Passion Elizabeth Taylor for women

This perfume smells good and I will always own a bottle in my collection. Yet this is a classic yes maybe alittle 80's and maybe outdated in some eyes I wear this sometimes not that much it is very strong but not by any means is it over the top or too strong I only like uber strong perfumes like my beloved Signature scent Estee Lauder Beautiful nothing smells better too me on gods green earth but passion is a great scent for some too each our own I find this brand out dated!

All the critics are right about this one. It's horribly 80's, far too strong and much too bold. It's brash, persistent and vulgar with lethal silage that lets everyone in the room know that you've arrived. It makes noses sneeze, eyes water and heads ache.

Fuck 'em I say. I LOVE this!

I revisited this little marvel as a pure perfume mini. This seems to be from the original 80s vintage batch as one drop fills the room and lasts all day. Passion is a violet wonder that is as iconic as its creator. Its jewel encrusted, elegant, formal and seductive. Its from the era of when perfume was marketed for adults.

Perfume snobs ignored it because of the price. Bear in mind, Liz built a perfume empire on this first offering. It was the marketing of genius. The cost of the ingredients must have been astronomical, yet Liz took a chance. Celebrity wannabes followed in her footsteps, with none coming close to her glamour.

I happen to find the bottle very beautiful. It reminds me of an amethyst cluster with a classic stopper. There is something very "Hollywood premier" about it. The contents always reminded me of of the color purple. Like the purple smoke rolling off Cleopatras barge in the classic film.

Liz in the 1960s, loved Bal a Versailles. This pays tribute to it with its smokey/civety character. This is more like the larger than life offerings from the 1980s, however. The tuberose is blatant with jasmine and a purple rose supporting it. I always felt there had to be some violet hidden in there next to the iris. The leather note reminds me of elegant pumps and handbags. Its a lavish floriental that seems out of place in the sanitized "candy sweet" perfume environment of today.

I find it similar to Byzance more than anything. That says a lot! Its a bit darker and naughtier, but we are talking about Liz Taylor here. Its anything but old fashioned. Its now a classic. Her spirit will live forever with this signature beauty. Brazen, sexy, sassy, and seductive. It dances like a "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof"!

Elizabeth Taylor's Passion edt, is in my opinion an underrated fragrance. I was shocked that so many people hate this, but that's probably only because, this is an 80's Big Loud and leathery scent. So if you don't like that kind of fragrances, avoid this one. To my nose, Passion is a warm, spicy and leathery oriental, very very dark and dusty. It opens with one of the loudest civet notes I've ever smelled. After a while it settles and releases a mysterious combination of incence, vanilla, leather and sandalwood. Good silliage and longivity. You only need the tiniest amount, otherwise you will find it very overpowering.
It shares some similarities with Opium(77'),Poison(85'),Coco(84'), Trussardi(84), but Passion has its own identity. I have to say, for a drugstore oriental, this is hands down.

I honestly think that this is a very beautiful fragrance. It may start out loud and brash but the dry down is very wearable and pleasant. It last all day on me, and I have found myself buying back -ups. It is fairly cheap and for the price it it really is worth giving it a try. If the only reason you find it to be unpleasant is because you think it suits "Old Ladies" than maybe you should hold onto your bottle, because when you become an old lady surely you cant be caught wearing the modern stuff.

i love this so much could be my signature!

I hate this fragrance with a red-hot 'passion'. Though I can't articulate it, something in this formulation repulses me upon impact and does not improve after the dry-down. With my biochemistry, this is an absolute no-way scent for me.

Ohhh boy... I recived a small sample of this today ( order it from allegro.pl.. polish version of ebay.com). This is darkness, heavy and smokey... like begin in a dark forest with somebody that you just know you should not be with... but just cannot help yourself. After 20 mins I can smell... gardenia, honey, tuberose, patchouli, leather and a little bit vanilla. I must say I like it :) It has a nice vintage smell to it.. maybe that "old lady" smell. However, I rather be smelling like an old lady than a cheap stripper perfume :) TRY IT! You should even be suprised ( like me)

I wish there was a clothing line to go with this perfume! Like some nice S&M items. It's so dark and beautiful and filled with a lot of potent notes.
I am not sure exactly if Civet is what I'm smelling because I don't know what it smells like BUT since I have yet to smell anything like Passion, I'm going to agree with everyone else that it sits on top.
I can certainly smell the Leather and Incense! And oh my God, it is amazing. It mixes amazingly with the other dark, woody notes so well and my co-workers ask everytime I wear this, "What do you have on?" which always makes this just a bit more special.
Just like most of Taylors perfumes, a little goes a long way. Spritz with caution!

I have been looking at my little purple bottle of Passion lately, and I think it has been looking back. Wondering why I don't open it up and sniff, and better yet, put it on? It has been far too long. I don't know why I did it last evening, but I'm glad I did!

I wore this almost daily in the early 90's; I have the sort of skin type that drinks in the big frags and wants more. It is smoky, silky, warm and a bit leathery, with a large floral presence,and it warms up to those notes at the drydown, settles down and stays. For a long while. Less is more with Passion. The vintage EDP will last 6-8 hours, and is the only version I have ever tried.

I remembered that I like almost all of Elizabeth Taylor's perfumes but I love Passion!

This is strong and long lasting. It's in the name: passion. Either you love it or hate it because that's what it is. It's definitely for nighttime wear, and it's sexy. It's less innocent and more revealing than others. But still classy

I feel that this perfume should be in a white bottle. It is sensual indeed - the musk, the balm, but it offers such a gentle caress that it can be worn beautifully during the day.

It's not intoxicating, it is just passionately sweet and embracing.

I'm 25, and I don't find this as having anything to do with old women. Perhaps it is the mix of balm and powder which give people that impression?

I love it. Great for fall and winter. Very comforting.

