Design Paul Sebastian for women

i love this perfume!

I'm in to my second hour of wearing just a drop of this. I loved the scent for about a minute after that all I can smell is coconut. If you have grown up in southern California, a child of the 60's I am talking about the coconut of sun tan oil. Sickening sweet, oily. I am not going to scrub yet, I will give it a bit more time. I feel a migraine coming on.

Just awful, yes, right there with Giorgio Beverly Hills. Just smells like room spray, like synthetic white flowers with some peach, all blending together to create a mess. I bet this was reformulated and smelled a lot nicer back in the 90's, but whatever is on the market today is not recommended at all.

I owned this perfume in 1997 and loved it... Not so much now, I still wear it on occasion and still get compliments when I do, lots of people have asked me what I am wearing

When I was first married my husband and I went shopping. I sprayed some of this on and said it was nice to the sales lady...next thing I knew he had bought me the largest bottle of it. Unfortunately as we kept walking in the mall the scent settled in and started giving me a huge headache. I was young and embarrassed to tell him. For next few years I was forced to wear this perfume on special occasions to make him happy.....I finally slipped it into box in my closet and it was forgotten! WHEW!!!!!

Ever since I was a child I've had very fond memories of a family friend (who was also my elementary school librarian) who smelled to me how I imagined Aphrodite would. This was and still is her signature fragrance. Fast forward over a decade later, I finally found the prized bottle for my own.

When I sprayed it on myself, however, I was EXTREMELY disappointed! The scent I loved as a child turned cruel, violent, and malicious. It became obnoxiously spicy-floral and old-lady like. Wow, is my body chemistry different from hers! I actually I became nauseous, dizzy, and developed a headache. I rarely have that kind of reaction to perfume (usually I just sneeze a little). I think the civet note really slapped me in the face. If you are lucky enough to have a compatible chemistry, then I strongly envy you.

A woman who was at my home for dinner was wearing this last night. It smelled wonderful. I kept getting wafts of it and was trying to figure out who it was. To me it was a clean inticing floral, no civet. Very wearable, a pleasant combination of fresh soap and lovely flowers. Tuberose, which is sometimes too much for me, was very enjoyable. Not a masterpiece, but good! This was all from a distance so it could be very different first hand.

I was compelled to ask what it was and I was very surprised. I have seen boxes of this at discount stores and never bothered, but now I will give it a chance. I enjoy fresh clean scents for everyday wear and I can't often afford high end fragrance, so this seems enticing.

This perfume, will always have a special place in my heart. It was my Dear Sweet, Grannies favorite perfume. She passed away on January 8th 2011, and everytime someone mentions this perfume, or i smell it, i think my dear sweet grannie. It does have an Old/Powdery smell to it, therefor i would NEVER wear it. I like Tropical/Gourmand/Sweet/Fruity type scents. It is bringing tears to my eyes writing this review, knowing how much my grannie enjoyed this fragrance. Everytime i smell this, i think of those memorable days out with my grannie. I do own a bottle, but not for my use. Each sniff, is a walk down memory lane. <3

UPDATE: As others have mentioned there are tricks to wearing this 'fume. Either dilute with water or spray at great distance. I wore this several days ago—I aimed the nozzle an arm’s length above my body and spritzed the air twice, letting the mist fall around me. Gone was the sharp soapiness; instead, I was left with a soft vintage soapiness and the most delightful lilac musk combination I’ve ever smelled. It was still a mini sillage bomb but at least the rough edges were worn down to something smooth and lovely. This can be a scary fragrance but it is worth braving, particularly if you are a lilac fanatic.
**************************************************
Oh Chanel, you are a bad influence! ;)

The subject of most reviled fragrances was posed and Chanel mentioned how despised her beloved Design was. She gallantly defended its compositional honor, both in the post and in her review. As a fellow lover of Revlon’s Ciara—another vilified perfume—I trusted her opinion. I promptly picked up a bottle that I was sure had been languishing upon the shelves at TJ Maxx for several months.

