If there ever was a perfume that convinced me of two very important things it's Pure Honey.
1. not to have a negative hang-up about certain names. I assumed anything related to the Kardashian family had to smell tacky (no offense if you're a fan). I was wrong.
2. AND - but I was already very much aware of this - skin chemistry + olfactory senses + climate + taste have such an amazingly large influence on how a fragrance develops and then is perceived by a person you can't automatically assume that if a reviewer says "it's yummy" it will be so on *your skin* as well.
It's the reason why I always mention my type skin and quite often also that I'm from the Low Countries. It's why I also prefer to read reviews that include development of the scent, possible references to things I know from daily life, aswell as longevity /projection in relation to their skin type. Not everyone does that, which is why I'm trying to be exemplary :).
Point2 is of the utmost importance when it comes to Kim K's honey fragrance. I've rarely seen so many diverse, but also that many polar opposite, opinions on a perfume. Mid-2022 I was gifted a honey fragrance and that left me with the urge to find more. Sweet notes always have a hard time coming through on my skin - Citrusy, Spicey and Leathery accords always win. Not honey though, making it an instant sweet fave (the compliments helped too.)
Despite my dislike for the K & J circus, I caved. Trusting someone who has been right about "me" scents before. I'm not against celebrity fragrances per se. While snobbism in the fragrance community runs rampant - hey, you know I'm right - I've never been afflicted by it. However, the few experiences I've had with celeb edp's were rather sad. The fact that all the reviews said different things, ranging from "weak, bad white floral", to "boring execution" to (even) "smells like piss", made me scared of the first spray coming out of the Pure Honey atomiser.
Not sure if I got the attention of the gods with that fear, but the first spray did indeed smell really weird; a blast of alcohol, cheap weak musk and very far in the background a sliver of honey and white florals.
Now, I could've based my review on that and a few days of testing in that same week, coming to the same conclusion as Miss "weak, bad floral". However, the big alcohol cloud and lack of obvious notes told me what I needed to know: maceration fail.
For some reason 95% of the bottles that end up here via an online purchase the last 3yrs first need to chill & macerate for several weeks, if not months (CK Euphoria f.e. needed 7 months to go from raspberry gummy bear water scent to an actual perfume) in order to smell like they should. Pure Honey seemed to fit the bill as well. So, I emptied out the plastic tube and waited...
Six weeks later I tried a spritz of Pure Honey (after this PH as well) again and got what I've been getting every single time I use it now: a beeswax heavy elegant fragrance that has somehow escaped the 'weak & generic' label so many other celeb scents get tagged with.
PH opens with a strong beeswax accent that'll last until the very end. The opening gives a bit of mandarin blossom as well - though it comes across as neroli tbh - before both get company from a thick, warm honey.
It isn't the smooth lights sugary honey from Scandal or Police's Shock-in-Scent, but a darker, slightly unrefined variant that mixes perfectly with the wax (I imagine the actual honeycombs when smelling it, not a candle wax or lip balm).
A soft addition of rose and a fully blossomed honeysuckle both give PH an interesting floral accent without becoming a typical floral or obvious rose perfume. The honeysuckle has a slight skanky edge in the heart, as if it's almost ready for the bin. That edge, together with the dark honey, could put the scent of Pure Honey in the urine-zone if your skin chemistry disagrees with the juice.
On me it actually gives the perfume a raw, sensual edge, making sure that Kim K's creation doesn't become candy sweet or juvenile. Someone on the F- forum, who got the exact same effect on her skin as I do, labelled Pure Honey therefore for "old ladies". She didn't like it, 'it' being too mature for her. To that I say simply: you know who you are. This beeswax-honey mix is a gem to anyone who is seeking a sensual and strong perfume that'll let people know you're not afraid to be noticed. Imho such a statement defies age and gender, btw.
I don't get any coconut from the pyramid and - to my surprise - no musk (anymore) either. The vanilla is there, but as a steady, soft background note. Not as anything obvious or overpowering.
The dry down on my skin is a perfect blend of beeswax, unsugared honey (that must be what the name hints at) with a vanillic-floral touch - sans skank. It's somewhat linear after the initial opening, but in my opinion never boring.
The fragrance is perfect as a topper - honey or beeswax is great with a large variety of fragrances - but works very well as a standalone perfume too. It suits Autumn, Winter and (early) Spring best scent wise, but I have personally used the perfume this Summer too. It was a mild 21°C, and I played mixologist: Hamsah by Swiss Arabian (Hamsah is a citrus forward honey fragrance) + Pure Honey. When temperatures cross the 25 degrees line, especially with the humidity in my country, Pure Honey on its own becomes a little too heavy for my taste, but layering it with a freshie could give interesting results. It is still an ideal date night scent when at the beach in 25+ though.
No matter when, or how you use it, you can expect a certain amount of quality. Even on my extremely dry, perfume eating skin it has a decent lasting power. Pure Honey has a projection that strengthens over time. In its second spring season it had a moderate projection for about 4hrs, becoming intimate in the last 3, based on 5 pulse point & 1 back of the neck sprays (again: on my difficult skin). In the first hour it is really strong, so overspraying is not what I would advise. If you consider the projection too soft, layer, or respray after a while. Temperatures do have a building effect. Pure Honey on my skin is more 'wintry' gourmand than 'summery' floral, but know it performs better the higher the mercury rises.
If there's one thing to complain about, it's the bottle. Sure, it looks very nice with its elegant shape, strong lines and cute bee on the front (apart from the cheap and ill-fitting plastic cap), but it's so big and chunky it's almost impossible to hold - especially if you have small hands like me. I often need to use both hands or rest it on something and then twist the to be sprayed upon extremity or cleavage part like I'm auditioning for Cirque du Soleil. The design might have worked in a 30ml, but not in a 100. On top of that - which is ironic since some people swear it smells like urine - I get one of those weak, thin piss streams - zero mist - from the atomiser that makes it very hard to properly douse yourself.
I can only hope my 2nd bottle - yup, got a backup already as it's harder and harder to get - does have a proper mist. Though that bottle remains a horror in usability. Looks nice on a vanity though... if that's what you care about.
Long story short: I recommend. But test first.
Hmmm, guess Michael Buble and Jessica Simpson are next on the "please surprise me" list!
(This review is an altered version of a previously posted article on the F-site)
Top Notes 
Heart Notes 
Base Notes 
Gourmandgrl
PetitePinup
