Remarkable People by Etat Libre d'Orange

Photosource: Créme de la Créme

Remarkable People has a sparkling and light opening of citrus and champagne, absolutely delicious, but the sweetness is fairly juvenile, almost like bubble gum, but it isn't childish.

Though not at all similar, Remarkable People reminds me of Davana & Vanille Bourbon by 100Bon, they are equally as potent in citrus as they are sweet.

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After dry down, the fragrance reveals a spicier middle note of slight sandalwood and even slighter cardamom. It might not even be fair to review it in late autumn, early winter, because this fragrance is made for spring!

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Remarkable People seems to me leaning more feminine, but the more I smell it, the more I gravitate towards it leaning more masculine. Very strange.
On paper, Remarkable People remains far more fresh with citrus, but with a slight soap quality. Here it is a definite feminine fragrance, I am very surprised by how interchangeable it is. Quite remarkable (pun intended).

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If you are looking for a sparkling, sweet fragrance, this is the fragrance for you. I cannot imagine many disliking it. However, the longevity is quite poor, on me anyhow, which makes it perfect for everyday office wear for some, but I wish it would last longer, I prefer my fragrances stronger.

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Revisiting the fragrance the other day, I found it definitely leaning masculine, like a light college year's cologne. For a moment I was reconsidering whether I should have purchased it, but I will wear it as soon as springtime comes or maybe on a sparkling night out.

Shalimar EdT by Guerlain Paris

Photosource: Scent Studio (own copyright)

Shalimar by Guerlain is the first blind purchase I made based on reviews and the hype that the fragrance has in the community. Though there were many options, the eau de toilette, eau de perfume and remakes, I opted for the eau de toilette hoping for the best.

Mistake.

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Reviews had me believing that Shalimar is a delicious gourmand vanilla, but though vanilla is the main accord, it is far from being the best gourmand vanilla I have tried.

If you are a 90's kid like me, you will know what I mean when I say that Shalimar EdT smells like the perfume that your mom and her friends used to smell like back when Trésor by Lancome was the fragrance everyone wanted to have.

I remember once offending a woman wearing Trésor; I was bluntly honest back then as I am now, saying she smelled like 'an old lady' when she gave me her wrist to smell. I might have phrased differently today, but hopefully I am not offending anyone if I say that Shalimar EdT is an old lady perfume, it has the same generic line up of notes.

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The dry down on paper is a very nostalgic vanilla, yet still with an old lady twist.
On my skin, Shalimar is much more sharp at first spray, but after dry down, it becomes more powdery and with notes of iris. It reminds me of how a Bourjois blush smells like, yet another nostalgic memory from my childhood.

I understand the appeal that this fragrance has, but it just isn't up my alley.

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Shalimar is the first perfume I blind bought based on reviews and I say 'never again'! Shalimar EdT is a perfume that smells like... well, perfume. Hear me out. This is how a fragrance would smell like if it had to sum up how fragrances smell like to someone who's never smelled one before (a strictly theoretical idea). It is so generic, it has vanilla in it as so many popular fragrances have and nothing about it makes it a fragrance someone wouldn't say is bad.

Mind you, I am only reviewing the eau de toilette version of Shalimar, but I will be steering clear from the others too. I just prefer my vanilla fragrances with a little twist.

Delina by Parfums de Marly

Photosource: Scentstore

Since venturing into the community of fragrance enthusiasts and reviewers, Parfums de Marly has been one of the most recurring fragrances in my feed.
I had never heard about this fragrance house prior to that.
The rave had me interested, but the pink, plastic-looking and very feminine bottle design had me doing U-turns avoiding it at all costs.

I was creating my own sample set for purchase and among classics like Baccarat Rouge 540 and Oud for Greatness, I sneaked in Delina, just out of curiosity.

