
I have it: 81 I had it: 173 I want it: 20
Designers » D E » Dana Oriental Floral « Groups

I have it: 81 I had it: 173 I want it: 20
Navy by Dana is a Oriental Floral fragrance for women. Navy was launched in 1990. Top notes are green notes and peach; middle notes are orange blossom, jasmine, ylang-ylang and rose; base notes are amber, musk, vanilla, coriander and cinnamon.
Top Notes
Middle Notes
Base Notes
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I do not smell the greens or the peach, however I do smell powdery, ambery tones and my brother was particularly moved and liking of this.
Loved this one! A shocking sharp note on opening (or maybe my mini had been stored too long), and then a deep, spicy and quite masculine development. I seem to get a bit of sandalwood too. Is anyone else reminded of something from the JP Gaultier Le Male series, maybe Fleur du Male? Now I’m looking out for a full bottle, or a smell-alike. Really hard to find in Europe.
Such an interesting name for this fragrance. As a young girl, I thought Navy would smell some what aquatic, like the ocean, sunshine... you know. Instead, it's more like you joined the Navy and docked in the orient right near a spice market. It's delicious and feminine and soft. I get star anise out of this myself but it's not an ingredient. Maybe it's just the effect of mixing the musk with the cinnamon and vanilla.
Upon first spray I don't get really any green notes but that lovely clean and warm peach caress that smiles as she passes on to reveal those well balanced florals in the heart. Jasmine, Ylang-ylang and Rose make a powdery dance around the orange blossom that keeps them from being too floral and then the whole base asserts itself and starts the cycle again. And through it all, cinnamon and vanilla keep you grounded. No sea legs needed at this port!
Navy is a great drugstore cologne, great for cooler weather or fresh spring days - very comforting. She'll get you through the night if you need her to but she's a day time girl. However, that sailor you just picked up might not give you time to change. ;^)
Editing to say that I have the cologne.
Okay, this one has me a little puzzled.
First spray, I am absolutely blown away, the head of this fragrance is so wonderful! I'm talking, would bathe in these top notes!!!
and then... she turned on me
I am not sure what it is, but something just didnt agree with me. not a bad smell, just not for me... yet!
This one is going into a nice dark cool place and wait...
On the right person this is an amazing fragrance!
Thanks Rosie ;)
Boy, does this ever bring back memories. This was my scent as a teenager. I wore it all the time. I remember seeing it advertised in TEEN magazine advertised everywhere. It was soft and spicy and oriental...very nice for winter of fall. I haven't smelled it in a long time. May have to try it again soon. I remember it having a soft warm cinnamon smell to it.
Okay, I got this yesterday with other retro 90's nostalgic smells.... The cheap ones ;). I remember ads in magazines when I was teen. I remember getting a sample and liking it. When I saw the cologne for about 7$ I got it!
At first spray, I was afraid. I found it powdery with a sharpness.... And yes, the diaper reference whiffed through my mind and it's not what I remembered of the perfume. It wasn't quite as bad,.. Though... I just thought "oh... I think I can understand how someone could think that". It's powderiness and sharp... Not in a baby way.... A lot older than that (yikes! )
But! I did ask the husband and he said "no way! This doesn't smell like diaper!" .... So I calmed down and waited. After a little while the sharpness went away and slowly I remembered what I liked about Navy. A certain warmth peeked through, a bit ambery. But it's still more powdery than I remember. I could feel like wearing it on specific days... Breezy cool summer days... Once the head notes are gone, can easily imagine it balancing the sharpness of a sea breeze. I don't want to sweat in it and I don't associate it with winter or fall. Early or late summer... Clear sky and wind. :)
@HeidiLynn: lol gal! your review got me cracking up so bad... ' no longer feeling incontinent are you?' . Gosh that was cute... Lucky me to have a decent bottle. I look high and very low for the urine in mine but none to be found.. and I got some friends here to test it for me....I feel bad for those who do not get the 'vintage' feel of the 'good ole Navy'... today, it lingers about , strong, very ambery and pepper ladden. Powedery notes linger , giving it more femininity and softness but she is still a tiger of a fume!
