Second fragrance from my 2023 ScentXplore box and I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. Unfortunately, House of Bō is difficult to obtain here in Canada and I don't want to deal with tariff and duty costs which is part of the reason why it won't be coming into my collection. I will say I pondered for a while in getting a bottle of it.
The start is juicy, tangy and fresh with the kick of lemon. After it dissipates, I'm already getting a fresh, dewy, youthful rose paired with an equally beautiful peony. Both flowers together give off this fresh, floral with a fruity facet that makes you feel elevated, classy and sophisticated. It's giving effortless, chic and feminine vibes. As it moves on, I do detect a subtle spiciness coming from the vetiver in the back and the ghost of smoky incense-like accord coming in from the frankincense. Both add dimension and depth to the fragrance, without taking away the spotlight from the two beautiful flowers. Drydown becomes muskier with a salty skin drydown (ambergris?) and a remnant of sweet florals.
I will admit the drydown turned me off a bit as I wasn't expecting that sea salt like accord in the drydown. I found it didn't quite fit the theme of the fragrance. The performance is also a bit lacking as it stayed close to my skin. The scent bubble was quite small. It's still an amazing scent and something I do suggest you try out, but since the drydown is less my style and the fragrance is harder to obtain for me, it won't be making it into my collection. Will be enjoying my sample until the end though!
