Fancy Nights by Jessica Simpson

Packed with patchouli, a green chypre with a velvety, vintage warmth. Spiced and balsamic at first, it can be daunting, but dries down to powdery and vanilla. For a ‘celebrity’ scent, it’s brilliant. Perfect for autumn and winter, lasting over 8 hours and unisex. Try it before buying.

I’ve had Fancy Night for a couple of years, bought it discontinued, batch from 2010. It’s exotic, nothing easy. Not typical of the celebrity line, which I love. Upon trying it, I was knocked out: strong opening, wet smell, green, camphorated patchouli and earthy with a sweet touch. It gives the vibe of opening a new book; some love it, others find it overwhelming, what I call ‘stinking up’. Peculiar, strong Arabic style, I didn’t understand it until I wore it several times. At first it saturates, but it’s when it dries down that I enjoy it. It sits imposingly, sophisticated, atypical and elegant, with 8 hours of longevity and good sillage. Not for heat, it could end humanity.

My mum gifted me this flanker when I turned 19. She knew Fancy was my favourite and as mine ran out, she gave me Fancy Nights. Truthfully, I hated it. I was turning 19 in summer and this scent was a big no, it was too close to adolescent and caramelised sticky aromas. Today, at 25, I found it in a forgotten drawer and upon trying it, I felt I liked it. I’ve developed a great love for Chanel and feel Fancy Nights fits that direction of elegant woman. I’ve given it its rightful place on my shelf.

Today paradigms and taboos are breaking. The fragrance world is no exception. Our parents and grandparents used to insist on virile scents. I’m a product of that school, which I still embrace… I love retro fragrances (if you could see my ‘old school’ collection). But everything changes: proof is Fancy Nights by Jessica Simpson. A fragrance totally wearable for a gentleman… it’s incredible with enviable longevity and trail. An addictive patchouli and, why not, sexy. I won’t discuss the notes as those before me have clarified. Joop! Homme broke the ice in 1989. Today I’m not ashamed to answer curious questions that in my collection, at 50, I own and use regularly two fragrances listed as ‘for women’: Fancy Nights Jessica Simpson and Club de Nuit Intense Woman. Totally unisex. Dear friends, try them… my wife loves feeling the sparkle this Fancy Nights leaves on my skin. Those under 35 should abstain. I’ll tell you more later.

I don’t like it. It’s strange and heavy. It smells to me like stale ginger biscuits. In short, it doesn’t smell bad, but I don’t like its overly heavy and humid woody notes. It’s not a perfume I would wear.

I’ve just received the package. I bought two bottles in England because it’s hard to find here. They say it’s a dupe of Prada Amber and yes, it has an air of it, though in Fancy the patchouli feels much more potent. Personally, I like it very much; it’s a serious, enveloping fragrance, absolutely not sweet. Good projection and better trail. Unbeatable quality/price ratio.

It’s the worst and ugliest smell I’ve ever smelled. It smells to me like burnt rubber. I can’t see any nice side; I try to distinguish the notes but I can’t; I only know that this strange aroma upsets my stomach like a dagger and makes me feel ill instantly. It’s not worth even knowing it, it’s horrible. P.S.: After some time, I must say that what I don’t like is the patchouli; it has a high concentration. I discovered that this note makes me ill if it’s in large quantities, although in other perfumes it’s imperceptible.

Well, basically, it’s a celebrity perfume that smells exactly the opposite. If you like fragrances like Chanel’s Coromandel, Shalimar Parfum Initial, or Guerlain’s L’Instant pour Homme, you’ll like Fancy Nights. It’s another twist on those: bolder, thicker, but not bad. Asking for dimension from a twenty-euro perfume is absurd. The only thing it achieves is that you like it and can wear a daily scent similar to very expensive formulas with sweet, woody, and exotic notes. It’s perfect as a daily wildcard. Coromandel is expensive; I’d love to say it’s not worth it, but even if I don’t like it, it still feels exquisite. Shalimar is discontinued and L’Instant has been reformulated. Jessica Simpson, who was Britney’s B-side, produces a substitute to use on demand. The opening is aniseed, with a macerated sweetness and hints of fermented citrus. It also smells of almond skin, like an old anise bottle stopper with solidified sugar, spicy amaretto style. The patchouli appears early with woody vanilla nuances, almost gourmand but nothing childish; it’s an adult perfume that would clash on a child. It has little evolution; after the wild opening, it compacts quickly without changing further. It’s an androgynous patchouli floating in an ambered, boozy sweetness, like the filling of an adult bonbon. It could be a cheap version of Cartier’s Le Baiser du Dragon due to the brittle grass tone and almond aftertaste, or recall Joop Le Bain’s wafer wrapper. It’s an orange liqueur, aniseed and spicy, with the same anaesthesia as smelling a mothball clip. I say again that this sweetness is not childish nor reminiscent of kiosks or Bratz with lollipops; it’s balsamic, like fermented alcohols, herbs, and satin lingerie by the warmth of a fire. It’s no surprise they say it smells old if they have pink perfumes in their wardrobe. I’m not saying I’m better or have the absolute truth, but saying it smells old is wrong: it doesn’t smell old, but rather something exotic, powerful, and sexy. It deserves a try, especially for those who enjoy that mid-2000s adult sweetness. In truth, it doesn’t smell like a celebrity cologne, but like an idea of ancient Egypt and the Dance of the Seven Veils passed through Hollywood. PS: Absolutely unisex. Those who enjoy this style have 100ml with decent longevity and sillage for twenty euros.

This perfume already made me hesitate: it doesn’t seem like a risky move to try and understand why men might like it (I’m a fan of Joop! Homme). I’ll be testing it soon and will let you know my impressions.

