Playing the FAME game: A review of Fame EDP by Lady Gaga...

Advantages:	Affordable, easy to wear, largely ageless, pretty unique for price range,
Disadvantages:	may be too heavy in the heat.

"It was taken out of my own blood sample so it's a sense of having me on your skin, I wanted to extract sort of the feeling and sense of blood and semen from molecular structures, so that's where the rumours [that FAME would smell like blood and semen] came from. That is in the perfume but it doesn't smell like that, Actually the perfume smells like an expensive hooker." - Lady Gaga




First things first; I don't get why this is being described as a fruity/floral - FAME is definitely something that I would describe as a floriental fragrance. On me there is only the tiniest hint of apricot, but it so short lived that it doesn't really make an lasting impression on me. I think some people may be confusing the rich honey accord as apricot, grape or similar.

The belladonna and other florals develop almost as quickly as the honey on me, which evens out the sweet honey with the dark floral notes. FAME was a tricky perfume to review, as the floral center to it seems a bit different every time I wear it and try to jot a few thoughts on it down; sometimes it seems powdered, and sometimes everything seems spicier, thanks to the orchid. The listed belladonna, jasmine and orchid are the most developed floral notes but, overall, the floral heart to FAME is similar to Illamasqua Freak. It also reminds me vaguely of Armani Code, Paco Rabanne Black XS and Yves Saint Laurent Opium. The similarities provide a bit of an insight into which other floral notes may have been used in FAME; for instance carnation, rose, and heliotrope all pop up in those perfumes a few times.

After about an hour or so a lingering sense of liquorice starts to carry through the floral notes, so maybe there's some anise in the mix too? Around this time the florals gradually deepen and become peppery, thanks to the saffron. As the floral notes gradually settle into the background a note of patchouli begins to develop, giving the fragrance a 'dirty' feel and enhancing the spicy notes. I'm not sure which individual spice notes are used in the incense accord, but FAME slowly becomes darker, and as the lingering honey fades, slightly smoky - some wood accords in here too? Again I can't separate the individual notes - the spices are too well blended with everything else.


"The fragrance does not respect the pyramidal structure of the composition, but uses so-called "push-pull technology" by which the ingredients are mixed to highlight different aspects of each fragrant note at the same time, without any hierarchy"... I don't really get the whole push-pull sales speech, but, as mentioned above, the fragrance is not linear which I was worried about.


Official scent notes: Belladonna, incense, honey drops, saffron, apricot, jasmine, tiger orchid.

Whilst FAME does go close to the skin after a couple of hours, I still catch lingering wisps throughout the day. When I wore it to bed, it was still detectable on my skin the next day. Considering that FAME is a Coty perfume, I'm shocked by how well it wears.

FAME was made for evening wear, but I'm now happily wearing it during the day over these colder months, as although it is a noticeable fragrance I don't find it cloying or irritating. When it was warmer, I mostly stuck to using it for special occasions because I find it a 'statement' fragrance and a bit too much for day to day wear. Having said that, it didn't give me a migraine, so if you feel comfy with it, it is wearable.

FAME is smoky and spicy, so I do generally think that it is best worn during the colder months of the year, as I find it rich in structure. It only came out in late august, so I've worn it it warmer weather, but not in really hot conditions; but when it gets to the hotter summer months, I think it will make too much of a statement for me, as I find the perfumes that it shares similarities with too much.


Many people seem to be disappointed by how 'normal' FAME is, but you have to remember that it is one of Coty's celebrity ranges; it is in a lower price bracket and has to appeal to as many people, on a international scale, as possible. Baring these limitations in mind, I'm very happy with my bottle of FAME; it is a bit different from the usual celeb fragrance releases, but it is still easy to wear, with mass appeal. I'm not just saying that as a Lady Gaga fan; I'm looking at the bottles of my favourite perfumes right now and every key scent note in FAME is amongst them a few times. Couple that with the gothic bottle design and black juice and FAME could have been created for my personal tastes.

No: FAME doesn't stain skin or clothes, when used normally. I've even sprayed it directly onto a white t shirt and the liquid does indeed spray clear, despite being black in the bottle. when I sprayed it heavily onto the fabric it left a pale blue mark, but any perfume will stain clothes if you spray it heavily on them, and why would you need to anyway?


***

30ml - £25
50ml - £32
100ml - £55

Fragranced soap, shower gel and body lotion are meant to be available to buy by mid November.


There are two Christmas giftsets available.
30ml bottle of EDP and 200ml shower gel - £25
50ml bottle of EDP and 200ml shower gel - £32