Alchimie (1998)
by Rochas

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.