Beautiful and quite distinctive, but much too sweet for me to wear on its own
Pas Ce Soir opens immediately with sweetness and fruitiness.
My first association actually almost leans toward cherry. The fruitiness feels juicy, dark and slightly candied, so I automatically think of something cherry-like.
Interestingly, cherry isn’t officially listed at all.
As it develops, the floral notes become more noticeable.
They don’t simply sit apart from the fruitiness, but blend with it. At times, this even gives me an association of sweet rose and cherry.
Rose isn’t officially listed either, though.
The actual floral heart note consists of Moroccan jasmine and orange blossom, together with a quince chutney accord.
And it could be this quince in particular that explains why the fruitiness smells so dense, sweet and almost cherry-like to my nose.
Officially, Pas Ce Soir opens with pear, mandarin, ginger and black pepper. The heart notes are jasmine, orange blossom and quince chutney. The base consists of Cashmeran, Singapore patchouli and amberwood. (BDK Parfums)
Vanilla and caramel aren’t listed in the Eau de Parfum either.
Still, I briefly got exactly that association when smelling it.
At times, the sweetness feels so dense and almost syrupy that it suggests something vanilla-like or caramelized to my nose.
Interestingly, I’m not entirely alone in that.
Other wearers also describe Pas Ce Soir as distinctly fruity-sweet, sometimes creamy, candied, honey-like or almost gourmand. Some even get a gummy bear impression, and one reviewer also picked up vanilla, even though it isn’t officially listed. (Parfumo)
So I find my gourmand association quite understandable.
And I have to give Pas Ce Soir credit for one thing:
There’s something to this fragrance.
It isn’t boring.
To my nose, it feels fruity, floral, feminine and rich. And its sweetness has more character than a simple, generic vanilla fragrance.
I can absolutely see why someone would find it beautiful.
I even think it’s beautiful myself.
My problem isn’t the quality.
My problem is the amount of sweetness.
The longer Pas Ce Soir develops, the sweeter it gets for me.
At some point, the sweetness starts to overshadow the rest of the composition.
The flowers are still there, but to my nose, they can no longer balance the fruitiness and sweetness enough.
And that’s exactly when it becomes too much for me.
I like sweetness when it’s one part of the composition.
I don’t like it when it takes over the entire composition.
Pas Ce Soir comes a little too close to that point for my taste.
And I actually think that’s a shame, because there’s a really interesting fragrance underneath.
Unlike Bouquet de Hongrie, I don’t feel that it lacks personality at all.
On the contrary:
Pas Ce Soir has personality.
It’s simply too sweet for me.
That’s exactly why I find the idea of layering it so interesting.
I can imagine Pas Ce Soir working well with a much fresher, more neutral fragrance - perhaps something citrusy, green or airy that has very little sweetness of its own.
I would use Pas Ce Soir very sparingly, though.
Maybe just a little, so the fruity-floral sweetness adds only an accent, while the fresher fragrance brings in airiness and contrast.
Used in the right amount, it could feel much more harmonious to my taste.
I still wouldn’t buy a full bottle to wear on its own.
And I definitely wouldn’t overspray it.
This is exactly the kind of sweet fragrance where a few extra sprays can very quickly turn it from “rich and beautiful” into overwhelming.
Other wearers also describe these two sides of the fragrance.
Some find Pas Ce Soir to be a beautifully balanced, elegant fruity-floral fragrance. Others find it too sweet, too loud or too gourmand. (Parfumo)
I’m somewhere in between.
I recognize the quality.
I find it interesting.
And I really do think it’s beautiful.
But I don’t want this much sweetness around me for hours.
There’s also one point I’d keep an eye on when it comes to my trigger profile.
The Eau de Parfum contains patchouli and amberwood - two notes that are already on my personal trigger watchlist.
However, I didn’t have a clear physical reaction during this test.
So Pas Ce Soir isn’t a confirmed trigger.
Still, I wouldn’t blind buy it, given its sweetness and the possibility of a trigger overlap.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
My image is of a beautiful table with bowls full of glossy, candied red fruits and delicate flowers.
At first, everything feels very inviting.
The fruits are juicy and almost cherry-like. The flowers add elegance, and the combination definitely has something special about it.
But then more and more syrup gets poured over it.
And at some point, it’s simply too sweet.
That’s exactly what Pas Ce Soir is like for me.
Beautiful, fruity, floral and more interesting than an ordinary gourmand - but much too sweet for my taste when worn on its own.
