Sunday, 19 November 2023
Sueded Oud by Clean Reserve Fragrances
The Scent for Her by Hugo Boss
Absolute Aphrodisiac by Initio
Oh, I see what you all mean... Absolute Aphrodisiac came on my radar when I saw Anne Lauren's date night fragrance video. Once again, this girl made me want to blind buy a fragrance, but I restrained myself and waited for the opportunity to get a sample first. It was as if Absolute Aphrodisiac haunted me, because I saw it everywhere and you guys raved about it calling it sex in a perfume. I am not disappointed, but I'm also happy that I didn't buy a full bottle.
Absolute Aphrodisiac is creamy, thick and delicious. It is a cousin to the smoothness of Milk and Gold by Commodity, but without the Commodity plastic-DNA that I experience. On top, the creaminess is made rough and sexual with notes of leather and castoreum. The castoreum isn't repulsively animalic, but it is at just the right amount to make the fragrance sensual. This is a skin scent done right, but it is a true skin scent. After dry down, Absolute Aphrodisiac mostly disappears. It is a lingering scent of amber creaminess and just a tad amount of leather that is slightly peppery, however, if you expected to project a gorgeous vanilla, sweet and musky scent, Absolute Aphrodisiac isn't for you. This is a scent you wear for yourself or for those you invite to be close to you.
I must say that Absolute Aphrodisiac isn't groundbreaking. Besides the two Commodity scents, it reminds me of something else, but I cannot remember which fragrance. I hoped to be in love, but Absolute Aphrodisiac isn't for me, it is too discreet, whereas I like to smell my fragrances and like when they have a prominent note that defines it.
Something about fragrances like Absolute Aphrodisiac gives me a headache and makes me nauseous. An hour in, and I have had too much. A throbbing headache, yet a relief that I didn't blind buy it too...
Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Paradoxe by Prada
Hi, hello, yes, I'm late to Paradoxe... I was at the release party when it came out on the market, but had I formed an opinion and written something down? No of course not...
I remember that I reeeeally disliked it. A sweet, obnoxious mess. So, she's gone, I don't have her anymore and all I have to offer is this photo. I think it's the first time I'm just posting a photo without a review. And I don't like it.
I only remember that I laughed out loudly when I smelled it the first time, because of the backstory of the name, Paradoxe, whereas the fragrance has nothing to do with opposites at all. No duality, nothing contrasting, nothing special. It was so sweet and monotonous I washed it off after a couple of hours, because it was so bad. I honestly remember the jokes I was cracking about it better than I remember how it smelled, because it's so unmemorable.
God of Fire by Stéphane Humbert Lucas 777
This fragrance has been the talk of the town for a long while. The mango note had me very curious as I'm in a phase of loving sweet tropical notes in perfumes. Also, I finally got my hands on Lamar, another fruity tropical scent, and I feel very satiated by having it, but when the opportunity came, I just couldn't miss it, because a mango fragrance is very appealing to me.
Aoud Lemon Mint by Mancera
So how did it go?
Bloom Nettare di Fiori by Gucci
Listen... I... I'm honestly finding reviews that are over one and a half year old!
I've been buying new samples, doing collections, trying to create a harmonious feed and some fragrances are left behind. Left in the dust!
Bloom Nettare di Fiori has long been sold, I don't have it anymore, so bear that in mind reading the review.
To my surprise, I was yet again lucky and was #gifted two new fragrances. I was allowed to choose freely and even though I should be grateful, I found myself in a difficult situation. The scents I could choose from were almost all florals. You know how I feel about those. I sniffed and sniffed until I got a piercing headache, but ended up choosing Sí eau de parfume and Nettare di Fiori.
Nettare di Fiori is a pure floral fragrance, so you might wonder how I ended up choosing it, but my explanation is quite simple. Nettare di Fiori didn't have any notes that bothered me. It is a lighthearted floral fragrance of white florals, a delicate sweetness and a unassuming elegance. I cannot imagine anyone disliking it with a passion. After dry down on paper, the florals become more nuanced.
On skin, the fragrance is quite nice, not my usual type, but it isn't as bad as I have found designer fragrances to be. Floral, a little nauseating, not too sweet though. After dry down, the scent becomes musky and a little deeper. Powdery from the osmanthus and a little dirty from the patchouli. It has a funny balance of being elegantly mature, but at the same time sweetly juvenile.
I was hopeful, but true to my taste and nature, this floral isn't for me either.
Wednesday, 8 November 2023
Infusion d'Iris by Prada
Monday, 6 November 2023
Vanilla Woods by The 7 Virtues
Let's finish how we started, with a vanilla. My hopes aren't high, though. The 7 Virtues discovery set has, unfortunately, made me disinterested in the house. I might jump hoops to try Cherry Ambitions, because I am in search of a good cherry fragrance, but I have gotten a feel of the DNA of the house and it is not for me. At all.
Vanilla Woods, alas, is not for me either. A zero percent success rate with The 7 Virtues discovery set! The fragrance opens very sweet, from the pear, and has a Royale Sugared Patchouli (one of the Kayali fragrance) vibe. During the dry down, Vanilla Woods changes a lot. The sweetness isn't as pungent and a cigarette bud note appears. I think it's here to stay. I don't get any rose or caramel, just a sweet vanilla flavored cigarette bud. Not smokey, no burning note either. But the scent of a bud laying on the pavement, fire out, a little diluted by yesterday's rain.
Lowd! I am NOT looking forward to trying it on myself.. And you know what?
I won't.
Thursday, 2 November 2023
Coconut Sun by The 7 Virtues
We are nearing the end and if I had to say upfront how my experience with The 7 Virtues has been, it has definitely been a disappointment. None of the fragrances have made an impression on me, in all honesty, I think quite badly of The 7 Virtues now. Synthetic, cloying, flat... Something just isn't right. You might as well get nicer scents from the Yves Rocher body mists or The Body Shop.
I am, however, oh so hopeful that Coconut Sun and Vanilla Woods will redeem the house of The 7 Virtues.
Coconut Sun promises something milky, creamy and tropically yellow floral. I was imagining Ylang in Gold Nectare or Eau de Soleil Blanc. What I got was a soap bar version of those scents. Coconut Sun has a soapy, fresh note. Not particularly from the citrus note though. Coconut-wise, I do get coconut water instead of coconut milk. The scent is therefore not thick and milky, but light, somewhat fresh, but made tropical and summery by the frangipani and barely there sea salt. This gives me luxurious air-refreshener vibes. Luxurious, because the scent isn't cheap or synthetic enough to be a "Tropical Beach Getaway" candle slash air-refreshener.
In all fairness, Coconut Sun isn't that bad. I just think I have gotten bitter by the disappointing scents I have tried thus far and because Coconut Sun isn't blowing me away. I am giving it a hard time.
I left Coconut Sun last night not wanting to try it on myself. This morning, I am completely surprised how much this scent reminds me of a friend. I had to contact her and ask, if she has this perfume, because the scent is uncanny!
I'm putting off trying it on myself, why? Because I'm tired of smelling badly since testing the scents of The 7 Virtues...