Friday 28 March 2014

Seven scents: Puma Fragrance.

In the get to know me tag I did some time ago, I said that I have a favourite perfume brand. It all started many, many years ago: I read a short piece on the Puma Women limited edition in a magazine. I believe it was a perfume brought out for the world cup - football that is, not quidditch! It had a description of the notes and it sounded like a nice scent. So the next time I passed by an Ici Paris store, I went in for a sniff and the next thing I knew, I was buying myself a perfume for the first time ever.
I love many of the fragrances they bring out and they are very affordable. Consequently, as the years passed by, my collection has grown. Here they are in the order in which I think I got them:


Puma Women (soccer limited edition)
This is the fragrance it all started with. Here's the info I found after googling the notes:

Puma Woman Limited Edition is a floral fruity fragrance for women launched in 2006 Top notes are mandarin orange and yuzu; middle notes are jasmine and lotus; base notes are amber and musk. (source)


I have always used this very sparingly and I still love this scent very much. I would describe it as warm and citrus-y.


Puma Red and White

What Puma says about it:
Do you know that special moment, that initial encounter when glances are exchanged and eyes meet? When you sense an arousal - and immediate attraction? Come closer - and try. Enjoy the intensity of the moment with this exciting PUMA Red & White fragrance for women. 
Top: The top note reveals instantly that PUMA Red & White for women has what it takes. The fruity, colorful combination of pink grapefruit, Italian bergamot, juniper berry and green apple whet the appetite for what's to come. 
Heart: The heart is vivacious, yet very sensitive! Transparent jasmine, delicate honeysuckle, red peony and white vineyard peaches produce a velvety, flowery mix. A divine experience of down-to-earth seduction. 
Base: Earthy ingredients like musks and cedar harmonize perfectly with fresh vanilla and creamy tonka beans to make up the base notes. They result is a well-rounded finish that epitomizes the femininity of today's self-assured woman. PUMA Red & White for women - Smell good! These ingredients are slow to evaporate and last the longest on your skin.

I would describe this one as floral. I used to like it - I wouldn't have bought it if I didn't - but I'm not so keen on it anymore. It sits in my bathroom shelf now so that I'll use it often and it will be used up soon.


Puma Aqua (2007)

Aqua isn't featured on their website any more these days either, but here's what I found about it elsewhere:

Features apple, strawberry, lime, white peach, water hyacinth, patchouli and sandalwood.


The scent does its name justice as is smells very fresh and aquatic indeed! I think this fragrance is most appropriate for summertime.


Puma Urban Motion (2009)

What Puma says about it:

PUMA Urban Motion Woman begins as a light and lively fragrance, transforming soon after into an intriguing, sensual scent 

Top: Tangy, citrus Chinese yuzu, lush tangerine and sweet fragrant pineapple leaves blend to create energizing top notes. Once you have applied a fragrance to your skin, it starts to evaporate, which is why its scent changes over time. Top notes are the quickest to evaporate from the perfume, grabbing your attention when you first spray the fragrance. 
Heart: Adding a fruity kick to the opening notes is a middle of Chinese ginger flower, crisp apple blossom, pear and raspberry. 
Base: PUMA Urban Motion Woman has intense, warm and velvety base notes of creamy vanilla, musk and amber notes. A white woods note further heats up the fragrance's composition.These ingredients are slow to evaporate and last the longest on your skin. 

I would describe urban motion as being warm too. In some way it's similar - but not the same as- the first one.


Puma Yellow (2012)
What Puma says about it:

It's a great feeling to wake up and see that it is going to be a sunny day. It puts you in a positive mood and drives a cheerful energy. Now you can enjoy that feeling whenever and wherever you are with PUMA Yellow - an invigorating, fresh fragrance for women. 
Top: An energetic mix of bergamot, freesia, dewberry and apple make up the top notes of this fragrance. Once you have applied a fragrance to your skin, it starts to evaporate, which is why its scent changes over time. Top notes are the quickest to evaporate from the perfume, grabbing your attention when you first spray the fragrance. 
Heart: Rose, tagetes, magnolia and violet make up the main body of the fragrance. 
Base: Cedar wood, orris, sandalwood, vanilla, teak and musky notes make up the base notes of PUMA Yellow.These ingredients are slow to evaporate and last the longest on your skin. 

I would describe Yellow as being rather warm too, but it is less similar to the soccer and urban motion scents. It has a bit more sharpness to it.


Puma Flowing (2006?)
What Puma says about it:
Like a fruity cocktail on your skin! Relax and go with the flow! 
Top: Refresh yourself with sparkling top notes of citric mandarin, aromatic raspberry, mild freesia and mellow cassis flower. Once you have applied a fragrance to your skin, it starts to evaporate, which is why its scent changes over time. Top notes are the quickest to evaporate from the perfume, grabbing your attention when you first spray the fragrance. 
Heart: Mimosa flower, violet, iris and ylang ylang make up the main body of the fragrance 
Base: Feel the pure power of sandalwood, amber, vanilla and musk which form the base notes of this fragrance.These ingredients are slow to evaporate and last the longest on your skin. 

I believe this was an existing fragrance in a new bottle at the time I bought this. Flowing is a bit floral too, but in a much more delicate way than the Red and White one. It's a very light and fresh scent and I've used it throughout last summer, but then my eye -or nose- fell on the next one.

Puma Sync (2013)
What Puma says about it:

PUMA Sync fragrance for women combines sparkling fruitiness with comforting floral scents - a perfect mix to feel confident and get you off your feet. 
Top: A sparkling blend of colorful fruits, like exotic papaya, currant and mandarin, make up the top notes of this fragrance for women. Once you have applied a fragrance to your skin, it starts to evaporate, which is why its scent changes over time. Top notes are the quickest to evaporate from the perfume, grabbing your attention when you first spray the fragrance. 
Heart: A touch of blooming lotus and mandarin tree flower, underlined by a pure aquatic accent, awakens the soft feminine heart in the fragrance. 
Base: Creamy sandalwood and sensual ambery notes, cocooned in velvety white peach, make up the base notes of PUMA Sync fragrance for women. These ingredients are slow to evaporate and last the longest on your skin. 

This  is a more warm scent again, and it suited autumn in which I wore it a lot. I find the base of sync stands out.

All of these are actually eau de toilettes. That means they contain between 5 and 15% of aromatic compound, the typical being about 10% - or so it says on Wikipedia. I personally like eau de toilette more than eau de parfum because strong scents can give me a bit of a headache. And I also find that these are longlasting enough. 
There are a couple more fragrances of Puma out there. I haven't got jam and animagical because I didn't like them. A friend of mine and her mum used to share a bottle of jamaica which smelled amazing too! According to the Puma fragrance website there's  jamaica2 now as well, but I haven't seen that thus far. I got all of mine from Kruidvat, with the exception of the first one. I believe prices range between 8 and 15 euros depending on the size of the bottle.

I know that scents are a very personal thing, but be sure to have a sniff if you come across any of these, you may be pleasantly surprised!


Sincerely,
R.