Because Of You by Jordin Sparks

Fragrance Review by MUA's Cavewoman

A few days ago, I was having a phone conversation with one of my pals, and we were talking about some new perfume launches. She's a fragrance lover, and we often shop together with a few of our other friends who also love fragrances. We sniff around the counters of lovely department stores and fragrance and cosmetic boutiques, waving blotter strips in front of our noses, chatting up notes, and admiring pretty bottles. My pal and I were talking about a new fragrance she had recently tried. We had a little chuckle together in this conversation when we both realized we were thinking "Hmm, it's under $100, that's not too bad."

I couldn't help but think that somewhere along the line, as a fragrance aficionada, that I had set the three-digit price tag as "not too bad." I wasn't even thinking in terms of how large the bottle was, or what the concentration was, but that number just seemed to be some sort of a mark in my mind.As we ended our conversation, I was a bit troubled. I love fragrance. It's one of my biggest passions. I've shared here on BlogdorfGoodman many times about how my Mother started me on my love of pretty perfumes. I'm fortunate to have a large collection of fragrances, and I choose a different one to wear every day. I read perfume blogs and perfume books. I belong to a fragrance chat board and I read it daily, learning about new scents, reading posts about how older fragrances are greatly appreciated and loved, and many posts about the price of this or that bottle. If someone starts a chat about a new Guerlain, there will surely be plenty of buzz. The same goes with the latest "celebrity" scent, and I've noticed that this category of scents is often regarded with skepticism, or even disdain. "Another celebrity fruity floral" or "why did that person launch a fragrance?" are some of the things I have read. Is a fragrance more worthy of praise if it has a chic or venerable name or house behind it? Should a "celebrity" scent be dismissed without even being tried, simply because it has a celebrity name on it? Are expensive scents really better, or finer in quality, than those with a smaller price tag?

I'd like to present to you one of those "celebrity" scents. Jordin Sparks, a beautiful young singer and the winner of American Idol Season 6, launched her perfume, named "Because Of You" in October 2010. You may not even know who she is, if you're not an Idol fan. I watched that season and was thrilled that she won. She is barely in her 20s now, but she has two albums of her music, a short run on Broadway in "In The Heights," and her charitable work for Ghana, Haiti, Save The Music, and childrens' hospitals is quite an impressive list. When I read that Sparks was launching her scent, at Dots stores nationwide, I stopped in at the local Dots store to take a sniff. Within two minutes of spraying the tester on my wrist, I plunked down a ten-dollar bill on the counter. Yes, dear reader, my 2.5oz Because Of You Eau De Parfum Spray was $9.50. I did not buy it because it was so inexpensive. I bought it because it is beautiful.

The notes listed for Because Of You, from her website jordinsparksbeauty, are clementine, white imperial currant, orange blossom, nectarine, sharry baby orchid, coral charm peony, sheer musks, vanilla bean. The lush florals are balanced and the vanilla is present right from the start. The fruits dissipate softly, bringing on the depth of the floral blend. Sharry baby orchid, according to a google or two, gives a hint of a chocolate note. I'm not smelling chocolate, but I sense some beautiful woods blending with the vanilla and flowers, and I get the impression of a well-designed, sophisticated woody oriental. I detect something resinous, ambery, myserious, an unexpected maturity.

Dots is definitely a store for teens. There is not one thing in that store that I could wear without appearing to have raided my granddaughters' closets. Ms. Sparks is barely out of her own teenage years. And yet, I'm not picturing one of my teenage granddaughters to be comfortable in this fragrance. Or maybe I would be the one who would be uncomfortable if one of them were to wear it. It's a grown-up fragrance, it lingers on the skin, evolving and developing into a sensual, warm base that just somehow would seem wrong on a very young girl. I don't know how it's selling. I think I need to grab another one before it's gone.

I'd like to hear your thoughts, dear Blogdorf reader and perfume lover. Are you an equal-opportunity fragrance lover? Do you turn with disgust when you see yet another celebrity scent, or perhaps worse yet, a celebrity scent flanker or flanker-of-a-flanker? Do you wear or love a celebrity scent? Does price give you a before-I-even-sniff-it impression of quality? Would you admit to buying, loving, and wearing a ten-dollar teen-store fragrance?

I'm heading over to spend the day with my Mom. I'll bet she's wearing Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds, one of the first celebrity scents. It's perfect on her (thank you, Sophia Grojsman!) and I'll be wearing Because Of You. I'll be back to read what you have to say!

Disclosure: This product was purchased by the reviewer.
Reviewer and Credit: Cavewoman