Nevertheless 'R.E.M.' has something of its own, which the other Ariana Grande perfumes didn't have until now. For me it's warm and fresh at the same time (although you might think that's mutually exclusive). Twilight from Lush is a really good comparison. R.E.M is more complex but that is the closest comparison. Using Lush Sleepy body wash and lotion would be a good base for this to increase longevity in my opinion. This lasts a long time on me, but it seems that varies greatly from person to person. I am in heaven when I wear this. It doesn’t smell masculine to me, but I guess I could understand why some feel it does. The lavender note can be interpreted that way. But to me all the sweet gourmand elements make it overtly feminine.

I don't buy lavender scents I am so happy I don't feel it because Lavender would complete ruin that beauty. I like notes with Clean, Fresh Soap. Its well composed scent. On first spray, it’s all sweet lavender and salt. I’m not usually a fan of sweet lavender but this really does it for me. The caramel and marshmallow do make it sweet, but it’s not cloying. It reminds me of a dessert you’d get at a Michelin starred restaurant. Like a salted caramel and lavender s’more with tonal creme under a salt dome with sandalwood air upon removing the dome. The dry down is like a cozy hug. I feel like I'm wearing my husband's worn shirt with this scent, which gives off its delicate inherent scent, plus the scent of a sweet and slightly spicy men's deodorant. Surprisingly, 'R.E.M.' actually has something of 'Cloud', but the fresher notes in. R.E.M.' makes everything more beautiful and coherent. Cloud for me is greasy, sweet coconut cream mixed with man deodorant. The station wagon just made my stomach turnAt the first spraying I was disabused, because the fragrance is strong, with almost unisex character. Lavender stands out a lot and so does the sweet marshmallow scent. Less cheesy, the combination is made by something woody and spicy, which has surprised me positively. I always found that the sweet opening would be more prominent on textile vs on my skin. With my skin chemistry, it also pulls more masculine.

I love lavender and this is one of my top 5 favourite perfumes ever. I crave it. I want it. Half of the time, I will start off my day with one perfume and end with this one.For me, it is a fragrance that I want to wear in grey autumn or winter weather, when I sit at home with a cup of tea and enjoy the rain outside. It accompanies me for some time, five to six hours the lavender is with me and becomes softer and softer. The lavender gives it a masculine touch, the sweetness of the caramel rounds it off in such a way that it can be worn regardless of gender. Now you're going home, you realize his cologne is still lingering on your clothes and is mixing with your sweet perfume. It's already making you nostalgic of this magical moment.

The caramel keeps the lavender from being too fresh, giving it a semi sweet edge. It doesn't mean it's a bad odor; it's actually a little bit sexy and natural smelling.

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The character of the perfume I would describe as romantic, cozy and mysterious - perfect for an evening for two.

I do find the bottle design to be ridiculous and a waste of too much plastic, especially the holder part. I suppose AG had wanted to target younger audience with the design but I feel that the bottle on its own without the cheap plastic holder looks better and matches the scent better. It give a whole channel vibe without the holder, and that to me looks elegant. At primary school age, a friend was given a small, round bottle made of frosted glass as a present. The lid was a plush rabbit head with a bow on top. Her parents had probably thought of the fragrance as a pillow spray for a peaceful sleep, because the liquid in the glass bottle had an intense lavender smell. While playing on a grey afternoon, we took the bottle and sprayed wildly all over the room until everything was literally fogged with lavender and then rolled up in warm blankets. R.E.M is also great layered with Cloud. I would do 2 or 3 sprays of R.E.M for 7 sprays of Cloud (yes I'm an oversprayer 🙈). I found that it amped up the lavender in Cloud and made it less sweet. I would get compliments from my therapist, coworkers and a friend that doesn't even like sweet scents that much.

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How nice that after 'Ari' and 'Moonlight' (my favourite fragrances) I like an Ariana Grande perfume again. But I knew that 'R.E.M.' had to move in with me just because of the gorgeous bottle. So I didn't care that many people compared the fragrance to 'Cloud', which I don't like at all...