I spritzed my wrist at close range as I sat at my desk. I felt the vapors of this scent take over the room like a fog and I got scared. First thought: “Oh damn, this s**t just got real!” Second thought: “Alright, now that I can breathe, it’s very much like Ciara with a big bouquet of loud white florals.” The second thought brought on a sigh of relief. Just get past the first ten minutes and do not spray at close range—this has the potential to be great keeping those two tips in mind. After the first ten minutes this mellowed out and transmuted into a white floral powerhouse. An hour after that, and for several hours thereafter, Design mellowed once again but became sharp and waxy, like an old school bar of soap. (I’m thinking of Camay or Caress, sharp white florals and detergent.) Depending on your take of vintage soap scents, this is either heaven or hell.

The civet at the beginning is anything but smooth and subdued but it fades in time. For a fleetingly brief moment it resembles 1980s queen of over-the-top perfumes, Giorgio. It’s shockingly not a huge sillage bomb nor is it a projectile missile of a scent unless it is overdone (and with a vintage such as this, it is a very real hazard here). I love soapy scents and I secretly love Ciara so this is an underappreciated work of vintage art that I am proud to have in my collection.

Today I just bought a big 3.4 oz. bottle of Design Parfum Spray and I find it simply intoxicating! I must say I absolutely adore this fragrance! The floral notes in this perfume are splendid! One reviewer described Design as a "warm floral"...I concur; perfect description of this! This is my new all time favorite without a doubt. Mixes so well with my chemistry. This starts off smelling amazing on me, and hours later still smells equally wonderful. This one does not change and turn bad on me, and it has very, very good staying power. I put it on today around 12 noon, added a little tiny spritz around 6 pm (which I probably did not need to do), and by 10 pm its still going strong! I look at Design as a very refined; classy and sophisticated perfume. Nothing cheap smelling about it! Makes sense that it was once sold in Department Stores, as it is of that caliber. Love it. And although it was introduced back in 1985, I still see Design as being a timeless perfume, perfect for anyone day or night. Awesome fragrance and I highly recommend it. Kudos, Paul Sebastian!!

I know a lot of older women who simply adore this fragrance. While I do not find it offensive, I really don't like it either. The opening is a little fresh, like newly picked flowers, but then this sickly sweetness overtakes it and finally dries down to a powdery finish. I did not find this oriental at all; more like the reformed White Shoulders after Evyan sold it. Honeysuckle galore in a bad way.

I was surprised at first by the negative reviews. I find it quite inoffensive actually. It's a smooth, soft, warm floral. The smoothness of it is gives it a fanciness not common to drugstore fragrances. It is linear and uncomplicated- but does not smell cheap to me- has a golden quality about it.

However; looking at the notes I'm not as surprised by the negative reviews anymore. While it wears very nicely on me, well-blended and far more expensive smelling than expected- I'll admit there are A LOT of tricky notes in this composition- gardenia, musk, black currant, peach, civet, jasmine, tuberose, and carnation. All of these in and of themselves are tricky notes- all together- very much tricky in that they read differently to different people and react all sorts of ways on people's skin. Yes, there is potential for disaster here and I am simply lucky.

So bottom line: this is a cheap fragrance, I think it's worth a try- either you, like me, find it the absolute best way to smell like a million bucks for hardly any money at all, or one of these notes or note combinations don't mesh well with your skin. If it's the case where it doesn't work, it's so cheap that it wouldn't be too much of a loss, and I bet you there is someone you know who could wear it better.

*thanks to melbritt24 for the mini :D

I once abruptly left a Starbucks because a woman who was wearing Design walked in. She didn't even sit near me. I could no longer taste my coffee, so I left.

Design smells like Aussie brand hairspray to me. Way too much grape-like tuberose, and I usually don't mind white florals!

Well, at first spray it's awful smell but when worn for a long time and then it smells clean and fresh. This scent I think goes with your body chemistry ... If you are more like acidic then it will not smell right,like a bad musky odor who didn't take a shower and just put on perfume on top of it...

This used to be my favorite and signature scent -- until it was changed, and cheapened, and became a drugstore scent - not at all like the orginal. What a shame! I still have an almost empty purse spray from around 1990 and can still smell the way it used to smell: floral, clean, lovely....