This became my Mom's favorite scent after Avon discontinued Soft Musk. We were in the store and she tried on Navy and fell in love with the light ambery quality, plus she really loved the bottle.
So, I bought her some for Mother's Day.
It was a fairly long-lasting fragrance with a heavy sillage. Mom was not into the really heavy gourmand scents and male colognes that I used, but she also did not care for the light florals/citrusy scents that the other ladies inour family favored.
Navy was sort of a "middle ground".
Bought this on clearance for $2.50 as a present to myself for valentines day! The set had a 1 ounce cologne and a cute little lotion on clearance, love treats like that! To me this is a pleasant scent and I will definately be wearing this one here and there. Its different from most modern perfumes and I enjoy its spicy, powdery scent. I definately smell the cinnamon, orange and I think im smelling like the lipsticky rose makeup scent as well tgat comes across very spiced up and yet fresh. I love the smell of makeup. And I think covergirl makeup smells really feminine. I get that covergirl makeup underlay under the spice. It does smell kinda similar to boucheron. They dry down very similar on the skin. I also am reminded of victorias secret rapture in some way as well. This is definately a scent that you do not want to overdue. You could kill a cow if you overspray this one. Two sprays is really good for night and probably one spray during the day. This one has excellent longevity. I actually think I lije the scent in the lotion better. This could be worn day or night in any season. I could see myself wearing this in the summer as well. It is a really decent scent. This scent is perfect for anyone. Especially those who require a scent that is affordable and actually lasts for hours. I think mature women over 25 would be most attracted to this perfume generally as it does have a spicy, strong energy about it. Appropriate for all activitiee, work, dates, shopping, etc. Its a good one.
I must have a very different bottle than the rest of you here, as I get no diapers and no beer in the fragrance. Hahaha.. Funny reviews on this site for sure.
To me and on me this smelled quite soft and creamy right from the start. The creaminess of Nivea cream - back in the day. Not the same scent, but the same softness that embraces your whole body and makes you feel at ease.
Now.. That's just my bottle lol
I wore this in high school, about 25 years ago (yikes!). I bought a sample pack of Dana fragrances over the holidays, and finally got around to wearing Navy today. I expected to greet her like an old friend, as I do remember what it smelled like to me—the amber, the spices, the rich and almost masculine smell that was so NOT like it’s nautical name implied.
Instead, the smell that greeted me was as though someone had slapped a urine-soaked diaper in my face. I have read of other people having this experience with some fragrances, but was totally unprepared for the smell—especially from something I thought I knew!
I do recall the initial notes of the Navy I knew being a bit bitter and chemically, having to soften a bit—but this was ridiculous. I was panicked, lest someone think I’d peed myself! But, I kept it on my wrist, curious to see what might happen with time.
30 minutes later, there is a powderiness coming out (so, now I have a really authentic diaper smell!), but not much else.
By about the hour mark, it’s just powder. Whew! I’m relieved to no longer smell incontinent! It’s a lightly floral powder with some of that soft, roundness that I think comes only from amber—but it’s not a deep, robust amber.
3 hours after application, it’s simply a powdery floral. Had someone spritzed this on me unaware, I would never have guessed this is the Navy of my adolescence. I recalled spice, and almost a bergamot vibe that I’m simply not getting. Ellen Tracy’s Bronze is what I remember Navy smelling like—bright, spicy and bold. Smelling this, I can certainly understand how it is compared to Lutece—the gentle, powdery floweriness is certainly similar. Since I have both of those, and Navy seems to float generically in the middle, I think I’ll be swapping my bottle. Longevity seems to be diminished as well (it used to hold up to an 8 hours school day easily). I guess it’s true….you can never go back….
Had it in my teens...remembered as a musky powdery smell. The spicy part was very uplifting. Very nice and long lasting. Back then I didn't reapply perfume so this one was perfect to wear to school as it lasted all day.
This fragrance is very mature and quite nice.
I get a distinct root beer note off this in the top notes. Slightly medicinal on me in the heart notes. It has great longevity and is much more oriental than floral. Spicy amber in the dry down. Very powdery though if you don't like powder, this probably isn't for you.