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Delina by Parfums de Marly is a light and quite fresh floral fragrance. I cannot distinguish any specific notes except rose. To be frank, it is an absolute disappointment. I understand why most people like it, florals are usually pleasing to everyone, but not me, which makes me more critical. What positive words I do have to say about Delina, is that it has a potent longevity and I could smell it on my skin all day. 

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The opening note is a fresh floral, but the dry down revealed a soap quality to the fragrance that had me smelling like I just had taken a bath with a bar of rose soap. Comically enough, not liquid soap, but a realistic scent of a bar of soap. Oddly specific. Close to the skin, Delina is a little sweeter, but the whiffs I got during the day made me frown in displeasement.

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I read reviews and searched for the note composition, which to my surprise had many other elements aside from florals, but my nose only caught the smell of a wild rose Walther Rau bar soap. 

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It is not the first time that I find myself not liking a community favourite, always a trick to be the odd one out, but I stay true to my words and thoughts and Delina will not be revisited by me anytime soon.

Unforsaken by Kerosene

Photosource: Kerosene

Before publishing any reviews, I ordered a handful of samples of Kerosene fragrances wanting to learn about the niche fragrance house by John Pegg.

I quickly found my favourites, such as Follow and Unknown Pleasures, but Unforsaken seemed to me too common in comparison to all the other fragrances.

Powerful Blackmail, sweet Unknown Pleasures and perfectly gourmand Follow made the floral and delicate Unforsaken fade into the crowd. A couple of days ago I chose to revisit Unforsaken and my opinion has changed immensely.

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Unforsaken has a fresh opening, yet a bitter rind note keeps the fragrance earthy. It has a very strong resemblance to Monoi eau de Vahines by Yves Rocher; a white floral, sweet and coconutty fragrance. However, comparing the two, they are quite different; Monoi being richer in vanilla and more fruity and Unforsaken smelling rich and more composed. The resemblance makes me detect tiaré in Unforsaken though it's not there.

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The opening note of Unforsaken is a fresh yuzu with juicy meat and rind. The tiaré is probably a mixture of the orange blossom, jasmine and coconut, but despite the note composition, Unforsaken is not a tropical fragrance.

The dry down reveals a mild citrus, almost undetectable, slight note of vanilla and white floral as the main accord. It is an absolutely beautiful fragrance, warm and enticing, but it lacks that Kerosene character that initially made me love the house.

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I wore Unforsaken and it had been lingering on my skin all day. It is absolutely wonderful, I get whiffs of it now and again and I have fallen in love with this delicately exotic floral. Unforsaken is a perfect everyday fragrance and as of now, I just have to have it in my collection!

Decisions, Decisions by Imaginary Authors

Photosource: Fragrantica


Decisions, Decisions opens with a blast of sweet jasmine and hints of incense, but mind you that is on paper...
I have tried this fragrance before, some time ago, and back then I quickly thought to myself "this is not for me". Today I was left with only a few drops left, enough for me to wear it as my scent of the day and for a test strip.

Decisions, Decisions, just like back then, has a comical resemblance to the smell of pickles on my skin at the opening notes. It is rare that fragrances perform the same on paper as they do on my skin, but Decisions, Decisions is much the same besides the strong resemblance to sour cucumbers.

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I remember last time I tried it that I wasn't thrown aback like I usually am with fragrances from the house of Imaginary Authors. 
Decisions, Decisions is a pleasant fragrance after dry down, the quality is great and the scent is perfectly balanced, but it lacks the Imaginary Authors pezaz!
If I owned this I would absolutely wear it; it is sweet, flavourful and perfect for autumn and winter, but I have so many other fragrances, more unique, on my wishlist that stand out more from my collection.

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When all is said and done, I have been taking sneak whiffs off my wrists all day long. Decisions, Decisions has enamoured me so much that I choose to forget the initial opening note of doom. It is a perfect everyday 'don't make a scene' fragrance. The more I smell it, the more I want it!

