Perfume never fails to make me as curious as Alice catching sight of the White Rabbit gawking at the time.

I tend to stick to my favourites on a daily basis, which are always in the gourmand and make-me-smell-like-dessert category.

So when I recently attended an Elizabeth Arden preview event last week at the Trump Hotel in Toronto, I was surprised that, upon first whiff, I gravitated toward Elizabeth Arden Always Red!

This fragrance launches in mid-July, so it should be out pretty soon when you read this.

It’s more mature than the scents that are normally in my comfort zone, yet this one appealed to me because it’s womanly without coming across as stuffy or old-fashioned.

I’ve been wearing Elizabeth Arden Always Red several times since being introduced to it, and I now have a good idea of its lasting power and strength, as well as how it mixes with my body chemistry.

(As you know, the same perfume can smell different or transform throughout the day on different people. It’s very personal, which is why fragrance intrigues me so much. The right scent can make your day, and the wrong one can give you a headache.)

Elizabeth Arden Always Red Pictures

Elizabeth Arden Always Red Ingredients

Claims: TRUSTED

• Floriental (Yes)
• Sensual (Yes)
• Bold (Yes)
• Feminine (Yes)

(I didn’t list the fragrance notes as the claims since my nose isn’t so experienced to detect each one. For instance, I don’t know what Jasmine Sambac smells like.)

Key Notes

• Name: Elizabeth Arden Always Red Eau de Toilette Spray
• Collection: Elizabeth Arden Always Red Collection 2015
• Products Available in the Collection: 50 mL eau de toilette spray, 100 mL eau de toilette spray & Red Drops Souffle
• Amount: 50 mL (1.7 oz)
• Retail Price: $60 CAD
• Press Sample: This was provided by PR.
• Where to Buy: Hudson’s Bay, Shoppers Drug Mart, Jean Coutu & London Drugs (Available starting in mid-July 2015)

Elizabeth Arden Always Red Review

Packaging

Before you even smell a perfume, the first thing that attracts your attention is the bottle design. Always Red by Elizabeth Arden definitely speaks the language of Come Hither to me because of its seductive and edgy black-to-red ombre.

Even the shape of the bottle appeals to me because it’s rectangular and sleek with the classic Elizabeth Arden door silhouette on the back.

The black cap is rectangular and slightly narrower than the width of the bottle, but it balances nicely. Pulling it off reveals the nozzle of the Elizabeth Arden Always Red eau de toilette spray.

The packaging is sexy and strong, which matches well with the scent within.

Fragrance

My initial impression of Always Red by Elizabeth Arden is that it’s a womanly fragrance that exudes confidence, mystery, seduction, and edginess.

The top notes are red plum, blood orange, and passion fruit. Then, the middle notes are jasmine sambac, rose petals, and pink freesia. The base notes finish off with mahogany woods, red amber, and praline.

While my nose isn’t so experienced to be able to detect every single note, I can describe the overall fragrance I experienced.

This isn’t a sugary sweet or gourmand fragrance at all, which are the types that usually pique my interest. However, even if you’re like me, this may still be worth a whiff, since it was a pleasant surprise for me, and I’ve been wearing it several times since being introduced to it!

There’s a sharp spiciness to this scent that made me fall for it. Balanced beautifully, it manages to not induce a headache. (As you may know, most fragrances give me a headache, especially if they’re strong, however this one didn’t make my head hurt.)

I think the reason why is that the spiciness is prominent, but not overpowering. I got a whiff of the spiciness, but then it would flow like a wave into the other notes before I could smell the spiciness again. The aromatic waves also made this fragrance interesting to wear because it wasn’t a one-noter.

The florals are very soft and feminine. You won’t think that you’re smelling old-fashioned hotel soap samples. It’s not one of those scents that make you smell like you just washed your hands or took a shower. It smells like you mean business!

The sensuality of this fragrance was what won me over because it’s more mature and womanly than the dessert-smelling perfumes I tend to wear. Elizabeth Arden Always Red is totally an “I am woman! Hear me roar!” kind of scent!

The blood orange is darker and more mysterious, like that handsome guy you bumped into downtown who had a twinkle in his eye. 😉

I really appreciated how the bold note was slightly softened with the florals!

Throughout the day, the fragrance evolved. After four hours, I could detect the woody notes and the praline, but the spiciness and florals were still noticeable.

With my body chemistry, by the end of the work day, the notes blended together with the spiciness softening. Everything began to take on a creamier, comforting aroma, compared to the take-charge scent initially.

Also, the scent became sweeter on me, like a creamy dessert by the end of the day. Hehe, obviously, I enjoyed that!

(I don’t think this is necessarily part of the fragrance’s profile to turn sweeter. I’ve noticed that every perfume I wear tends to become sweeter on me throughout the day because of my body chemistry.)

