Narciso Rodriguez Essence

I never reviewed the original Narciso Rodriguez For Her because I can't smell most of it, and the parts I get don't agree with me.  So it's a good thing I had very few expectations from the 2009 release, Essence. I can smell it alright and I don't mind its existence, even though I don't understand why anyone bothered to make it. Did the world really need another airy and sheer abstract floral over a whatever musk base?

The official notes according to NST are iris, rose, benzoin, amber and musk, but they might as well have been soap, laundry detergent, soda water, assorted chemicals and a very generic clean musk. If this Narciso Rodriguez creation's main purpose is to smell sterile and non offensive, then I guess it's a roaring success. It's fully lacking in emotional depth (or any depth, really) and will not make one feel anything, good or bad. Those of us who wear perfume for reasons other than to convince others that we shower on a regular basis, can easily skip this and find their essence elsewhere.

Narciso Rodriguez Essence ($80, 1.6 oz) is available from Sephora and most department stores.