Spectacular, from Joan Collins was released in 1989. The perfumer behind this creation is unknown. It has the top notes of Aldehydes, Bergamot, Gardenia, Green Notes, and Peach, middle notes of Benzoin, Jasmine, Lily-of-the-Valley, Narcissus, Orris Root, Rose, Sandalwood, Tuberose, and Ylang-Ylang, and base notes of Amber, Civet, Incense, Leather, Musk, Oakmoss, Patchouli, Styrax, and Vetiver.
Spectacular doesn’t have the ba ba boom factor you’d expect from the alter ego of Alexis. Instead, it is Alexis, just with the fur off and the negligee on. It’s Alexis by night; once the clothes come off, it’s time for seduction. Spectacular, for me and on my skin, falls in the realm of Passion, Occur, the first Versace from 81..meaning it has the same opulence, the same animalic floralcy, but a bit dialed down. While I believe Alexis would wear a heavy night time fragrance during the day, at home it seems fitting she would wear something as equally sensual but less intense. Don’t get me wrong, Spectacular is intense and heavy and heady, and I own a 1989 edt. But the aldehyde cloud that surrounds the most prominent gardenia, surrounded by a silky peach, tames the beast. The flowers are hard to pinpoint, the gardenia steals the show and only allows the incense to make a statement. That, and an unmistakeable civet that never stops roaring. It’s like the day counterpart of Passion. Was it trying to imitate it? Underneath it all though, there’s a gentle green streak that gives a powdered and chypre feel to the fragrance. While it’s heady, sensual, floral and highly animalic, it does so in morning attire. It’s not a gold lamé dress covered by an exotic fur, it’s more like a hot pink ensemble, with black lace underwear and silk stockings. What Alexis (again) would wear to the office on any given Monday. Is it Joan? Is it Alexis? It’s hard to tell, given that depending on the persona, one would feel it’s both and neither. One thing’s for sure, it’s an 80’s child thru and thru; a powdered floral with a classic feel, an assertive chypre with enough drama to fuel a soap opera and a sexy animalic light oriental with enough pizzazz to compete with anything from La Nuit to Fendi passing through Opium. So, for me, this is Joan Collins/Alexis Carrington Colby to a T. She’s just showing us her ‘delicate’ iron clad side. Spectacular sillage and longevity, as would be expected! Edit: the more I wear it, the more I smell a crossover between Passion and Occur. Simply…spectacular!