What: Angela attempts to get romantic with American Beauty’s “Beloved” perfume spray.
The Lowdown: “Beloved”—apparently the winner of the Fragrance Foundation’s 2009 “Fragrance of the Year” award—is one of those quintessential girly scents: floral, floral, floral, specifically featuring tuberose along with orange flower, stephanotis, and calla lilies. It’s a scent which their marketing team has determined “embodies the exhilaration of being in love.” Good to know they’re not into overstatement.
I’m just going to say it—I’m very picky about perfume, and florals are not my favorite, unless they’re on the very very light side. Unfortunately, “Beloved” is not. It’s actually quite heavy, and while it’s endorsed by the always-lovely and youthful-looking Ashley Judd, the scent itself? Kinda makes me think of lace doilies and hurricane lamps—in other words, leaning towards the senior citizen. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I’m not quite there. As for staying power, should you want it to stick around? No better than average—though I will say, after a little time has passed, the scent is definitely less overwhelming.
The Verdict: Overall, and for the price (about $40 for 1.7 oz.), a nay. If you are a die-hard floral lover, you might want to sample it at the beauty counter, but we think there are much more interesting and modern scents out there, for the same price or less.