I’m not a fan of celebrity perfumes, but only 4 have met my expectations for quality and originality; Fancy Nights is one of them. It’s an timeless and sexy aroma, worthy of an Egyptian queen. Warm and unpredictable, its simple composition doesn’t make it linear: it evolves differently every time I use it. I used my decant three times and noticed it was different each time, although the patchouli always dominated. It opens with very marked papyrus, but in minutes the sweet and herbal patchouli enters, joined with amber, vanilla, and sandalwood. At night, patchouli and amber stand out; during the day, patchouli and vanilla. Applause to Jessica Simpson for breaking schemes with a well-executed fragrance at an accessible price.

Splendid fragrance. Fancy Nights joins White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor and Hidden Fantasy by Britney Spears as ideal choices to break stereotypes about celebrity perfumes. At first, it has nothing to do with its predecessors. It’s ambered, oriental with an undeniable chypre essence, featuring a creamy and luminous base that recalls the spirit of its forerunners. It abuses papyrus and patchouli, a risky proposition for a public one might not expect to be interested in by Jessica Simpson. Comparing: Hidden Fantasy and White Diamonds also took risks with aldehydes (the latter in greater quantity), something unexpected for a sweet niche… Fancy Nights did the same. The floral chypre is a dangerous path when candies and fruits are synonymous with youth, and flowers or chypre notes have been insolently relegated to older people (prejudice). The original Fancy was an absolute gourmand, but this is pure chypre. I doubt the current composition, as to comply with current standards it must have eliminated or changed the oakmoss. It seems inspired by magical Egyptian nights, worthy of Cleopatra after a milk bath or Scheherazade. If you don’t like ‘Arabic Attar’ style perfumes, I doubt you’ll like Fancy Nights; if not, it’s highly recommended. The trail was moderate and the longevity satisfactory (more than 10 hours in summer). Congratulations Jessica (or rather, Steve Demercado).

Elegant fragrance, although I believe it shines more on women over 25. For men, I see no age limit; it is definitely unisex. My girlfriend and I decided who would keep it by a raffle; I won, but in the end, she is the one using it, haha.

I had this fragrance forgotten in a chest with samples and vials… some I have never opened and others have impressed me well. I must confess that with perfumes I tend to be prejudiced, there are scents I do not even bother to try… And I believe Jessica Simpson’s Fancy Night fell into the ‘NO THANKS’ category. I saw the bottle in my usual perfumerie and passed it by, but with the feeling of having seen it before and at a good price, curiosity got the better of me. When I got home and checked what I had, oh surprise!, it was a sample Cnidaria had sent me some time ago… I opened it, applied it to my arm, and immediately the sweet smell of old, creamy paper invaded me… with a touch of fruit and patchouli… beautiful. I ran to the shop and bought the bottle. This Fancy is rare, it is a refined and distinct aroma, sweet, fresh and creamy at the same time, delicate yet unisex; in fact on my skin it acquires a very special scent and lasts hours… it reminds me of a soft, friendly and creamy Jungle. It strikes me that they recommend it for older ladies or that it disappoints, with my nose it is a different story, it pleasantly surprised me since I never thought a celebrity perfume would smell in such a way, so different and delicate. Sweet paper opening (papyrus?) with traces of cream and starfruit (the jasmine variant joined with vanilla) and then amber, musk and patchouli. The creamy sensation lasts hours. It is a very linear aroma, without sudden changes or turning points that transform it into something disruptive; it is what offers a beautiful scent, with overwhelming simplicity and very luminous. Unisex. I thank Cnidaria for being able to try this beautiful fragrance that is now part of my collection. Medium sillage and very good longevity.

I had this fragrance forgotten in a box with samples and vials… some others I never opened, while others hit me hard. I must confess that with perfumes I tend to be prejudiced; there are scents I don’t even bother to pick up… And Jessica Simpson’s Fancy Night fell into the ‘NO THANKS’ category. I spotted the bottle in my usual perfumerie and let it pass, but with the feeling of having seen it before and at a good price, curiosity got the better of me. When I got home and checked what I had, oh surprise! It was a sample Cnidaria had sent me some time ago… I popped the cap, applied it to my arm, and immediately the sweet scent of old, creamy paper invaded me… with a touch of fruit and patchouli… beautiful. I ran to the perfumerie and bought it. The sensation of this Fancy is rare; it’s a refined and distinct aroma, sweet, fresh, and creamy at the same time, delicate yet unisex; in fact, on my skin it takes on a very special scent that lasts for hours… it reminds me of a soft, friendly, and creamy Jungle. I’m surprised they market it for older ladies or that it disappoints; in my opinion, it’s a world away. It pleasantly surprised me since I never thought a celebrity perfume could smell this way, so different and delicate. Opening: sweet paper (papyrus?) with traces of cream and chirimoya (the jasmine variant joined with vanilla), then amber, musk, and patchouli. The creamy sensation lasts for hours. In itself, it’s a very linear aroma, with no sharp changes or turning points that transform it into something disruptive; it offers a beautiful scent with overwhelming simplicity and very luminous. Unisex. I thank Cnidaria for allowing me to try this beautiful fragrance which is now part of my collection. Moderate trail and very good longevity.

I stand by Fancy Nights. Perhaps in a few years no one will remember which celebrity wore that perfume and won’t think of Lady Gaga. I like other Jessica Simpson scents, such as Fancy (gourmand) and Fancy Love (floral gourmand), but this one stepped out of line. Sometimes people hate celebrity perfumes, and this isn’t for everyone. It’s strong, intoxicating, with a dense yet clean, earthy, and pleasant patchouli. It’s underrated and could easily pass for a men’s fragrance. It’s not sweet; wear it in winter, in black with red lips. It’s the perfume an eccentric like Little Edie would wear, and that’s why I want the bottle.