The packaging of this has always appealed to me, so I am glad to finally try it!
It's predominately amber, with a powdery and warm floral undertone. I do smell the peach/ cinnamon in the background.
Seems to be the perfect formulation for a daily scent, not too strong yet not too weak (you don't have to use too much, so it's economical), versatile enough to go with jeans and/or any outfit, and lasting.
Added later: This smells even better after several hours! Man, I really love Dana perfumes!
When i was a kid I really hated this scent.
It seemed heavy and gave me a killer headache but today i picked up a small bottle from the drug store and it came with some lotion as well.....I don't know but I kind like this scent now..its growing on me more and more as i smell the part of my wrist where i sprayed it.
I'm not sure if the formula has changed but i remember a heavy and almost sour smell but now I'm not getting that...?
I get a warm spicy scent that drys to a spicy powder sweetness.
Its definitely a grown up scent and NOT for little girls like i was when i hated it so this may explain how i like this now.
It does smell more expensive than what its being sold for and totally has 90's written all over it but I love getting a blast from the past by smells and fashion. It excites me.
I still remember the ads in my sisters Cosmopolitans and Glamour mags and I soooo wanted to like this...I'm happy i finally can.I just needed to grow up a bit :)
I would wear this only in the Winter and maybe Fall and at night time.
To me this perfume should be used in tiny doses and NOT be worn in the work place just in case you work with "perfume sensitive" people. Small doses Ladies!!! Small doses!! :P
One spritz and it'll knock you out cold. But it's a good kind of coma <3
They are still manufacturing this?
Surprise to me.
To described this as green would be way off in my opinion. Warm, musky,spicy,floral is more like it.
This is a very dated smell, but that is also due to the fact that I have been around to see it come and go and apparently come back again. The nostalgic attributes of being a little girl in the 90's can't make me like this.
The name of this eau de toilette (yes, edt.) has mislead me for so long. I almost feel bad. How could I forget this clean, warm and well rounded fragrance? It is soflty musky, there is very little sweetness i find but much creaminess. Smells way more expensive than it is. Anxious to get comments from friends ;)
Every time I smell someone wearing this perfume I'm pushed back in time to when I was 9. Playing in my room with a tiny sample bottle I'd found in the hallway at school. I loved the scent but couldn't wear it myself. It gave me a headache within minutes of putting it on but I could still just sniff the bottle and enjoy it in small doses. If only...
I bought a mini of Navy on eBay based on the reviews...and although it does soften with wear and last a long time, I don't think I will be buying a FB. I can sense the powdery amber, musk and ylang ylang, which is quite enjoyable, though not the rose or other florals. But there is something sharp (civet?)and synthetic that lasts through the whole experience. It reminds me of a sort of gentle breeze of napthalene...not unpleasant, but not very soothing. Oddly, the scent of mothballs is one that appeals to many people, especially in moderation. For me, I just start checking my woolens for holes.
Do you remember the song in "White Christmas" sung by Rosemary Clooney? "Love, you didn't do right by me ..." seems to say it all today. The weather is changing, and I've begun to crave this fragance like an overlooked treasure. What seemed sour and harsh in summer is beginning to be warm and dry and creamy. I didn't do right by you, Navy, but if it helps any I am now becoming besotted!
PS We can all agree that this smells nothing like the name suggests, as it is neither blue or aquatic.
But! Am I the only one who is reminded a bit of sand?? It is warm, comforting, and golden. At least that is my very surprised and delighted impression....
I wanted so very much to love this one, but the green notes and peach go sour on me (as usual). But surprise! My sister and I were at the store today and we discovered that it smells amazing on her. Now I can enjoy it anyway, just second hand. Typically she finds orientals too spicy. (L'Origan was nothing but dry, harsh cloves and coriander on her skin, though she loves it on me.) This is powdery enough to soften the spices nicely and spicy enough to be exciting! If you love warm scents with powder, overlook the sharp opening and give this one a try.
