EL PC: One of the GREATS of all time, place, & person. This juice is DIVINITY incarnate. This perfume is an absolute masterpiece! EL's webpage defines it as a "Lush Floral", & provides the following structure:
TOP: Honeysuckle, Jasmine, Citrus
MIDDLE (HEART): Orange Flower, Ylang-ylang, Coriander
BASE: Sandalwood, Patchouli
? No mention in the description of the secret formula which yields the fresh-cut lawn, & earthy richness, that render this such a treasure of perfumery. Other reviewers report an indescribably true, perfectly balanced garden / floral- Meaning flowers, roots, dirt, earthy/earthworms & all. NO worries about cotton candy/ fruit punch / icky / sticky / gooey garbage here- PC is all old-school, world-class, REAL PERFUME !!! There is nothing quite like her- RICH, elegant, class. I notice reviewers lamenting that she's strong & lasts long, as if these are negative attributes! At $62 / 50 ml bottle, PC is neither super cheap, nor prohibitively costly. I wear perfume from toes to scalp... And, while she opens strong, PC very quickly (5-15 min's) settles into a rich, intoxicating, gentle frag, that lasts maybe 8-10 hours- And draws compliments every time I wear her! So, I'm humbled by El PC's cost / sillage & longevity ratio. I'm GLAD she goes on strong, & wears long! I applaud EL's continuation of this divine perfume. Also, she's year-round wearable- The warmth of a Sun-drenched Garden, yet the coolness of a stick digging in the dirt of a tree-canopied forest floor, lakeside- deep emerald green glacial lakeside in the Summer. I think this of this, as one of her (many) attributes that make her so "perfectly balanced". Although not inexpensive, she'd still be a bargain at half the size, & twice the price! This is a RICH perfume, that could easily be priced out of reach... Thank you to EL for offering her at a price-point, where many of us can find space in our budget for her- She's wearable wealth :) A true pleasure treasure! PC has a permanent place in my life-long frag. rotation.
I'm that impossible to please b*tch, who rejects 99.9% of all sampled perfumes, men, & music (I am classic rock. It is my religion). Private Collection unexpectedly stunned me into a state of simple, indulged happiness- the art of perfumery, the reason we wear it. PC is to perfume, what Zep is to Rock. A religion. My religion. Yes, Led Zep & Private Collection are my religion, along with other Master's of the 'verse in their respective domains. If you haven't tried her, go to your local department store Lauder counter, & ask the SA to dig deep, & find the Private Collection. You may have to explain that "Private Collection" isn't a collection, but rather is the name of a revered perfume, among perfumista's in the know.
If you can't find PC @ the Estee counter, small sample bottles are floating around eBay for $10 or so. I bought several fb's direct from Estee Lauder for $62, it was richly wrapped/packaged (along w/ a mini-sized Estee Lauder black mascara). This is one to stock up on, before she's changed or discontinued. (In my nightmares). I presently have only 6 or so bottles (which, btw, I could easily go through in a year)- I admit I do tend to spare / wear PC for special occasions. Yes, I keep her in the cool basement- I'm just SO afraid of discontinuation - Her primary market is aging. PC is ripe for re-discovery by a new generation of Women in their 20's, just starting careers and (finally!) having enough $$ to splurge on 1 or 2 must-have perfumes! (Remember when?) I was actually in my early 30's before I earned enough to spend this much on perfume.
Sorry so long-winded! Private Collection is a divinely, earthy, green, floral, rich, elegant, perfectly balanced, wearable fragrance for Women of all ages, who love perfume!
