Ciara Revlon for women

I just got a bottle of Revson Ciara 80% and have been wearing it all day and I must say I quite liked it's balmy warmth when I first put it on. But WOWWEE the opoponax is VERY strong in my bottle and that first enjoyable balminess, combined with the cedar, turned into a searing sweetness that completely overpowers any notion I might have entertained from other reviews here of a likeness to Shalimar! Having said that though, my daughter commented on my smelling like her Nan, a die hard Youth Dew fan. Maybe Nan would like a bottle of vintage Ciara for mother's day!!

The opening bergamot with the florals in the heart leap out and really sex it all up bringing you to a sweet, creamy, smokey honey that lasts and lasts. This fragrance is sexy and then comfortable and sexy. Like when you start your day in a hot dress and heels and then come home and put on a soft buy sexy nighty and don't bother with the shoes.

One of the longest lasting perfumes on me. I love this.

This is the less sophisticated sister of fragrances like Shalimar (another one of my favorites) or maybe Opium. But for the price you're getting great longevity (this coming from someone who gets little to no longevity out of most pefumes) and big sillage. I get a lot of compliments on it from both men and women.

For some reason, I always think of baklava when I wear it. Thank God I live close to a cafe that serves it!

I haven't tried the dumbed down version, but back in the day (late 70's early 80's) this was wonderful. Wore it "all the time"! LOVED LOVED LOVED. Boyfriend would jump in the back of the car every time he would smell it on me...(hehe)...I'm sure it's really a watered down version. Plus I have so moved on. I will have to try some of these 70's scents again. I'm just afraid I'd be sorely disappointed.

Purchased this today and it is strong at first kinda musk smelling and smell the Cedar at first also, then calms down to a powdery little tiny hint of vanilla, a mature vanilla. You can smell the incense in there to. And also smell the smoky and woody in there. It does have sweeter tones in it but they are more on the mature side.

My strongest perfume from all.

I really like this perfume at the 100 strength. I picked it up at an outlet store after reading the great reviews here. I put it on hours ago and took a bath, too. Now, I smell incense on my arm. :) Yummy. I don't find it overpowering at all. Just lemony, honey, vanilla, and bergamot with incense underlying the scent as it fades (presumably a long while after one puts it on!). It is very hippy chick and fall-ish to me. I won't be wearing it much after today...for a while. It's getting warm here.

I was afraid I wouldn't care for it since I hate Gloria Vanderbilt. I find Ciara sweet and complex, though, and really enjoy it where Vanderbilt is bitter and not sparkling at all.

Essence full of joy! Immediately after a spray can already feel the power of this fragrance that seems a smoky honey. Or was it a cloud of incense?
It is very oriental, woody, warm and as good as Charlie! A friend said it smells like new plastic doll! I think this has some kinship with Loulou and Gloria Vanderbilt!

WOW - I'm just floored. I have now discovered that elusive scent, apart from Jovan Musk oil and Jean Nate, that my babysitter in the mid-70s wore.

I smelled it on someone in a hotdog cart line a couple of weeks ago - she was in her mid 60's from what I could tell - and I just had to ask her what she was wearing. She said Ciara, but that it was the Charles Revson version - the original - stressing that with importance. It smelled amazing - reminds me of the smell of Spencer's Gits back in the late 1970's - early 80's - sweet incense, musk and sexy, adult-themed gag gifts. Kinda naughty but really interesting and deeper than most drugstore scents.

Well, this is IT!!! Just took receipt of a mid-70's, 1 oz. 100 strength cologne spray. I had recently bought the current versions of the 80 and 100 strength, and these, like many current offerings of vintage classics, are a bit weaker their former selves and have a more synthetic edge. Still, like many reformulated scents (Emeraude, Tabu, etc.), it still resembles itself, mostly. This original version is very, very STRONG - and the heavy musk plus the incense/florals/raspberry combo is just as sexy and bombastic as it was back then. Incredible - I'm in such a time trip right now!

Much naughtier than the very carnal Jovan Musk oil - it's that incense, opoponax, raspberry and vanilla that combines the best of that mid-70's sexual revolution. It's like a flirtier, sweeter, sexier, younger Bal a Versailles without the unwashed hair note (costus root?). That's the best description of this stuff I can think of. If you're a fan of BaV and others like it, you should really get your hands on a vintage version (or even a new one) of this classic drugstore scent.

It will take you back - in a good way - I promise! If you don't like it (especially an older, well-preserved bottle), let me know - I'll take if off your hands ;)

I woke up this morning to tons of snow and was wearing a sweater I love to church. I grabbed this. It's dated, yes it is, but I like time travel. When I was very young and babysat, the grownup, sophisticated ladies who employed me all had this on their dressing tables. I wonder if they ever noticed me smelling like this when they got home? I wonder if I ever did? I was finally gifted a bottle many years later by the mother of a girl I helped with cheerleading. I remember clearly standing in my backyard and opening this up. So, mixed with the intoxicatingly rich and heady scent of this are priceless memories. I have had a bottle at all times since that day. It is full of the warmest, richest vanilla, incense, smoke and sweet powder. I need it like the air I breathe.

