Belle en Rykiel (2006)
by Sonia Rykiel

Hmm. Wavering there between a neutral and a thumbs up. I have wanted to try this one for a long time because of the Frankincense note (I love Frankincense; burn it a lot) and descriptions as an unusual oriental. I finally found a bottle cheap so picked it up. It's pleasant, pretty, and I like the lavender it in, quite a bit, but I'm not bowled over by it, and while I can pick out the frankincense mingled with the lavender if I try, it's not the star of the show. My first impression was that it smells Italian, and then specifically it reminded me of Laura Biagiotti's Roma, I think because it's sweet and slightly powdery, but it's a damp sweet powder not the dry sort, if that makes sense. It isn't Guerlain-aldehydic-1960s-powder, it's a recent shimmering liquid to powder body spray - not unlike what you get in L'Instant in the pure perfume. And speaking of Guerlain, if I want lavender I'll reach for this, not Jicky, which is just not so pretty, especially with that monster civet note, and this is much prettier than Vero's Kiki, which was very barber-shop and made me feel physically ill (nice job for a fragrance touting its aromatherapy credentials). So, I guess I'm agreeing with what I originally read about it - pretty oriental with frankincense and nice lavender note. Still meh, although I will wear it on occasion.

A modern composition featuring heliotrope. This starts with a big fruit note. Red current is listed, but it comes across as a blend (a common occurrence these days) that smells like apple-pear and/or pineapple-mango. Just when I tire of the fruit, an unusually gorgeous heliotrope note emerges. It is smooth as butter, vanillic but not overtly so, a bit dusty and flour-like, and decidedly nutty. As the fruit recedes, a curious aroma develops which smells like coffee and cream, or perhaps hazelnut coffee, and it blends well in the composition. In the final analysis, it is the wonderful heliotrope that thrills me, but I somehow wish that it existed without the huge fruit combo. The entire fragrance borders on gourmand and succeeds in hooking onto current trends.

I decided to get a sample of this one, after seeing that one of the notes was heliotrope. As far as scent goes, that is my favorite flower. I also rather like patchouli, when it's done right.

When I first sprayed it, I mostly smelled the vanilla and the mandarin, but it was (fortunately) not very sweet. The fragrance started out being pretty strong, but mellowed out within about half an hour. This allowed the heliotrope to come through more, which really made the perfume sing.

A couple of hours later, it has mellowed even more, and become fainter (but just as lovely). The heliotrope is still there, and is joined by the patchouli, which warms the scent up nicely.

I like this perfume a lot. It's not an everyday scent, but it's certainly lovely for going out on a chilly evening.

I love the lavender top note (reminds me of Jicky for just a moment) and the lovely vanilla amber drydown, but those middle notes prevent my giving this one 4 stars. It's a little too sweet gourmand (too much coffee with sugar, maybe?). However the price is right, so I say give this one a try. It is much more "modern" than those old Guerlains which I adore, so maybe this one is for a younger crowd. And it does last quite a while, which is a real plus.

This is a lovely, warm and spicy oriental on my skin. Starting out ever so slightly tart, with the currant and mandarin, but quickly evolving into a warm creamy scent of woodsy-heliotrope-vanilla. It lasts fairly wall, and the patchouli may partly responsible, because the last thing I smell on my skin is a very very nice patchouli that is softened with woods and vanilla. A blind bargain buy at TJ Maxx. Very nice! Any layers beautifully with some of my nice vanilla based body lotions from La Maison de la Vanille. Now that the weather is cooling I'll be wearing this through the winter!

I love this stuff! Very easy for a man to wear too (well in my opinion) probably due to the patchouli. Have a sniff guys, you never know!