic aquatic and came in a “blue” flacon. “Salty marine notes” (also known as CALYPSONE) were listed, along with cardamom, melon and a lot of other fruit. I was almost wincing when I had the flacon poised to spritz my hand. What greeted my nose was really not as bad as I had initially feared. There is bergamot and mandarin for that initial sharp citrusy burst of energy, blended with a dry crisp pear and a very subtle melon. It is not as salty (or “aquatic”) as I thought (worried) it would be; it is a very DRY fruity scent but still bright and engaging. A rather ubiquitous heart of powdery lavender, sharp cardamom and blend of woody notes keeps the fruits from becoming sickeningly sweet, and though the fruitiness remains, in the background, it becomes much more masculine and I find it quite refreshing. A dry down of obviously white musk and a soft suede note create something clean and smooth, yet sexy. Amber and cedar are mentioned, but it is neither too woody nor all that oriental. It is definitely a very modern take on the classic CURVE for Men.
Many will say “generic”, many more will say “watered down sporty” and move on. It is what it is: a modern masculine scent marketed to younger guys that, despite a rather lackluster note list, actually smells rather nice and is growing on me after just a few wearings. Is this cologne groundbreaking or an “Instant Classic”? No. Is it worth the $15 dollar asking price for 15 milliliters? Yes, without a doubt. And, most importantly…does it smell good? On me, I have to admit, it really does. Sillage is very good and the longevity is above average.
CURVE Appeal for Women was doing about as well as its male counterpart, as far as my expectations upon first reading about it. A “pink” fruity floral with sweet fruity top notes, a powdery floral heart and a mishmash of some of the most overused notes in perfumery in its base was not anywhere on my personal must sniff list, to say the least. Violets, though listed in the top, are readily apparent as soon as they hit my skin. Only after a few moments did the sweet mandarin, lovely apple (called “forbidden apple” in the PR) and juicy warm nectarine appear. Fruity it is, but nowhere as mediocre as it sounds. Somehow, freshly sweet and softly juicy fruits combine to become more than the sum of their parts. As the heart opens, a not so shrinking violet is calmed by a cool (more mature) iris and an almost demure jasmine that vacillates between whimsical and downright sexy. Vanilla and amber dominate the dry down accompanied by light patchouli, soft musk and sandalwood.
The mass market trend lately, in feminine fragrances, has been fruity and floral with a sweet oriental finish, and with this (like the men’s) release many (who may have liked some of previous flankers) will roll their eyes and turn up their noses. This eau de toilette is unabashedly feminine, girly even, and brings to mind the old saying “sugar and spice and everything nice”. I wear (what marketers call) women’s perfumes, as I feel that scent is genderless. This, however, may prove just a tad too “pretty and frilly”, even for me. It becomes something more oriental when all is said and done. This is no little innocent girl here; but neither is she all grown up and totally mature either. This perfume is definitely aimed at females who crave a blend of sweet and sexy. Sillage is good and the longevity is very good.
Both flacons have the shape that the original Curves did, only here the bottoms of the bottles have been cut at an angle so they slant backwards and appear very “hip” and “laid back”. The men’s (cologne spray) goes from almost translucent blue to darker cobalt blue while the women’s (eau de toilette) goes from very light pink to a deeper fuschia tone. Both bottles have only a clear cursive “C” on the front and silver sprayers. These reviews are from sprays from the bottles my Mom bought me and herself for Valentine’s Day gifts.
–John Reasinger, Weekly Contributor