If you frequent more than one beauty blog you're likely to have noticed a crop of recent posts on Nanette Lepore fragrance (see this one, this one and this one). The original Nanette scent isn't new, so I'm sensing a well-timed PR push for Valentine's Day. And it makes sense, because Nanette Lepore is soft, feminine, romantic and flowery...an excellent fit for Cupid's favorite day.

Unfortunately, it's also way too sweet for my taste (although to its credit, it does come in a rollerball, which is fab). There's a violet note that I absolutely love, but the overall effect is a little too sweet for my liking. If you're into sweet, powdery florals, though...you're going to love it.

Of the Nanette fragrances I far prefer Love Bird and Shanghai Butterfly, although a quick glance at the ratings on Makeup Alley indicates that I'm in the minority. Most people love the original! Fragrance and skin chemistry are such fickle things.

Love Bird is a light floral musk similar in composition to Narciso Rodriguez and SJP Lovely, but softer and younger. It's a great option for a young girl who's looking for something different from the usual crop of fruity florals, but still age-appropriate (see this post). I bought a bottle for my 14-year old cousin B and she loves it! Love Bird was a limited edition but is still readily available on sites like FragranceNet.

At first sniff, Shanghai Butterfly will have you exclaiming, "It's D&G Light Blue!" However, the drydown is entirely different on me...it smells a bit like Comptoir Sud Pacifique's Vanille Citrus. I first discovered Shanghai Butterfly in a hand cream (which, of course, I have not been able to find since) and soon found myself plunking down my Amex for the fragrance.

Do you have a favorite Nanette fragrance?

Nanette Lepore Notes:
Moonstone rose, white peach, white cranberry juices, magenta nectar, black currant, orange jasmine, Persian lime juice, velvet violet, amber, and Indian sandalwood

Love Bird Notes:
Citrus, blackcurrant, rose, muguet, jasmine, carnation, amber, and sheer musk

Shanghai Butterfly Notes:
Lemon slice, mandarin, green snow apple, spicy carnation, poet's jasmine, lily of the valley, gardenia, crimson whisper rose, blond woods, green cedar, Siberian musk and sandalwood.