Lilitu

Finally, my bottling for testing has arrived. I was already so excited about this fragrance.

As so often with me, I have approached the original via a fragrance twin. The fragrance twin has pleased me so well that I have forced my husband to test it too. After all, it is unisex - a fragrance that we can both wear. That was my ulterior motive. Thus, when the bottling of the original arrived by mail, he could not shirk, but had to try him too.

Not that you think I would have exerted any pressure here. You must know that before Corona, my husband had a larger fragrance collection than I did. But because of the lockdown, I overtook him with waving flags especially fragrance flags.

Since we unfortunately only live in a small apartment, I always test my perfumes or fillings in the living room. Then the whole room smells of all kinds of fragrant and less fragrant essences. Which, I admit, can sometimes be a little exhausting on the nose. Just a little bit exhausting. Teeny tiny. Sooo small.

But now to the much anticipated fragrance: Tatatataaaaaaaaaaaaa (drum roll):

Sprayed once and breathe deeply ....

... immediately I get the full broadside. Man oh man, is the fierce. Honestly, from the top note I recognize none of the listed notes. Also the heart note is completely skipped with me. It goes straight into the base notes. Of which I can identify oud, the woods, cardamom, incense and patchouli.

I can certainly understand the comparisons of the fragrance on Parfumo with the smell in a patisserie. It also smells on my skin like in a bakery. But unfortunately not so pleasant after sweet cakes, but here clearly rancid butter was used for baking. What a shock.

In addition, the damn baker has also baked the cake too long in the oven. Because when Rausholen first of all a gush of burnt smoke with out of the hot oven. Phew. What a disappointment.

I switch to the wrist of my husband. Also here. A cracker, but not quite as unpleasant as on my skin. Here, too, the oud is held only with difficulty by the balsamic fragrance notes in check. Plus that patchouli smelling of dirty earth. Slowly I get the feeling that for me "Sweetie Aoud" is absolutely no women's fragrance. So nothing with unisex.

With my husband he also smells very strong and powerful. He himself can not associate a bakery or patisserie with this perfume. Instead, it smells for him, after the first bustle has settled, after sweet-tart incense. I think the balsamic and spicy notes come through better on him. It makes the scent seem a bit softer. Of course, the sweet notes that slowly combine with it also help. But the fragrance does not become soft, just a little bit softer.

At least the rancid butter smell on my wrist fades into the background. What remains is a sweet-smoky note with emphasis on smoky. Not at all mine. I just can't do anything with oud. At least this time I'm spared the fecal smell of oud that I've smelled in other fragrances. A little progress.

Still, I'm sorry. Even if I oute myself here as a philistine who kicks the high art of perfumery with feet, I like the fragrance twin better. Probably because he turns out sweeter and more pleasing than the original and thus perhaps not as artfully woven. For this he can also be worn really unisex.

Of course, this is just my personal opinion. Everyone sees this differently, due to the different scent preferences and individual skin chemistry, which makes perfumes smell different on each skin. And that is also good so. Would be otherwise boring if everyone loves or rejects the same perfumes. The sillage and durability are unfortunately very good.

My husband also can not get excited about the original. But I think that this fragrance can inspire enough fans. We are just not one of them.

Poetry at the end of the year or Papillon

On my hand a butterfly sits.
I want to catch it,
but it flies away!

Yes, autumn is advancing and soon winter will be here again. Still it hums sporadically in the garden and now and then I even see a butterfly passing by.

A subtly tart chamomile starts immediately, is then enveloped by delicate green woods. What does a weeping tree smell like? I don't. Probably very unobtrusive. But it blends beautifully with the chamomile. Then a hint of musk comes in, softening the chamomile - almost creamy.

I'm still waiting for the dry-down. It's slowly becoming more delicate and soft. Only a light breeze of transparent little wings now. The wood only to guess and also the vanilla very hidden. I sniff further on the hand and catch a remnant of the sandalwood-vanilla finish.

And quickly he is only a nice memory.

I find it difficult to find nice green scents. But this one I like very much, although it seems so delicate and filigree. That's why it's best to spray at home to snuggle up and with a cup of tea in hand, indulge in beautiful memories of spring and summer.

I do not understand the bad rating. The sillage and the durability are very low but the fragrance is beautiful.

Yes, why have I waited so long? This is exactly the question I ask myself in connection with my latest acquisition "Ange ou Démon" by Givenchy.

My favorite place to buy my perfumes before Corona was at duty-free shops in airports. I can't remember how many times I've sneaked around "Ange ou Démon". Because, of course, the name appealed to me.

Gladly I remember, a former work colleague. She always held loud discord with your "angels and devils". Very funny - like a Commedia dell'Arte play.
She made me imagine it always very pictorially - also with myself. I just felt like there was a little angel and a little devil sitting on my shoulders too, whispering your advice to me. And it is still like that. Who do I listen to today? Is the angel or the demon in me winning, or should I say on me?

When I first saw this perfume, I absolutely had to try this scent. I sniffed the test strip full of anticipation and .... my first reaction ... shall I give it away ... IGITT - pure repulsion! It couldn't be that at all.