This is really nice-not what I expected.Maybe I got the 'watered down' version but it has very light silage on me.I get mostly just a lovely,non cloying gardenia out of it with a hint of rose-doesn't remind me of typical 80s scents at all.Well worth what I paid for it...and luckily no carnation to be found as we don't play nice with each other;)
Edit:I love this more and more each time I wear it...big bottle purchase for sure!

YUM!!! My mom has used this for years and she always smells fantastic. Design has awesome sillage and lasts forever. It's amazingly inexpensive for how nice it is (at least on her). I can smell the gardenia the most, and it comes across to me as a lush creamy floral. I wish that Paul Sebastian had made more women's fragrances than just this and casual because if anything they have amazing longevity and sillage.

I used to love this perfume, but I made the mistake of wearing it while I was pregnant. Now I can't even get near it, or any fragrance containing civet!

This is my all-time favorite perfume! I have difficulty finding a perfume I can tolerate. I don't like overly floral or powdery scents. I do like musky scents, but find them overbearing in the summer. I can wear Design all year round. I find it to be a nice combination of floral and musk. Everytime I wear it, someone compliments me on it. I always wanted a signature scent and apparently, this one has become mine. I was at a wedding and my teenage niece hugged me and complimented me on my perfume. She said she associates that scent with me. I have worn this since it came out in 1985, and, even though I have tried several other perfumes, I will until I can't get it anymore!
I have alot of acid in my body, so most perfumes and colognes wear off quickly or start smelling like alcohol as soon as I put it on.This one goes on smelling nice and stays on! LOVE IT!!!!

I bought this fragrance for my teenage niece. All her friends and my sister like this fragrance. I wasn't to happy when one of her friends took this perfume from her. This has all the right ingredients for a night-time fragrance with enough lightness to make it perfect as a daytime fragrance as well. Its like the interlude between been a daytime and night-time fragrance.

This was likely my second department store fragrance. I remember being able to splash it on or pour into an atomizer! And I remember also getting a free gift. It did not compliment my chemistry nor make a lasting impression. I do remember rose and other floral notes. It smelled really good on my coworker we knew it and it was her signature.

I really like this one, on me this smells like a fresh spring garden.It's true if you spray to much it could make you sick but I found out that if I use only one or two sprays right out of the shower, it's wonderful! all that you are left with is a soft tuberose and a hint of gardinia that just makes you feel beautiful all over.

On me, this fragrance is wonderful; warm,soft, and rich without being agressive. The first time I wore it to work I was standing with my new (younger and very handsome) boss in the empty Grand Ballroom at the M**flower Hotel discussing an event that would be happening that evening, and as we spoke he came closer and closer into my space. Finally he leaned in very close to me,inhaled, and asked (with just a little catch in his voice) "Are you wearing...Design?" I said yes and we both laughed and moved apart, but it was a great moment. I love this stuff. Every perfume smells different on everybody, fragrances you like when younger may not suit you as you age. You'll lose nothing by trying it.

I'm so surprised by all the bad reviews on this perfume. I have to admit I love this one. I smelt this on my best friend when we were 18 and I always admired her from her clothes right down to her signature scent, Design. Years later wearing it I've had more compliments. My mom loved it so much on me I had to buy her a bottle. It's one of my all time favorite perfumes. I hope it never goes away.

YES, i too saw it at drugstores and THE discount store but until I found about 1/2 oz left in a 3.4 oz bottle at a yard sale for 50 cents did I break down and buy. I was pleasantly surprised by the burst of fragrant flowers. It does remind me of a perfume my older sister wore in the late 50's. Is it the tuberose?

It takes me back to when I watched black and white movies in the late 50's where the Southern Belle, dressed in taffeta and tulle, is walking under a dreamy full moonlit night, her arm curled around her escort's arm who is dressed in his military uniform.

Design just evokes romantic images in my mind: proms, corsages, Mother's Day bouquets...

