Givenchy Ange ou Demon Le Secret

Seriously. I don't know who was the genius responsible for creating a(nother) flanker to an already questionable and mediocre perfume. The original Ange ou Demon by Givenchy from 2006 has already spawned four other little demons including Le Secret. I'm not familiar with the others, but, really, am I missing much? I'm not dissing fruity florals, honestly. I own a couple, including the original pre-reformulation version of Givenchy Hot Cotoure on all its raspberry glory. I might not reach for it too often, but when I do I'm happy with its joyous and flirty character. The thing I find so objectionable in  Ange ou Demon Le Secret is how boring, redundant and generic it is, and the way this fruity-musky-patchoulified mess assumes all young women are the same and want to smell like everyone else.

The opening of Le Secret is on the pleasant citrusy side. It's what is characterized nowadays as "sparkling" (once upon a time they used aldehydes for a similar feel, but today one must smell like a lemonade stand to feel young). It's peppy and almost dementedly happy. It makes my cranky old self feel extra snarky in the morning. There's a hint of green tea but it's more like the instant pre-bottled version than something one would  brew at home with care. Then I'm hit with that generic berry note that's in everything these days, from body wash to lip gloss. Are we having fun yet?

The dry-down is all heavy bland musk with a hint of that familiar patchouli from other notorious fruity mainstream perfumes. You know how this stuff will end even before you reach that phase. I find it absolutely amazing that the main user complaint on Sephora's website is about longevity. Ange ou Demon Le Secret clings to my skin and refuses to let go for the better part of a day.

Bottom Line: I hope Givenchy and LVMH paid Uma Thurman enough to front their campaign.

Givenchy Ange ou Demon Le Secret ($53, 1 oz) is available from Sephora, in store and online. The mini bottle of this stuff in my possession was a press review sample from the brand's PR.

2009 Uma Thurman for Givenchy Ange ou Demon Le Secret ad from couleurparfum.com