Since no one makes the effort and there are hardly any positive statements, I want to do what is needed for Florabloom and for a review: patience and time.
I almost just sprayed it quickly and put it aside after a relatively short time, then wrote a brief more or less devastating statement. I was prevented from doing so.
However, when I applied Rosabloom, I made handwritten notes as I always do. Then I wanted to wait; I had other plans. To then write a statement. Until then, I hadn't checked here, so I tested it blindly and only today/no, yesterday, looked here and first completed my work in the menu and wrote the statement.
I initially found Rosabloom disappointing: yet another generic floral scent, sour and unpleasantly bitter, green and - this from Guerlain: synthetic in a way that "hits you over the head" - I couldn't believe it. Then a tamed tuberose emerged and framed the fragrance. The synthetic notes disappeared. This tamed tuberose remained until the end, as I discovered much later.
However, there are some fragrances, like Do Son and one from Organic Glam, that also smell of a merely lovely tuberose.
To clarify: No, Florabloom will never be my fragrance. I like tuberose as it smells in nature, but one has to like that. However, Florabloom develops. In the third test, which I also extended to my décolletage, everything went back to how I initially felt about it. Now I wanted to know for sure. And lo and behold: now fully applied, the opening that was almost embarrassing for Guerlain was only very brief, and immediately the "well-behaved" tuberose appeared.
However, in the first test, I wanted to write a review in French about my favorite island after applying and noting, as was expected in the course.
Well, that wasn't so easy for me. I had already prepared everything, notes, ideas, the translation program within reach on my smartphone - just in case, and wanted to write that on the course website. But my computer said: "Due to insufficient performance, we have interrupted the internet connection, and then what one can do/could do to get back online, and: Would you like to play?
Umpf, no! All attempts were in vain. OK, one has other things to do. I forgot about Florabloom and occupied myself elsewhere. Meanwhile, a creamier and sweeter scent rose from my arm. Along with it, very faintly, what I smell from mango when I break a leaf from my mango tree and tear it a bit to smell: fruity-sweet-sour-delicious, yet it has something of pine needles.
The internet took hours to return. I forgot about Florabloom again. After a few hours, Florabloom was still there, just as medium-intense as from the beginning. But now I smelled a mix of creamy-green-sandalwood and - indispensable for Guerlain - vanilla and an almond note. Somehow unusual. That was (the day before) yesterday.
In the morning, I still smelled this scent faintly on my skin, even though I had showered.
So, the procedure again. But now, after some time, I had the impression that Florabloom was developing again in a way that I found quite pleasant. And yet, and yet, what did Florabloom remind me of?
Eureka: Samsara EdP. Could that be? Compared to Florabloom, this is a very strong perfume.
My left arm was still free, and I applied a small spray of it. But Samsara is really a different caliber and immediately overpowered Florabloom.
Too bad, I thought, now I have to wait it out. Is it similar now, or is it because Samsara is so dominant? Although I only had a hint of Samsara on my skin.
But I used the time to struggle with the description of my favorite German island in French. (It was worth it; I already received a heart, after all)
Now, after many hours, I can say there are phases in which Florabloom smells similar to Samsara and then again not. At the moment, Florabloom is again on its way with its needle-woody-fruity mango note along with a compliant tuberose, developing into an almost creamy, green-sandalwood almond scent. That all sounds very nice. It is too.
Nevertheless, Florabloom does not enchant me. Because Florabloom is always underlined by a note that I find unpleasant, which I cannot identify and do not want to. It is the unpleasant tuberose note that makes many fragrances with tuberose unbearable for me.
Since the longevity of Florabloom is very good, the sillage is only medium to close to the skin and has no unpleasant projection, it can be worn without worry on many occasions. However, one must like it on oneself. Those who find Samsara too intense and old-fashioned might possibly be happy with Florabloom.
I feel the same way you do. It also shifts for me, which I find quite nice. I didn't think of Samsara. It feels a bit too synthetic and too in-your-face for me. It could actually be due to the mango-tuberose mix.
I'll definitely stick with that. But no review has been published yet. This fragrance deserves a fair one too. Plus, there are surely fans of this scent. I can imagine that others might like it.
Very nice review! You really set the bar high with this one. Thank you for the effort you put into your reviews; they provide great reading pleasure and insights for those interested! Great review and great writing style 😉
Thank you! I really tested this perfume in detail. I almost always test blind, or as blind as possible. That means, once I’ve added it to my watchlist or wishlist and receive it, I don’t look at anything here before testing. But something from what I read earlier always sticks with me. That definitely influences me. Then I write like above, and only then do I take notes here. It’s only then that a good idea might come to me, or like here: no review has been written yet. I’ll do that, even if it’s not a holy grail scent for me. One has to be fair and also leave something for others to write about.
