Subtle, sophisticated, and fresh? Isolina just smells cheap and sweet to me.

Judging from the outer packaging and the fabulous descriptions on the product page alone, this product gives off the impression of superior quality. However, this was not the case, and nothing of what I was expecting. The scent is a hit or miss -- it's so distinct that you'll either love it or hate it -- so beware.
Published:
Pros
Travel-friendly
Put it in your purse to re-apply later
Decent staying power
Cons
Expensive for quantity/quality's worth
Very sweet, may irritate some
Rating by reviewer:
3
extremely useful review

Use

This petite perfume oil is the perfect size for your purse, which is useful because it does not last terribly long. It's a roll-on, so there won't be any mess, and you can put it exactly where you want it (like behind your ears, on your wrists, etc). If you are not a fan of overly sweet scents or are sensitive, then this is not for you. As far as allergies go, I would not be able to tell you, because there is only one ingredient listed on the bottle: Parfum. Useful, right?

As far as where and when to use this product, I feel that it is much more of a day-time perfume due to the sweetness. You can wear it out-and-about, when you want to feel especially peppy and girly. I personally would not wear it on a date or formal event as to potentially agitate others around me with the scent.

I wanted to give a photo to show the size of product so that you could see it is travel-friendly. It's about the size of my thumb.

  • Who / How / What
    [ ? ]
    Who might this product be best for? How is it best used? What are the best circumstances or situations for using this product?
    • On-the-go
  • Body / part areas
    [ ? ]
    What areas on the body can this product be used / what areas does it stimulate best?
    • Behind the ears
    • Other pressure points
    • Wrists

Texture / Consistency / Thickness / Viscosity

The liquid rolls on very nicely and dries quickly. No worries about leakage, spillage, or over-spraying as with typical perfume. It is not greasy, in fact, when it dries you can slightly feel where it was. It does not absorb into the skin as typical perfume does. Due to this fact, and the fact that it doesn't smell like it, I'm assuming there isn't any alcohol base in it.

After it dries, there is no trouble with it rubbing off or getting onto any fabrics. Although you may be able to feel the residue, you will not see it. It is entirely clear.
    • Doesn't absorb
    • Thin

Taste / Aroma

This perfume's first impression on me was not a good one. The scent was offensively sweet and strong, and it actually triggered a headache at first. I tried to pick apart the supposed notes listed on the product page, but it was difficult. Usually I am pretty good at figuring it out, but it took me a few times of putting it on before I could begin to notice some of them -- but very vaguely.

The smell has become less offensive with a few wears, and less strong. Much more tolerable. However, it still smells sort of cheap to me.

This is what the product page has to say: Top notes include violet leaves & mimosa (orange flower) blended with middle notes of rose petals & neroli. Heliotrope & precious woods round out this ultra feminine elixir that is best described as pureness in a bottle.

I'm doubting that they've use the real essential oils that were listed. You'd think that if they did, they would have listed them in the ingredients. I was able to pick up on the violet right away, and the rest were more subdued (like the mimosa and rose). The overly-sweet floral potpourri that resulted was so overpowering that I could not pick up on the rest them with enough confidence.

I asked my grandmother to try it, and although she could not pick apart the specific notes, she said it had an undertone that smells like baby powder (when it used to have a more distinct scent back in the day). Now that I think about it, I agree. Now I know why it reminds me of playing with dolls as a child.
    • Distinct but light
    • Fades

Performance

This perfume has decent staying power. It's only strong for a few minutes. After about 15-20 minutes, it will have faded nicely to a subtle finish. The more you move around, you'll catch small whiffs of it here and there. After about an hour, it's only vaguely there (unless you put the spot right under your nose). This may vary from person to person, however, because we all have different chemistry.

I washed it off with soap and water to see how well that works, and for the most part it did wash off. So, if you are putting this on your wrists and washing your hands during the day, it will be gone in one or two washings.
    • Needs to be washed off with soap and water
    • Reapply often

Packaging

The little roll-on comes in a small cylindrical case. It doesn't give you any information other than the scent name, how much product is included (6 ml / 0.2 fl oz), that it is italian inspired, the packaging is recyclable, and the only ingredient is "Parfum".

Though the quality of the product itself was a disappointment for me, at least the packaging was cute and well thought out. There is a sweet quote on the back of the packaging that says, "Happiness is a perfume that you can't pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself."

    • Does not leak
    • Easy to use / dispense
    • Travel friendly

Personal comments

Of course, this perfume's appeal will probably vary greatly from person to person, but I do not like it. It makes me think of something that would have been manufactured for a child to wear and get dressed up with plastic jewelry, or a scent they'd put on a baby doll toy. I had a clear picture in my mind of what I was expecting to smell because I am very familiar with aromatherapy and the scents individually, and this was just disappointing for me. I just feel like a little girl going to play dress up with my Barbie dolls.

Although it has become more tolerable the more I wear it, I probably would not wear this as an everyday perfume. It reminds me more of something I would wear in the summer time when these sorts of scents feel more appropriate.

When I was deciding on which scent to try, I chose this because it boasted of being fresh, subtle, and sophisticated. It failed to deliver in that regard -- but that's not to say the scent is entirely bad. If you like subtle scents, this probably won't be for you. If you like bright, excessively girly, sweet and strong floral scents, then this may be more up your alley.
Follow-up commentary
I have given this perfume several more tries, but after a month, I still can't stand it. I wanted very much to like it more, but it's so offensive that I get a headache every time I smell it. It still smells cheap and way too sweet.

I'm keeping it at three stars, because the packaging and display deserves some praise. However, I cannot justify the price whatsoever. I hope that someone out there is satisfied with this product, since we all have such different tastes, but I am definitely not a fan.
This product was provided free of charge to the reviewer. This review is in compliance with the FTC guidelines.

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This review was edited by
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Comments
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  • Contributor: booboo111926
    thanks
  • Contributor: brevado
    Nice review. Thanks!
  • Contributor: Cat Enderly
    Helpful review.
  • Contributor: Terri69
    Thanks for the great review!
  • Contributor: lovebites
    thanks for the review!
  • Contributor: ellierae
    thanks
  • Contributor: Gettinmymojoback
    sorry it didnt work for u
  • Contributor: kitty377
    thanks for the review!
  • Contributor: MALVINA
    Thank you for the review!
  • Contributor: kdlt
    Thanks for the great review and extra product pictures!
  • Contributor: meowmeowmeow
    Thanks for the review! c:
  • Contributor: BrittaniMaree
    Thank you for your review
  • Contributor: amenti

    Thank you for your super helpful perfume review!
    I'm also very sensitive to headaches from strong smells.



  • Contributor: Mrs.Tee
    Was definetely thinking about purchasing, not too sure not, doesnt sound anything like what i would expect. Great review. Thanks for sharing
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