Ahhh! I so had this in high school in the 1990's (and from the reviews, I'm not alone in this!). It's funny to go back and read the fragrance notes for this scent that I really did like (almost against my will, it was so musky, woody and almost masculine)--and to recognize those notes as the ones that work the best on me now. I'm all over amber, spices and warm fragrances; I really wanted the light florals to work on me, so I was kind of in denial about how well this perfume worked, but now I've come to terms with my chemistry. It was a heavy fragrance, especially for me in my teens, but it was pretty and sophisticated. I remember having a little tiny bottle and splurging on a bigger one. I'm tempted to go buy this again--but I'm not sure I can handle the trip down memory lane!
Navy has been one of my favorite fragrances since the 1990's and I always get compliments on it. It doesn't seem to last as long as it used to - but I'm not sure if that is due to a change in formulation or just my own body chemistry. To me this is not a floral or musky smell at all. Navy opens with fresh, green, and citrus notes. It is a clean smell that reminds me of men's cologne, but a hint of peach makes it softer and more feminine. My clothes tend to hold the green and citrus notes, but on my skin, it quickly becomes a powdery amber, vanilla, cinnamon. The cinnamon is noticeable, but not overwhelming. It is just enough to save the scent from becoming too powdery. Navy has an elegant, clean smell that can be worn day or night all year long.
I remember being at a tavern a few years back and this girl smelled awesome. I don't make a habit of going up to strangers to ask them what scent they are wearing but I had to ask this lady what perfume she had on. It was Navy! Fast forward to a few months ago, I saw a discounted gift set with Navy in it and, thinking back to that night in the tavern, bought it. I tried it first chance I got. It didn't smell as good on me as it did on that woman but I KNEW right away it smelled familiar...it's like the perfume was saying "POW! Don't you remember me? We used to be so close!"...I just couldn't put my finger on it until my 10 year old son asked me why I smelled like Play-Doh! PLAY-DOH! That's it! That is what Navy smelled like on my skin! LOL! Not a bad smell but it obviously isn't SUPPOSED to smell like Play-Doh. As much as it pained me I had to chalk Navy down as another perfume that doesn't play well with my body chemistry.
This is a soft, slightly sweet, slightly powdery, slightly spicy, warm amber scent. This is misnamed as Navy. If you are expecting something cool and aquatic, you won't find it here. This is an underrated warm oriental. If you like a warm ambery scent, this is worth a try.
This is such a nice fragrance for the price. I love the sophisticated & classic scent of this inexpensive floriental. It is very strong amber & jasmine for me, a little musk & vanilla with the other notes. I've worn it off & on through the years & I always get compliments on it. Men seem to really like this one. For any season or occasion. Good sillage & lasts all day & into the night for me! What a value!
I tried Navy some days ago in wlm@rt, and well..it has a small price tag, it is oriental , strong amber note...but ..well it has that "animalic" accord...that in my skin..smells just well...animalic...i mean ..cat pee :)
opening is almost RootBeer like. Spicy like it had cloves and Sassafras. Becomes Vanilla like.
As said in an earlier review, i don't see what's Navy about it. It's straight up Oriental spice to me.
I am another one who got the two tissit bottle package at walmart for seven bucks. I for one usually like to try perfumes that aren't associated with people my age (23) and navy seemed to be one of those perfumes. I sprayed it and absolutely fell in love with it. I do get the powdery notes which I love and I've actually been complimented by other girls my age as well! LOL The best thing is that it lasts all day on me, it's inoffensive and it's super cheap, I just got a gift set with two one ounce bottles and a body lotion for just nine bucks...can't beat that! Love this one and will be wearing it all winter long! :)
Like all perfumes, sometimes they smell good on you while others do not. Navy smells good on myself, and certainly not cheap. I feel that some people have bad feelings about perfumes simply because of the time they wore them was particularly bad, or they disliked someone who wore it. These people do not speak for everyone, so my advice is to just try it on your own and form your own opinion. I haven't smelled anything like Navy since the early 90's.
Just a very warm/fuzzy scent I keep in my purse. Long-lasting and great for casual/leisure. Musky, but with enough floral to not be cloying.