Actually rather lovely and very undervalued as price never insures longevity (some large investment parfums have been my biggest disappointments this has great lasting power). Lovely, all woman and
brazen enough to say it! very Elizabeth Taylor and very gorgeous. It takes the right pheromones to pull this off it is like the song "The Lady is a Tramp" it is classy but still a broad under that swanky mink. I detect leather, civet, adelhydes and jasmine on me personally. Very pleasant mixed with smoke as well. Cute bottle! very old fashioned looking.

Started off like a cross between air freshener and cheap men's aftershave. 10 minutes later it became something gorgeous... a dark satiny incense delight. Thumbs up... a very nice surprise.

Want to make people turn heads when you walk by in both a good and a bad way? Layer this with Tom Ford's Black Orchid and prepare to stop men, women. children and animals dead in their tracks!

I've just tried this and at first I got blackberries, fruit-wood smoke, elderberries. After a while, I could smell dark chocolate, a hint of gardenia, maple syrup, a touch of patchouli. It is possibly too sophisticated for my taste, but I shall try it again and see if it grows on me! I like it but not in the way I usually like a perfume.

This is not one to knock you out, but it's not one to hate either... It is not like any other perfume I have tried.

What on earth do people mean by "old lady" - does it mean as opposed to "teeny-bopper schoolgirl"? Aren't all old ladies different, like all teens, with different tastes and styles? Is Madonna now an "old lady"? Are old ladies only old ladies if they haven't had plastic surgery? It's confusing and nothing to do with perfumes.

When young ladies can boast the achievements of the likes of Liz Taylor from a very early age, then maybe they have earned the right to refer to 'old ladies' in such a generalised and, in my opinion, insulting way. Talk to some old ladies, you might even learn something useful.

There is no such thing as an old woman's perfume - if a perfume smells good on you, wear it!

As for the bottle - I can't agree that it is 'ugly' at all! It is in the Art Deco style and very much in vogue, enjoying a rebirth.

I love this fragrance and I always get plenty of compliments from both male and females when I were it out. I do think that not everyone can were it and it wont smell the same on everyones skin. One of my favorites and always will be.

I tried a mini of this at Big Lots this month and was unpleasantly surprised. Still, it was a very informative experience! If I had read the notes here first, I never would have had the courage to try it, which would have been a shame. Powerful 80s scents give me a sense of getting my money's worth if sprayed judiciously, and I like the fact that no one my age is wearing them! Despite that, the first hour of this was truly awful - like a harsh male cologne. Leaving it on until the heart took patience, but it did improve some, to the extent that I could actually smell the cedar and perhaps rose. The base was my limit and required vigorous scrubbing, as this amount of musk + civet is nauseating on me. For my heady cedar fragrance, I will stick with Timeless. Good luck, lovers of animalic potions; this has outstanding sillage and longevity for the price!

If overapplied Passion is just too much of everything. It's like all the major notes are competing for the spotlight: the leather, aldehydes, and civet seem to be equally as strong and don't seem to go together
BUT!
Lightly applied, one small dab of Passion is wonderfully warm and sophisticated. Slightly spicy, powdery, and sexily animalic. The leather blends beautifully. The dry down sweetens up with vanilla.

With Elizabeth Taylor perfumes, how much is applied is key, because Liz Taylor perfumes are PERFUMES and they are strong with many notes involved.

*thanks to Conifer lover for the sample!

This fragrance put me in olfactory shock! It doesn't smell of passion!)))) I can't understand how E. Taylor could have this concept, how she could imagine that passion may smell of old leather bag + old man cologne in it which leaked in the bag and stayed there forever)))) For me this is anti - master piece of all times! Just awful! Dirty smell haunting me even I washed and scrub my hand several times!

Utterly divine, big, animalic perfume with a lot of everything I love and a whole lot of punch! Civet is beautifully prominent, its probably one of the best mainstream fragrances that showcases this note. I love civet, though its popularity fades, I love the demure, raw charm it offers here. Big aldehydes in this scent, not unpleasant though, tamed nicely by florals. Lots of leather, and honey, lovely oakmoss and incense. The whole perfume is enveloped by musk. I only have love for this fragrance! Very reminiscent of Chanel Coco and Zlavita Red Maroussia, this one fist perfectly with my collection and preference for frags. Civet lovers should definitely acquire this!

Since I got the 50ml Eau de Parfum of Angel, this one seems to have paled.. my love became like. Probably a question of seasonal chemistry but in summer, this smells kind of stale on me . It goes nowhere and whereas it was a comfort scent to me, now it reminds me of funerals. Probably another mnemonic association.. I do love you Liz, but this one, i now just like.. on others

I love passion for men, and realised I've never sniffed the original for women. So had to order a small bottle.

At first.. musty dusty incense ... as it dries down it becomes better and better. I'd say it takes about an hour and what you are left with is a beautiful, very soft, smokey boudior type of incense smell, slightly woodsy, slightly herbal and just a touch of powder.It is more dry and less sweet, but sort of projects a semi-sweet vibe. It's also fairly original, I can say I honestly dont have anything really too similar, which I cant say about most of my others.

Very sexy, very nice frag. The bottle is prety disturbingly cheap, however I've found that if you trash the plastic topper/cap, then the bottle is actually kind of nice. I love the color and the art deco feel to it. Also I like how it has the tall skinny neck at the sprayer, like old shiseido fem du bois.. and others (weird I know, but I've always been fond of the neck, lol). Now I display my passion proudly with my collection. My exotic dark purple beauty with the lovely long neck, has found a new home... looking prety with a new haircut, lol :)

FYI - The pure parfum bottle has a purple glass topper to match the bottle, and is gorgeous!

reporting back, it's now over 12 hours later and I can still detect traces of the drydown. I forgot what I had on and it smelled so nice, then it finally came to me that passion was my last perfume. So I'd say this is very long lasting, be it, it's very faint, but still very prety

I would love to smell the pure parfum. Sooo very tempting, prety reasonable on ebay right now, hmmmm

overall 8/10
for the price? a big 10

I have to agree with nopasho and sorcerer on this. It is not my favorite scent at all, but I am very impressed with the way Elizabeth Taylor created her fragrances. She did them for her customers and her fans. This has a very vintage smell, powder and vintage perfume, and she knew that many of her customers would like this. I don't like the top notes, but I like it as it dries down. I think she had her customers' interests in mind, and I like that. A very decent fragrance.