Ahhhhh, Ciara! This was what I could afford when I was in my 20's and 30's. It was indeed my signature scent. I still love it. It left traces where ever I went and people knew it was me. When we sold our house to a friend,she told me that she could smell me in her bedroom....good thing or not, I loved it! I still have bottles of it and wear it once and a while. It seems that most of the perfumes I choose have a lot in common with that perfume. When you wear this scent people will ask you what that is that you're wearing. I supposed it's rich in vanilla and most of the other ingredients are supporting agents. The incence and musk are seconary. It can be addictive. I own the 80%, 100% and the 200%. They are all beautifully effective. Other perfumes that I consider sisters to Ciara are; Organza Indecence, Shalimar, Chopard Casmir and so many more.

Ok, so today I received my 100% strength Ciara in the mail, and upon trying it, I felt like I'd been hit by a fragrance shovel. This stuff is STRONG. The incense screams in your face, with its soapy, musk stick note, and something pungent in the background. I'm guessing it's the leather note. Soapy does not sit well with me, so I was almost sure I'd list it on Ebay tonight... but I waited... and while it still has the same qualities, it's not screaming at me as before, and it smells more like what I SUSPECTED was Ciara when I smelled it on someone else, which was spellbinding. Definitely not an everyday scent, but a keeper, if only for it's ethereal weirdness and killer silliage. I walked about 10m behind one lady who I'm sure was wearing it, and she left the scent behind her. And it suited her to a t. She was approximately 50-60 with long long grey hair down to her waist. She wore a hemp top, and she had a huge bosom, which helped billow out her hemp top and hide her presumably sizeable belly. She was what you would call a "statuesque" hippy chick, ageless. I will not list this on Ebay, I will keep it. It will last me forever, but I will leave it for those occasions where I want to be noticed for my individuality, rather than when I want people to be impressed with the way I smell. Very unique, and unmissable.

EDIT: This stuff is addictive. I'm wearing it at home today, and it makes me feel like "fertile mother Earth" lol. Moving up the scale to the "love" level...

I first tried Ciara in college, and found it a little too heavy. This is surprising, because my favorite perfume then was Ninja (an Opium/Cinnabar knockoff), which was not exactly a lightweight!
Two years ago I decided to try Ciara again, when a local drugstore had a two-bottle 80% package on post-Christmas clearance.
It smelled exactly as it did when I was in college, but the difference was, I LOVED it!!!! I think the description "incense layed with creme anglaise", is quite apt,although there is also an odd, yet pleasing, tiny touch of black magic marker pen....that's right...and this actually works for some reason.
I also do detect the ylang-ylang and a little bit of powdery musk (not too much, or I would get a headache).
Ciara is very long-lasting and has a fairly strong sillage, so I have learned to use it sparingly.
I use other scents as well, but Ciara is my "go-to" fragrance.

I must admit, I haven't tried the new Ciara. The only bottle I own has a celluloid cap and the manufacturer is Charles Revson, so this must be the oldest version there is. Mine is the 80 strength (Eau de Parfum, it seems).

This is a very good quality opopanax incense fragrance - very close to the smell of Satya Saibaba Nag Champa. It is sweet and dusty and diffusive as well. The opening is fascinating! The rich rosewood and bergamot makes me feel like I've just spritzed on some vintage Habit Rouge or Emeraude. The opopanax comes out immediately to the fore, far more brutal and intense than the delicate sweet rosy Habit Rouge or the shy and powdery Emeraude. It settles for a long time into a heart of incense and woods with just a touch of abstract floral powder. The sillage at this point is tremendous!

It is rich, high-quality, and straight forward. It is constructed much more like a fragrance for men than one for women, and would likely be very effective on a man today.

If you would like to know what opopanax really smells like or would just like to have an elegant incense frag, definitely check out the old Ciara. I can't speak for the new one.

Sadly, Ciara and me don't seem to get along.

I really like incense and I'm looking for that perfect 'Nag Champa' scent - Ciara is not it (for me).

I get the muscle cream comparisons, it has some strange tanginess despite the vanilla.

Don't get me wrong, the scent is interesting and I don't hate it. Just not what I was hoping for :)

I was shopping and I asked a mature woman what she was wear and she said this. I quiet liked it on her and it seemed to be powdery with good sillage. I don't like vanderbilt on myself so I'm a bit unsure of seeking out a tester and trying it.
Edit: I stumbled across it by accident the very next day and I thought why not test. I would never buy or wear it myself but I can see how other people like it. I like strong perfumes but something in this one I don't like, but at the same time i like it too. It reminds me of Oscar De La Renta too. I agree it is a classic.

A precious friend and mentor of mine wore this. She was sweet, sexy and so beautiful inside and out. It reminds me of her and her unconditional love for me. It is instantly recognizable. Smelled so good on her, but not on me. Why is that? I hate that I haven't found my signature scent yet. How do I go about that? I've got lots of essential oils to experiment with.

I had received a sample of Ciara once and although I initially thought it smelled too strong, I wore it a few times, trying to give it a chance. I ended up giving it away before I finished the (rather small) sample because it gave me somewhat of a headache. Even though it smells less "sharp" after a few hours, it still is too strong and spicy for my taste. Moreover, I find Ciara to be a dated fragrance.

