Rihanna 'RiRi' and Britney Spears 'Intimate Edition' - unboxing and first impressions

Today is a an exciting day! My two new perfumes have finally arrived in the mail. Rihanna's new and long-anticipated 'RiRi', and Britney Spears' most recent addition to the Fantasy range - 'Intimate Edition'. I haven't tried either of these before, so today's post will be all about unboxing and first impressions. Hope you enjoy =)

Let's start with Fantasy Intimate Edition. This perfume was created to celebrate Britney's debut lingerie collection, and that idea is clearly reflected in the design. The box is really cute, coloured in lovely shades of pink and white, with lace patterns all over. The bottle is gorgeous, and has the same shape and design as the rest of the Fantasy range. This time however, the bottle is snowy white, with pale pink gems. It looks girly and innocent, and makes me think of snowflakes and whipped cream!

After spraying Intimate Edition for the first time, my impression was that it smells similar to the original Fantasy (pink bottle), but softer, creamier and more subtle. This is very sweet, but gentle. As the scent began to settle down, I started smelling more musky and soft floral notes, such as jasmine and violets. The sweetness wore off after about twenty minutes, and the fragrance became more mature, elegant, and indeed quite 'intimate'. If I had to sum it up in one sentence, I'd say that Intimate Edition smells like a really expensive, luxurious body lotion. It's very warm, comfortable and creamy. My boyfriend, who is difficult to please when it comes to perfumes, said that he liked it lots, and that it made him think of a 'fluffy, clean white duvet'.

Overall, I think this is a lovely, warm, feminine fragrance. It smells soft and 'cosy', and I'm going to wear it a lot during the autumn months. The quality is surprisingly good for a perfume this cheap. Definitely try this if you like the original Fantasy, because it is fairly similar, but different enough to deserve your attention.

             
Next is Rihanna's new fragrance, RiRi. The box is quite simple, in black, pink and gold colours. To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of the bottle. I like the pink liquid, but the design itself looks a little cheap (indeed it is... As I'm writing this, the cap broke off). I think that the writing is slightly over-sized, but it might look better on bigger bottles - mine is only the smallest, 30ml version.

My first impressions of the scent were overwhelmingly positive. This smells so delicious! Very 'perfumy', with exotic vibes, like passionfruit or mango. It immediately made me think of Escada perfumes, which are always fruity, yummy and exotic. I could also detect a hint of something 'boozy' in there, which smelled a little like rum (it was very subtle, though, and gave the fragrance more depth). After a while, the scent became sweeter and more creamy - I could smell a lot of vanilla with some fruity accents, which reminded me of one of my all-time favourite perfumes - Armani 'Si' (or more like a lighter, less intense version). 

This is very different from previous Rihanna fragrances. I like it, although it does smell a little generic - it's the kind of scent that you know you've smelled so many times before. The quality isn't the best - this perfume is vibrant and intense only in the first half hour. After that, it becomes much lighter and 'watered-down'. That being said, RiRi is a lovely, delicious, accessible scent, and I think it will be great for casual wear all year round.

             

Verdict:

Britney Spears - Fantasy Intimate Edition 8/10. Unusual, feminine and sensual; smells like a luxurious body lotion
Rihanna - Riri 6/10. Fruity, girly and delicious; smells like an exotic cocktail with creamy vanilla (sadly, it disappears after about thirty minutes)

Where to purchase? In the UK, Britney Spears Intimate Edition is available across all major perfume retailers (The Perfume Shop, Boots, etc.). The price is roughly £28 for a 50ml bottle, £22 for 30ml. Rihanna Riri is a more recent release, and so far I've only seen it in Superdrug - £30 for 50ml, and £23 for 30ml.

Hope you enjoyed this review! Have you tried either of these perfumes before? What are your thoughts? Stay tuned for a review of the Lancome Juicy Tubes collection next week! =) 

Follow