Seatonica

It's her best coat, but it's musty and old fashioned. Pinned to the lapel is a dusty spray of rotting carnations and faded roses.

To me Balmain de Balmain is a kind of Y lite. On the same continuum as that greatly under-rated YSL beauty and not exactly lacking in complexity it somehow misses the dimensionality of Y, if complexity and dimensionality in a perfume can be considered slightly different qualities. Would you follow my drift if I told you it was less chewy than Y, and that in my book chewiness in a perfume is a thing greatly to be desired?

The green character of this perfume is overlaid by a rosey/jasminey hue. While I do confess that this slightly disappoints the green aficianado in me the well- behaved B de B is no less lovely for that and will indeed have you periodically sniffing your wrists. It is exceedingly pleasant in spring, it lasts and lasts and being highly affordable I don't hesitate in recommending it for your consideration.

Yes, eau d'compost - like it or lump it that's all I can say about this one. No flowers, just mouldering hay and dirt really. I love moss, and earthy can be good but I'm not sure Crushed pulls it off - love the bottle though.

In the wearing Harem proves a far more delicate and refined creature than the predominantly chocolate and patchouli opening so reminicent of Angel would suggest. I get musk and vanilla notes as it evolves, amber and possibly jasmine.

Why the juice in my bottle is such a disturbing colour green I don't know. It looks so much like brackish sea water I have to avert my eyes when I spritz! Curious then that it should smell so good :)

Being unable to detect any of the notes listed, all I can do is describe Kate as an inoffensive soapy rose, pleasant in warm weather but with weak sillage and poor longevity. Which makes it cheap and cheerful, I guess.