***Not a proper review***

I was afraid of this, so I had the sales clerk spray some on the store ad I carried with me. I found it pleasant enough for this kind of scent. I left it in the car, so when I got in the next time, I could get an "idea" of what I might smell like to someone when I walked in a room. I didn't care for they way the car smelled. After picking up the ad and smelling it just a couple times, I liked it and found it rather nice. Being this isn't the type of fragrance I desire, I could wear this. Simply put, I'd rather wear this than smell it on someone/something else. I have found Obsession isn't pleasant to me, on me, or even around me. I give Ciara a much higher rating. The purpose of this non-review is to simply say, of the two Obsession or Ciara, I choose Ciara.

An at home fragrance only. Way too strong and dated, but absolutely yummy. This is the 70's version of Bal a Versailles.

No. Just no.
I found a set of it at K-mart and it's...It's very bitter on me. I didn't smell any honey or Ylang Ylang. Just a slight musk. Extremely soft vanilla and a helluva a lot of ceder and god knows what. Leather, I guess. I don't mind powerful scents but I don't like this at all and that's sad, because I love classic scents.

Ciara is the most beautifully dated but classic at the same time honey powdery oriental fragrance on my skin. Everyone looks at me like I am weird when I mention what I am wearing especially at my age but I just love it. It smells like vintage face powder and has that classic lipstick smell I also get a touch of Givenchy Organza which I also love. I will be investing in a large bottle very soon.

I stole a quick spritz of the vintage classic, Ciara, this morning. It is late enough in the evening and the warmth of my wrists is still radiating this underappreciated gem just as strongly as it did when I first spritzed myself. Color me impressed! Revlon may not be synonymous with niche houses but Ciara proves it was a house with which to be reckoned.

I bought this on a whim. I saw it at Big Lots (a close-out retail chain that makes Marshalls look like Neiman Marcus) marked down so many times it practically had a note that said, “Take me home, please!” I vaguely remembered Ciara as the fragrance of my mother’s bohemian friend back in the 1980s. She wore diaphanous floral-print dresses with lace trim, worn platform leather boots of buttery soft tan leather, and a hazy cloud of Ciara. Her style of dress was a perfect representation of what Ciara was down to its incense-heavy soul. It was sweetness but not of the saccharine kind and a rough hewn edge that did not fail to be delicate too. It is a bottle full of contradictions, above all being a Dom Perignon scent for a Pabst Blue Ribbon price.

My 2.3oz bottle set me back $5 but the compliments it nets me and the carefree, bohemian-chic vibe it imparts with me are priceless.

I adore and collect fragrances of the 1970s. I've loved and worn Ciara on and off since 1985. The last time I wore it it was an unusually cool, damp, rainy, gloomy June day in the desert of the Canadian Pacific Northwest and it's the perfect fragrance to wear for a walk in the rain. I caught whiffs of raspberry, incense, and amber as I walked and it was just so comforting. I coincidentally showered with The Body Shop Raspberry Ripple shower gel this morning and it really brings forth the raspberry note in Ciara. I only apply one spritz to my wrist and touch it to the other wrist and behind both ears. Love the bottle. Doesn't break the bank. I will always have a bottle of this.

Sad Story....

I do so like the major notes in this lovely classic, but I have a decided impression that it does NOT like me. Somehow I'm fairly certain that it must be the amount or type of incense here. All I get is something rubber and burnt. I love smoke and leather as found in other classics, such as Shalimar. Not This!!

Despite my 2nd attempt ( this time in cooler weather ), this fragrance is not growing on me. It's a sickening disaster, instead of the rich beauty she is on others.

I will try not to be envious ! Your chemistry amazes me, if you can carry this lady off with style. All of my attempts to wear such "kind" and classic scents convince me of the uniqueness of each individual's chemistry. She is not loud or harsh or even cloying. But there are Loud and difficult scents I can wear with ease, compared to this.

For a richly autumn experience, I will rely on my new favorite, Toujours Moi!

( But I would LOVE to smell this on someone who can swing it ~ You rule! )

i read that it is hard to find the 200% they have it on amazon.com but it comes at a price 239.00. good luck to all. my mother that recently passed wore this scent and everytime i smell it, it makes me sad but happy at the same time because i will always have something to remind me of her

A "sophisticated" older woman for whom I used to babysit wore this intoxicating fragrance. I always would spritz a bit on myself as I minded her children. It made me feel grown up and somehow French in the middle of rural Indiana. The scent has not changed a bit in thirty years. I need to get myself a bottle.

I was excited to try this because of the rave reviews so I picked up a 2.3 oz bottle of 80% strength cologne from my local beauty supply for 11.99 I thought what the hell lol. I'm not a perfume snob if it smells good then whatever. I love spending my last dollar on cheapies from marshalls/tj maxx, the perfume shop or beauty supply store it gives me a thrill lol. My favorites are the drugstore musks, jovan white musk especially it's what my older female cousins room used smell like and I would lay on her floor watching her paint on canvas or play with her lipsmackers lol while breathing in that gorgeous powdery scent.