I've got a mini of this. I don't think it's 'off' but sorry Passion fans, to me it smells of the 30 yr old talcum powder that used to languish in a little vanity case under my Mum's bed!
Old talcum powder mixed with pungent 1970s aftershave.
Anyone want my mini?
Heehee. :)
UPDATE: Ebayed/gone.

I think the connection between Poison and Passion is they were hugely popular at the same time. Poison is totally different , no comparison.

I know an 82 year old woman who only wears Passion. It smells nice and powdery on her. The lasting power is unreal too. I think it smells a bit "old lady" though . I admit it is likely because I associate it with an elderly woman .

It is a nice fragrance though and from time to time I toy with the idea of buying it for myself.

i hate poison,and i love "passion"....my nose "do" the différence,really ,not the same at all!!!!!

very similar dior poison...less expensive...

j'ai acheté ce parfum en 1998,le nom m'a repoussé(mème si c'est elisabeth taylor....bof),le flaccon m'a semblé délicieusement old lady ,j'aime le violet ,après j'ai senti sur mon poignet,un rève synthétique et pléthorique mais un rève ou je m 'enfonce dans une tenture violette,il y ade la pluie ,du lilas.on ne trouve guère ce parfum en france,je le commande sur un site américain.un parfum sous estimé.ka

After all the years this frag has been in the market, I finally tried it. So OK...at first kind of strong. But as it develops, it leaves a musky, powdery smell that could be perfect for layering. Not overpowering at all. On me, it doesn't last very long; or must be a reformulation.
Edit: Layered it with vanilla perfumes and I love it! It ads a more intense and smoky feel to these kind of frags.

This scent is harsh,strange and serious but I love it.

Why?Because it's Elizabeth Taylor.

I just recieved my bottle of Parfum in a little cut glass amethyst bottle and man does this have some strength - one tiny dot on my wrist and Bam! Very smoky and very oriental - I smelled alot of Pinetarsol at first but now its drying down to a mix of KL and Knowing, theres a touch of opium there but its definitely more like KL on me. Its one of those hot then cold fragrances. One second I'm loving it, the next I want to wash it off. But now I can't stop sniffing it. This would smell gorgeous on a man.

Light day time version of E.Lauder Cinnabar-like perfumes for the winter and fall. It does not last very long, about 2-4 hours. Nothing from old ladies fashion especially the dry downs. Slightly smoky and sweet. Not sure if I will buy again but it is a nice experience for the people who loves ET and her lovely perfumes.

@nopasho
awesome review, I do sort of feel the same way about the bottle, (im assuming you meant the new one they sell it in). The reason it looks so crappy is because it is a mock up of the factice. I think thats the problem with perfume bottles today, they lack the beauty of the factice. While yes, it may be too costly to produce a diamond studded bottle or leaded crystal, one could still make nice looking bottles just out of glass. Glass is not THAT expensive, it just takes slightly more time and money to produce than a cheapy plastic one. I think the seal of doom on this bottle is the cheap plastic cap. Rather than looking like a nice alternative version to the gorgeous factice, they made it the burger king toy of bottles. So i suggest if anyone thinks its lackluster like it look for the next art deco factice on ebay or elsewhere. It might cost you a bit, but if you love Elizabeth's scents it is a collector's item and will only increase in value; well worth it.

And once and for all i want to speak my mind about her fragrances. People are going to complain no matter what you do. ITS A FACT, accept it. Its too strong, its too stinky, its too cheap. Well on the other hand there are people commenting on the perfumes of couturiers and designers that they are too weak, overpriced, etc etc. Well what do you want exactly?!

Most people who dislike her fragrances and look down their noses at them do so mainly because they dont understand her personality. Elizabeth Taylor wasn't really in any way demure, niether are her fragrances. At the height of her acting career this was the standard of perfumes, for women AND men. THEYRE STRONG, that was the point. It was a time when brandy, cigars, and strong perfume were the staples at any so called "dignified" social gathering.
Secondly, her intent and marketing strategy is nothing short of brilliant and fair. Her scents are meant to be available to everyone. Listen to her interview for white diamonds; i wanted to create a scent that exudes the sparkle and shine of diamonds, but that everyone can have and feel beautiful with. (paraphrased from memory) All of her perfumes are in essence costume jewelry. Openly defiant in their false nature and meant to just be beautiful because they appear that way, not beautiful because they appear to have cost you a lot.
By taking this marketing stance, which was really a moderate/middle road, she made the greatest number of people happy. A step above youth-dew and estee lauder, but not quite designer priced either, its not cheap but its not kidding anybody about how much it costs to produce. Rather than selling it for far more than it costs to produce, they take a cut in profits and instead earn loyal and returning happy customer base.
Sorry to be so long winded, but i hate when people are so opinionated about things, especially Elizabeth Taylor's scents and dont do their homework first :-P She didnt merely say, "hell it works, put my name on it" and put it on the shelves. These perfumes were her life's work in a time when she was no longer acting in any large roles like she used to. You can tell she put her heart into all of them, good or bad. She was a beautiful, but rough and tumble and it shows in the fragrances. I think that is what people have such a hard time with and spit it all back out disgusted.

This came in a mixed batch of mini bottles bought blind on ebay. I have never smelled any perfume by Elizabeth Taylor before, and probably would not have gone out of my way to do so. But oh, I am glad I got this. It really packs a punch in the big '80's manner - stacks of aldehydes and a BIG floral but nothing sour, just a very strong and sweet bouquet. As it dried down I also get an almost "suntan lotion" undertone. The base notes of civet, musk, incense and leather are surprisingly prominent, adding a lot of interest to the florals.

