Dulcemio

Alluring opened with a blast of bitter woodiness that lasted a couple of hours. Yes, hours.

Eventually, though, the loveliness emerged and I found myself engulfed by a narcotically blissful cloud of fresh roses and honey, accented by wood and a touch of fruit.

So smooth and subtle, but with amazing projection and longevity. Loud? No. Strong? Yes.

This goes onto my short list of budget-breaking potential purchases for 2014.

Addendum: Today I wore this for the second time, and this time the bitter woodiness did not fade away near as much as the first time, and not enough for me. I'm afraid I have to take this off my wishlist, as it's just not lucious enough for me. :-(

The last time I was in the hospital, one of my nurses was wearing "Japanese Cherry Blossom". I know because it was just so lovely I had to ask. She was one of those serene angels of the medical profession who glide in and out of your personal space during one of the worst times of your life, and with a soothing voice and empathetic smile, make you feel for a few moments each day that your mom has come to check on you. She said her teenage sons had picked it out for her birthday. It fit her personality perfectly.

Despite the fact I have this pleasant association with this scent, I feel I can objectively say that it's one of the most lovely things Bath & Body Works has to offer. A perfect balance of flowers, fruit, musk and wood. So soft, feminine and calming.

Oh! And I just realized what it reminds me of: "Guerlain's "L'Instant"! There's a tart sharpness to L'Instant that I'm not crazy about, and Japanese Cherry Blossom is similar to that one, but minus the tartness.

(This is a review of the body lotion.)

Looking at the list of notes here, I expected Noir de Noir to be an earthy gem built on moss, oud and patchouli, with some full-bodied rose for balance, and a little saffron adding exotic interest to the top notes. Instead, what I find here is just about the exact opposite of that: a sweet, sheer, unobtrusive floriental built mostly on a natural smelling rose note and some gentle vanilla. Earthy it is not.

Noir de Noir pairs rose and vanilla beautifully, and carries from top to base a hint of ever-so-slightly tart fruit that doesn't seem to be explained by the notes listed here. It is lovely, and is what all smooth and pleasant rose/vanilla collaborations should aspire to. Rochas Tocade *wishes* it were Noir de Noir. :-)

Rose is a note that I seem to enjoy most when it plays a subordinate or supportive role within a bustling ensemble. Chanel No. 19 comes to mind. Which is why I was hoping the patchouli, oud and moss would be louder in Noir de Noir, much, much louder.

For anyone madly in love with la diva Rose, however, I think it's a must-try. It's not your grandma's or your mama's rose perfume. It's young and hip and au courant.

I'm not one to seek out fragrances designed specifically for men, because in my experience they're usually too masculine for my taste, often at the hand of some domineering bergamot. So, had I read the list of notes beforehand, I would've probably declined an offer to sample this one out of hand.

As luck would have it, I discovered a sample vial this morning in a pile of stuff while doing some household organizing and I sprayed my wrists impulsively, since I'd be showering soon anyway.

To my pleasant surprise, after a masculine burst of bergamot in the top notes burned off after an hour or less, what I've been enjoying all day is a lovely, understated oriental that is equal parts dry, sweet, earthy and refined, with just an extremely subtle layer of cool bergamot hanging around.

Based on my experience with Prada for women, I was expecting/hoping it would be an enveloping patchouli assault (I love patchouli), but it's not. (Though, it's quite possible I am quasi anosmic to patchouli, as many a well known patchouli bomb are not bombs to me at all. Coromandel, for example.)

On the strength of one quick spray, it's been projecting tastefully for several hours now, with no signs of fading. Which, of course, makes the price more forgivable.

Even though the word "vanille" is right there in the name, this one is sooooo smooth and balanced that I suspect it might appeal to even the vanilla-aversed among us, both male and female, because this vanilla is so down-to-earth and non-girly. No cupcakes, cookies or vanilla extract here.

Tonka bean and vanilla provide a natural smelling base for subtle amounts of bergamot, black current and floral notes to intermingle and complement one another in such a way that, had I not seen the list of notes, I would not have been able to guess them except for the vanilla, tonka and bergamot.

Even though it's designated as unisex, I feel it leans enough toward the masculine that it could easily have been marketed exclusively to men, due in part, I'm guessing, to the bergamot, which always seems to impart a touch of cool freshness, and is so commonly found in men's fragrances.

With only a couple dabs to my wrists, I detect the subtle smoothness of this scent all day long, so it does indeed behave like an EDP.

I am enjoying my sample very much, but I would prefer to smell this on a man rather than on myself. It seems timeless, as though it would feel right on anyone from a trendy 20-something to my dad, if he were still around. Classy, is what I guess I'm trying to say. I like it a lot.
Edit: several years later, rediscovering my sample vial in a bathroom drawer. Now it reminds me of Shalimar. And, alas, it has been discontinued.