Banana Republic Wildbloom Rouge & Wildblue Noir: win 2 new bottles of perfume

I'm overjoyed to be able to offer our readers a most generous giveaway today: two full bottles of the newly launched Wildbloom Rouge and Wildblue Noir by Banana Republic. The presentation is gorgeous, let me tell you (caught me by surprise!), and the scents are nice enough, so I'm sure you will be just as happy as I am.

I have decanted 5ml of each for reviewing purposes and the rest is up for grabs for all readers internationally who will comment till Thursday midnight. (please specify if you're interested in the feminine, the masculine or both fragrances). The 2 winners will be announced on Friday.

The two fragrances were developed for Banana Republic by Givaudan and Drom respectively and correspond well to what I think the brand stands for. As to the scents in more detail? Read on.

Following the successful launches of Wildbloom and Wildbloom Vert, Wildbloom Rouge embodies a youthful spirit with a sensual spark for the stylish woman. “The romance of a pink and orange painted sky while the sun sets on the ocean’s horizon was the inspiration behind Wildbloom Rouge,” says Banana Republic Creative Director & Executive Vice President, Simon Kneen. “This scent is for a sensual woman with a shimmering, chic personality.”
 What I can tell you is that it is a woody floral with clean notes of sparkling florals and some fruit (mostly sweet apple) which dries down into a soft woody musk, warmish and cuddly; certainly warmer and sweeter than the regular Wildbloom of which it is an extension. It's the type of scent that people tend to find pleasant and would compliment the wearer on, especially since its heart is a fresh white floral which is a very popular blend for women. It's advertised as a nighttime scent and I can see that the warmish notes of the base might make you think that it would be so, but, really, I see no problem with wearing it all day long. Why not?

“The captivating forces of the ocean waves crashing down under the evening sky inspired the feeling behind Wildblue Noir.” says Banana Republic Creative Director & Executive Vice President, Simon Kneen. “This scent is for the confident man, dressed and ready to head out into the night.”
 If I were French, I'd call it "sympa". It's an aromatic fougere with a sweetish hint in the drydown that recalls gourmand notes of coffee and chocolate (some patchouli) and has a nicely burnished patina about it, when it gets there. It's not very distinctive, but then I don't think the target audience is too bent on smelling exceedingly different anyway. For what it is, however, it's competent. In the night, all cats are black.

Both of the Banana Republic scents are available in the Banana Republic stores starting September 2013.

Banana Republic M & W: Fragrance Full Bottles Giveaway

Perfume Shrine is happy to offer another giveaway for its readers: Banana Republic is re-releasing
M & W, two legacy fragrances from their "iconic collection", scents debuting in 1995 and attracting quite a fan base which lamented their demise. So the company is catering to those fans and hoping to attract new ones in the process. I have a full new bottle of each fragrance to give away to two lucky readers. One masculine and one feminine, apart from being enjoyed by the respective sex, they'd make a great St.Valentine's Day gift for one's sweet one. So if you're interested, read on.

Designed to complement each other, M & W are the quintessential yin-yang fragrances to share with your significant other this season. W is a light, sparkling scent with citrus top notes built into amber and sexy musk. M combines sandalwood and white musk with lime and bergamot top notes. Though you've probably seen these notes mentioned numerous times before, they're both not bad at all actually! The W is a light "skin scent", i.e. giving the impression of warm clean skin with greenish, refreshing accents (some lily of the valley? plus some orange blossom for a soapy nuance?) and a good longevity thanks to the musk component. Wearers of Glow and clean floral musks might best appreciate this ambience. It embodies that feeling of just stepping out the shower, putting on fresh fluffy clothes and just having a pleasant buzz of serenity and casual cosiness around you, a smidgen of powder. I'd make a good everyday scent. The M is also fresh, though with a more pronounced citrusy tang and a more mossy background, wearers who like classic colognes in the style of Eau Sauvage and the colognes who follow this exhilarating mold would like it.
They'd both make for a shared scent; surprisingly the women's is very fit for being shared with a man, as there is no major floral component and it wears not very sweet or too powdery (which I understand most men identify as "feminine").

To enter the draw, please tell us whether you share fragrances with your lover (and if you have specific ones, do tells us about them) & why and specify if you're interested in the W (feminine) or M (masculine) fragrance. Draw is open internationally, till Sunday midnight.

In the interests of disclosure, I was sent the bottles via PR.

Banana Republic Wildbloom Vert: New Perfume Bottle Giveaway

Banana Republic is launching their newest fragrance, Wildbloom Vert Eau de Parfum- a new extension to the Wildbloom fragrance family that exudes freshness, curiosity and spontaneity. And the good people at Banana Republic are offering a brand new bottle of the upcoming fragrance Wildbloom Vert to a lucky reader here on Perfume Shrine!

What you need to do to enter the draw: Post in the comments below about what scents you'd like to see coming out of a mainstream fashion brand.
Limitations: Contest is reserved to USA addresses only, sorry! (You can participate though if you have someone in the States to have your prize forwarded, if you win). Draw is open till Friday 3rd midnight.

What's the scent like? "With a floral burst and crisp green attitude, Wildbloom Vert is the energetic complement to Wildbloom. Wildbloom Vert was developed by world-renowned perfumer Ilias Ermenidis of Firmenich, who has a passion for lively green fragrances. In Wildbloom Vert, lush, saturated, green Violet leaves are enlivened with sparkling fruit sensations of Crisp Pear and Pink Lady Apple. Soft transparent blooms of Peach are wrapped in the rich texture of petally Gardenia and Magnolia. Raw textured woods of Teak and Sandalwood are modernized through drops of soft, silky musks. Wildbloom Vert possesses an effervescent vitality, full of rich texture contrasted by effortlessly modern design."

Wildbloom Vert will be available exclusively at Banana Republic stores nationwide beginning February 2, 2012.