I will probably only wear this at night and also in winter - waaaaay too cloying for hot weather, but I think it would be a wonderful comfort perfume for frosty nights & cuddling up. My mini should last for ages as you only need one drop to keep you going for about 6 hours. For someone who is not all that keen on big florals, I can honestly say I am glad to have tried this one.

I also suspect young girls would hate this and label it "you know what" but I am a you know what and it suits me fine! My heart lifts when I sniff this.

Wow, Nopasho! I think you should change your name, that review had plenty of "pasho" in it! If my beloved Tentations hadn't been one of the fragrances in your have list, I think I'd have found you too scary to talk to! However, since I too am passionate about fragrances which are powerful, (sometimes it's not enough to make people sit up and take notice, you want to take them by the lapels and make them hang on your every whim!) I'm going to look into buying this to try it, I'll edit this post to let you know what I think when I've tried it!

The smell never goes away until you shower. And speaking of the shower, if you want to smell like you haven't showered in months -- wear Passion.

Well nopasho, that is some review you have here!! I agree totally! I am surprised myself people almost being angry that perfumes are attainable and worship the ones that are not. Impossible to understand for me, because I don't like to pay high prices for a perfume that smells only 5 minutes! This one is indeed a gem, but you are right, the bottle is really awful!

Time for a some much needed rehabilitation. Time to get the record straight. First a confesession: the bottle is downright ugly. BUT... the frag inside is divine, worthy of the lovely 'one of a kind' Miss Violet Eyes.
I won't make myself popular with trend junkies and fashion victims here by talking about this hidden gem and positive at that! For a lot of youngsters and readers of Cosmo and Seventeen, Liz Taylor, and her frags are 'old crap'. IMHO you have two kind of perfumes: good quality (good sillage, great longevity) frags with an own face; and bad, cheaply produced generic interchangable 'breezes in the wind' creations of the 'Mad Men' at the 'Ad Agencies'. Don Draper would love the tsunami of fruity florals. Hell, he even would have invented them! But for himself, he would prefer strong fighter Liz and certainly her 'Passion'. The strange thing is that those fleeting celeb fruities are often more expensive than some good long lasting original frags. If you can combine the best of both worlds: good ones that are inexpensive, then even Don Draper is happy and you go up on my personal ladder that leads to perfume wahalla. 'Passion' is 80% on the way to become highly estimated. But because of the affordability and prejudices, will never make it as a 'classic' in 'take yourself too serious' reviewer circles. The irony is that Liz started the 'celeb fragrance' trend, but now is pissed upon by the fans of the 2012 'sweetie pie' celeb scents.
The much villified 'Passion' by Liz Taylor belongs in the 'good' category, to be clear'. Liz herself is already in heaven or hell arguing with Richard Burton and driving god or the devil crazy, and her 'Passion' deserves to follow her there.
Heaps of sh*t have been poured over this fragrance. It is strong, it has presence, it is remarkable, it is accessible to a large audience, it is versatile. Remarkable frags get a lot of flak. The caravan of fruity florals, you just let pass without comment and fade away by themselves. No need to analyse them. 'Passion' smells like the great Miss Taylor herself was: explosive, unique, strong, no b*llshit, deliver the goods or get your *ss kicked. She rocked big time! An original. Like her 'Passion'. To be clear: I'm no particular fan of Miss Taylor as an actress. She was 'A Personality' and she launched some remarkable fragrances, of which I like 'Passion' for women best. And I always review a fragrance on its own merits, by the way. I don't care about the fashion du jour, what's in and what's out. For me it is about the fragrance. Forget the bottle, forget the box, forget the face and forget those violet eyes in this case. This is the proof: by praising this 'unfashionable 80's icon' I'll get sh*t poured over me by the vat-load, by the fruity floral brigade. I like 'Coco', 'Le Baiser du Dragon', 'Black Orchid'... and it always puzzled me why this 'Passion' that is one step below those classics but a lot of steps above most contemporary 'one year and then gone' fragrances, has been kicked into the pit of oblivion and fashion conspiracy contempt.
'Passion' is like the apt name: it is strong, takes no prisoners, demands total surrender to discover its deep beauty and it is love or hate, with a thin line between the two. Wild, no holds barred, liberating passion! Liz was definetly a stong woman, well 'Passion' matches her strong character and personality. Most of Liz's fragrances ('White Diamonds' 'Diamonds and Sapphires'... as we all now Liz had something with gems, and with aslos 'passion' for that matter!) are florals, but 'Passion' is a true complex oriental in the vein of 'Obsession' and 'Coco'. But more powerful, less rounded maybe but still velvelty, a bit syntetic smelling maybe (but also much less costly than those classics à la 'Coco') 'Passion' aims directly for a woman's heart/emotions/lust/desire and a man's libido (men are simple creatures, I know) instead of distributing candy to underaged fantasy girls. 'Passion' is like Liz in 'Whose afraid of Virginia Woolf?'. No compromise, hard and tender, bitchy and sweet, yelling and purring... but always strong and with an awesome presense. Like her fragrance 'Passion'. You are in awe of the sheer power and 'ugly beauty' of the frag.
