Without further ado… the Scents of Final Fantasy VII… in Pictures:

Hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them!

Over and out,
Aith

Much to my pleasure, I received the product in my mailbox today and since I promised a review, here it is!

Since it’s a rather handsomely-crafted product, I will try and get some good pictures soon to help illustrate the features I will be describing in my review.

EDIT: Images have been added as of October 26, 2010!

I’m not much of a collector, but after owning one of the 10,000 Perfect Grade Necklace boxed sets (featuring a replica of Squall Leonhart’s Griever necklace) that were released way back when to commemorate Final Fantasy VIII, I had high hopes for this product and it did not disappoint.

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Packaging – 5/5
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OUTSIDE:

The product came packaged in a black box made of very stiff cardboard and embossed on the full-sized lid simply in silver lettering: Sephiroth Eau de Toilette, and embossed in smaller lettering: e50mL 1.7FL.OZ.

To help protect this box packaging was a slipcover made of a sheet of plastic which is stuck with a sticker on the back side with the UPC code and product information printed on it.

Overall, the packaging is sturdy, simple, elegant, and tastefully labeled. I particularly appreciate the fact that the UPC sticker is stuck to the plastic slipcover instead of the box itself and I appreciate even more that the box comes with a slipcover in the first place.

These little details speak volumes to me about how Square Enix is marketing this product and in packaging alone, the message is clear: I am a collectible!

INSIDE:

Opening the box and looking into the full-sized (meaning, the lid extends to the bottom of the box and not just partway) box lid shows a thick memory-like foam padding.

Inside the actual box, the bottle of Eau de Toilette is nestled in a very snug and secure compartment made of the same thick black foam, but in layers to ensure adequate padding on all sides.

Overall, the inner packaging is not only tastefully done, but also gives me a peace of mind in knowing that if I keep the bottle in storage that I will not need to worry about possible breakage.

The thick foam padding is as sumptuous as it is practical and like the outer packaging, it speaks volumes. Not only is this product a collectible, but it is something to be cared for and has been given its own ‘amenities’.

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PRODUCT – 5/5
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BOTTLE:

The bottle makes an elegant statement with its rectangular length of thick black glass and silver embossed lettering that matches the lettering style found on the black box.

In addition to the labeling that is duplicated on the black box – the Sephiroth Eau de Toilette message – the bottle is also embossed with a simple silver wing design and the whole effect is completed with a dangle charm that comes wrapped in tissue paper to prevent scratches.

Overall, the bottle is nothing particularly fancy but it matches the theme set by its packaging. It is tastefully elegant and packs a visual punch whether displayed on its own or displayed in its box.

SCENT:

So admittedly, I had misgivings about the scent of this perfume and I am more than happy to report that I was wrong to have my misgivings.

I’m not much of a scent sort of person – hell, I’m allergic to most scents – and the fruitiness of the top layer and the possible strength of the second layer concerned me.

But the perfume in question IS an Eau de Toilette which only has 1/6 of the concentration that Perfume Perfume has (Eau de Toilette and Eau de Cologne are all considered perfumes, did you know that?) and true to the name of ‘Eau de Toilette’, Sephiroth Eau de Toilette is a match.

The ‘fruitiness’ comes first and as quick as it appears like a fresh whiff of citrus and tropical fruit from the piercing of a peel, it dissipates in a whisper of lingering scent that is followed by a faint ‘sweet fullness’ of flowering blossoms. The final scent follows right on the heel and the scent transitions from ‘sweet’ to something more earthy, bold, and exotic that only Cedarwood, Sandalwood, and Musk can offer.

The scent that is left is something a touch tangy, a bit spicy, a sense of warmth, and a notion of something exotic.

The end result – provided that one is sparing when dispensing the scent – is a flash of a little something extra and a little something special that will leave a swift but gentle impression that will last until the fullness of the scent has evaporated. For myself, the scent was first spritzed on around two in the afternoon and lasted all the way until I headed for bed which was past midnight.