Ciara's drydown brought me back to my childhood as did Jovan white musk when I first sprayed them, thoughts of my mom's friends when I was kid in the early nineties gossiping while playing cards with a Marlboro hanging from their fingers with long painted red nails, not even thinking that their scents we're perfume just thinking they naturally smelled that way. I'm on the fence about Ciara it's not really oriental to me I thought I was getting cheap Shalimar or Cinnabar as some people put it or hints of youth dew but all I get is Vanderbilt I hate Vanderbilt it smells beyond cheap. Luckily the drydown somewhat saves it. Ciara smells like a powdery, ambery, raspberry scent it's just ok to me it's fruity and soft I can see wearing it occasionally in the brisk winter time. Ciara is a comforting scent if you smelled it when you we're a kid like I did usually mixed with second hand smoke like lot's of other reviewers but comforting none the less. I get no smokiness or incense or spices lol not much of anything oriental wise. I'll test it a few more times to decide if i'm gonna keep it otherwise i'll just give it away.

Okay Cabochard lovers don't throw anything at me but my verdict on Ciara is that it is Cabochard light. It is more wearable in that you could spritz it on in the daytime, year around and not offend. Cabochard is by far the finer of the two but there IS a similarity that cannot be denied.

On a lighter note, when I was in 7th grade a girl (a popular girl unlike me) always had a bottle of Ciara and was ALWAYS taking it out and spritzing it on in class. Well how ever many years later I have mine too, popular GIRL!!! Hehe!

Anyway, Ciara is good stuff. Spicy, sophisticated, warm...buy it. It is a solid and inexpensive (about 10 dollars on Overstock.com) respresentation of the Oriental group.
PS Ciara shares alot of the same notes as Habanita by Molinard.

Early in my marriage my mother-in-law gave me a bottle of Ciara and I couldn't imagine wearing it in public...so I sprayed it on the bed sheets. By the time the bottle was finished, I loved it.

Recently I saw it for sale at CVS and couldn't resist buying it again for my sheets...unfortunately my nine month old puppy, all 130 pounds of her, doesn't seem to share my pleasure in Ciara and has decided to sleep on the floor.

So I am finally considering wearing it in public... how does anyone actually do it? It is such a rich, intoxicating and happy scent, so much better than many 80's scents, but I can't quite figure out the best way to apply it for maximum happiness and social acceptance.

I haven't had this in many years, but remember loving it. It was so good, I wonder why you don't hear about it anymore.

I've tried Ciara, and yes, it has been reformulated. The first spray is intense, with that typical ugly synthetic blast that you find in most if not all the current perfumes and colognes, regardless of price. BUT after a few minutes, the sweet spicy true smell of Ciara opens and stays. I used the 100% concentration Ciara, and yes, one must use it sparingly, as it is heavy and strong, everlasting. It's sexy, heady, very sweet, with milder spices than the original YSL Opium formula. Ciara 100% is definitey sweet and spicy. Nice, strong, lasting, affordable and definitely recognizable.

Ok so someone gave this perfume to my mom.. and i dont know if it was a rancid bottle but it was the WORST smelling perfume i have EVER smelled in my life.. it gave me and my sister a instant headache, made us nauseous and caused coughing.. in fact i was so traumatized i refuse to even think about spraying that perfume or trying it again. after that 1 spray into the air my mom did, we threw it in the garbage.. it was a gift that kept on giving (headaches.. coughing.. nausea..) again i dont know if that was just a bad bottle but i AVOID this at all cost...

"sweetnspicey", wear what YOU love, even if that means Ciara. Its ok. Its a beautiful, rich, spicy fragrance that's timeless.

When I first sprayed Ciara on my pulse points, I thought it was beautiful, but the drydown smelled really stale. I finally got the courage to WEAR it (meaning all over my body), and I found it to be a very different experience than just sniffing it on my wrists. It's so powdery--I don't understand how the side notes above don't even mention that it's powdery. It's deliciously sweet and loaded with luxurious resins. For a drugstore perfume this could rival many expensive classics like Chanel No. 22 and Must de Cartier.

The only drawback is that my father said I smelled really nice, like incense, and it reminded him of hippies from the 70's. To him that was a compliment. He sees nothing wrong with smelling like a hippy from the 70's, but I definitely don't want to go out in public with people thinking I smell like that! So until I grow a spine it will remain my secret pleasure. I love wearing it to bed. It envelopes me with it's soft, dreamy aura.

I love and collect fragrances. I have very expensive and even some very rare scents, But nothing evokes the wonderful, sexy memories of this fragrance. It may not be the newest, hottest, or have a pop star name, but it SMELLS GOOD. And, that's what it's all about. I'm not,ashamed of it, nor ashamed of my age. I recently started wearing it again as I am sick of the same old smell even by the top designers. Call me old lady...this is one of the best kept secrets of true fragrance junkies, IMO.

A friend of mine gave this one to me in '87 & I wore it until the bottle was empty in '88. This fragrance just drove the man I was dating at the time, just crazy, crazy crazy over this fragrance. He would get close to smell it & said so often it was one of the best he'd ever smelled. He was a millionaire that flew me around the country with him in his travels, and I just ALWAYS had to wear my Ciara. It drove him nuts!

Sometime later, long after I ended the relationship, he told to that day, he couldn't walk through a Belks fragrance department without smelling this fragrance in the air. He said it always made him remember me & always would.

Funny...the memories attached to certain fragrances...