Don't you think that the bottle looks like a bit like an early, unfinished and maybe ugly stariting version of the 'Alien'-bottle? But 'Passion-the-Frag' is as strong as Muglers masterpiece. And preceded it. 'Passion' is overwhelmingly sultry and rich. The name 'Diva' was already taken by Ungaro, but this should be named 'Diva'. It is everything 'Obsession' is, but then stepped up some degrees. And that also means almost 'at the top' and very close to 'over the top'. But if you like radical, strong, unforgettable, in your face, strong fragrance suprises like 'Alien', 'Obsession' and 'Opium', you'll like 'Passion' and pay much less for it than for the YSL, CK or Mugler name brand. Time to try this great, great juice for some dollars. 'Passion' is in every sense grand, 'more is more' and 'more than more is even better'.
Look at that collection of notes. Wowwzzers! And the result is: 'Wham, bam bam bam bam bam, thank you very, very much m'am. And I’ll be surely back soon for more and more and more. Of your fragrance.' This is a shameless 'Womanity'. A celebration of the power of female seduction and sensuality. And so the 'mother' of all openly 'dirty in a good way' sensual scents like 'Boudoir', 'Bal à Versailles'... It is an adult woman's world. Girls are not yet allowed. Like the unforgettable Neil Diamond song in Tarantino's 'Pulp Fiction': 'Girl you'll be a Woman soon'. Fantasy Girl, you will be allowed to use Passion when you are 'a Woman'.
Top: Aldehydes, artemisia, coriander, bergamot, gardenia
Middle: Honey, tuberose, sandalwood, orris root, patchouli, jasmine, heliotrope, cedar, rose
Top: Leather, musk, vanilla, coconut, incense, civet, oakmoss.
The strongest notes all together. And a lot of them. Extra strenght. That is maybe why a lot of people don't like it. It is too strong, too intense, too dense, too overwhelming, too 'elusive' for a lot of people, too confrontational with their own sexuality. Because, together with 'Bal à Versailles' and 'Boudoir' this is 'da sexual bomb'! But less velvety than 'Boudoir' and as dense but less animalistic than 'Bal à Versailles'. Most fragrances have one of the three levels as the strong one and the two others as less strong. Here all three levels are full on! And then some more. I have to admit that in an earlier review I talked about the strongest base I had ever seen, but I must recant. 'Passion' has the strongest base I have ever encountered. Look at that force! Leather: dzong!, musk: dzing!, incense: padam!, civet (artificial): wham!, oakmoss: whoosh!. Only the coconut and the vanilla tone it down a bit. Also note that the 3 classic notes of a chypre are present, neatly divided in the different levels: oak moss in the base, patchouli in the middle and bergamot in the top. So there is a classical chypre hidden in this intricate passionate fragrance. And much more. Aldehydes (the power of Chanel 5), artemisia and gardenia (a favorite note of Liz) in the top. Plus some coriander to spice things up. Talk about starting with a bang, Marc Jacobs! From a peppery whimper (Jacobs) to a real bang with Liz-the-Maneater! Only the bergamot makes it a bit fresher. The middle is also of the strongest I have seen. Nine notes! And of the heavy caliber: Honey! Tuberose! Heliotrope! Jasmine! Sandalwood! Patchouli! Orris! Cedar! Rose! Enough to even knock your granny out, but a lover-of-strong-fragances' dream come true! All these notes are fused into one heck of a strong fragrance. The effect is a mix of animalistic, floral and spices, without radically choosing for one direction. It takes the best of all three aspects(animalistic, floral, spicy), but as a result is less radical than 'Bal a Versailles' (animalistic) and less floral-dirty (indolic jasmine)-velvety (Boudoir') that choose more for one aspect. But as unashamedly sensual, bold, 'come hither' and à la Mae West risqué: 'Is that a gun in your trousers or are you just happy to see me?' 'Very happy, Mae!', 'Passion' cna hardly be beat. 'Passion' would be Mae West's sig frag without a doubt.
'Passion' is like 'Obsession': a strong fused scent. But because of the ceaper price, less rounded, more straight in your face, more 'like it or leave it'. It is like the Liz at her top: vibrant, unmissable passionate, complex and certainly not linear, always 'on' and 'there', filling a theatre all by herself, intense, a force of nature that steamrolls over you with your total consent.
Most present at first spray are civet, tuberose, incense, aldehydes, gardenia, sandalwood, honey. But it is such a complex fragrance that it changes constantly. The notes are totally fused, but depending on your skin chemistry, every note makes an appearance during the long development. The phrase 'bang for your buck' was no doubt invented for 'Passion'.
So forget the ugly bottle: the fragrance is divine. Again not for the faint of heart and certainly not for the lovers of aquatics, fruity florals, sporty fragances, eau's, 'légère's', 'summer editions' or 'infusions de...' frags. This fragrance rocks hard, and doens't care about upsetting your nose formed by 'Aqua di Gio'-style frags. It oozes 'oomph' and packs a whallop and a punch. Like the power fragrances of the '80's style', whatever that is. Good 'old lady' stuff that is realistically prized.
I'm sure that each night God lets Liz and Burton in heaven (or the Devil in Hell) play 'Who's afraid of Virigina Woolf?', booze it up and then organise a wild passionate party in his heaven/hell. On one condition: that Liz wears her magically, bewitching, heavenly/hell bent 'Passion'. A true gift to the gods with a devillish twist. At an affordable price. What do you want more?

