Cheeky Alice Vivienne Westwood 2011

Vivienne Westwood (an Englishwoman, by the way) has come up with something truly "quirky." The fragrance starts off really green with a vast meadow full of lily of the valley, damp and shady under thick trees. This lily of the valley meadow is set before an English Baroque garden, like one that some lords or even the Windsors might have created. "Cheeky Alice" has indeed brought along peonies and roses in abundance. Laid out in geometric patterns, surrounded by neatly trimmed boxwood and yew hedges. The rose and peony plantings display a great array of colors and compete in fragrance, with the peony usually having a nose-length lead over the rose. Yet everything is well-ordered and allows for no "wild growth." Until the woods come in, "Cheeky Alice" is purely floral, but with its olfactory support, it seems as if the Baroque garden is bordered by a forest in the background. Its scents blend with those of the garden, giving Westwood's Eau de Parfum an unexpected transformation in depth and expression. A subtle powderiness also lingers over the whole. I don't know who the perfumer was, but one thing is certain: he or she has succeeded in creating an atmosphere with relatively few fragrance components. In terms of perfume, the relatively natural-looking floral scent is convincingly supported by a similar woodiness in the base of the fragrance. I personally wear Cheeky Alice only rarely, and when I do, it's in spring and summer. Despite its excellent quality, it is a bit too "floral" for me. My 20-year-old niece likes to use it when she visits me. It suits her very well. However, for me personally, it is not a candidate for repurchase.