Let's rewind. Yes, Decisions, Decisions has an opening note of sour pickles; not exactly what I care to smell like, but after dry down the fragrance becomes a gorgeous intoxicating labdanum, which is ever so lightly sweet. My nose does not catch on to too many white florals despite the composition, in actuality, Decisions, Decisions is quite lactonic with amber undertones.

Composed of tuberose, sarsaparilla, geranium, labdanum, jasmine sambac, raspberries and sweet suspense, I only miss the fruitiness of the raspberries in Decisions, Decisions.

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Though I stand by and agree with my prior review of Decisions, Decisions before my time reviewing fragrances on here, I have completely changed my regard for it.
I absolutely adore it for what it is and would love to add it to my collection.
Who would have thought that I would ever love a fragrance that smells like pickles... Not me.

Babylon by Penhaligon's

Photosource: Penhaligon's

The beautiful Trade Routes range from Penhaligon's came to my attention when I was visiting a friend in Warsaw.
I went on a short trip, because a whole year without seeing that beautiful city and my dear friends is unthinkable.

I went to Galilu, a perfumery, where the Trade Routes range caught my eye immediately and so did Babylon.

As if destiny, both the bottle and the scent where the most mesmerising of them all.

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Babylon is a gorgeous gourmand, crisp in its opening notes, but also deliciously sweet. It has a notable resemblance to Santal Carmin by Atelier Cologne, because of the prominent notes of sandalwood and saffron.

On paper, Babylon remains more fresh and crisp, whereas the fragrance quickly deepens on my skin and becomes more of a spicy gourmand rich with vanilla.

Babylon is what I wished Santal Carmin to be. Santal Carmin is a quite monotone and singular smelling fragrance of sandalwood and saffron, easily becoming nauseating. Babylon, on the other hand, remains a spicy, exotic and gorgeous vanilla with complementing notes of sandalwood and saffron in perfect balance.

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When I first tried Babylon back in Warsaw, I was wearing a perfume (of course) and only tried it on a paper strip. I carried that strip in my purse all week and it kept smelling wonderfully, so much so that I was confident I had to have this fragrance at some point. 

Trying the fragrance on my skin has made me doubt whether the formulation is for me. Twelve hours after spraying both myself and a paper strip, the strip still smells just as great as it did this morning, whereas Babylon is nowhere to be found on my skin after just two hours.

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The same evening, I sprayed my wrists once again and the opening note of Babylon is surprisingly that of citrus even though it does not appear to be in the composition. Cedar and cypriol oil give the fragrance a fresh and uplifting note without making the fragrance too green or woody. Vanilla, sandalwood and saffron are what define Babylon and make it an oriental, sensual and exotic fragrance.

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I had to wear Babylon once again before writing my final review, I just could not accept that it performed so poorly on me.

I doused myself in Babylon the next morning, two sprays on the wrists, two on my décolletage. It might not sound like a lot, but on me that's enough compared with the performance of my other fragrances.

This time Babylon remained more noticeable on my skin, but unfortunately not enough. Three or four hours in it was only detectable on my wrists at very close range. What a pity!

Telegrama by Imaginary Authors

Photosource: Scent Studio (own copyright)

Spending more time at home as the days become colder, invites me to read far more than I have during summer. I have dusted off my bookshelves and reached for endless amounts of adventures, short stories and real life experiences written into words.

The powderiness of dust, the dryness of paper both remind me of the unique fragrance, Telegrama, by Imaginary Authors.

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Telegrama sets you off to a distant place where words from your loved ones can only reach you by paper. The fragrance has a cologne, masculine and herbal opening, which turns into a field of lavender with powdery talc. There is a tingling accord of white pepper and after dry down, vanilla and amyris sweeten up the fragrance turning it rather androgynous.

Telegrama is perhaps the most masculine fragrance in my collection, it is very herbal and I had to revisit it, to truly fall in love with it. On my skin, Telegrama sweetens up after dry down quite a bit as fragrances usually do and it has an amazing transition from start to finish. Once again, Imaginary Authors manage to make a remarkable blend and put a story into a fragrance.