Given the nature of the perfume, I found that it was appropriate to wear during the day in the office because it wasn’t too much, however, I can also see this as being ideal to wear on fun evenings out or on a romantic date!

Strength & Lasting Power

Although Elizabeth Arden Always Red is an eau de toilette, which isn’t as strong as an eau de parfum, I found that the scent was powerful (not in a bad way).

Compared to my everyday eau de parfum, this had a bolder introduction at first spritz. (At first, I planned to use just one spray to avoid wearing something too overwhelming, but I ended up wearing two spritzes of it, and I found it was fine. If you wear more than that, it will be overkill!)

When you first spray it, it enters the space with a bang, but even for someone like me who’s sensitive to strong scents, it didn’t bother me. It’s not the obnoxious kind that lingers in an elevator that you left well over an hour ago.

It’s not a ‘cuddler fragrance’ either, meaning that another person will smell this scent on you without getting into your personal space, such as by hugging you. The projection is there, but it’s not too intense.

I wear perfume on a daily basis because it really sets your mood for the day, and I never touch-up my fragrance, unless it’s a body mist. (But I very rarely wear body mists because they don’t last long.)

My two favourite perfumes are eau de parfums, so I was surprised when the Elizabeth Arden Always Red eau de toilette lasted just as long! (I think it’s because the scent is bolder, so it takes longer to fade away. The eau de toilette is strong enough. If they made it an eau de parfum, I think that would overwhelm me, and I wouldn’t be able to wear it.)

Press Release

In case you wanted to learn more about the inspiration behind the fragrance, I’ve included the official Elizabeth Arden Always Red perfume press release below.

Elizabeth Arden Always Red

Light Up The Town

Introducing Elizabeth Arden ALWAYS RED. A new fragrance that celebrates the New York state of mind – boldly living out loud, making your own rules. All in. All the time. Made for the leader of the in crowd, Elizabeth Arden ALWAYS RED was inspired by the striking confident woman who radiates as she lights up the town.

The Fragrance: A Floriental for today.

“We wanted to express the color red as a bold beauty accessory that instantly catches the eye,” says fragrance mastermind Clement Gavarry, who created Elizabeth Arden ALWAYS RED alongside Vice President Senior Perfumer Yves Cassar*. “The inspiration for Elizabeth Arden ALWAYS RED was to create a daringly red scent that would evoke the new Elizabeth Arden ALWAYS RED woman and capture her bold, passionate and sensual qualities.”

A luxurious floriental, Elizabeth Arden ALWAYS RED opens with an irresistible blend of vibrant blood orange, luscious red plum and passion fruit. As the composition evolves, a textured heart of jasmine samba, pink freesia and velvet rose petals evoke intense femininity and passion. The fragrance dries down to a rich, ambery base. Deep and inviting accents of praline, mahogany woods and red amber symbolize the sensuality and tantalizing confidence synonymous with the color red and the Elizabeth Arden ALWAYS RED woman.

• Top Notes: Red Plum, Blood Orange, Passion Fruit
• Middle Notes: Jasmine Sambac, Rose Petals, Pink Freesia
• Base Notes: Mahogany Woods, Red Amber, Praline

Packaging: The Elizabeth Arden ALWAYS RED bottle commands attention with its lustrous, ombre black-to-red gradation. Its sleek, onyx-inspired cap perfects this modern design.

Price:

• Elizabeth Arden ALWAYS RED EDT Spray 50ml (Jean Coutu & London Drugs) $60 CAD
• Elizabeth Arden ALWAYS RED EDT Spray 100ml (Shoppers Drug Mart & Hudson’s Bay) $82 CAD
• Red Drops Souffle 200ml (Hudson’s Bay) $48 CAD

Availability: Mid-July 2015

*Clement Gavarry and Yves Cassar of International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF).

Pros Sensual, confident, spicy, floral scent Great lasting power Good scent projection without being too strong Alluring bottle design with a black-to-red ombre Elegant bottle shape Not a one-noter

Cons Mature, modern scent is nice, but if you’re used to much subtler fragrance, this might be too loud for you While the eau de toilette lasted all day and into the night for me, depending on your body chemistry, it may not last as long since it’s not an eau de parfum

Final Verdict: 8/10

If you’re looking for a more mature departure from sweet-dessert fragrances, this one is super sexy while still being appropriate to wear during the day in a corporate setting or at night on a date.

Elizabeth Arden Always Red makes me think of a confident woman who’s decisive, whip-smart, and passionate!

If I can describe this scent in just one word, it would be “empowering”! It’s a modern fragrance that reminds me of the strong-minded women who I look up to.

It hasn’t knocked my favourite fragrances to second place, but I will definitely continue to wear this and add it to the rotation!

Do you try new fragrances often, or just rotate among your favourites? What perfume have you smelled that surprised you? Is there an Elizabeth Arden fragrance that you recommend I try?