"Because Florabloom is always underlined by a note that I find unpleasant" - that's exactly how I've been feeling all day. Sometimes something enchanting comes through for a few seconds, but then it's gone again, leaving that unpleasant and overpowering note.
After all the tests, Florabloom Forte lingered in all the sweaters I wore and even in the room where I was testing and writing. I found that, to put it mildly, really intrusive. After that, I was "done" with this scent.
With Florabloom on my left wrist and Florabloom Forte on my right, I really enjoyed reading your review. So far, I like both scents, though I find the Forte creamier. It doesn't always have to be an extraordinary fragrance; sometimes I'm perfectly happy with an "everyday floral scent" in my daily life :))
I can't really use Samsara for everyday occasions, even though I love it. And it's not suitable for the so-called "big events" either, as a scent like this can get on your nerves for various reasons. Sometimes you need lighter and softer fragrances. I'm glad my review brought some joy. It's definitely not an everyday scent, and it's not that easy to wear either. But it just wasn't very accessible to me. You can't always review fragrances just to tear them apart or only those that completely wow you.
As you can see, I’m not either. But that’s why we write in detail, so others can recognize in advance whether a review might be worth it or not. I don’t want to write a **Hallelujah** advertisement or a specific recommendation. You can read that everywhere, even up front, and on the card with the sample. I only write a negative review if a scent is truly bad in my opinion. But I also don’t want to put down anyone who loves and enjoys the fragrance. Some scents have caught my interest because someone described exactly what they found unpleasant, which I might actually like or even love.
You really wrote a fair review… I deleted my statement again… at first, I found it terrible, then fascinating… let’s see where it leads. I especially find your review authentic. I don’t like it when perfume enthusiasts just “inform” themselves from perfume content creators and then type the same thing here, like a stenographer’s text, or even worse: just retyping the brand’s fragrance description, which happens so often here on the first page of the blog 🙈🥹🥹🥹
Thanks! You're so right. I sometimes let it out here and there too. It doesn't make me very popular. But someone has to make it clear that it's annoying. As if we others couldn't read it all ourselves. Some people seem to have never even learned how to write an essay when it comes to reviews. They insist, along with their supporters, that they’re new and we should be understanding. I'm understanding in the sense that I recognize they have NEVER read a review of a book, concert, theater, exhibition, or lecture. After all, it’s a pleasure to let our writing skills shine here on Parfumo. When else can we do that as adults? A tip for newcomers: it would be good to read the guidelines and everything you need to know down here in the black field first.
I think it's great that you test multiple times - in my opinion, you should never judge based on a superficial "passing by" test. Unless the fragrance has something in the top notes that is completely unbearable for you personally - then you can just skip it instead of writing a harsh review. Tastes are just different.
I'm really struggling with Samsara - in my memory, it's a wonderful sandalwood scent, but from the 2020 bottle, it's a floral sea with at best just a hint of sandalwood.
I test blind whenever possible; at least I don’t look here while testing, but only after I’ve already read something about the scent. I didn’t know anything about Florabloom. And then I couldn’t even check here for the first test. Maybe it resembles the new Samsara. I still have that one in the red bottle. Sandalwood is also a fixative in fragrances, which is why Samsara - from before - can age nicely. In a side-by-side test with a minimal amount, Samsara was initially stronger, but it faded subtly after a while. Florabloom still lingers after 24 hours, even with showering and using unscented lotion, thanks to that sandalwood-vanilla-almond cream. This means there’s a lot of synthetic elements in the fragrance. That confirms what I noticed in the initial phase.
I’ve tested both floral scents; they are well-crafted and smell pleasantly fresh, reminiscent of spring and early summer days. It’s not new or unique, but that’s okay, (Easter) egg fix!
Definitely give it a try if it piqued your curiosity. I don’t claim my perception to be absolute. If there had already been a review, I would have skipped it. I have a little mango tree that I grew myself. In winter, some of the leaves die off from the tips and slowly dry out; you can easily snap them off the stem beforehand, and a white sticky sap oozes out that smells amazing, even from the still green parts. I always have to tear them apart and sniff them. (It’s hard to get that gummy stuff off scissors.) On one hand, it smells like the mango fruit, which also has a hint of fresh pine needles to me. The leaves are even more intense - for me - like fresh conifer needles. I perceive something like that in Florabloom in phases. I really tested the scent blind for 2 days, knowing nothing about it beforehand. I had a fresh sample from Guerlain.
Still, I'm not tempted by it.
I'm really struggling with Samsara - in my memory, it's a wonderful sandalwood scent, but from the 2020 bottle, it's a floral sea with at best just a hint of sandalwood.