Alchimie (1998)
by Rochas

This has always been a favourite of mine.
It's fruity top note of blackcurrant, plum, peach,grapefruit, pear and bergamot flows seamlessly into a floral mid note of lily of the valley, jasmine, wisteria. heliotrope. rose and the milkiness of coconut. All these wonderous notes are then warmed with the base of vanilla, caramel, amber, tonka bean and musk only to be finalised by the finest hint of liquorice.An exquisite gourmand that can be worn a warm summer day or a cool evening walk..

Well... it's liquorice! If you love sweet scents and liquorice this will be your dream come true. (My husband loves it, but I can't wear it. It's just too sweet for me. Alas).

Rochas's Alchimie is composed of three distinct movements. It opens with a burst of fruity green notes including grapefruit, bergamot, and black currant bud. This overture is very short-lived, and then the sweetness of the second movement begins. The middle notes of jasmine and acacia are almost candyish, but in a nice way. Reminiscent of Lolita Lempicka, only not as sweet. As Alchimie moves into its third movement, it becomes exquisitely warm and spicy and woodsy with a sweet vanillic base note. Very nice, and very long lasting. A little goes a long way with this fragrance. Alchimie does exactly what its name implies: it magically transforms itself on the wearer’s skin from a fruity green to a rich gold. Go smell it, and see what I mean.