I tried it. I did not like it. Ahh .. . civet and tuberose(bleh).
Why someone puts civet in a perfume is anyone's guess.
I got this as a XMAS gift. Goodness knows I would not have bought this knowingly. I tried this years back and thought "bleh" then. Now after years have passed it is no less unappealing. Something about Paul Sebastian fragrances , I guess. My sweetie doesn't like Paul Sebastian for men either and after smelling it I have to agree.

After reading many bad reviews on this scent, I had never bothered to sniff it for myself....until one day a woman in line behind at the store smelled so divine that I HAD to ask what she was wearing. Imagine my surprise when she said "Oh, it's Design, by Paul Sebastion!" Here I was thinking that Design would be...too much, over the top, in your face 80's, when in reality it was a warm and elegant floral! I will admit that she had either over-applied or that the sillage was remarkable, because she was a good 4 feet behind me when I first detected the scent....so I am guessing that I wouldn't want to be trapped in a car or elevator with this one, lol. But I was intrigued enough by the scent that next time I get a chance to sample, I'm going to test it out for myself!

Okay people , I hear ya ! It seems a lot of reviews are negative but I am telling you this is divine on me. People get back on elevators and ask what I am wearing. Must ne a body chemistry thing as my sister and aunt LOVE it on me and hate it on them. There is no other perfume that I have received more compliments on. As far as it being an old lady perfume........the lead singer of the very young rock band Hinder asked me WHAT are you wearing , God you smell SO good !! And thats my two cents on Design , its devine .

I cannot believe I'm making this review, because it is positive, but let me explain. I didn't like it when I tried it: the tuberose, the powder, the civet, it all became choking and chalky to me. I passed it to my mother and she adores it. WEll, it just happened to send my mom to an appointment I could not attend myself, but it turned out that I did manage to arrive on time so... here we are, on the elevator, the three of us: me, my mom and the appointed. At a certain point I exclaim: "They surely did not save on air-freshner!". The third person looks at me and says: "Or maybe someone is wearing too much!" It slapped me on the face, as I recognized Design immediately after. It was my mom wearing it, and it was summer. Well, when we got home I did all sorts of tricks to transform Design into an air -freshner indeed, but without success. Lately I have the habit of adding perfume I do not use as bath odorizer, as it is the only way that makes me spray them. What a nice surprise it was this time indeed! How soft and beautifully flowery and peachy and rosey the fragrance was! Yes, just adorable. I took the bath in disbelief, could it really be Design? It was like a more flowery 5th Avenue and, as secretcrush mentioned (great for you to have noticed!), like a softer Red Door, a bit more peachy.
Having finished my bath, I sprayed once inside the cap and then just added a good amount of water and created an all over body splash. Yes, now I like it, I really do: rosey peaches, bright instead of choking, that is just ... so unexpected.
The secret I think is dilution. It is not that you have to apply a small amount, but that you have to water it down and then you'll see it really works. No migraines and no coughing, I swear. Give it a try.

This has to be one of the all-time worst, which makes me sad since I generally prefer ANYTHING from the 80's to the average modern department store scent. This smells like a deformed Giorgio, at once louder and thinner, with all of Giorgio's trashy spirit sucked out of it. I see Sigourney Weaver in "Alien Resurrection" wandering among her tortured, genetic accident clones moaning in their test tubes. That's what Design feels like; it just smells...gray and claustrophobic. The packaging is so sad that a new bottle feels like something inherited from a dead relative. I stupidly purchased this because it was practically free and I knew it to be big and 80's and that it contained civet. It contains no civet. It doesn't contain anything, no individual notes, just one gray floral note that feels intended to mask unpleasant hospital odors. After the introductory spray I ran back from the bus stop and begged the clerk, standing under a big "ALL SALES FINAL" sign, to take it back and deduct the price from a more expensive purchase. He had mercy. STAY AWAY!

Surely this used to be better, because I'm SHOCKED that something that smells this awful is available everywhere, from CVS to Wal-Mart. What kind of woman WEARS this? I mean no one wears Giorgio anymore and it's good; who on earth still wears a BAD GIORGIO RIP-OFF? Who is Paul Sebastian? Sometimes I think that they just make up designers for sad perfumes like this.

