Rise Beyoncé 2014

The rather unusual bottle encouraged me to test it. So far, no fragrance from Beyoncé has convinced me. They were often very sweet and do not match my taste.
The fragrance pyramid seems to hold some surprises. I can't avoid testing it.

The scent is supposed to reflect the strength, beauty, and self-confidence of women. Rise is meant to encourage women to be all that they want to be. The heart of the perfume is again the orchid, the singer's favorite flower. This is said to be the queen of orchids and to give the fragrance an extremely sensual note. Additionally, the scent is supposed to be more intimate and natural than its predecessors.

Rise doesn't start off too badly. Zesty and energetic, refreshing, fruity, and a bit green. The synthetic notes are bearable; there are definitely worse ones. The apricot shows itself in a gentle and non-scratchy way, while basil and bergamot provide an interesting, green freshness. Not too bad at all.
The transition to the heart note is a bit bumpy. Here, the scent becomes rather skinny, sweet, and lovely. A bit creamy, pleasantly floral, and feminine. I don't know how the aforementioned orchid is supposed to smell. The blossoms don't seem extravagant. Nothing innovative, but it doesn't hurt anyone and gives a well-groomed and feminine impression.

But that's where the feminine side ends. Quite harshly, vetiver punches through and clumsily destroys the delicate and unexcited floral symphony. A very distinct and masculine facet of the fragrance. It now reminds me a lot of aftershave and the kind of men's scent that I definitely do not want to perceive in the tram in the morning. Too woody, spicy, wannabe masculine. Just exaggerated. It really shakes me up. Rise increasingly leans towards men's perfume, which I dislike. Subtly, a hint of jasmine flashes through every now and then, but that can't save the scent anymore. Even my beloved musk seems to enhance the masculine-animalistic character. It remains scratchy, masculine, woody, herbaceous, and spicy. Unfortunately, I don't feel comfortable with this perfume. I don't see myself in it.

One thing I must give Rise: it definitely comes across as self-confident. Moreover, it does not fit in with the other numerous fruity-sweet-floral star scents. It has its own character. Full of vigor and individuality. At least in this price range. Furthermore, it really distinguishes itself from its predecessors and takes a new direction. However, one must like the strong vetiver note, the masculine-woody undertones, and this hint of aftershave.

Longevity and sillage are surprisingly good and only slowly diminish. The unusual scent remains present for several hours and does not smell as artificial as initially suspected. A fragrance for every occasion. I would be very interested to see how it performs in summer. A second test will definitely follow. The scent will probably not appeal to the usual audience. So it's more for adult women.

Although I would not wear or buy Rise myself, I don't think it's bad, just a bit too specific. It's nice that at least the concept seems to work here. In my opinion, it's a scent for strong and independent women who like to wield the scepter openly. Far from the otherwise refined, feminine manipulation.