A deep, intense, smoky scent which lasts the whole night through. This is not only the best E.T frag for me...I rate this the best evening frag ever, every ex partner or friend has always complemented this one, telling me its 'my fragrance'. An expensive smell, yet affordable. I seldom see this in shops, yet White Diamonds is very much in the shops. Dont get me wrong, I like all E.T frags, but White Diamonds better than this?

Well its January so time to wear Passion, I love it !!! Have been wearing this for years, always get compliments and I am a man. People always ask what I am wearing, V strong and best sprayed 15 minutes before leaving the house, amazing silage and art deco bottle.

I have never smelled anything like this on anyone, smoky, intense and beautiful. I wear in the winter evenings, great winter scent. Liz's masterpiece in my opinion.

(This review is for recent EDT version).

I love trying scents from the past and I found many gems to add to my collection. Unfortunately this one did not agree with my chemistry or my tastes. PASSION surely is a complex scent that carries this grandiose ‘big hair’ 80s feel but there is something about this scent that smells a bit tacky and cheap to my nose especially in the first hour of its development. I have never tried the vintage one, so perhaps it was better than reformulated one I have.

The scent opens with tons of aldehydes and I do not mean gentle or soft ones. It is an aldehydes assault – sharp, strong and abrasive. I love when aldehydes are gentle, soft and powdery like in Chanel no. 5, as I think they could smell extremely elegant. This is not happening here. This is an example of cheap-smelling and stinky aldehydes that I never want to smell on me or anyone else around me. There is also this animalistic civet-like undertone that clings to the aldehydes and would not let go. The composition continues on this trajectory in the heart notes joined by the tuberose and jasmine. I start seeing an improvement after one hour when the scent becomes softer, sweeter and creamier with the notes of heliotrope, honey and woods. There is an earthy and woody tone to the scent at this point, which I am starting to like. The dry down is a nice mix of oakmoss, musky notes and leather softened by the milky notes of vanilla-coconut. Of course there is a load of civet to top it up, so the dry down has definite animalistic tone to it but it is quite pleasant. The lasting power and sillage are strong.

I have to give this 5/10 for the reformulated version. The dry down notes are not bad but I do not like the opening or heart notes that much.

For some reason, everytime my dad wants to gice me a present, he buys this perfume for me. It was the same scent my grandmother used to use. Way too strong and powdery. I always say thank you but I really do not wear it.

Alright.
I can't keep my mouth shut on this one. Is it possible that the bottles available now are 20 years old, and have turned?
The reason I ask is that I have crazy-sexy memories connected to this perfume! Back in the mid 90s my BF gave me a bottle for X-mas. Like an aphrodisiac, this fragrance made it almost impossible for us to keep our clothes on. Also, when I was dressed, I got loads of compliments.
Perhaps the supply currently available is too old, or reformulated.
I would be afraid to try a fresh batch, at my age now. That kind of behavior could kill me!

I have the edt, and it is strong as edp

Mmmm... this is pure memory!
I still have a small mini from the '80s and it makes me smile, because it is actually quite gross and like an "oriental" punch in your nose, but it doesn't lack some kind of attractiveness.
I used to smell it a lot because a girl in my clasroom wore it constantly and it suited her style! We were only 16...
It has some resemblance with Dior Poison (same era) but it is like the powdery American cousin trying hard to smell European as a matter of imagery.
After initial strong spray it settles down to a softer feminine powdery scent with some spice.
Not so bad after all. Too '80s in my mind to wear now.

Before hating on this, pop the spray top off and dab it on. I found myself not liking it at first but desperately wanting to. After trying it this way it smelled less smokey and more rounded and i was actually able to pick up on different notes and i love it. Some scents just dont smell right sprayed and vice versa.

My husband got me a set of Elizabeth's perfume minis. One of them was this one. I read the reviews and thought here goes nothing and sprayed it. Well I think it just smells like baby powder but in an adult way. I don't find it offensive or too strong. I put a tiny bit on my neck and wrists. I asked my friends if I smelled ok and they said it just smelled powdery but it suited me. I suppose when something has powder in it people think it smells stale or old fashioned but I find it comforting but that's just me each to their own. It lasts but I wouldn't spray on clothing or scarf because then I think it will smell stale if that makes any sense.

This one takes me back to the 1980's Pure Liz Taylor glamour this fragrance works a treat on me but a little goes a long way, great for cooler evenings, voluptuous, intense, this scent is a statement !

I found a small sample of this and decided to test it. wow, this is overpowering straight from the bottle. Gross and old smelling. Wouldn't want this on my skin!

I got a mini EdT of Passion as part of a set of Elizabeth Taylor fragrances. I agree with other reviewers--it is VERY strong, and all you need is a tiny drop (even of the EdT). It has incredible staying power--lasted from one evening to the next and clings to fabrics. I REALLY wanted to like this one, but it was too male/female at the same time--it teased me with some luxe femininity, but strongly reminded me of my grandpa's Old Spice-ish cologne/aftershave. I felt like I was in someone else's skin the entire time I was wearing it. This would be great for a lady with a touch of masculine aesthetic to her style--I could see Ellen DeGeneres wearing it. A friend who sniffed my wrist said it smelled old-ladyish, but I didn't get that impression.

Back when passion first came out, I couldn't wait to rush to the perfume counter to get a bottle. Needless to say, as much as I wanted to love this, it wasn't for me. I think I was just to young for this scent. I recently came across a bottle again and now I am in love. The drydown is so soft and powdery, just lovely.
A favorite vintage scent.

I'v to say something more about this. Yesterday when i was writing the previous review, i was smelling it on my wrist.
Today after a shower, i can really enjoy it and i still can smell it clearly.
I guess the trick is just a spriz on wrists (never on the clothes, i did it once for almost a month ago and i still can smell it on the cloths, its bad) and take a shower. This way is kinda pleasant.
This perfume has the most strong lasting power i ever saw.

This one is something i just cant explain...i really dont know if i hate it...cause sometimes i like it. It remembers me the hypnotic poison by dior after 1/2 hour...but much stronger. And with this second one i'v the same problem.~
When i feel i like it, i dont have the guts to use it in public...cause i'm afraid ppl say i smell like something old.
Whatever i cant give it away, maybe someday i can use it.

As much as I admire Elizabeth Taylor, i don't have one good thing to say about this perfume. I do love stong perfumes, but when you combine strong and cheap quality, you have a conction suitable for repelling both insects and poeple. This one is strong and musty, like an old fur coat....very cheap smell. I rarely put a fragrance into the stinker category, but this is it. If you want to be a walking disaster- go ahead and put it on!

Damn, this stuff just wouldn't come off even after multiple washes!!! It made me really nauseated....never again!

A tribute to Elizabeth Taylor - long may she rest in Peace. Will find a bottle of Passion and wear in her memory - there will never be anyone else like her - she was the last of the Hollywood Superstars. Vale Elizabeth!

Another unique fragrance from Ms Taylor. Many people won't like this but those who do will recognize it for the gem it is. You only need the TINIEST amount, otherwise you will find it overpowering. Many people today have become so accustomed to light floral/candy and inoffensive scents that they ruin this one with a too liberal application. But just put on a dab and you will find a warm and mature fragrance that lasts and lasts.