This is a strong, mesmerizing, heady, bold, spicy & slightly sweet fragrance on me. It is a very distinctive fragrance. I always got compliments when I wore it. It is a man-magnet. Maybe I need to get it again! Don't know if I could wear it without wanting to look over my shoulder to see my former man friend was around following my wafting sillage of Ciara!

The first real spritz I had of Ciara (100) was after I took a shower so the room was warm and humid. I sprayed this and thought I was having a religious experience. Like I died and went to Heaven. It's so deep, resinous, woody and incense-y. Very beautiful.

It has something of a Tabu-vibe to it, like it almost starts off in that direction (Not that there's anything wrong with that, I adore Tabu!)but then shifts around to something else entirely, Ciara lacks the sweetness of Tabu which makes it something entirely different.

I am surprised Ciara was made in the seventies. It seems older. I recently reviewed Charlie which came out around the same time and is also by Revlon but is completely different (no flankers here). I have to credit Revlon with their versatility.

I think I have figured out the difference between liking a fragrance and loving it. Liking one is the scent is good but enjoyed only in smaller quantities. Love is when you gotta have more!

Ok,after reading so many interesting reviews here,I went to Kmart & tried a small amount(as recommended by many of you) Im ready ready to commit to a purchase until I can smell for myself...& on myself! WOW!!!! Ok ,here is my wild review of this SO NOT DATED sexiness!!! At first spray it was totally unlike any perfume I've ever smelled!! Sexy came right out of that small bottle.i swear I became sexy that instant!! I had my husband standing next to me(I use him to help sample spray other scents) what's that he said?! It smells wicked.im going to skip the notes here and describe the smell like this...I was suddenly feeling as if I was transformed! Did it remind me of the 80s(?) yes! In the sense of a timeless sexiness we have lost in our "j.lo's, Katy perry,beyonce"perfumes.i felt as if I was wearing sexy black eyeliner,sexy boots,jeans,& leather coat. Asia's heat of the moment plays in my head(again great music gone w/ great perfume) or even journeys "don't stop believing" . I felt like a completely different woman........all this in the first spray! Not even at the Drydown phase yet.so,as day goes by,this sexiness changes moment by moment.i can't stop smelling & husband is mezmerized(it takes a lot for him to notice) it becomes enchanting. It becomes.....a fall nite, full moon, breezes in the air,I'm now in a flowing dress, castles, horses in the distance, smoke, fire,mystery. By late in the nite,it softens ,sweetness, maybe candy like. Relaxing.soothing,comforting by end of nite . So that's how I describe this. It's beyond it's notes and more like a place. It is a sexy unlike any sexy being sold today!!! This is NOT out of style! It's timeless. I am in love w/ this one.i will escape w/ this one. I get paid next week,I will be purchasing this bottle , & maybe some black eyeliner or boots....I already have the music ;) my weekends just got more fun!!!

I'll never be able to sniff this fragrance and not think of Lauren Hutton in the 70s. I can remember seeing her in the adverts for this fragrance, all cheekbones, elongated limbs, white fur, glossy lips and windblown hair. I thought she was the most glamorous creature alive, and a far cry from the slightly dotty woman she has matured into.

I look at magazines today and wonder where all that sophisticated magic has gone. I guess it's all about artistic waifs and Victoria's Secret bling babes now.

i love this perfume!!! pardon my imagination, but it makes me feel like a mysterious princess from an enchanted kingdom. it's woody and spicy but has a sweet and floral side as well. i love the strength and projection and lasting power, quite amazing. i'm 25 and was looking for something less teen, and while i feel this is a scent for any age, i realize that just smelling it frequently on older ladies makes me associate it with maturity, and i have noticed some possible adverse reactions, although generally only after having just sprayed it on. whatever anyone thinks, i know i will be wearing this perfume for a long long time, it's just what i have been looking for!

Ciara by Revlon is one of those drugstore scents that you may dismiss time and time again but find yourself enchanted the moment you decide to give it a fair chance.

I adore resinous scents, particularly those with opoponax, incense and/or spices. Ciara combines all three notes beautifully, creating a warm and richly scented oriental, perfect for Winter and night-time wear.

The scent is a little old-fashioned, perhaps even slightly dated, but there's something very likable about these heavy orientals from the 70's and 80's. They tend to be very animalic and lasting. Ciara has a strong sense of character and a bold presence which really appeals to me. One spritz is all it takes to be enclosed in a glorious cloud of perfume which lasts and lasts.

I occasionally wear Prada Opoponax No.8 which comes bearing a rather expensive price tag. Ciara is similar to this fragrance, and let's be honest, it's much more affordable. As it turns out, when you wear Ciara not many are aware of its affordability, assuming that the scent itself could be that of a high-end designer brand.

It is spicy, a great scent for winter or autumn. I would not wear it in the summer time. The smell reminds me of cinnamon and clove.

I bought this due to all the Great reviews I LOVE Oriental perfumes and a little is all you need it smell kinda powdery once it dries on me but, it is Nice!

I purchased Ciara blind based on your positive reviews, Fragranticans. Great call, and thank you. It strikes me as a natural choice for a professional woman, or any self-confident woman, for that matter. Ciara has that combination of light/dark, masculine/feminine that I associate with Angel, minus the gourmand influence. The fact that it has fallen out of fashion means that you won't smell common, and a bottle can be yours for a song. What's not to like?