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Closing my eyes, I imagine myself walking in a wooden summer house cabin, looking through dusty books on the shelf, one has a bouquet of dried flowers in between the pages. A love story, long forgotten.

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Telegrama remains very light despite strong notes of woodyness, lavender, talc and pepper, almost like stepping into an old apothecary. On paper it remains much the same, quite masculine, but on my skin it becomes more gourmand and the warm vanilla is the closing act of the fragrance.

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Telegrama is a gem, it is nothing like the other fragrances that I have. 

Herbal, strong yet light, masculine yet feminine, it is a perfect late summer fragrance and it invites you to reach for a pen and paper yourself.

Halfeti by Penhaligon's

Photosource: Penhaligon's

Halfeti by Penhaligon's is a superb oud. It is an amazingly balanced unisex fragrance; it is neither too feminine nor too masculine.
The fragrance has noticeable notes of cypress, oud and cedar. It is very light despite being so wood-heavy.

Halfeti reminds me of going mushroom hunting in late September, in the early hours of the morning when the forest is still foggy and cold. The crisp morning air and pine trees are bottled up in this notorious fragrance.

The base of vanilla and tonka isn't overbearing, to me it is hardly noticeable, but the sweet gourmands accompanied by the lightness of bergamot are what keeps this oud fragrance in check for me.

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On my skin, Halfeti opens with a strong liquorice note, not my favourite. The fragrance is much more masculine and I am quite surprised how differently it performs on paper than on my skin. After dry down, Halfeti is an elegant oud and a couple of hours in, it sweetens up and the vanilla becomes the main accord along with leather and saffron.

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On paper, the fragrance deepens as well over time. Saffron gives the fragrance an element that I also find leaning more towards a masculine fragrance, especially in combination with all the other notes.

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It is no wonder that Halfeti is so famous, it is a beautiful, continuously evolving fragrance, but it performs very differently on skin than on paper, which is why I would recommend trying it on yourself first.

Be forewarned, you cannot help but love it.

Unknown Pleasures by Kerosene

Photosource: Scent Studio (own copyright)


Unknown Pleasures by Kerosene fragrances is one of the most memorable fragrances in my perfume collection at the moment.
The fragrance is a wonderful gourmand fitting the season of autumn with its comforting notes of tea, sweet caramel and zesty lemon perfectly.
I imagine myself coming home to a warm cup of Earl Grey tea with sugar and freshly squeezed lemon after a long walk in the park.

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The opening act of Unknown Pleasures is lemon, freshly cut, zesty and ripe. Earl Grey lingers close behind, but the mouthwatering cane sugar, sweet like caramel, powers through and is as dominant as the lemon. A perfect balance between sweet and sour.

Over time, the fragrance smells like the tea my mother used to make, which was equally sweet as it was zesty.

Be careful with this one, it is a powerful fragrance and one spray on the wrist is enough.

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The house of Kerosene is what I love about niche fragrances; though they are very complex, they have a wonderful transparency - all the notes are distinguishable from each other, realistic like Hell, yet blended to perfection. You are instantly transported to a place, a city, a memory or a dream.

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After oxidation, Unknown Pleasures remains mostly the same, but the fragrance notes resemble that of a real tea moment impeccably.
You've poured hot water into your cup, the tea steeps and its aroma comforts you. You stir in a teaspoon of cane sugar. Then, cutting into the lemon, the oils in its zest overpowers it all - that is the first impression and initial composition of Unknown Pleasures.
However, like a cup of tea, overtime the lemon isn't as powerful, the beverage cools down as you wait for it to be drinkable. The sugar has fully melted, cane sugar gives the tea a slight caramel taste, the tea has steeped long enough and you are ready to comfort yourself with it.

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Unknown Pleasures is an absolute dream. It might not be in everyone's taste, but you cannot refute this fragrance's immaculate composition.