Lilitu

Why should I spend more than 100 EUR for a fragrance? A legitimate question. And somehow I can not think of anything reasonable. Except because I just like the fragrance sooo much and I absolutely have to have it. I know that sounds stupid. But that's the way it is.

Only recently I give in to my love of expensive fragrances. Previously, with a few exceptions, the cheap to medium-priced fragrances were enough for me. With it I was fully content. But in the Corona-zeiten has just this one special virus grabbed me. It has no name. Or does it? However, one symptom is particularly pronounced. This mysterious symptom is putting a serious strain on my wallet

Nonetheless, buying one of these expensive perfumes blindly is something I think twice about, though. With "Athalia" I had well researched and additionally lucky.

With LDBS, I was able to approach the original via a fragrance twin. The fragrance twin has me so absolutely flashed that I wanted in addition absolutely the original. Not just a small bottling. No, that wasn't enough for me. I wanted more than a few mililiters. First, I started looking at the usual online stores. Via the internet I informed myself about online shops that were unknown to me until then. I sorted out the dubious shops. Learned which shops came into question. But in vain. Everything was too expensive. So I lay in wait and armed myself with patience, with a lot of patience.

And since that was too boring for me, I tried out other fragrances in the meantime - bought some of them or not. In the back of my mind, however, this desire fragrance continued to haunt.

I began like a spider to weave an elaborate web of the various possibilities to try and test fragrances. Individual threads led me to other perfumes and newly discovered shopping opportunities. I discovered Parfumo, Fragrantica, and more. Followed other perfume maniacs on YouTube and waited.

I waited like a spider in a web. I waited for my opportunity - my chance to strike. And a few days ago, I discovered Kilian's Refills on sale. A quick search on YouTube and I knew I could handle the refill.

Sorry. I'm not a bottle lover. I'm only interested in the contents. Of course, a pretty bottle is something for the eye. But the bottle for LDBS is not really extraordinary now. And the refill was on sale. That's it. I bought it. Lightning fast and now I finally hold LDBS in my hands.

A little bit of this drizzled on my wrist and off I go. Wow. First, a cloud of orange blossom knocks me out first. Overkill Orange Blossom. The start is much more intense than the fragrance twin. Now, this is what you mean by orange blossom absolute - a true floral. Fierce - just barely scraped the edge of a headache. Wow, yet wonderful. I sniff carefully further.

How honeysuckle smells, I do not know. Erschnuppern I can after a few minutes a dark rose blossom and a strong sweetness - probably the marshmallow note. It's not until quite late that the amber comes through. Carefully it encloses the still present orange blossom, the rose and the warm sweetness. Now it's like a tender embrace. From overkill to a tender embrace.

After that, I don't notice much development. But that does not matter. Because the fragrance melange that remains is simply heavenly. Although heavenly is the wrong word. Because LDBS is darker for me - not deep dark, there are other candidates. But mysterious on the finish, like a full moon night with lots of twinkling stars in the firmament, giving enough light to bathe the surroundings in a mysterious play of shadows. The outline of the orange tree casts a long shadow. The blossoms open once more in the full moonlight, exuding that lovely heavy sweetness. I stop and close my eyes, reveling in that sweetness. Once again, I can't stop sniffing my wrist. Hmm, so delicious.

Conclusion:
A flash purchase that I do not regret. Price cheaper than the normal bottle. Through my research bzgl. LDBS I have only become aware of how much I love orange blossoms. LDBS is not the only orange blossom scent in my collection. There are more on my watch list/wish list. However, LDBS is definitely one of my favorites!

My third Zara fragrance starts with a slightly alcoholic note, but it quickly fades. After that, a non-sweet rose gradually creeps to the surface. It becomes more and more intense starting with a slightly green note it changes to a floral component. In my mind's eye I see an elegant closed white flower that opens more and more and unfolds into a very feminine round open rose blossom. All very pleasing and floral.

But where is my beloved amber? The amber is for me not explicitly herauszuriechen. Perhaps the amber gives the rose the first very present impression of a green fragrance.

And where is the promised vanilla? So far, everything is almost a bit too floral for me. I wait and wait and wait. Disappointment spreads.

Please do not get me wrong. I feel "Rose Gourmand Women" as a beautiful intense rose fragrance. But my expectation hoped for a unique rose-vanilla composition. There is no hint of this on my skin, nor on my test strip. From the vanilla far and wide no trace.

Conclusion: for me, unfortunately, it is not a gourmandiger fragrance, but only a beautiful, intense rose fragrance, as there are already many. Too bad.

P.S. Maybe I will give this fragrance a second chance and test it again. Let's see.

I dare to my second Zara fragrance after my experience with Amber Fusion a little more cautious.