That said, I certainly can understand why Ciara is a polarizing frag. One drop or spritz is all that is needed, and more could result in headaches and offended bystanders, so use it with care.
Also, beware of staining, as this juice is dark reddish-brown.

i discovered this one afternoon at my friend's house after school (3rd grade ... many MANY years ago). growing up, i tried all kinds of perfumes, but i steadily drifted back to this. it is tried and true. i'm always pleasantly surprised when asked what fragrance it is ... the look on their face is priceless. i suppose they expected a more "refined" or expensive perfume? in my opinion, a perfume does not have to be expensive to be good. it's all in how you wear it.

at times, midday, the scent reminds me of Dr. Pepper [yes, Dr. Pepper, lol]; as the day wears on, it reminds me of cotton candy. but just underneath the surface is a lingering, exotic almost aphrodisiac in quality, an air of leather and musk.

i don't care for the 80% variety, its alcohol content is far too high and when it evaporates, the lingering notes are not as delicious as the 100%. the 200% is rare and hard to find [i haven't seen it in at least two years, which is a shame]. it's not for everyone, but a little goes a really long way. for the 200, i dab it on my pulse points. the scent just seems to simmer as the day [or night] wears on.

an incredibly sexy perfume that still stands the test of time, without breaking the bank. if you just purchase luxuries based on the name or price, you will be missing quite a bit if you pass this up. inexpensive does not necessarily mean "cheap". i've smelled far more cheap perfumes coming out lately with pricetags of over $100 a bottle. fortunately, you can still buy Ciara 100% at your local drugstore.

Like this perfume.

On Revlons page I found this:

Top Notes: Bergamot, Raspberry, Neroli, Lemon
Mid Notes: Jasmin, Palmarosa, Rosewood, Ylang-Ylang, Orris
Dry Down: Leather, Cedarwood, Opoponax, Musk, Incense, Vanilla

This is a one-shot-wonder...and by that I mean, one spritz is all you need. Literally, one shot and walk through the delicious cloud. Done. It shouldn't be applied to the skin in my opinion. Perhaps a small spray to your hair. All perfumes should have the sillage and projection of this perfume.

Ciara is lovely. Period. I have had an affection for this frag that goes back 30 years. I loved it the very first time I experienced it and have loved it ever since. Is it a bit dated? Sure. But, when it comes to a frag you enjoy for nostalgic reasons, that doesn't matter.

At first spritz, Ciara is a powerhouse of something rich and rather sweet. The spicy resin notes are fully engaged on this one and they linger for ages. I don't personally note any strong floral or fruit scent whatsoever.

It would be pure joy for me to experience Ciara on someone with timeless style and a sense of class. But it never fails, the only time I smell Ciara on others it is over applied and mixed with cigarette smoke. Shame!

Scarlette, YOU GO GIRL!!!!!!!!!!! I thought about getting this today but have NO idea what I'd be getting but if YOU love.....JOY!!!!!

I am feeling very honest right now, so I have moved Ciara to my LOVE shelf.

I pretend it is a LIKE because I read all of the comments about it being way too strong, too sweet, too high school, the high dislike rating, and so I move it.

WTF!? Since when do I care? I have dresses from Holt's, and from Walmart. WHO cares!

I love Ciara. I have since I was 8 yrs old. Warm cinnaminy smoky sweetness, that lasts and lasts, and makes me very happy and content. Like a smoky Casmir!

I wear it a LOT at home, as I sometimes feel guilty about wearing the expensive ones around the house too much.

Deeply sexy. 100% concentration only, fantastic for Fall & Winter, I don't wear it on the summer..it would be too dark and thick.

If I delete this comment, I should be shot.

This is heaven on earth! It's like a baby powder smell, but it is also bright and stays that way. Most of those baby powder smells get dull, over-sweet or a bit musty after some time on my skin. But this cologne (I have the 80% concentration) stays light and lovely all day. There are very clear and clean notes in it and there is also some sweet aromatic note that I can't define. To me this smell is pure bliss; and it's noticeable to others around me as well who keep asking me what smells so good.

Oh dear, words cannot describe how much I dislike this one. I ordered a sample blind, thank goodness it only cost me £5 including delivery. Would not even use this as a room spray. It was familiar, I was born in the 1970s and it may have been popular then although it's definitely not a perfume that my mother would have worn. I got the 80 strength and it almost knocked me out. I dread to think what the stronger versions are like.

Ciara is one of Revlon's best kept secrets. A lovely blend of spices and vanilla that just lasts all day long without need of reapplication. Wonderful staying power. Throughout the day I get whiffs of it on me and its just intoxicating! Makes me feel happy. I absolutely love, love, love this fragrance, and there's nothing quite like it out there...uniquely beautiful!!

I wore this perfume in High School. After reading the reviews, and the key ingredients, I think I may revisit it. Really loved it.

I wore this in jr. high-I loved it! Very heady and sweet-my intro to oriental fragrances...I love them to this day.

fall in love again whith Ciara!!!

Going to the temple of Artemis to worship when a figure of a grecian goddess appears before you in flowing organza white robes scented in precious woods and smoldering incense and ambers of the temple.

