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Have you noticed that when you read about the new fall 2012 fragrances like, say, Marc Jacobs' "Dot," that words like "playful," "lovely," and "fresh" always pop up in the description? And aren't vague, fluffy, marketing phrases like that completely annoying? What do they tell you about how the fragrance really smells? Nothing. And that's what we want to know.

Look, we get it: writing a fragrance review is hard. Really hard. One woman can smell roses while the next gal gets candy. But honestly, raise your hand if you can summon to mind what "top notes of bergamot" or "a blend of melons" mean or what they smell like?

Luckily, we're always up for a challenge. Last week we conducted an office-wide sniff-test of all the new fall 2012 fragrances. The goal: To choose the top 10 and include real reviews. The kind that go beyond boring catch phrases like "sexy" or "warm" and truly capture the emotion or memory evoked by each scent for each tester.

Skip ahead to see the best fall 2012 fragrances

To find out which fragrance smells like "you took a swan dive into Monet's Water Lilies painting" and a whole host of others, sniff out this guide of the best fall 2012 fragrances.

"It smells hot and sweet, like candy melting on the dashboard of your car." -- Emily Popp, Assistant Editor

"It reminds me of a Blow Pop, especially that moment when you reach the bubblegum center." -- Paola Gonzalez Marra, Senior Designer

"This smells like a sunny day at Disneyland, when the air is filled with caramel apples and cotton candy." -- Sophie Salazar, Editorial Intern



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Coco Noir by Chanel, $98
"It smells like when you walk into the bottom level of a Bloomindales and you pass all the high-end fragrance counters." -- Cinya Burton, Senior Associate Editor

"It reminds me of a very fancy grandmother breezing past me on her way to the Met." -- Popp

"The after-scent is as if you are sprinkling on some baby powder." -- Christine Lee, Editorial Intern



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Nicole by Nicole Richie, $55
"It smells like coconut mixed with warm sunscreen. Like you've just spent the day at the beach." -- Sarah Carrillo, Senior Editor

"It is sticky sweet and reminds me of being at a bee farm, surrounded by lots of honeycombs." -- Salazar

"I think it's very summery, like breathing in the air inside of a beach resort cabana." -- Popp



"This smells like you just stepped out of the shower. Completely fresh skin with just a hint of whatever floral body wash you just rinsed off." -- Burton

"Light and pretty, like potpourri in a drawer filled with freshly-washed frilly, expensive underwear." -- Popp

"It makes me think of a fancy bubble bath filled with clear, clean rose water with a few rose petals sprinkled on top." -- Lee

Have you noticed that when you read about the new fall 2012 fragrances like, say, Marc Jacobs' "Dot," that words like "playful," "lovely," and "fresh" always pop up in the description? And aren't vague, fluffy, marketing phrases like that completely annoying? What do they tell you about how the fragrance really smells? Nothing. And that's what we want to know.

Look, we get it: writing a fragrance review is hard. Really hard. One woman can smell roses while the next gal gets candy. But honestly, raise your hand if you can summon to mind what "top notes of bergamot" or "a blend of melons" mean or what they smell like?

Luckily, we're always up for a challenge. Last week we conducted an office-wide sniff-test of all the new fall 2012 fragrances. The goal: To choose the top 10 and include real reviews. The kind that go beyond boring catch phrases like "sexy" or "warm" and truly capture the emotion or memory evoked by each scent for each tester.

Skip ahead to see the best fall 2012 fragrances

To find out which fragrance smells like "you took a swan dive into Monet's Water Lilies painting" and a whole host of others, sniff out this guide of the best fall 2012 fragrances.
BY CINYA BURTON | SHARES
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