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Prelude To Love by By Kilian

post #1 of 19
3/24/10 at 10:16am
Thread Starter 
This is one By Kilian fragrance that hardly gets spoken about here. I tested it for the 1st time last night.

It has a wonderful orange blossom note, very gentleman's-eaux-cologne-fresh, with florals exploding all around (iris, something akin to that baby-aspirin-geranium note) and then it starts to sweeten like confectionery candy (Smarties candies, to be specific). It made me smile and I sniffed my hand for several hours. From far away, the scent gathers a crisp almost chypre-like effect - sort of like Oranger Alhambra by Giorgio Armani Prive.

Any love for this one? I know its mad expensive, but nonetheless, I can't seem to get it off my mind.
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post #2 of 19
3/24/10 at 10:21am
This one has never clicked with me. It's pleasant enough, but doesn't distinguish itself in any noticeable way. Becker's other scents for this line reveal more imagination.
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post #3 of 19
3/24/10 at 10:22am
It's nice, no reason to say 'Wow' though and definitely not worth the price Kilian is selling it. Nonetheless, an elegant fragrance blended with style.
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post #4 of 19
3/24/10 at 10:28am
In my 20 Feb 2010 review my final thoughts on Prelude to Love were:
"I don't love it but I can't help being somewhat enthralled by it. Quite a Lolita-esque scent, if you ask me. "

I still find it a little hard to place a finger firmly on the pulse of this composition but I have to admit it is quite an intriguing scent. The ladies may have a more eloquent reaction to it though. Ladies?
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post #5 of 19
3/24/10 at 10:32am
Glad to hear your thoughts on it! Since I have it, I'm obviously one of the fans of it . I love Orange Blossom scents, and think it is a totally unique take on the note. I can totally see your smartie impression too - it does have that slightly tart, candy-like feel in the drydown. It wears great worn with a heavy hand in warm weather, too!
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post #6 of 19
3/24/10 at 1:14pm
The only by Kilian I could justify buying.
It' got some floral/citrus accords similar to Windsor's top.
And the middle are 3 of my favorite floral notes: orange blossom/neroli, Freesia, and "cold Iris",
with just enough cardamom, cypriol, and rose peppercorn to keep it from being to feminine.

I knew I was drastically overpaying for a short-lived predominantly synthetic scent, but I had to have it.

I bought the tester, so if anyone who owns the full presentation can post the ingredient/chemical list:
i.e.
alcohol, parfum, citral, geraniol, linalool, alpha-isomethyl-ionone, etc.
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post #7 of 19
3/24/10 at 1:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeperez23 View Post

From far away, the scent gathers a crisp almost chypre-like effect - sort of like Oranger Alhambra by Giorgio Armani Prive.

can you compare these 2 further ?
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post #8 of 19
3/24/10 at 1:46pm
I picked up the discovery set of By Kilian so I could get a little more of this one in particular.
I find it sort of out of place with the other fragrances in the By Kilian line but it has a compelling orange blossom aspect that while it remains is quite unusual and refreshing.
I am definitely a fan and the reason I don't think it gets mentioned is we rarely talk about citrus fragrances as a class very often. If we did I wouldn't hesitate to put this up there with some of my other favorites.
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post #9 of 19
3/24/10 at 1:59pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by DULLAH View Post

can you compare these 2 further ?

Well, I'll have to dig around & see if I can find my sample of the Armani.

When (or if) I do I will post my thoughts.