This is one bold hussy! (A name the nuns at school called naughty girls). Men love Ciara and so do I. Mm mmm, it's a totally distinctive heady powerhouse and the sillage and staying power are excellent. When I first starting wearing it, (around 30 years ago) it was Charles Revson not Revlon. If you can see past the plastic spray nozzle, it's a beauty! This is a 'return to' fragrance for me time and time again and the low price enhances its attraction.

This is the fragrance that toppled the smell of the weed I smoked almost every day in high school. It's a strong one and hella sweet. I remember it being very opaque, that Ciara smell. Opaque and cheap. And be assured, it will obliterate all aromas surrounding it.

Instant headache. It seemed that the girls who wore this at my high school wore A LOT of this. It is feminine, but overly sweet. A cloud of it surrounds the wearer.

I think I used to drown myself in Ciara when I was in high school. Considering the sillage of the 80% concentration you could probably see a cloud of it around me when I walked down the street. In any case this is one of the drug store scents that's better than I remembered. I remembered it as having an unpleasantly harsh opening but that may have been my over-enthusiasm.

This is primarily a woody scent with jasmine, ylang-ylang and a lot of fairly soft spices. There's just enough leather to ensure that it isn't too sweet and the resins are close and gentle. Ciara definitely makes a statement and is not going to be widely liked but if it works for you it's still well made and the price is unbelievable. I plan to do some layering with something peppery and perhaps something fruity. For the price I could clean my windows with it.

Sillage: big, big, big
Durability: will fade to floral after 2-4 hours
Fabulosity: 16 Candles
Price to value ratio: excellent
6/10

This scent was my first love, as I have loved Ciara since I was 8 yrs old. I know a lot of us wore it when we were young, but it really is a very mature fragrance.

It is along the lines of Youth Dew & Opium I would say...both of which are very complex and sophisticated for my nose. Ciara is much sweeter though. Even the 80% lasts a very long time. I will always have a bottle in my collection.

I still love it.

I adored this fragrance when I was a teenager but now it's just reminiscent of cherry cola, so I don't wear it. It was my favorite & I gave it out as gifts to my close friends. This was back in the 1980's. Haven't worn Ciara since then.

i love this scent and have been wearing it on and off for years. its warm and the jasmine and ylang ylang notes really come out on my skin. fairly long lasting and i love the soft warm after scent that is left on my clothes.

I love strong fragrances and just purchased 2.3 oz. of Ciara 80 from Overstock for less than $8.00. What a great spicy, woodsy scent with great sillage and great staying power. As I have said many times, you can get a lot for your money with these strong frags if you apply them judiciously. I am happy to say it does not smell synthetic like Charlie Gold does on me. Price wise it is terrific.

I find it a very adult fragrance that would not be suitable for teens.

I wore this as a teen and recently came across a bottle at my grandmother's house. The scent itself is quite nice, but WOW it is overpowering. I like a nice strong Oriental Spice scent, but this one enters the room before you and hangs out for an house after you've left. I can't imagine buying this as an adult.

200 strength wow....thats a true perfume fantastique

my mama cel give this a a gift for my bithday and i love the scent..........

I must confess right now that, despite my love of high end designer perfumes, Ciara is one of my guilty pleasures. I was introduced to it some time in the early 1980s and I still wear it from time to time. I love the warm spicy vanilla, woodsy and incense aromas. There is nothing else like it. I wear the 80% strength and that is plenty strong enough for me. Ciara has tremendous sillage and lasting power and a little goes a long way.

Ciara is intoxicating, warm, sweet and spicy. It is a statement - strangely youthful and exotic without being too cloying or masculine.

This is a really nice, strong, oh my god, such a fascinating smell, wonderfully sensual, never smell something so nice, thank you REVLON, always the best,

Oh I just love this perfume. I was wearing it for about twenty years ago. My children always said to me that I smelled so good, like candy. I want this perfume again but I can´t buy it in Sweden, I wish I could.

I had a friend that wore only this as it was her signature scent and it suited her. It smelled absolutely beautiful on her, but I can't wear it...it is waaaaay too sweet for me. I think the trick to wearing this is a light touch in application and wait till the drydown before taking a sniff of your wrist. It is a very distinctive and highly recognizable scent....nothing else smells like it!

75' junior high, my first girlfriend wore this thus very fond memories of this scent, my first experience with a 'sexy' smell recently smelled it again and though it evokes great memories it now smells powdery and kind of bathroomy not something you want on someone, but i gotta give it props for its original impact on my life

I wear only 200% strength, and I have never found a man that didn't love the smell ... I have worn it for the last 20 years and don't intend to change.. the trick is to put it on as soon as you come out of the shower .. smells soft and perfect all day....

I have the 80 strength.

I understand the strident criticism of Ciara, the perfume is very sweet, almost cloying and the incense is confronting.

However I like it.

At the risk of being decried - I find similarities to L'Heure Bleue by Guerlain. When I looked at the notes I see they share iris,vanilla and jasmine. Certainly the Guerlain is superior, but I think one short-changes Ciara to dismiss it.
The fragrance is a little dated like EL's Cinnabar and YSL Opium but it has a place in any discussion of late 20th century perfumes.

With its stable mate Charlie, Revlon Ciara makes complex oriental perfume available to women on a limited budget.

