06/12/2024

Gourmandgrl
299 Reviews

Gourmandgrl
2
My favorite cherry blossom-focused fragrance!
Please note: this mist, "Cherry Blossom", is not a re-release of "Japanese Cherry Blossom" - the two are separate fragrances.
Maybe you can relate: I love cherry blossom as a note, but it seems difficult to find a fragrance where it's done well. Bath & Body Works has created a variety of cherry blossom fragrances. Their most popular one, Japanese Cherry Blossom Fragrance Mist / Japanese Cherry Blossom Eau de Toilette has been around regularly for at least 15 years - so it's clearly appealing to the masses. But it has some sort of undertone that feels like "stale breath" to me. Despite being a very nostalgic and beautiful floral, the stale note in dry-down makes me wish I could change it just a bit.
When I first tried this (Cherry Blossom mist) a few years back, I cautiously fell in love. It had all the powdery, clean, soft floral feel I loved from Japanese Cherry Blossom - but thankfully lacked the "stale breath" undertone. The version of Cherry Blossom from several years ago did have a more present melon note though, which is not a note I personally enjoy. I felt the melon competed, not allowing the cherry blossom to fully be the star of the show. It made the overall composition feel too sweet, aquatic, and melon-forward for my taste.
Fast forward a couple years, and it was re-released this year as part of the "Semi Annual Sale". While the overall fragrance has softened a little since its last release, the Cherry Blossom mist formula has improved! The melon note is so faint, it might as well no longer be mentioned - allowing the cherry blossom note to truly take the stage.
This most recent release (in the all-pink packaging, pictured here) smells powdery, fresh, and clean - like a baby wipe, but in the best way possible. Slightly sweetened, but not too much to take away from the freshness.
Note breakdown to my nose --
- 60% cherry blossom (different from Japanese Cherry Blossom Fragrance Mist ; it's still powdery and fresh, but this one is slightly sweeter - possibly from a hint of plum + watermelon - and doesn't have the "stale breath" undertone)
- 15% heliotrope + freesia blend (adds to the powdery + airy feel)
- 10% "clean musk" (not heavy or deep; very "white"/light)
- 15% sandalwood (smooth, soft, and grounding)
This note breakdown doesn't do it justice - it's such a beautifully-blended cherry blossom-forward fragrance, and all the other notes are just support players to the cherry blossom.
Performance --
- projection: starts out strong, but softens quickly to make it more of a "scent bubble"
- longevity: decent; I caught whiffs of myself 4-5 hours later
Overall excellent for a mist, considering it's a scent I'd enjoy wearing at home after a bath or going to bed - so having it feel softer works well for the calming effect I'd use it for.
So clean, comforting, and refreshing - it's my favorite cherry blossom-focused fragrance in my collection. Very underrated mist!