Fabirss

I received a sample of Dior Joy during a purchase and considering the nice package and the lovely pink color of the juice, I jumped to it in order to check what Dior had been up to.
Now, in order for you to have a picture of what I’m trying to describe, I must ask: have you watched Blade Runner 2049? If the answer is yes, then you know that Joi/y is depicted there. If the answer was no and you want to save time, let me put my feelings into words: both Joy (the fragrance) and Joi (the pretty girlfriend of the main character) are HOLOGRAMS. In the movie, Joi is a program developed through artificial intelligence and she is “put into life” as a hologram. She is the pretty and passionate girlfriend of Blade Runner “K” and they live a very comfortable and happy life except for that fact that Joi is not real. You can see her, you can interact with her, but once you touch her, you know she is not really there. She is the idea, the representation of something – a human being, in this case. Dior Joy is exactly like Joi: an idea, an interpretation, a chemical vision of something – a real fragrance. I do know that most fragrances nowadays are composed of synthetic ingredients, but some are so well put together that if you close your eyes you can really believe you smell the real thing. But not with Joi/y. Yes, she’s pretty, yes, she’s adorable, but even closing your eyes you know that she is a mere representation of the real thing. You can surely have her by your side and feel comfortable and happy, but I’m still up for the real thing.

As a sucker for tuberose, I added Nuit de Tubereuse to my wish list and waited patiently for a bottle to show up on these lands, for L'Artisan Parfumeur doesn't sell in local shops where I live and buying online would mean paying four times the retail price due to taxes and currency exchange rates. So I couldn't be more thrilled when I found a 30 ml for sale online from a fellow traveler for a very reasonable price. Having read many reviews about NdT, I thought its peppery aspect could be challenging, but believed I could get past the initial blast and enjoy the rest of the composition. Silly me. The harsh peppery opening accompanied the fragrance from top to bottom and although it lost some of its potency within the passing of time, it was still a shy tuberose lying in a pool of pepper. I tried NdT both in colder and warmer weather, but my efforts were useless. The heat would give the tuberose some room to develop, but still it wasn't enough to make me like the entire composition, which felt watery, spicy and much more masculine than feminine. So I bid NdT adieu and the bottle went straight to my son's closet. And believe me: NdT smells divine on him!

How I would have loved Jasmin et Cigarette if it wasn't for the ashtray smell. Of course one expects to find some trace of cigarette in the composition, but for someone like me, who loathes cigars and cigarettes in general, this juice obviously wouldn't work out. I can easily detect the jasmin and although the ashtray smell diminishes within 15 minutes or so, I still can't find a reason to have it in my collection.

Of course I went after Sex on the Peach due to its appealing name. Plus, the pyramid could not do anyone harm: fruits and flowers on a base of patchouli and musk. So was my thought when I indulged myself with four sprays of the fragrance – fruits and flowers, what could go wrong? Well, the cumin could. It went straight to my nose and punched me really hard. From the moment I sprayed it all I could smell was the cumin. Not even the delicious peach from the opening could prevent me from regretting the application of four sprays. I endured with SotP for thirty minutes, wondering how anyone could possibly feel attracted to someone wearing such a harsh scent. So I scrubbed it off and to the back of my drawer the bottle went. But curious as I am, I had to try it again. This time I went light: one tiny spray on my right wrist. And the magic happened! The cumin was there, but it was not as harsh as during the first try. And it didn’t overshadow the lovely peach note from the top. Being able to enjoy the rest of the composition, I was rewarded with this adorable floral mix of mimosa, jasmine and rose (a very shy one) and only at this point I could feel the sensual appeal of the name translated into the fragrance. Again, as with my other favorite Kiris Royale, SotP is very well balanced in terms of gender neutrality. It also projects and lasts solidly – I applied one spray before bedtime and woke up still smelling it on my wrist. Another nice composition of brazilian perfumista Daniel Barros. Just a gentle reminder: do not overspray it (unless you are a sucker for cumin, which I am not).

Kiris Royale and Sex on the Peach are my favorites from the Barista Collection and while it took me some tries to get to like Sex on the Peach, Kiris Royale was love at first sniff. I'm kind of a sucker for powdery scents, so from the moment I read the notes listed on the heart and base I knew odds were I would like it. Even the blackcurrant listed as a top note was not enough to put me away and I fell for it the minute I tried it. Kiris Royale is so well balanced in terms of gender neutrality that you would think it was suited for women when worn by girls and also that it was designed for men when worn by guys. Its powderiness is more of the grownup style, very different from some baby powder fragrances available at the market. The rose gives a hint of its cousin Sex on the Peach. The cardamom on KR light and pleasant, while the cumin on SotP was a punch in the nose - and maybe this is why I loved KR immediately while I had to get used to SotP in order to appreciate it. Overall you get a solid composition with a boozy rose/violet duo combined with powder, soft woods and a cozy touch of musk.