Reviews of Element-of-Surprise (2004)
by Beth Terry Creative Universe

I had the same experience as Katrinket. Like her I was left questioning my noses failure, quickly having to reassure myself that my nose still worked by reaching for an apple to taste.

Though faint I can detect lemon but not tart lemon. I get a fresh scent coming through too which may be mint but my nose can’t get a hold of it due to the overall weakness. I also get a tea note but it’s so elusive it may as well not be there at all.

The overall experience reminds me of the faint scent that’s left behind after washing a new born baby with gentle formulation bath soap.

I really think this could be a beautiful fragrance, if only the volume could be turned up a lot. I know my smeller works reasonably well, but both times I've tried this, it's been so annoyingly light. To be fair, I was dabbing on with a tester, no spray. I'd put some one, catch the tiniest whiff of something really nice, and put on a bit more, but still it's faint. Kind of like the whos in Horton Hears a Who. I expect citrus scents to be fleeting, but I'd at least like them to be strong in the beginning.

This seems like a really nice scent that has been dilluted by at least half with water. If you find almost everything you smell completely overwhelming, then perhaps this is the scent for you. I, for one, would rather have Din Dan or i profumu limone di sicilia for lemon, or L'artisan Thé Pour Un Été for tea.

Clean and light, and, as Scentemental says, with a tea similar to Bvlgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Blanc. The tart lemon and lime that serves as counterpoint to the tea is as clean and pristine a citrus as I’ve yet smelled in a fragrance. The longevity of Element of Surprise is not especially good, but, all things considered, it is very good for a delicate citrus like this one. Delightfully sophisticated.

*Element of Surprise* begins with a persistent honey-like white tea note not unsimilar to *Bvlgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Blanc*; although, *Element of Surprise* tends to be a little soapier and more tenacious than the *Bvlgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Blanc*. The tea note is interlaced with a very Mediterranean (pure, clean, and natural) Lemon/Lime note. The background of Jasmine gives amplitude to white tea note and contrast to the citrus notes. An uplifting fragrance. Simple, elegant, and very casual at the same time.