Overall, where the initial ‘fruitiness’ does not ‘match’ what I envision Sephiroth to be like, it refreshingly opens the senses to the real scent within which unfolds into something of an enigma and THAT – the real scent within – is something that I feel matches Sephiroth better.

Don’t let the fruitiness fool you; the scent is unisex, but the final lingering traces have rich, deep, earthy tones with a hint of spice and warmth that will match any well-orchestrated cologne.

In the end, it’s a sleek scent that makes a statement without being overkill and since the scent is best (in my opinion) applied lightly, the 50mL bottle will go a long long way.

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Overall – 5/5
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From slipcover to scent, Sephiroth Eau de Toilette is both an excellent collector’s item and a (surprisingly) sound competitor against other branded scents.

I originally purchased this item as a moment of frivolity and as a way to commemorate the years that I have been a Final Fantasy VII (and Sephiroth) fan.

Where I was secretly hoping for something as collector’s worthy as the Perfect Grade Necklace boxed set that commemorated FFVIII, I wasn’t willing to keep my hopes too high.

Sephiroth Eau de Toilette delivered on all accounts and then some more; the product is – in construction, looks, and utility – quite a handsome collector’s piece and I am extremely pleased that I have one in my collection.

Over and out,
Aith

Yes, you heard me right.

A Sephiroth-themed Eau de Toilette appropriately named: Sephiroth Eau de Toilette.

In other words, a bottle of perfume of the Eau de Toilette variety (1/6th of the concentration of perfume – thank god!) themed after Sephiroth from the Final Fantasy VII Compilation fame (or infamy as it were).

I’m not much of a frivolous spender or, as Rich Dad Poor Dad might put it, a person who spends a lot on ‘doodads’. Most things I buy with my disposable income are mostly practical as I tend to get more enjoyment out of things that are useful.

A new hard drive when an old one is about to give up its ghost for example. Or, a new stylus and battery and a RAM upgrade to keep my old(er) tablet PC happy and usable. And, more recently, a new wristwatch because the old one finally broke and couldn’t be saved.

On the rare occasion that I do indulge in something truly frivolous, it has been something like… oh say a Cookie Monster plushie manufactured by Gund that has been marked down to less than five bucks including tax.

Frivolous, right?

So I suppose in that vein, the Sephiroth-themed perfume is just down that same alley except for its price.

I’ll admit it; I’m a pretty big Final Fantasy fan and Final Fantasy VII (FFVII) was the first Final Fantasy game I really took notice of because it was released for the PC in addition to being released for the PSOne console. I didn’t own a PSOne at the time and I didn’t own a PS2 until much later, but my family did own a personal computer and so naturally, I took interest in FFVII when it was first released.

Long story short, I – like many other fans – ended up enjoying FFVII immensely and have been a fan of it ever since and when FFVIII was released (also for the PC), I became a fan of it, too.

Since I had picked up one of the ten thousand limited edition Perfect Grade Necklace Sets featuring a sterling silver replica of Squall Leonhart’s Griever necklace as my ‘souvenir’ for being a fan of Final Fantasy VIII, I thought it would only be appropriate to pick up a similar ‘souvenir’ for Final Fantasy VII.

Something frivolous, something collectible, and something… geeky.

Like, REALLY geeky. ‘Stupid’ to non-fan geeks, even.

Bearing that in mind, when I came across adverts for the Sephiroth and Cloud-themed Eau de Toilettes, I knew that I had a winner.

Hell if I’m a scent wearer – the extremely occasional cologne sees use maybe once every other year if it’s lucky (hey, I said IT, not ME!) – but a Sephiroth-themed crystal bottle of Eau de Toilette?

Hell yeah.

It’s rather over-the-top like much of Square Enix’s themed merchandise is (the ‘fruitiness’ of one of the scent layers also makes me raise an eyebrow), it is something that I really don’t have a need for, and it is symbolic to me of how much of a Final Fantasy VII geek I have been for the last many years despite doing nothing and having nothing to outwardly show for it.

I guess in some ways, it’s my way of saying, “Thanks for the ride, it’s been fun!” because really, it has.

With that said, I’ll post an official review of the souvenir in question once I receive it.

Over and out,
Aith