1
Never left the blue-sky stage
I've spent far longer on this review than it really merits, because I keep trying to figure out what my problem with this scent is. The thing is, I feel a bit cynical about the whole Flora Gorgeous line, and I'm really not sure why. It's not like I need fragrances to be high-concept or anything— some of my favorite perfumes are of the unfocused, as-long-as-it-smells-good variety, and the names promise white florals, which are an easy way into my heart. Just something about these fragrances in particular seems directionless, like they came up with the (admittedly, beautiful) bottle first and then cast about desperately for something to fill it with. Magnolia in particular feels very perfunctory. Fruit, check, florals, check, pick a color for the bottle and call it a day.
Maybe I'm not being fair. This is not a bad scent. It doesn't smell bad. But to me at least, it fails to cohere. The fruity top notes seem stapled-on, like they have nothing to do with the florals they're supposed to prelude. The florals themselves feel thin and textureless. The most interesting thing about this is the patchouli, which, placed in this particular context, does genuinely conjure up for me the scent-memory of a magnolia leaf— grassy, sort of spicy. In a better world, this could be the core that the rest of the fragrance was built around. But this feels like an outfit comprised of individually beautiful pieces, put together by someone with no sense of style.
Maybe I'm not being fair. This is not a bad scent. It doesn't smell bad. But to me at least, it fails to cohere. The fruity top notes seem stapled-on, like they have nothing to do with the florals they're supposed to prelude. The florals themselves feel thin and textureless. The most interesting thing about this is the patchouli, which, placed in this particular context, does genuinely conjure up for me the scent-memory of a magnolia leaf— grassy, sort of spicy. In a better world, this could be the core that the rest of the fragrance was built around. But this feels like an outfit comprised of individually beautiful pieces, put together by someone with no sense of style.