Beyonce’s got a new perfume on the shelves and this time it’s not a flanker of her super popular Heat; it’s an all new scent called Pulse.

The bottle’s inspired by her ‘out there’ concert outfits and it’s supposed to stand ‘upside down’, as such. I didn’t get this initially and had been standing it this way:

Anyhoo… Beyonce reckons her new scent is unlike any other in that it has an energy that ‘surges, pulsates and electrifies’. It’s the kind of fragrance, she believes, that’s impossible to ignore, exuding sensuality and strength. Upon hearing that you’d think it would be a show stopping ‘ultra loud’ blend you’d whip out when you wanted to make a real statement. Thing is, it’s actually much, much softer than her Beat line. In fact, to me, it’s more of a quiet, ‘every day’ scent you could easily wear with jeans and a vest on a weekend… or to the office without offending anyone who happens to sit close by.   

As for the juice itself, you’ll notice its baby blue which makes me think of Thierry Mugler’s Angel. As it is, Mugler’s bestseller is one of B’s favourite perfumes but Pulse couldn’t smell any more different. Unlike Angel, this is a much softer, more typical fruity floral. Officially, the notes include pear blossom, blue Curacao (smells similar to oranges), bergamot, bluebird orchid, midnight blooming jasmine, vanilla, musk and wood. Actually, now that I think about it, there’s so much ‘blue’ in there it’s little wonder she didn’t call her fragrance ‘Blue’ as opposed to her daughter.

But ja… as far as my nose is concerned, this isn’t Beyonce’s best effort. Still, it’s better than most other celeb perfumes in that it’s not hideously sweet, badly formulated or uber cheap-smelling. In fact, it’s rather pleasant when you get to the dry down and I’m quite sure it’ll find an audience who appreciates it more than I do.

To me, its top notes start off rather sweet and make me think of some kind of fruity cocktail, like a grenadine-heavy Sex on the Beach. This gives way to other sharper notes I can’t put my finger on. Either way, I don’t like them… there’s something plasticky and ever so slightly licorice-y about it. Fortunately, this doesn’t hang around too long and you end up with a very soft, creamy kind of smell of reminds me a lot of Armani’s Sensi. (FYI, Sensi’s been discontinued for a while now which is kinda sad as I really used to like it.)

Demi from Style Scoop also recently reviewed Pulse. She really, really liked it, however, and thought it was ‘divine’.

Want to give it a sniff yourself? It’s on the shelves in bottles that range from 15ml to 100ml in size, priced between R155 and R535. 

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