Burberry the Beat (2008)
by Burberry

I love Dominique Ropion, but I tend to find his group collaborations less compelling than his solo work, much of which is masterful. Same for Béatrice Piquet, may she rest in peace. I definitely do not want to suggest that in Burberry THE BEAT there were too many cooks in the kitchen—this is certainly not an unwearable mess! But I do think that this composition falls squarely into a currently crowded category of the grand olfactory map. Among other close neighbors are Calvin Klein BEAUTY and DKNY PURE.

THE BEAT is a clean musk composition with some florality and spice (cardamom) but not enough to really mark itself off as very distinct from the many other perfumes with similar compositions (albeit variations in the small details...). Another problem that I have with THE BEAT is my bête noire of dilution. I have used about half my roller ball cylinder (which I however have sprayed on, since I think that I get a better sense of a perfume through that means of application) in only two wearings. I generally dislike roller balls—with their childproof safety features making it impossible to overapply—but in this case all of the effort is for naught. Detach the roller and pour this liquid all over yourself: you will still not be over-perfumed. So, yes, the sillage is low and the longevity poor.

All of that said, I'm sure that THE BEAT would work for those looking for inoffensive clean musk compositions with a slightly oriental quality. Although this fragrance is a tad bit sweet, some guys may like it as well.

3rd October, 2011.

I find it very difficult to find a Burberry fragrance that I don't like. If I had all the money in the world I would buy every single one of their fragrances, male and female.

I was slightly off-put by the top notes which were a little too citrusy for me, yet the drydown caught me off guard and sent me spiralling into a state of love.

The Beat is modern, eccentric and powerful. The scent can be sweet at times, but it never loses its sex appeal or transforms into something sickeningly sugary. I sense a coconut note for some strange reason, which makes me think that this fragrance is the perfect scent for a celebration. Perhaps it is also the bottle which is shaped like a flask that makes me think of a party-like atmosphere.

This scent's only downfall was the lasting power, which shocked me because Burberry fragrances usually last for ages on my skin. The Beat unfortunately didn't last any more than an hour on me.

26th April, 2011.

Is nice but Burberry have better fragrances. This is a ultra sweet version of Burberry Brit without the lime notes.

26th January, 2011.

Yet another fresh, clean-smelling unisex edt. I simply don't understand the obsession with smelling clean when daily showers should be taking care of that department. Other than the rather quaint floral tea accord in the middle, the rest of the fragrance is dull and too synthetic for me to enjoy. Smells cheap even. The sticker price could be better spent on a decant of a vintage from Chanel, Guerlain or even Estee Lauder. But if you must wear a Burberry, wear Burberry for Women.

29th December, 2010.

I love the initial burst of spicy cardamom and bergamot (little bit masculine) and would adore this if this tingly scent would continue throughout the wearing, but try as I may I cannot smell it, even 5 minutes later.

9th March, 2010.

The drydown on this reminds me so much of the drydown for Dirty English. I sampled Beat today and after a half hour, I had thought I put on DE. Although the opening is really nice, unlike DE.

26th February, 2010.