The Armani is much more bergamot prominent in the top notes, but besides that they are very similar (atleast in my mind, they are).
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post #10 of 19
3/24/10 at 2:30pm
One of the things that I enjoy at the By Kilian website is the "perfumer's formula". For Prelude to Love they give (per 1000g):

Hesperide Notes:

Calabrian Bergamot Oil 200g
Italian Lemon Sfumatrice Oil 150g [note: I learned a new word; supposed to be very zesty and green]
Mandarin Oil 20g
Calabrian Bigarad Oil 50g

Floral Notes:

French Lavandin Abrialis Orpur Oil 10g
Freesia Accord 350g
Tunisian Neroli Orpur Oil 20g
Orange Blossom Absolute @ 10% 10g
Bulgarian Rose Absolute 5g
Florentine Resinoid Iris 5g
Iris Accord 40g

Spicy Notes:

Guatemala Cardamom Oil 15g
Pink Pepper Berries 5g

Woody Amber Notes:

Indian Cypriol 30g
Russian Leather Accord 10g
Musk Accord 80g
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post #11 of 19
3/26/10 at 1:23pm
^Yes i remember saving that jpeg the day before I bought the tester.
I tried to replicate it, but i think I need to source different synthetic freesia, mine came out too feminine.

Do you by chance have the actual box ingredient list?

Quote:
Originally Posted by DULLAH View Post

if anyone who owns the full presentation can post the ingredient/chemical list:
i.e.
alcohol, parfum, citral, geraniol, linalool, alpha-isomethyl-ionone, etc.

Anyone who can post this list thanks in advance.
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post #12 of 19
3/26/10 at 7:45pm
This is very nice, just the price is a bit too much..
I bought several samples on e-bay, pour them in an atomizer, and voila, I have a little decant!
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post #13 of 19
10/5/10 at 5:45am
Ingredients List On Retail Box:
- SD Alcohol 39C
- Parfum
- Aqua
- BHT
- Limonene
- Eugenol
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post #14 of 19
10/5/10 at 6:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by DULLAH View Post

^Yes i remember saving that jpeg the day before I bought the tester.
I tried to replicate it, but i think I need to source different synthetic freesia, mine came out too feminine.

Do you by chance have the actual box ingredient list?

Anyone who can post this list thanks in advance.

Here's the link to the By Kilian website with the list of ingredients

http://www.bykilian.com/en/les_fragr...elude-to-love/
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post #15 of 19
10/5/10 at 7:32am
I'm glad to see people talking about this one. I own it and like it quite a bit. It may be the least dramatic of the Kilian line so people seem to pass it up fast.

But I love the transparent iris and wood (cypriol?). I think the hint of sweetness that's in it is actually a bit of another scent in the line 'Love'. Only turned way down. This aspect me reminds me of a number of Guerlains only much sweeter.
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post #16 of 19
10/5/10 at 10:53am
I've been meaning to try this one, but I notice that Kilian, while still selling it in their store, no longer advertises it as being among their collection on the main page. Is this slated for discontinuation...?
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post #17 of 19
10/5/10 at 11:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by blackice View Post

Ingredients List On Retail Box:
- SD Alcohol 39C
- Parfum
- Aqua
- BHT
- Limonene
- Eugenol

Wow, only Limonene and Eugenol. I expected it to look like a Tom Ford ingredient Label. LOL Certainly at least expected Butylphenyl methypropianol, and hydroisohexyl 3-cyclohexene-carboxaldehyde, given how it smelled.
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post #18 of 19
10/5/10 at 11:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by arwen_elf View Post

Here's the link to the By Kilian website with the list of ingredients

http://www.bykilian.com/en/les_fragr...elude-to-love/

Thanks, but I was referring to the box ingredients that black ice posted. i used that "perfumer's list" on Kilian's site to attempt a recreation a while back, and it came fairly close, apart from the freesia I had at the time smelling too femme. I should try it now, as I have sourced good, unisex Iris and Freesia accords that smell in accordance with the Kilian.
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post #19 of 19
10/5/10 at 8:44pm
Thread Starter 
Coincidence at this thread being bumped: I wore the very last drops of my sample last Saturday afternoon on my way with Ray to go check into a Ft. Lauderdale beach hotel for a romantic weekend. It really does have a wonderful tiptoeing-through-the-tulips vibe. A real happy fragrance. I just wish it lasted longer and was a tad more...substantial. And affordable.
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