I had totally forgotten about this one! Like several other reviewers, I had it back in the early 90's. It's a warm and fuzzy scent with a cozy, sweet musk base. This would be good for the cooler months.
let me preface the review by saying that i smelled it when it first came out in a magazine strip and thought it smelled amazing. At the time(i was in high school) i already fallen in love with my HG, Samsara and i thought this scent was definately in the same category. I never purchased it until the other day when i kept seeing it at Walmart for bargain price of $7(two little bottles of cologne). I figured if i didn't like it, seven bucks is not a big deal
at first smell(in the bottle), i wasn't impressed-smelled a bit old and dated to me. I decided to give it a go on my wrist and ahh...there we go, the scent that brought me back to 1991. Warm vanilla ambery goodness. I really don't get anything "powdery" like lot of reviewers claim. I generally dislike powdery frags and there is no powder there. I don't get peach and greens at all-jasmine with ylang-ylang predominate, with amber on the drydown. Very warm rich sweet scent. If you like fruity or fresh light frags, this is definately not for you-but if you appreciate richer orientals, you will love this, just like i did. Tiny spritz on my wrist lasted for at least 5-6 hours and we are talking eau de cologne here, not even edt. That's some lasting power, amazing! I miss the times when the fragrances actually lasted as opposed to modern scents that you have to layer to make it last.
This is sexy, rich scent, perfect for night out or cold weather. Alas, i live in the tropics but i still intend to wear it, just use a light hand. Will definately repurchase!
P.S. Why is this called Navy, I have no idea-there is nothing "Navy" about it, since this is rich heady oriental
Yes, I remember wearing this in the early 90s. A very nice floral, suitable for the office if you were careful with application. And it lasted all day on my very dry skin. A *very* good value.
Would I wear it again? Maybe. Right now I have a lot of fragrances to use up, including samples my mom gave me because she didn't want them. I've probably got 5 years worth to use up.
Or, maybe not. Maybe Navy would remind me too much of a part of my life that's long gone.
Great classy inexpensive scent! I always find it at the old drugstores! Hasn't changed. Is a powdery Oriental.
Reminds me of Raffinee, but is even more powdery. Very nice and french-sexy for an inexpensive scent.
I like this perfume, lots of green notes and light; used to wear it alot at one point.
This is kind of an interesting scent. I totally missed it in the 90's; I saw it in stores but just wasn't too interested. I recently came across it in a giftset of tiny fragrances which included Chantilly, Tabu and Heaven Sent. I guess I had an idea in my mind of what something called "Navy" would smell like, and this surprised me! I'm not sure what that image was, just that this didn't fit it! Ha! I like this. I think it's softer than what I imagined; I guess I imagined a very sophisticated scent. On me this smells like a little bit of orange at first, then some soft, pretty spices, then powdery warmth. It's pretty. Well worth the price.
I can still remember Nicky Taylor's advertisements for this perfume. Loved it when I was a young kid, it made me feel so posh and so grown up, haha!
It doesn't list it here, but this scent contains cinnamon and coriander. I find it a little spicy on my skin, and quite sweet. A very interesting scent, could be nice for fall and winter. Not sure that it suits my body chemistry, but I'll wear it a few times and give it a fair chance.
this was a very nice amber scent. i have no idea what it smells like now. i wore this a lot. it was very popular and recognizable. for an inexpensive perfume it smelled sophisticated and classy. a very nice everyday scent. if the formula has changed i wouldn't be interested in it anymore.
I believe I am testing the new formulation, and I'm getting a lot of super-sweet powdery amber and vanilla. This rendition is not working for me!
This used to be a fantastic spicy floral. My sister wore it forever, and it returned the favor--its longevity was brilliant. I often found myself smelling the bottle, wondering if I should take a crack at it. When I finally crossed the gender line of fragrance, Navy was one of the first I wore (in addition to Venezia and Roma).
Sadly, I believe it has been reformulated, because when I bought a bottle earlier this year, its spicy wings were clipped, and in their place, a foghorn blanket of powder, which stifles every other note with its abhorrent power.