And now for a gripe. Some of you with long memories like me may have noticed that the packaging for this perfume has changed, Unfortunately, so has the juice. I bought a new bottle recently and it is very different form my old bottle from the 80s. Not as strong and without the lovely depth it once had. The staying power is almost nil. Undeterred, I have been going into musty old stores and was lucky to find a genuine unopened vintage bottle of Passion. Look for bottles with the small gold diamond shape on the front if you want to find the lovely Passion in its original form.

I remember reading and article how knock-off perfumes were killing the integrity of perfumes. I would dare to say that the manufacturers are doing a good enough job of that themselves.

Awesomeness just gifted me a little less than an ounce of Passion. Why was I being such a snob? I love it! What is not to love. First, I love most aldehydes. Then as a bonus I get sandalwood, patchouli, civet, leather. and musk. Then the lovely incense kicks in.

I agree with Fruitdiet. This is an overlooked masterpierce. It is like finding a million dollar baby in a five and ten cent store.

The sillage is great and the staying power is superior. For the price, I would give it a five out of five.

Thank you awesomeness for this gift!

This stuff's abhorrent one moment and intriguing the next. I can't decide. At first spritz it wasn't so bad. It was grape-y and smoky. As it wore down, all kinds of images started coming to my mind: the smell of a new car...a leather lazy boy from the 80's...sitting next to an ash tray at the airport...a thrift shop with mildewy clothes...grandma's dusty attic...a pair of old sneakers...a leather jacket worn at the Blue Oyster (if you are a fan of the 80's movie Police Academy). There's something so overtly dingy about this fragrance. There is also something really freaking fabulous about the 80's-retro-purple bottle. An urban hipster type of girl could seriously rock this perfume.

ok, so after reviewing white diamonds( which i can't wear) and black pearls (which i can't stand) its time to review this lux fragrance. the 1st time i used this i hated it. left it on the shelf and picked it up again and tried it just before xmas. i have to say, on first spray, i still don't like it, but after it dries down. well, this is the liz taylor perfume for me. it has the most, clean, powdery fragrant scent. kind of like i just got out of the bath after using some really expensive bath oil. this i love and i love the bottle, very chic.

Passion smells just like baby powder to me and I simply love it. Its one of my favorites. I also love Black Pearls and Diamonds and Rubies. I always get compliments for her fragrances.

I bought a full bottle at a yard sale for $1. Couldn't beat the price. Yes, it's heady and intense but hey, I like strong scents-until while wearing it to lunch and I developed a fever. The scent became so so intense I couldn't wait to get home and wash it off . I haven't given up on it, I want my money's worth(!). Actually, it's a wonderful mature fragrance which I wear with confidence. Thank you.

Smelling this straight from the bottle I can almost imagine it being an aftershave. After having tried it on my skin I can truly say it is a refined, albeit subdued oriental. A grown up-sexy oriental.
Not overpowering even though there are aldehydes in the top note. This could be a believeable unisex fragrance.

I don't like this frag. it smells old, nothing sexy or passionate.. just a sharp old fasioned masculin scent. i stay away from this one.

I LOVE Liz Taylor's first two fragrances, but White Diamonds suffers from overexposure. White Diamonds is also less friendly, more costumey and baroque than Passion, and while White Diamonds is somewhat masculine by today's standards, Passion is decidedly unisex. It's a lovely, cheap, heady, gaudy, loud, civet incense fragrance, plain and simple. I would recommend it as a budget-friendly alternative for fans of Comme des Garcons's incense series in a heartbeat. I would also recommend it to hippies who wish to graduate from patchouli oil but retain a headshop feel in their fragrance. The prominent animalics growling underneath the resinous, powdery, purple-smelling incense are what make it such a winner for me. I'd love to smell this on a woman, but I'd probably pass out with pleasure if I smelled it on a man. It can always be found for less than $15, and full bottles of the vintage parfum pop up at flea markets constantly. An underrated classic.

I had a friend who used to wear it in high school. It's an ok scent but not for a 16 year old no matter how old you are trying to make your self look.

I love Passion. What a unique scent. At first it seems kind of strong. But after a couple minutes it starts to calm down. It has a very romantic, relaxing feel to it. And the bottle is great. very vintage, unique.

An eighties SCREAMER. But honestly, I enjoy it, even though it evokes memories of massive hair, shoulder pads, and frosty lipstick.

Having said that... I would never wear this one in public. Its a perfume that I think everyone has smelled at some point in their lives, probably one times to many.

Its hard to describe because its such a conglomerate of smells but it still manages to hold my interest. Its sweet and spicy, with animalic notes that come out in the drydown. I swear I smell some violet peeking out.

The longevity of this is insane. Forever.
Sillage is unreal. A screamer like I said.

Well, I didn't expected sth good from it - actually, I got exactly what I was prepared for.
I guess it's the civet what makes it so stinky and dirty, old lady like.
Horror in the bottle.

Wow! This is....wow! Very different, very strong. But I love it!

At first spray it comes across definitely smelling...purple! Grapey, winey? I can't tell...with almost masculine spices. Then immediately the woods, incense and lots of powdery orris root come out..somehow reminding me strongly of Ralph Lauren's Safari, which I LOVE, but with oddles more spices and a touch of leather and maybe just the merest dash of patchouli. Then the florals start to assert themselves a bit...and the honey, and the touch of citrus. The aldehydes are there to give it that whiff of something different and modern and freshen it up just a bit. But this one does have that touch of animalistic earthiness that I don't have in too many of my other fragrances and that sometimes I absolutely love, despite myself.

A very fascinating fragrance, definitely for colder weather. VERY, VERY strong - one small spritz shared between both wrists would be more than enough. Incredibly long-lasting (as in through the night and into the next morning). Distinctive, with a spicy sweetness that is balanced by the woods and florals and animalistic undertones. A woman has to be self-confident and completely comfortable in her own skin to wear this one.