I ADORE Ciara perfume! I have only worn the 80 % version. Is the 200 % just that much stronger? The 80 is VERY strong and long lasting. Perfume talk wise it would definitely be labeled a silage monster!
I love how you can use a tiny bit in the morning, wake up the NEXT DAY and you will smell it all over your pillow case. It is a warm, comforting fragrance that I think is best used in the fall or winter months. If you like Cinnabar or Opium or Youth Dew, give this a try. It is sweeter than any of those, but has the strength and depth and character that those classics possess.

Today i'v got this from a swap by a fellow fragrantican Rithcha. at first spritz cinnamon and spices and the drydown an odd medley of wood resins
mrryh and to me RUBBER! i can smell rubber in this the bottle is mediorche
like cheap drugstore perfume in fact it is you can find this in any drugstore
but the plus side to this is the color
of the liquid like a Reddish orange color it does have it's exotic quailties to it despite over almost 4 decades the price been lowered the reformulation and it now an drug store perfume not a prestious high end elite
club but i'll warn you this is very
strong one spray that's it.

I Wore this in the 80s,Always got compliments.Wore 200 strength.Men loved it as did I.Recenyly I found some once again,sad to say,it just aint the same baby.Smelled NOTHING LiKE my old friend.Why do they do that?They have something great and then they have to mess it up.Next time I find somthing I love,im gonna buy it all up.LAUGH

It has to be the nastiest smelling perfume I have smelled and sadly we all know people who wore it and still wear it. I like heavy scents, but this is just awful....the smell of baby powder and ashtrays mixed with fruit....RUN FROM IT

This stuff is strong and woody smelling. Very sweet and woody indeed! It was popular when I was in high school back in 1979 so this has been around awhile. It has incredible staying power even though it is a cologne-amazing lasting power! I won't ware it anymore but im sure someone does.

a little over-the-top- and it was loved by a friend of mine who was also a little over-the-top :)

this is a very heavy, very sweet smelling fragrance. the vanilla and incense of the base really come through.

it's pleasant but not one of my favorites.

I love ciara today arrived whith a frend, one year i wait for it.love its sweet incence,vanilla y musk.

I agree with Aiona. This scent is immediately recognizable. It's my mom's favorite fragrance. She only wears it for special occasions, so for me it brings back really nice memories. A little bit goes a long way, though. This is a rather heavy scent.

I always loved this scent, but it seems to have gained a cheap smelling, alcohol smell. :( I want the old one back.

I loved Ciara when it was first released... how old do I feel ;-)
My foster mother wore it, and I just loved the rich, spicy aroma.
When I became an independent adult it was one of the first things i bought; a small bottle of the 200 strength.
I used it sparingly, and had lots of 'positive comments' from admirers ;-)
I think it would be nasty if used heavily, which thankfully was one thing I was taught not to do by my lovely foster mum.
I have purchased it again, and it seems to have been changed slightly. Still nice, but somehow missing something.
Recently I tried it at the perfume counter, and it still lacks that 'something'.
Even that original bottle, which I have kept all these years, smells richer than the newer formulations.
It's ok to wear when you're at work, but I wouldn't wear it out or on a special occasion any more.
As always, try before you buy, and use lightly.

Ciara is a scent that I should like; I like nearly all the notes and am a die-hard lover of Orientals. But for some reason I just absoultely HATE this scent! Yuck....too strong, too sweet, too.....much.

Goes on glorious, just edible and lovely. Dries down rapidly to a tamer version of Tabu, plus an unfortunate wintergreen note, like muscle-cream. I sure wish the opening notes lasted longer, but that mint note makes it sort of dreadful in the end and I had to wash it off.

This opens extremely spicy, but the drydown is powdery and sweet. It's sweet and original. It is very true though that it is very, very strong. A little will go a long way. Great for winter, it'll give you that cozy feeling.

For me, Ciara was one of those scents that I purchased in my late teens because I thought (hoped) it would make me look and feel like a grownup if I wore it. But I could never reconcile myself to the heavy "incense layered with creme anglaise" character of the scent, so I finally gave it to a friend of mine. She wore it constantly, and truth be told, was never really able to carry it off either. But at least she adored it.

This does have a lot of personality and it says I'm sexy, Independent and I bet you would like to take me home tonight.. Strong, but good... So cheap too, that is so nice to find these days... Sexy woman only...

I'm a fan of fragrances with a big personality, and Ciara is certainly is one of them! Sweet and sexy, this has gigantic sillage, but applied *sparingly* this is one hot scent. Men seem to love it on me. Try it if you enjoy fragrances like Opium - it's not nearly as sophisticated as Opium, but it has the same enveloping quality. For the low price, can't be beat.

This is a very unique scent. Very sweet and very strong. It is nice once in a while,it lasts well. Definitely one of a kind!

Un profumo molto particolare, molto forte.. pero' a me è piaciuto! L'incenso che mi avvolge è sublime.

This is such a fascinating scent, to me. It's distinctive, and I can recognize it immediately, when someone is wearing it. It is not a fruity floral (like everything else being put out these days). I recently bought a bottle from Wal-Mart, of all places, and it smells quite different. I don't know if they changed the formulation in order to sell it cheaply. When worn too heavily, it can be suffocating, but it's not forgettable, that's for sure.