Greenfaerie

I hardly ever say that I need to scrub something off of me because it's so bad, but this is one of the worst smells I have had on my body in a very long time. It started off a very ordinary cucumber scent, but it very quickly took on a scent that honestly smelled like rotten eggs wafting in. Was this the "animalic" component? Because I didn't notice anything even remotely like leather. I forced myself to wear this perfume for 4 hours before I decided it was a waste of time. Luckily the rotten egg essence wore off after a bit, but what I was left with smelled like a child had mixed cucumber aromachemicals. Honestly, this was ghastly and rather insulting to a city I really love. I mean if London wanted to be remembered as a disease ridden place before anybody knew anything about sanitation, this would do the trick perfectly.

BIWA is an interesting fragrance because it has the loveliest powdery vanilla (not too gourmand) notes that are very delicate, sort of misty, and some lovely piney or frankincense notes that, on their own, smell wonderful; but to me they don't mix right together. The sharpness of the base notes interrupt or take away from the beautiful, soft powdery notes, and to me it is discordant rather than complimentary. I can see how others might really love this perfume. I wish the delicate powdery notes could be made into a different perfume altogether. I also envision them with a softer green note, rather than with this sharp pine or frankincense. BIWA's powdery aspect reminds me of perfumes such as L'Eau d'Hiver. I imagine this fragrance would be lovely for winter's whiteness and equally lovely in the spring. In warmer months it might work for some, but it might disappear on others if the weather is too warm. Sillage is gentle but definitely present, which is what I would expect of a fragrance with these notes.

This was the most sickening, most synthetic intensely “milky” perfume ever. Like burnt milk and a heavy vanilla ice cream drydown. Tooth achingly sweet, cloying and chemical to an extreme. I didn’t get any subtleties whatsoever. The notes reminded me of Lubin’s exquisite Korrigan, but this, in reality, smells like a vulgar version of Carner Barcelona’s Palo Santo. Smells like it belongs in one of those bright blue Bon Bon Milkshake bottles and for $10-15. Huge disappointment with this one.

I have owned a bell jar for some time now, and it has taken me forever (years) to be able to write anything about it because...frankly I can barely detect it! It is so light and ethereal, how does one figure out how it smells when it's there one moment and not the next? I have tons of the highest quality raw materials. You can always smell them. You don't become anosmic to natural essences. Are there really any here? I can not smell them.

So here I go, trying to describe what little I detect. Which is pitiful at this price point. First a bit of something sweet and creamy, like vanilla (probably benzoin) mixed with the tiniest bit of wood. This quickly dissipates and becomes a totally cumin scent. I think they listed the wrong note here, it's certainly not caraway. Definitely my armpits after eating Indian food for a couple days in a row (something I do frequently. And I don't mind that my armpits smell like cumin whatsoever). I think the smell of aromatic cumin is lovely, and I like it when my pits smells like cumin. From there on, I tell you, I believe there is a trace of something on my skin, but I can not even tell for sure. The whole experience is about 20 minutes long.

I sold my bell jar.

Beginning with the positives. It smells like a real iris flower, or at least some of the varieties I have actually smelled. Very soft, plush floral with a vanilla-like sweetness. This part is so lovely it almost makes it full bottle worthy. Maybe one day I will decide it is. I am open to that possibility. Splendiris evokes a similar mood in me as Apres l'Ondee. A chilly spring morning, possibly a little misty, definitely gray. Watercolor vibe. The scent of a real iris flower is soft, thus it follows that Splendiris is rather soft too. I certainly don't expect a fragrance like this to be a sillage monster. Look elsewhere is sillage is what you seek. Splendiris is mostly a skin scent on me, but it's lovely, especially in the heart where I get that pure, powdery iris flower.

Now the (subjective according to my preferences) downside. The jasmine really bothered me. It gave an exotic feel, which made my natural iris flower turn screechy. Also, there is an obvious note of ambergris. Typically I would welcome it, but here it doesn't work with the delicate iris flower. It's out of place. You feel like you're in nature, in a Monet paining; then suddenly the stank of an animal. Just doesn't work for me at all. Perhaps with the rose, jasmine and ambergris she was going for a vintage-chic feel? But it clashes with the naturalistic iris. I wish she had just focused on that beautiful iris flower alone. I also feel that the vanilla is too much, rendering the beautiful iris flower of my imagination a bit cloying. Does that make sense? It's not a cloying fragrance whatsoever (it's the opposite of cloying), but I would have preferred it if I found myself asking, "IS THAT vanilla I detect or am I imagining it?" It's too sweet somehow.

The pure and beautiful part of the fragrance, the delicate iris flower, reminds me so much of Prada's Infusion d'Iris Absolue. At other times I am reminded of Masque Milano's L'Attesa, which annoys me even more with all its floral notes that detract from the iris.

Overall I believe it's a winner from Dusita, and I appreciate it. I did enjoy wearing it and would certainly recommend that iris lovers try it. Splendiris would be smashing in springtime.