Fragrance: Michael Buble - By Invitation

Ever since J-LO Glow took pride of place on every 18 year old girl's dresser in 2002, celebrity fragrances have scared me a little bit. I remember (to me) 'Glow' smelled quite a lot like cheap soap and I always felt like it got stuck in the back of my throat. *shudder*.
With this in mind, when I was very generously offered the chance to try a brand new celeb fragrance, I thought I knew what to expect. But do you know what? They say to expect the unexpected and the debut fragrance from Michael Buble is a prime example of this - after all, this is Michael Buble we're talking about here!

Let's start with the bottle - it's really lovely! The smooth, clean lines of the bottle are not unlike the designs of some of the seriously upmarket fragrance brands and the pull-off cap is a cute nod to traditional atomiser bottles. This is certainly one of those perfume bottles that deserves to be proudly displayed among your loveliest bits and pieces.

Now the most important bit - the fragrance itself.  The result of Michael Buble's collaboration with leading French perfumer Karine Dubreuil-Sereni, By Invitation is filed under the 'Floral Oriental' category and described as both modern and timeless - just like Buble's music. At first spritz it's quite fruity and sweet (a combination that I don't love, to be honest) but it then settles into a warm and comforting base of sandalwood-musk and vanilla - a blend of scents that I have always loved. So even though at first I find the scent a little sickly, once it's settled onto the skin after a few minutes, it's definitely my kind of fragrance.

The official notes:

Top Notes: Bergamot, Red Fruits, Italian Lemon
Heart Notes: Lily of the Valley, Rose, Peony, Wild Jasmine
Base: Patchouli, Cedar Wood, Vanilla & Praline, White Amber & Musk

Michael Buble's By Invitaion Eau De Parfum has taught me a thing or two about preconceptions and assumptions. That is, celebrity perfumes don't always smell cheap and tacky - they can actually rival well known designer scents. I know that scent is such a personal, subjective thing but to me, By Invitation is reminiscent of Giorgio Armani's Si and Lancome La Vie Est Belle - sweet and sultry with a sophisticated edge.
By Invitation by Michael Buble is £55 for a 100ml Eau de Parfum spray and is available at michaelbubleperfume.com.

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