So just a careful spritz and this time - no shock. Instead, a wonderfully soft, slightly fresh, floral and sweet vanilla scent wafting towards me. I think this is the white peony mixed with vanilla and garnished with a light spritz of alcohol breath. So yummy. So immediately sprayed again. After I read here on Parfumo that the fragrance does not last long, equal to three sprays in a row put on.

I just can not stop sniffing. According to Zara homepage a warm, intense and radiant fragrance. Can I sign everything, except intense. Because unfortunately the radiant prelude evaporates very quickly. But I will not complain, because what remains is a warm delicate floral vanilla scent. The fragrance belongs to the Tobacco Collection. Tobacco I do not smell out explicitly, but in the background a fragrance note is interwoven, which gives the soft and warm melange a small interesting slightly masculine kick.

Ok, in my experience an EDT rarely lasts as long as an EDP. (Of course, there are exceptions). But this eau de toilette seems to me like a volatile eau de cologne. A subtle, gourmand delicious touch that quickly becomes body.

The name ingredient "Addictive" fits very well. "Warm" is combined with freshness and lightness at the same time. "Rich" is here somewhat ambivalently chosen. Because the term "Rich" awakens in me the expectation of an even more intense depth and especially a noticeably longer shelf life. But as soon as the fragrance wears off, I want to re-spray, re-spray and re-spray again..... I can't stop. Want to smell and sniff. If I continue like this, the bottle will soon be empty. So with a heavy heart, I put the bottle back in its packaging. Just do not be tempted.

So, here with the tips on how to extend the shelf life:
What tools do you use to extend the shelf life? With what can I layer the fragrance?
I am open to all suggestions.

Verdict: A great fragrance that is addictive. Bought online under men's fragrances. My husband finds him more feminine. I do not see it that way. For me, he is clearly unisex for all wearable.

Now I dare to try the ZARA fragrances. And since I love amber, my first selected fragrance is Amber Fusion.

But what a shock at the first spray. Nothing, but nothing at all feminine about this fragrance. A dry amber wafting towards me. According to Zara homepage, the fragrance pyramid consists of lily, dry amber and vanilla. So it's my own fault. Of course, I have the "dry" deliberately overread.

The prelude reminds me of the many dry, emphatically tart masculine fragrances from my youth. Back then, these dust-dry, intense-smelling men's fragrances were popular with young and older men who didn't really bother with fragrances. The main thing is a fragrance that emphasizes the alleged masculinity or rather pretends.
When such a sprayed boy or man on the way to school / university sat next to me on the bus or in the S-Bahn, it took my breath away every time - but not really with enthusiasm.
I got that pungent smell in my nose and my natural instinct to flee immediately kicked in. Let's get out of here. As far away as possible from that pungent scent. Only right now I smell like this. So, where to flee to?

To this day, I can not understand when men think sweet fragrances are only for "sissies". Only extremely tart fragrances are something for "real" men. That has changed in the meantime. Thank the gods.

Finally, slowly gives way to this pungent dusty-dry scent from my wrist. A hint really just a tiny delicate hint of vanilla asserts itself and softens the dry amber lily mixture. The vanilla deepens and by the end the scent is tolerable. But for me, it is still a very masculine scent. For me personally too masculine, although I like to wear many men's fragrances myself to the chagrin of my husband.

Conclusion: When the first dry scent fade - and that takes time - I can imagine the fragrance on a more mature man well. The amber then no longer seems too tart, but elegantly masculine. The vanilla rounds everything off a bit. So patience is the name of the game. But in no case I see this fragrance on a young man.

"We need rum, rum, rum, otherwise we'll die of thirst" - a line from the song "Es gibt nur Wasser" by the shanty group Santiano. To be honest, I rather appreciate as a drink gin and tonic. However, rum in this form, just wow.

And again, love at first sniff. Do I have to worry slowly, that I fall more and more to the expensive niche fragrances? Is there more than one "love at first sight"? I'm afraid I can only answer "YES" to that question. Like a butterfly, I fly from scent to scent, falling in love over and over again. Of course, there are also fragrances that I don't like at all, but I'm just not talking about those.

Rum is the first scent that wafts around my nose. Then the vanilla creeps in with the spices - light cinnamon. I think involuntarily of the delicious little chocolate bars "Ritter Rum". Today known as "Jamaica Rum Crunch". Simply delicious.
The rum scent is softened by the musk and the amber-patchouli blend, which gives the sweet-spicy gourmand scent a powdery note that is clearly present for me. Simply Divine. Not at all alcohol impregnated, but fine and noble.
No one told me rum could smell this fine. Not wicked. But noble.

Conclusion:
Patience, patience - one day you will be my sweetheart.