A real shame. Even the inexpensive ones get lobotomized.
To me, this smelled like someone poured black pepper into my bouquet of flowers. It was quite popular when I was a teen, but I never cared for it.
I remember this from back in my teenage years! Haven't seen it anywhere in a long while...but I would give it a testif I ever came across it again for old times sake.
Hello, may I suggest to you all, if you want a Fragrance that " Smells " just like Navy...but Better, Stronger and superior qaulity ? Well, try Boucheron ! Yes, that's right, very, very, VERY similar, almost twins really...In anycase, try it, it's WONDERFUL !
Oriental floral? This one always struck me as being very fruity. The topnotes of green and peach overwhelm everything else. This is a strong, sparkling type of scent just made for the summertime. It's as bright as the summer sun and the opening green notes give it a fresh, cool edge that hold up well in the heat. Clean and a bit sophisticated, perfect for any casual/outdoors event.
I used the body spray with the cologne today and I must say I LOVE this scent. Nothing else out there smells like good old Navy. Be careful though...if you apply too much, it literally makes you ill. Imagine what it is doing to the people around you. Applied correctly, it is great.
I wore this in the early 1990's as I was entering my teenage years.Probably bought it with what meager allowance money I had saved up, hehe. Thought it was a nice powdery oriental floral. It was pretty good for an inexpensive drugstore quality fragrance. Don't know if I could tolerate it now, probably too heady & dated for my more sophisticated thirty-something yr. old nose. I can't handle a dominant syrupy peach note anymore in any fragrance unfortunately. A "safe" affordable fragrance if it agrees with you.
I used to like Navy back in the 90s. A lady I worked with wore it and I liked the scent . I asked her what it was and said it was nice. I was very surprised that it was an affordable fragrance at drugstores. Unfortunately this lady began to spray twice as much of this on herself after I complemented her on it ! It was just awful, way too much. She figured if a little was good then a LOT was better . After being around this lady who took a bath in Navy every day, I no longer cared for it. I never wore this myself since my co-worker was wearing enough of it to
make everyone in the office pass out.
I never see it in the stores anymore so maybe it got overdone everywhere. It wasn't bad in moderation , kind of a pretty scent.
You want something to smell the same as Navy yet last the whole day try Ciara. I swear they smell very similar and on other people I can not tell them apart.
A gorgous scent but don't expect it to last more than one hour! What is going on with these cheap perfumes these days? I bought a couple small bottles the other day because I like the powdery scent and was totally disappointed in the length of scent power-not more than one hour the most and that is stretching it! Its almost dollar store quality! Save your money and get a good scent that lasts longer than these cheaper ones.
Such a nice smell, reminds me of my teenage years in the 90's when I got it as a gift from a relative and I was surprised when I smelled it. A very nice smell overall & I love orientals /oriental florals. Nice warm & rich smelling. I also have Shades by Navy. I pick it up during the holiday seasons and buy a small bottle mainly for nostalgia reasons. :-)
I enjoy this perfume a lot. On me it's really spicy then dries down to a nice powdery scent. Kind of has a masculine appeal to it. Smells really clean to me.
Navy is a gorgeous scent! I wore this back in the day and I bought a gift set 2 Christmas ago and I gave the 2 perfumes to my daughters.It smells so good powdery and soft vanilla and amber and long lasting for it to be cheap.I would like to buy another bottle.
This one was originally launched by Coty in the early 1990's. Noxell must be the current distributor of it. I see the same bottle listed on different websites as Coty, Dana and Noxell, but the signature bottle and box are just as they were when originally launched.
At any rate, I had a bottle of it in college. For an inexpensive drugstore fragrance, it was surprisingly sophisticated and long-lasting. It's truly an oriental floral, but those fruits and flowers gave way pretty quickly to the tenacious musky amber base. Very typical example of the sweet florientals that were popular late 80's/early 90's: Giorgio, Tresor, etc.
It smelled like a much more costly perfume than the affordable bit of luxury that it really was. I haven't seen it on drugstore shelves for awhile but it looks like it is still very affordable and available online. Worth a try for fans of amber scents.
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