Bath & Body Works makes so many mists, many of which are new, seasonal ones, and these popular fragrances are often confusing to try in the store, due to the overwhelming nature of sniffing multiple perfumes at once. So, if you want to know what they smell like and how long they last, here is my review of all the ones I’ve tried.
Image Credit: Stuti Bhattacharya
Let’s look at the white florals first
Realising that people don’t always like sweet and soapy one-note perfumes, Bath & Body Works has created some great white florals which actually smell like real flowers. White Citrus has to be the best, but is a retired fragrance only available in the US. Another white floral with a citrus touch was Pink Honeysuckle, briefly available in India. The ones currently available in India, are the following, and here is what I think of them.
Hello Beautiful
Image Credit: Stuti Bhattacharya
Price: Rs 1,295 for 236 ml
Longevity: Around an hour if you spray a LOT
Notes: White florals like gardenia, magnolia, and jasmine paired with fruity notes like nectarines and pomelo, on a background of musk and amber
This perfume starts out with a burst of that alcohol-freshness that all Bath & Body Works mists have, and that actually helps dilute the intensity of the white florals in it. If you want an entry-level scent to introduce you to the world of jasmines and tuberoses, this is it. It is a fresh and light take on florals. It’s great for layering over intense jasmine perfume oils, and gives a fruity, clean prettiness to other white florals which may be too heavy. Typically, white floral scents tend to be really intense and difficult to wear, so this is a great mist to help reduce the heaviness of such perfumes.
One In A Million
Image Credit: Bath & Body Works
Price: Rs 1,295 for 236 ml
Longevity: A decent three-four hours, which is great for a body mist
Notes: Tuberose, jasmine, and gardenia, paired with pink pepper
A white floral that packs a punch, this is not for those who aren’t at the very least, obsessed with white florals. The tuberose and gardenia are SO strong that you will hate it unless you’re a jasmine fiend and live for white flowers. If, however, you are someone who loves white florals, this is a dream. It’s one of the few intense tuberose perfumes which doesn’t smell old and oily. Fresh and sharp, it’s a love-hate type of perfume that you should try before buying. As someone who smelled it several times before finally succumbing and buying it, I can say that it was worth it.
If you like rosy, powdery-sweet fragrances, here’s what to buy
There are very few out and out rose perfumes this brand makes. Wild Apple & Rose was a beautiful scent available in their seasonal collections, but got discontinued. What is in their permanent collection is the most un-rosy scent, though. Called Rose, that sweet-but-not-in-a-good-way scent barely lasts on the skin, and doesn’t do any justice to the smell of roses, despite what the lovely packaging indicates.
Hence, there is only one I really love.
Rose Water & Ivy
Image Credit: Stuti Bhattacharya
Price: Rs 1,295 for 236 ml
Longevity: Around two hours, unless layered atop rose perfume oils, in which case, it’s more
Notes: Rose petals, green ivy, sandalwood
The best rose mist out of all the ones from this brand, this one is a garden-fresh, dewy perfume that lacks the dated sweetness of traditional rose scents. If you love the delicate, pretty smell of fresh-cut roses but hate how saccharine and heavy rose perfumes tend to be, you should try this, because it has a unique aquatic freshness that makes it modern and wearable. As someone who has re-purchased this, I can safely say it’s worth a buy for rose-lovers.
Those who like fresh scents—here is what you’ll like
Beautiful Day
Image Credit: Stuti Bhattacharya
Price: Rs 1,295 for 236 ml
Longevity: Around four hours, which is excellent compared to other mists
Notes: Apple, pear, peony, black currant
Beautiful Day is technically classified as a fruity fragrance by the brand, but because it is very fresh, juicy, and shampoo-like, it’s not the sugary-sweet, warm fragrance that would make you feel sick on a hot day. Ideal for a post-shower spritz, it’s got notes of pears and green apples, making it smell clean. The best part is that it is one of Bath & Body Works’ most long-lasting perfumes. If you’re having a day when you just want to feel peppy and clean, this is the inoffensive, fresh scent to use. Another mist I have re-purchased, this is one of those fresh, everyday scents everyone will like and use.
Finally, here are the ones which just smell sweet
Full disclosure: Sweet perfumes tend to be crowd-pleasers, but are not my favourites due to the lack of complexity and uniqueness. So, rave reviews of teeny-bopper cupcake scents are rare here. That said, Bath & Body Works is the perfect place to buy sweet perfumes from, because common and sweet notes like vanilla and berries usually make for basic scents, and are not ones you should be spending thousands on and buying from luxury brands.
Warm Vanilla Sugar
Image Credit: Bath & Body Works
Price: Rs 1,295 for 236 ml
Longevity: Poor, unless layered with another vanilla perfume oil
Notes: Sandalwood, musk, rice, and vanilla
By the time the whiff of alcohol in this has subsided, you won’t be able to smell the perfume, because it disappears. A mist with a lot of potential, this has been reformulated and watered-down many times, and is currently barely vanilla. You’d be better off buying an inexpensive vanilla perfume oil off Amazon, if you want a true vanilla scent, than spending over a thousand rupees on a bottle that intends to smell like warm vanilla but smells like sandalwood and musk with a hint of vanilla.
Dark Kiss
Image Credit: Stuti Bhattacharya
Price: Rs 1,295 for 236 ml
Longevity: Stays on the skin for three-four hours if you smell from up-close
Notes: Blackberry, amber, incense, vanilla, rose and aromatic geranium
Some sweet scents can be intoxicating and sexy, and this is one of them. It takes fruity and sweet notes, and turns it into a smokey and dark concoction worthy of a grown woman. An underrated offering from the brand, this definitely deserves more attention. Aptly named Dark Kiss, this is not a childish sweet scent, but something a woman clad in all-black would wear down a misty street on a winter evening. The sweetness is not candy and bubblegum. It’s dark berries, rich amber, and incense-like vanilla, which definitely makes the wearer feel like a siren.
Mad About You
Image Credit: Stuti Bhattacharya
Price: Rs 1,295 for 236 ml
Longevity: Average
Notes: Strawberry, black currant, patchouli
A perfume ideal for those who like sweet perfumes, this is for those days when you don’t want to wear anything special or different, so you just use a perfume that smells generic. If you like unique perfumes, you won’t like this excessively sweet blend of patchouli with berries. All you get is a sugary strawberry with vanilla, which ends up smelling like every other perfume out there.
Cost-effectiveness and longevity are two concerns we should address
When you spend a lot of money on a product, you expect a lot from it. If you’re spending over a thousand rupees on a mist, you expect it to last long. This cannot usually happen with mists because by definition, mists are watered-down, and have low perfume to water/alcohol ratios. Hence, it’s better to save yourself the disappointment and buy them during sales.
Why? Because, despite being inexpensive in the U.S.A., these mists are expensive in India. This makes buying them during sales a much better idea, especially if you want to get mists from the permanent collection. Not only that, but ordering with other people and grouping your purchase together helps save money, because they usually have offers like 2+1 or 3+1.
What is good about these mists though, is that it takes forever to finish a bottle. So, you get your money’s worth at the end of the day.
Lead Image Credits: Stuti Bhattacharya
