Shower in a bottle

December 10, 2014 6:45 PM

So, I really like fresh, clean smelling perfumes - like you just stepped out of a shower. I love Pure Grace by Philosophy, which pretty much encapsulates this. My only issue is that the scent doesn't last long and I have the EDP version. Can you recommend a fragrance that smells like soap and water but has longer lasting properties? Basically Pure Grace except with staying power.
posted by Jubey to Shopping (16 answers total)

I remember smelling one of the Replica fragrances and getting this impression-- can't remember which. It stayed on me for most of the day when I tested it at Sephora-- I am not a big perfume buff though so I'm not sure how it would stand up to Philosophy.
posted by stoneandstar at 6:54 PM on December 10, 2014

First thing is first - have you verified through a third party that it is not long lasting? You stop smelling yourself long before the rest of the world does.

As for a suggestion, have you smelled Clean? It even has a newer varietal called "Shower Fresh" that might be to your liking. The original Clean smells pretty fresh to me, but it might be more "laundry" than "shower" depending on your nose.
posted by gatorae at 7:01 PM on December 10, 2014

I love Pure Grace, too, and I've noticed the lack of staying power. My current clean-smelling perfume is Clean Skin; the other Clean fragrances don't smell right to me. (A lot of "soap and water" fragrances tend to smell harsh on me and don't really blend in with my skin.)

I also love the Gendarme fragrances that I've tried; they have that similar fresh but not harsh smell. They sell a sample pack if you're interested in trying them.

Demeter makes a lot of scents in this vein that smell great (most of their watery fragrances and, ironically, Dirt) but they have no staying power.
posted by Metroid Baby at 7:13 PM on December 10, 2014

I like Shower Fresh from Clean too, and I think it's longer lasting than the original.

There's a men's line too which might be worth considering.
posted by Youremyworld at 7:25 PM on December 10, 2014

I was also going to recommend Clean. I bought a sampler of three of their rollerball scents, and they were all very soap-smelling, in a good way.
posted by jaguar at 7:27 PM on December 10, 2014

Have you tried/smelled Demeter's Laundromat? It's so good. They have a scent called Pure Soap as well, but I can't vouch for that one.
posted by Pizzarina Sbarro at 7:55 PM on December 10, 2014

It's very expensive, but Tom Ford's Neroli Portofino is a long-lasting Eau de Parfum that has a "fresh, clean" scent.
posted by deanc at 8:15 PM on December 10, 2014

This is a bit of a throw back but "Glow" by JLo.
posted by saradarlin at 11:33 PM on December 10, 2014

Banana Republic W
posted by amro at 2:26 AM on December 11, 2014

Bobbi Brown Bath.
posted by apparently at 3:26 AM on December 11, 2014

There are a few Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab scents along this line. The one I love is "Embalming Fluid" but you could get a little sampler pack of a few different scents and see what you like.
posted by Stacey at 5:35 AM on December 11, 2014

Charm Club by Thomas Sabo is delectable. I had been searching for something to replace a perfume that I love that is no longer made by Liz Claiborne and stumbled over this at a department store when I was in Europe last summer.

I linked the first google return that came up - it's available in the EU but I'm not sure elsewhere.
posted by bluesky43 at 7:11 AM on December 11, 2014

I also love clean-smelling perfumes, and n'th the recommendation of fragrances from Clean. I've also found that perfumes with strong citrus notes give me that "freshly showered" feeling. I like Donna Karan Women Energizing, DKNY Be Delicious, DKNY Be Delicious Fresh Blossom, and Fresh Hesperides.
posted by neushoorn at 7:21 AM on December 11, 2014

This review suggests you might like Bottega Veneta Knot.

I haven't smelled Pure Grace myself, but some things that might be similar to the list of notes here ("lavender, musk, jasmine, water lily and bergamot") are Serge Lutens Gris Clair, Cacharel Anais Anais, and Body Shop White Musk. Your mileage may vary because the smell of clean is so subjective.
posted by clavicle at 8:02 AM on December 11, 2014

Check out fragrance review websites like Basenotes for further recommendations, and decant shopping sites like Surrender to Chance, where you can explore fragrances by notes and purchase small sizes before committing to a whole bottle. Their selection is huge, and most fragrances mentioned here will be available on there.
posted by CheeseLouise at 8:50 AM on December 11, 2014

Have you used the Pure Grace lotion paired with the perfume? When I wore scents, I found that re-applying the hand-lotion during the day made the scent last a lot longer. I also discovered, when I found some clothes that dated from when I wore the perfume, that the scent lasted longer than I could smell it myself.
posted by bibliowench at 10:11 AM on December 11, 2014