Review: Gap Close

I've always been a signature scent kind of person. I like the idea of having one smell that everybody just identifies with you, so I go through bottles of perfume at a time without straying for months. But lately I've realized that it's hard to find one perfume that describes me all the time. I have Coco Mademoiselle for going out and doing fun stuff because it's a warm, bubbly, sweet perfume that's just a little bit sexy, and I have Prada by Prada for when I'm being super-focused or I want people to take me really seriously because it has this total don't mess with me vibe. But I didn't have anything to wear for when I'm just relaxing and hanging out, and want to be a little more low-key. You guys know I was flirting with Narcisco Rodriguez For Her for a long time, but long story short I kept trying it on over Coco Mademoiselle (stupid, I know), and by itself it's a little too pink and powdery for me. So when I went into Gap to check out the CFDA collab, I spritzed on Gap's new fragrance, Close, just for fun.

I ended up buying it like five minutes later. I love this. It's easygoing and soft, but not too floral or girly. It comes in this big, clear, plastic display box thing that's a nice touch, but took me ten minutes to open (I have troubles with packaging). The bottle itself is supposed to be shaped like an egg, which sounds odd but fits really nicely in the palm of your hand. It's a very comforting shape, and it's streamlined and simple, but chic, just like Gap. The bottle is made out of a thick, heavy glass that feels pretty weighty and expensive (nice touch) and has minimal writing. It literally just says "Close" in the middle of the bottle and "Gap" on the lid. The minimalist aesthetic makes it look a little more designer, which I like. The surface of the bottle is made to look like a fire opal (the white kind). At first glance, it's just a semi-sheer white, but when you get closer (pun intended), there are touches of blue, pink, gold, yellow, even green. It almost looks alive. Personally, I really like the bottle. It's pared down and simple, but it's not stark or harsh at all.

As for the fragrance itself, it's an EDT, not an EDP. I never buy EDTs because I think the lasting power is worthless, but this is holding up pretty darn well. Nobody's going to be smelling you from across the room, they really will have to get close to smell this EDT. That doesn't bother me, because I wanted a "your smell but better" kind of thing, but if you want something heavier, this isn't for you. Also, this is random, but I'm kind of a perfume snob. I don't do the whole Victoria's Secret/Abercrombie/retail store perfume thing. Usually, if it's not at Sephora, I'm not buying it. So if I, with all my perfume hangups, can suck it up and admit to wearing Gap perfume, anybody can. It's a salty, floral citrus, and the notes are sparkling water accord (how does that work?), almond blossom, salty citrus accord, freesia, jasmine (i get none of that), jasmine, daphne, stephanotis (no idea), sandalwood, skin musk, vanilla, and amber. Now, I know that "salty floral citrus" sounds weird, but it's actually really nice. It's kind of a mix between Marc Jacobs Rain, Ralph Lauren Romance, and Philosophy Grace. It starts with warm, fuzzy florals, tempered with the musk, amber, and sandalwood and sweetened by the vanilla, and then the salt and water accords come in and take you off to the beach. Not a tropical beach, mind you, but an East Coast or UK beach, a little misty with crashing waves. There's something really delicate and feminine about Close, but it never goes overboard into the girly category. This is the kind of perfume that has people subconsciously smelling you all day. Oh, and the best part? It's $35 for 3.4 ounces. That's freaking awesome. You can't buy it online yet, so you have to hop on over to a Gap store for this little gem (check out the Alexander Wang jackets while you're there!).

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