Hate it, not sure, I've smelled worse but I can't stand it. Gives me a headache which means a lot b/c I'm very tolerant to chemicals and fumes. Very strong. I just don't like it, too sweet in a repugnant way. I only bought it b/c the man in the store highly recommended it to me while I was perusing the fragances. Thankfully I just bought a little sample for a few bucks, but never again.

I LOVE this perfume!!! I have worn this since it came on the market and people alway tell me how good I smell!!

I recently gave my last bottle to a neighbor for her birthday and she is soooo happy.

I have a friend that can't breath around most other brands, but she isn't bothered at all by Design. Hope I have it always.

I have a soft spot for this scent...High School memories...so it definately does not smell old lady-ish to me...It is not amazing or innovative...it just makes me smile when I smell it...

this stuff stinks .period.

how ever it does remind me of the smell of my dear sweet uncle who used to get sloshed on cheap peach brandy and chain smoke and pass out! the smell reminded me of his breath

aww my mom wore this for years...i always hated it but i know i'll love it when i don't have her around anymore

This has a Strong Siliage of Civet
it just dominates this perfume it has a
Waxy Lipstick kind of a scent it drowns
out the other scents.

AWWW THIS ONE IS NICE IT REMINDS ME OF MY MOMMMY WHEN I WAS LITTLE... RATHER SMELL THIS ONE THAN OBSESSION OR RED BY GIORGIO THATS 4 SURE LOL... KINDA REMINDS ME A LIL OF RED DOOR BUT SOFTER...

This is my ALL TIME FAVORITE!! I am 27 and been in love with this since middle school. I had a teacher who wore it, and I was complimenting her so often that she gave me a bottle. I keep a supply ever since. It stay with me all day. And it is perfect for both work and play. As a mother I feel it is not over-powering to wear near my baby either. I love this and always will.

Victoria!!!! YOU ARE SO RIGHT!!! This is nasty nasty nasty and a gardenia acid trip on top of that!

One of those bad trips to the 80's. Wow. I never thought I could dislike anything more than 24 Faubourg, but this takes the cake. I'm glad I'm not alone.

Simply awful too strong definitely old-ladish as someone said its in the same category as Chloe. This is another one I spray on suits like one week before I wear them or right after taking them off to "freshen" them up.

No. Just...no. Don't buy it, don't ask for it and don't wear it even if you get it for free. All the right notes but in the wrong ratios. Gardenia hell. Painful death by gardenia.

I'm certain there are those whose skin chemistry turns this into something beautiful but I've yet to encounter one of them. Sadly, add me to the list of those for whom this causes IMMEDIATE headache.

Long lasting, yes... but persistence by another name is harassment.

HOWEVER: so many people have such good memories about this one that I'm going to go on record as guessing there's been a reformulation. (Just ask the fans of another bargain fragrance that's no longer worthwhile: Vanderbilt.) I'd love to sniff some old Design juice just to compare.

i am lil bit dissapointed..i was expecting something more agter reading many positive reviwes about it.It is just lil retro,floral ordinary smell.Nothing so special .It is a frag like Chloe Narcisse ,something of the sort.The tuberose and carnations stand out.I love tuberose but this one i dont like very much

I want to like it...the notes sound wonderful and I love florientals, but this smells more like soap than perfume. And what's up with the name? Awful!

My husband bought this for me a while ago and the bottle is still full. I find it extemely offensive in a sweet sickening way. Tried again today, and had to wash it off. Yuck, gave me a migraine.

I normally don’t write but I read your opinions. This one is really nice. It is long lasting, and smells fantastic. Has reach and sophisticated impression. For that price is just unbelievable.

This is very warm and it somehow seems like a happy perfume. It's uplifting and smells of honeysuckles. Another plus is that it's long lasting.

*Edit* If you use enough for those around you to smell it, it'll end up being medicinal. If used very lightly, it's nice enough.

Great opening with great notes, but dries down way too sweet and cloying on me.

Very sweet and strong. Love it,but gives me a migraine.

On me, this is a warm floral. The tuberose stands out. It also smells to me, very clean and sultry at the same time.