parfums*PARFUMS Series 7 Sweet: Sticky Cake (2005)
by Comme des Garçons

Hands down, one of my favorites. I receive so many compliments when I wear this.

12nd January, 2011.

It does belong in the sweet series; it definitely is sweet. This is not usually my kind of scent, but as far as sweet sticky gourmands go, this is one of the better ones I’ve encountered. It’s complex, for one thing, and refined, for another... well made and creative. It begins with a super sweet treat of almonds, pistachio, date, and honey. It is powerful and mind-blowing and just smelling it could invite diabetes, but it’s yummy. As usual in scents with incense and myrrh, I get the resinousness immediately upon spraying. I’m sure it’s the myrrh that causes me to enjoy the top notes so much – the myrrh provides what I love – resinousness – along with what I don’t appreciate – super sweetness. The top dissolves itself into a middle that is more tolerably sweet; it’s accomplished by the mixture of sugar and milk and tempered (or augmented?) by the powdery iris: Personally I believe that the addition of the iris is a stroke of genius. I love the powder interaction with the milk note and the brown sugar. The ambrette seed note in the base is important. It seems to provide a nutty muskiness to the neutral cereal notes, and, of course, also present is the myrrh that I love unconditionally. I’m happy that I don’t like to wear super sweet gourmand fragrances because I would feel compelled to purchase this, and I understand that it is difficult to find.

28th November, 2008.

I have to say i am shocked. I hate to be totally contradictory to calchic, but i really really hated this one. I don't know if it's something in my personal history but of all the series 7 scents this was the one i had to wash off...it smelled like something you would find in a drug store for a "sophisticated" teenager only longer lasting because of course the ingredients are better. ugh. I found it to be quite strong too. not that i gave it much time to sink in.

23rd March, 2006.

On the whole, I found CdG's Series 7 to be a disappointing letdown - with the exception of this one. Everything else in the series comes off as too burnt, too plasticky, too sicky-powder, but Sticky Cake is a rather pretty, girly gourmand-floral. The iris is surprisingly pronounced and its earthy/starchy/powdery thing saves the scent from being just too treacly; you do get the loukhoum effect from all the nut-and-date action, but far more interesting is the iris-honey-myrrh combination in the drydown. If you are familiar with L'Artisan Perfumer fragrances, imagine blending Orchidee Blanche with a drop or two of Mechant Loup, watering the whole thing down (this is much, much lighter in substance and texture than either of those) and giving it a smidge of trademark CdG synthetic spin, and you have something much like Sticky Cake. Feels like wearing a swirly chiffon dress while walking through along carnival midway at night with something upbeat by Mariah Carey in her prime playing over the PA. Also, be forewarned; the lasting power on this is nil. The evanescence of this scent as compared to its price is seriously out of whack - my only complaint about Sticky Cake.

14th September, 2005.