"Naiiiin! Didn't she say that!"
"Yes, she did."
"Naiiiiiiin!"
"Yes, she did."
Ms. von Blanc seemed to have horror written all over her face. She struggled to breathe as she loosened her collar. What had the employee just told her?...
As her name suggested, Mrs. von Blanc only wore white. Every now and then she was mistaken for the elegant mother of a famous perfume fluencer. Jeremy? No, she was indignant, her sons were called Aurelius-Constantine and Valerius-Timotheus. From time to time she was mistaken for a doctor, which in turn flattered her. She then benevolently pointed out that she was "only" something like a perfume doctor. The stethoscope hung in her office, a teasing gift from her colleagues at the last Christmas party. And she was also wearing white because it reflected the color of her soul. Or so she thought.
So the holy woman from Blanc couldn't believe what she was being told. Romina, the new employee of her noble niche perfumery, was said to have sent a customer who was willing to buy to the nearby drugstore. There she would get the same fragrance for "an apple and an egg". After all, the packaging didn't matter. So the customer marched straight out of the niche perfumery. So why pay sixteen times as much?
But before she stomped the young thing, she wanted to see for herself. After all, intrigues between female employees were not uncommon. So she threw on an inconspicuous gray jacket and stuck her rhubarb ears through the flacon pyramid that had been set up so that she could eavesdrop on the next consultation. The girl was friendly, no doubt about it. Enthusiastic too. However, she didn't really seem to understand the business model.
"You like the Sweet Oriental from Montale? Yes, almonds are great, right?..."
It required maximum concentration to follow the conversation and still not attract attention. But the snippets of words she caught were enough for her.
"Yeah, go to the drugstore and look for the Tesori Byzantium. It sounds like a disease, but it smells exactly the same. And it's cheaper."
The customer turned on her heel and headed for the exit.
That was enough. Ms. von Blanc retreated to her office and called the local police station, who regularly
visited her because of shoplifters. She excitedly described her problem. "Eddy," she asked, "is this a criminal offense?" "Hm, no, she didn't do anything," grumbled the policeman, who had just finished his meatloaf sandwich. "Can't you take her with you anyway?" she pleaded. But Eddy didn't come, he didn't have time.
Since she wasn't a real doctor, she couldn't just hand out diagnoses as she pleased. This...this sales denier!
Then she called Mrs. Bartuschak, the branch manager of the drugstore. "Today is your lucky day, my dear, because I have an idea for the store of your life..."
After work, Mrs. von Blanc asked the employees to a meeting. She asked about the sales figures and how the day had gone in general. With pursed lips, she acted clueless. The figures for the others were impressive. Only Romina had another 0 on her sheet. She didn't seem to realize the seriousness of the situation and, to make matters worse, coloured in the 0.
Struggling to control herself, Mrs. von Blanc asked about the Montale fragrance and how it was received. Romina had a lot to say about it. It was very well received. Her eyes lit up when she mentioned that she had discovered Tesori in the drugstore, which smells the same and is not as expensive. "Cheap indeed," the boss hissed through her teeth before announcing the news. Romina would certainly be happy to help out in the drugstore where her favorite scent was. After all, she was still young and could bend down without getting "backache". In exchange, her perfumery would get an experienced sales assistant, in the hope that both would benefit from the deal. And so it was.
Mrs. Bartuschak was happier than ever, they couldn't keep up with ordering Byzantium. Ladies of all ages stormed the bottom shelves, taking 5 bottles at a time. Romina was chattering away and selling pretty glass bottles to go with the fragrance, as the original bottle didn't really look that good. Customers also took the matching fabric softeners, shower gels, almonds, soft toilet paper with a cloud pattern, wet wipes, toilet brushes and so on. Nobody knew exactly how Romina came up with toilet brushes, but in the end it didn't matter as long as everyone was happy.
Mrs. von Blanc agreed to the barter saleswoman's suggestion to place the not really prettier Montale bottle at the top of the pyramid. She placed an extra glittering star on top so that it sparkled beautifully under the spotlight. She also put up a sign saying "Recommended by doctors for almond allergies". This also made it a bestseller.
But what does the Byzantium smell like?
If you are not put off by the very cheap aluminum can, which is reminiscent of a Schlecker deodorant, you will be pleasantly surprised. Very positively. A sweet, almondy, vanilla-like cloud comes straight from the opening. Somehow edible. At the same time powdery. Then the scent of baby wipes joins in. Sounds strange, but it actually goes well together. Hygienic, creamy, fresh, cuddly, fluffy, sweet and pleasant. I don't notice any cinnamon or individual notes. Overall, it is harmonious and lasts a remarkably long 6 hours for the price. I have often been asked about it, the sillage is perceived as pleasantly creamy. I couldn't wear it every day, the sweetness is sometimes too much. There are no changes for my nose in the course of the fragrance. I cannot deny that it has a certain synthetic quality. But that doesn't detract from the overall fragrance experience.
Admittedly, it has a similarity to Montale. The latter is of course characterized by quality. It is richer, more vanilla, more sophisticated and has a strong sillage, as well as really good longevity of more than 9-10 hours on my skin and clothes. One spray is enough.
If I asked Romina for her opinion, she would tell me that Byzantium smells more expensive than it is. But with the pile of money I'd saved, I could easily pick up a pipe cleaner, a pair of barbecue tongs and a roll of baking paper - oh, four rolls. I walk out of the drugstore blissfully happy and only ask myself at home, while sitting in my cloud of almond scent, what I actually wanted with the rest.
Top Notes 
Almond
Cinnamon
Mimosa
Heart Notes 
Heliotrope
Honey
Black rose
Base Notes 
Vanilla
Cocoa bean
Labdanum
Peru balsam
White musk
Oud
PedroCabral
Trippilippi
Jazzy76
