B by Boucheron, 2008

This is certainly a jewel of a scent. Soft, delicate and sublime, B by Boucheron is million times better than 95% of what is out there today. It is not the most unique scent in the world, but it is the best floral that I have come across for a long time (among the new creations.) It has a tender voice that surrounds its wearer with a soft blend of woods and flowers as rose, orange blossom and osmanthus. Boucheron says that one of the magical ingredients is pink peppercorn, which I assume is what creates the rich spiciness of the blend. Staying luminous and floral throughout, as time passes, the wood-sy base of sandalwood, cedar and a hint of patchouli comes to play and adds an earthy feel to the progression. There is also a delicate dash of apricot in it, to increase the seducing femininity. I like the fact the B is soft yet spicy, floral yet wood-sy, luminous yet Earthy all at the same time. It is just so precious. I wonder how it would work on my skin, yet there is nothing unpleasant about this frag (other than its rather high price) and even though it is not groundbreaking, it is most certainly a spellbinding creation: one that is worthy of Boucheron's great name and stance in the international luxury industry. B is lovely.

You know when you do a swap with someone, they (and you) will throw in some random extras, and perhaps if you don't know the person you'll include carded samples you just received from the mall but don't necessarily want (or have doubles of)? Well a carded sample of "B" arrived in a recent trade, and I tossed it on my desk in the 'to try' pile, where it sat for .... well, for a while before I just sprayed it on to say "I tried it, now I can file it."

Well I'll be damned if I didn't sniff my arm some time later and say "hey! this ain't bad at all!". I've seen sampled it many times and I'm very impressed.

B isn't your typical designer (high end designer?) modern feminine. The primary accord is rose and apricot on a background of osmanthus and musk. It is neither sweet or too dry, and the apricot really adds the twang that sets B apart. There isn't a tremendous amount of movement with this one, the apricot become distinct and some light woodiness and sandalwood emerge. The composition remains lightly musky with a white floral support that stays throughout. Overall I find the quality to be very high and far above that of typical designers. There is nothing obviously synthetic, flimsy, or cheap about B at all.

I've read this release, still somewhat new, is pricey ($150), and it's nothing I'll be investing in soon. Maybe a few years from in the future when it's hit the discounters, maybe not. B is something that would work on a woman of any age and I think I'd find it quite attractive on a lady.

Goes to show you don't ever know - watch each card you play, and play it slow.