Givenchy has great fragrances: "Ysatis", "Very Irresistible", "Amarige" and so on. What didn't I like about the perfume with the interesting name? A pungent unpleasant note, which I couldn't define at the time, irritated me. Off to the wastebasket with the test strip. And what? I bought a different perfume instead. Guess what I bought! Well, who knows? Any ideas? It was "Alien" - the ultimate banger. But this is another story.

I didn't give up. Years later, "Ange ou Démon" was on special offer in the duty-free shop. So I tried it again. This time the pungent note was no longer so present. But even though I kept sniffing the test strip, it remained present and just bothered me. However, it ruined the overall impression for me. Because I kind of liked the warm and cuddly note in the background. This time I bought an eau de parfum by Yves Saint Laurent. No, I can already hear your guesses. It wasn't "Black Opium", but "Parisienne". So it was again nothing with us both.

Only last year, this very persistent fragrance moved back into my focus. In the course of my research on "Opera" by Xerjoff I came in a roundabout way back to "Ange ou Démon". Here at Parfumo, or was it Fragrantica (?), "Ange ou Démon" was actually given as a comparative perfume to "Opera". In the meantime, I was already on my way towards perfume twins, and actually ordered a dupe of "Ange ou Démon", which I even found quite acceptable, but with a subterranean durability. But it was to be almost a year before I finally dared to buy the original, and the whole thing even online - without testing it again beforehand. So almost a blind buy. Somehow.

Accordingly, I was excited when testing at home. Now finally to the fragrance test - a few pinches on a neutral cosmetic tissue and on my wrist sprayed and off it goes:

A subtly fresh and citrusy start that transitions into a sweet warm tangerine surprises me. Honestly, I don't explicitly smell out tangerine, but something fruity and orangey. Immediately the thyme comes in - but mild - not overbearing. The thyme is easy to detect. The saffron, on the other hand, is barely detectable, at best interwoven with the thyme scent. This spicy blend gets stronger - at least on my wrist.

On the cosmetic tissue, the fresh note from the start remains present longer.

The fragrance development on my wrist is already progressing. Seductively push the floral creamy notes of orchid and YlangYlang in the foreground. In the background, I still smell something slightly powdery - probably the lily. I love powdery fragrance elements. They give perfumes a cozy touch and sometimes an elegant direction. What a beautifully woven composition - seductive and cozy at the same time with an elegant lurch. I find my skin chemistry matches this fragrance perfectly. Nothing is too much or overbearing.

Quite the opposite is the fragrance development on the cosmetic tissue. Here, the powdery and the spicy cool thyme now play the main role. But the emphasis is on cool and first still mixed with the long-lasting citrus freshness. No, that's the wrong way to put it. The thyme-saffron note here goes in the direction of pungent herb and yet rather stands out from the cool combination. Later, the freshness gradually disappears. The herbaceous element remains. Overall, it seems more like a medicinal scent to me. Could possibly be the saffron. I remember some people describing that for them "Baccarat Rouge 540" smells like a dentist. Peu à peu, it becomes woodier and warmer. But the vanilla-tonka mixture remains only in the background on the cosmetic tissue, unfortunately. The sharp pungent note towers but all other fragrance components.

Back to my wrist: here, the rosewood slowly joins the harmonious composition. For me, the oakmoss remains rather subtle. Barely perceptible. Both ingredients unite in a soft cozy vanilla tonka bean bed. Seductive. Sigh. That smells nice. Sniff, sniff.

Even my husband likes it this time. Lucky me. Or is he? Who knows?

I find it very interesting that here the scent develops much nicer on my skin than on the cosmetic tissue. Although, now that I sniff it again - it's slowly becoming warmer, softer and more pleasant here too - less and less pungent.

By now, of course, I know which scent or scents I didn't get along with. I've pinpointed the culprits. The thyme-saffron mixture put me off and if I hadn't bravely tested it directly on my skin - who knows, maybe I'd let the "Ange ou Démon" bottle rot in my closet unused. What a shame that would be - to ignore such a beautiful fragrance. Yes, I love this fragrance. Long time coming.

This Friday I went out - met up with former work colleagues - finally after a long time. The aforementioned ex-colleague, the one with the angel/devil twos, was also there and everything was just like it used to be. Relaxed and fun. Of course, I had wrapped myself in a lovely scented cloud of Ange ou Démon. What else, would have fit.

Conclusion: this fragrance is suitable for going out - less for the office. In my opinion, it is suitable for all women - no matter what age. The sillage and the durability are with me rather moderate to good. With a tendency to good.

So, do not wait so long with the fragrance purchase, like me. And importantly test it absolutely on your skin! It is worth it

For a long time I thought about which variant of L'Interdit I would like to buy. The history of the fragrance has attracted me. A perfume created especially for the great actress Audrey Hepburn. Of course, I know that the original scent doesn't have too much to do with today's variants. But I love orange blossom. And there I just can not resist.

Usually, before Corona, I preferred to buy my fragrances at the airport in the duty-free shop. As a small fragrant start to the holiday or sometimes as a nice ending - a fragrant memory. I found the selection in the duty-free shops good and usually I had enough time to test the fragrances in advance.