OK, I think a lot of the negative comments are from folks not giving this a chance to mellow out after they apply it. First off, you only need ONE spray. It is very strong. I sprayed this at a drugstore the other day, and was overwhelmed. I was nearly embarassed to go to work, because the smell was nauseating, I thought it even smelled gross at first.

BUT.... about an hour later, it was something alluring. Now, even two days later, I can still smell it on my jacket, and it is very seductive! I think the trick is to spary it about an hour before you are going anywhere, not just before you run out of the house.

This perfume is dirt cheap now, and I must say, I will be picking it up. I LOVE IT!!!!! My husband even smelled my jacket, and said it was heaven. Then I told him it was the same scent he gagged on the other day, and he didn't believe me. He loves it, too!

I really really love this one!!
It has sooo many of my favorite notes!! Coriandre, Gardenia, Honey, Tuberose, Leather and so on and so forth. It just must be said, Passion, White Diamonds, Black Pearls, they are just amazing.
I wish we could be more appreciative to the houses and perfumes that make them self easy available by asking a fair price. Sometimes I think we appreciate the expensive ones more only because of the high price tag. I cannot state enough, judge only by liquid, the rest is irrelevant. Thumbs up for those that do not want us to be broke after buying.
Action

Sweet civet incense! Unfortunately, I realized when I tested it that my ballet teacher (who used to make me cry) wore this perfume. It brought back a flood of anxiety and bad memories. :( Otherwise, it's an interesting scent.

I was desperate to find my hubbys fav scent.I told him the next time he smelled a woman that he really liked,to ask her what she was wearing.Well,it was passion.I ran out and bought some,came home and took a hot sensual shower,sprayed my wonderful treasure waited 30 min(had to let those first notes dry)and slinked into the den.I slowly walked over,sat in his lap,pressed my chest to his nose and said(honey,is this what you like)?He looked at me in horror,really almost wild eyed and sobbed(what in the world are you wearing)?He didnt mean my sexy little teddy either.Why you smell like the bug man!!!!needless to say,I dont like it.Really i didnt like it from the first spray.Soooo either the lady lied,or,my body chemistry is way out there.good thing though,it did not last long on me.Thank God.

Passion started out strong and plush. I had dabbed some on my wrists and behind my ears, and that was plenty. I thought I was going to like it. Over time, though, it turned sort of powdery, then musty, then several hours later it was just downright stinky. I don't want to be gross, but Passion's farewell reminded me of preserved animals from high school biology class. I wish it could have stayed as nice as in the beginning :(

Loved the bottle, loved the 1st sniff - hated it on me. It just got stronger & stronger the longer I wore it.
Terrible headache & other people gave me the "what is that smell" look.

It came as a gift from my father. At first it is very strong but in a few minutes it turns into a powder type smell but it still has the strong scent that is like a punch to the face. There is so much going on that I cannot distinguish any of the notes.

I Love this one! Fine quality for a grood price too! For real women!

I like this perfume. Its one of the better ones that ET created. Its powdery scented mixed with a floral. Its not for everyone. I don't get the "Old Lady" picture in my head when I smell this so it is just a matter of what the nose perceives from it. Its one of the few perfumes that I received complements when waring. Go figure............not an all time favorite but a do like it alot.

One of the strongest perfumes I have tried, and I don't mean strong as a compliment. The dry down didn't help much either, as the perfume is quite linear and didn't change into something different or better. It was still like a punch on your nose! I think there is too much going on here, and as well as that, some of the notes do not go well at all with the rest of the formulation. If you are easily prone to headaches, keep miles away from this one.

Way too strong for my taste. The fragrance quickly became distorted even though I always keep all of my perfumes in its original box.

Passion! What a memory from the past!
I would feel a little bit ashamed now to say I wear Elizabeth Taylor on my skin, but back in time I did!
This was signature's scent for an old schoolmate and it suited her very much!
She was an exuberant girl and she also shared a hint of tackyness with this scent, LOL! So many memories!
Passion is really on a blade edge between sexy/passionate and granny/tacky. So funny.
I didn't know the formula was so complex. It mostly smells like a big bunch of flowers with powdered oriental spices in it. More of a floral-oriental rather than plain oriental. It is not a European scent, but it's very Elizabeth Taylor!
It surely hits you on your nose, may be in a good way or a bad one.
I tend to consider this as an night out sexy scent for a dinner or theatre, kind of a clichè. and believe it or not it smells romantic!
I can't find it anymore where I live. Anyway I wouldn't wear this now because of the '80s style it has. I don't like that trend anymore. I own a little very old miniature that has gone slightly off. It still smells so so. When I happen to open that little bottle a whole world is open again for me!
I have to be honest: I love this scent for a memory reason. If not, I would classify it as Museum half-crappy for overdone fake blond overdone lady in her 45 and most of all I would name it "tacky" in all its aspects: scent, bottle and box. Ivana Trump could wear this. A pleasant celeb genial expression of tackyness. A work of art.

One of my favorites. It has the most unique scent wether some think it is old lady or not I will wear it. It has powdery jasmine smell that I really like and it is strong but gets more mild as you wear it.

I picked this up on a whim today - they had 1/2 oz. bottles for $12.99 at my local CVS and I thought - what the heck! I'm glad I got it - it opens up somehow both sweet and spicy, the notes perfectly balanced to create a very unique arrangement on my skin. As it is settling it, it is becoming warmer and softer, but still maintaining that careful line of sweet/spicy. I really quite like it!

I love Elizabeth Taylors Passion. This is a sexy fragrance. I buy this one often.

I had this but after a while I just couldn't wear it any longer. It's quite strong and out there, gave mine to mom since she loves it so much.

oh my man catcher heady intoxicating
passionate scent so lovely

I have it but I don't like it. It was a gift and I have worn it only once. Too strong and old lady for my taste. And surprisingly, not very long lasting.

To me this smells like an old woman's fragrance... when I was younger I liked White Diamonds but I just can't get the old picture of Liz Taylor out of my head when I smell this.