Raffinee by Houbigant

soniamcalear

This is very nice but it has changed dramatically since the 1980's! Its way weaker and less powdery than it used to be. Time has a bad habit of changing things most times for the worse. Although this is a very nice scent, I have something to compare it to and I know the difference that most others don't know. Pretty scent still though.

GrannyBear

As a fan of spicy scents, I love this one. My favourite flowery scents - carnation, jasmine, mimosa - also put in an appearance. Strangely enough, colleagues mistake it for "L'Air Du Temps" (another favourite!) when I wear it at work. A warm and feminine scent, with good staying power.

Amanda79

Woa, I bought this unsniffed this morning and had to take it back by lunch time! I never return fragrances but on this one I had to. I guess I can't pull off most fragrances made in the 80's. Those powdery notes they used back then had some power... POWER POWDER! Civet and aldehydes does not mix with me and my chemistry. I love the 2 reviews below but all I got was cinnamon that got swallowed by the powdery pee-pee fairy! I think even in the 80's this perfume was low in cost, so maybe its just cheaply made.

annehke

I would call it a "Spiced Oriental".
I would not call it a "Spicy Oriental" because the spice is light and mainly for the top notes. The spice lasts gently in the middle notes, but, not strongly. However-the whole perfume is strong! Itś pungent, persistent,loud, and the fixation is great. I suppose I used this fragrance, um, 20 years ago, and Raffinee instilled my love and fascination of uniquely styled orientals. Itś very Oriental, itś a tad gourmand. The spicy opening with sweetening plum leads to the strong florals that enwrap you like a velvet cape-next you wander into the mysterious, dreamy realm of sandalwood, musk, and insense, tonka, and vanilla combination wich creates a fantastic scent and carries the perfume all day, while creating the illusion of Amber and powdery notes in the base.

This perfume is definetly perfume in the 1980s category, for sure. It is remeniscent of Ciara, Lutece, and then a later more sophistcated Spellbound.
I had this perfume as a teen and a generous member sent me a large decant recently so I could enjoy it again.
I am enjoying it again, however it feels unusual and a bit cheap or lower quality to me now beacause the powdery dry down is so strong. It is only a touch sweet, and very strong!

F_A

Sherihan, at the very beginning the smell is really spicy and hot, but not sweet at all. (I just thought it reminds me the smell of Chinese spicy chicken soup a bit:)) But then it becomes sweeter like a black bitter chili chocolate.

F_A

I do love hot and spicy food - spicy meat, fish, chicken,soups, chocolates and other sweets:) That is the reason why I really loved Raffinee!

Raffinee has the edible spicy smell of black chocolate with chili peppers. I can also smell a nice note of cinnamon, no flowers, no fruits. Raffinee is a very intriguant, complex, unusual oriental fragrance. Love it!