Fragrance Reviews by sucrose

When I first sampled this, I thought it was nice and moved on, and the sample sat in a box for months. But once I had a chance to give this fragrance a good spray, I appreciated it much more. What seemed a little weak or bland in the sample vial becomes gorgeously natural and subtle when sprayed. It is a bright vetiver but also a smoky, and of course there are beautiful salty overtones. The citrus is very toned down; it doesn't feel like a generic cologne. Instead, it feels natural and raw. This fragrance is genderless to me.

And can I add that the perfumer is CELINE ELLENA, not her father as is listed in the directory? Let's give the lady her due.

This fragrance really highlights the osmanthus note beautifully. I have a small vial of osmanthus absolute, and the smell reminds me of the skin of an overripe apricot—very warm and fruity with a rich leathery base. Comparing the two, OI captures the osmanthus well but lightens the richness of the flower with tea and a bit of citrus, while leather and musk in the base punctuate the natural leathery tones. The result more sparkling and nuanced, but very true to the innocent sensuality of the flower.

One of my recent favorites from Jo Malone. I love vetiver scents, but I find that many of them either turn into men's cologne or don't really meld with my skin. This begins as a simple, energizing vetiver-citrus, but it gains some warmth and spice in the base as it dries down. The notes list nutmeg, but it reminds me of the cardamom and myrrh that warms up the base in Vintage Gardenia. In any case, the warm, softly spicy drydown really grounds this scent for me. Women who find other vetivers too brash should check this out.

I ended up buying this fig over Philosykos (even though that scent is fantastic) because I was looking for a warmer fig for winter, something without Philo's cedary sharpness. This scent is very green, but it is also sweet and milky, and approaches a gourmand fragrance. Sometimes smelling it actually makes me hungry. As much as I like this, it never really "settles" into my skin, as I prefer a fragrance to do. It always smells exactly the same the entire day, like something that is on top of my skin rather than emanating from it. I still give it a thumbs-up but it is not the staple I thought it would be.