Jasmine, orange blossom, vanilla and a touch of pear. Does that sound familiar to you? It definitely does to me. These are the notes that I mostly smell in Golden Rule, and they make it a generic, typical 2020s fragrance. Kinda sweet, kinda like fabric softener, if you know what I mean.
I agree with the voting on here that it's in the same vein as Prada Paradoxe, but I like Paradoxe better. Armani My Way is another predecessor of it. There are so many of these sugary sweet white florals on the market at the moment and this just doesn't stand out. It's not warm enough to really feel golden, and while it feels rather clean, it's not smooth and fresh enough to be on top in that category.
Like many fragrances, this does get a little warmer and better in the drydown, but at that point it's too late to win me over.
I hoped for more mandarin and especially benzoin, maybe even coconut milk. These notes make the scent sound more unique, especially in combination with the golden bottle. But they're barely there.
Phlur might just not be the brand for me. I really liked Missing Person, so I tried Mood Ring, Strawberry Letter and now Golden Rule. They're all fine, but also have an artifical body spray vibe that makes me not want to buy them. I might still try some more Phlur scents, but I don't expect them to be outstanding.