That was the end of it. Last year during the lockdown, my perfume obsession worsened and I was on the lookout for new inspiration. Time enough I had yes, thanks to short-time work. So what to do? First of all, extensively research on the Internet. So go.

Before I had never dealt with fragrance pyramids, individual fragrances or something. What for - either I liked the sniffed fragrance or not. I had a few brands that I particularly liked. With the expensive ones it mostly remained with the sniff test. With the others, I sometimes bought different perfumes. During the lockdown, the opportunity to test was eliminated.

Only through Parfumo I realized that I particularly appreciate perfumes with orange blossom. During my research, I came across L'Interdit. The fragrance pyramid of the new variants of the classic fragrance sounded tempting to me. I looked at the fragrance notes from the EdT, EdP and the Intense variant and the YouTube comparisons. Eventually, I had to make a decision. My choice was L'Interdit EdP Intense. The variant seemed more mysterious to me. Although the black pepper did scare me a bit at first. Pepper in perfume? So something I did not know until now or true me of it not really conscious.

L'Interdit Eau de Parfum Intense starts with me surprisingly fresh. Fresh orange blossoms shine. Then the tuberose embraces the orange blossoms. The fragrance slowly becomes much sweeter. A nutty note joins in the background. The sesame weaves the melange into a creamy paste. The initially bright fragrance takes a deep mysterious turn. Dark and black.

Does this have to do with the black pepper? But where is the black pepper remained? Individually, I can't smell it out. How the hell does black pepper smell in a top note?
In the background, however, I perceive a nuance of something spicy. Interwoven with the creamy paste, this note still remains soft. Nothing pungent, as I imagine pepper. Because ultimately, overcomes me always a violent sneezing attack, if I sprinkle pepper over a dish.

Something else stands out to me. At Parfumo, the perfume is described as sweet-floral. However, as has been the case with some perfumes, I perceive a powdery note in L'Interdit Intense that is not described in any detail. To me, this nuance gives the perfume a sophisticated touch. I love powdery fragrances - have I mentioned this before? Hmm, maybe this is simply because of that? No idea.

The composition now becomes a tiny bit greener. The vetiver sends its regards. A spicy element, rises from the depths. The patchouli lurks mysteriously in the base. Unfortunately, I don't smell any leather. But the vanilla flatters my senses. It blends perfectly into the pasty composition and rounds it off. A mysterious, dark but also soft fragrance. Sexy. Noble. Delicious.

While I appreciate the creamy, pasty mystery and powderiness of the perfume, my husband interestingly just perceives the scent as too intense. Too bad, for him no sexy fragrance.

But there he has had bad luck, my husband I mean of course, because I love this fragrance. And now there are finally opportunities to wear it. There he must go through - my husband.

Conclusion:
A fragrance for confident women - a beautiful going out fragrance. I can not see him on young girls, rather on women from 30 upwards.

Somehow, I can't imagine the fragrance on Audrey Hepburn either. An actress who was famous for your girlish charm. The attributes mysterious and mysterious fit better to other famous film divas of classic Hollywood. But so be it. Finally, I do not know the original fragrance.

Sillage and durability are very good. Sillage perhaps a tiny bit too good, at least for my husband.

The bottle is quite appealing. The black underlines its mysterious and noble character.

I just have to love him!

I really wanted to try this fragrance. Now I have bought it for myself. For the price you can risk this.

And now, yes now I am at a loss. Because the fragrance is so very different than expected.

Only recently I have been dealing with the Zara fragrances. And yet I should have learned quickly by now that Zara is not always what the name promises in it. I'm a total sucker for amber. So I jump at anything that says amber on it. It's my own fault, I can only say.

On the homepage of Zara it says that the Eau de Parfum - yes you read correctly Eau de Parfum - should be fresh and musky. Read before can be really helpful. Because of course I have the fresh times again overread.

Actually, the stated fragrance pyramid promises delicious* notes of mandarin, violet and cedar. That all sounds fine to me at first. I like the scent of ripe juicy tangerines on which still hang the green leaves.

But here I get in the top note first of all the full blast lemon - fresh tangy and intense lemon. But I wanted tangerine, I think frustrated. What's wrong with a nice tangerine scent? At best, I can say, with a lot of imagination, that it is perhaps green tangerine peel mixed with extremely-green leaves.

Unfortunately, the lemon/green tangerine peel overpowers all other scents at first. Only slowly do powdery notes come through - let me guess - probably the violet. An interesting mix of fresh and powdery notes and a subtle hint of sweetness establishes itself in the background. In the drydown, even the cedar still shimmers through. Delicately. So once the intense lemon/tangerine cloud gives way, the scent turns into a nice delicate powdery scent. But do not misunderstand, the lemon / tangerine does not disappear, only becomes more discreet.

Conclusion: a fresh, citrusy and quite feminine fragrance for hot summer days. Suitable for young and old. And for me a fragrance that confuses me.

* I use the term "yummy" not only with gourmand perfumes. Delicious for me simply also means "smell wonderful".