Denlia

My taste is usually pretty mainstream.. I love Narciso Rodriguez Musc Nude and Musc Noir Rose, Lancôme Idôle Aura and Poison Girl EDT,French Riviera by mancera etc.. so I really didn’t expect this one to be love at first sniff.

I received a free sample and I haven’t even tried the original Barénia, but I fell in love with the Intense immediately. I also layer it with Phlur Vanilla Smoke and they make such a perfect little duo that I genuinely can’t tell where one ends and the other begins.

Together they remind me of smoking next to an old tree in the rain while wearing a leather jacket. Absolutely gorgeous.

I’m not usually picky when it comes to sweet scents, especially when they lean gourmand, but this one leans so aggressively floral that it genuinely took me aback. And I don’t mean modern, fresh flowers... no, no. These are like vintage flowers from around 2010.

It is synthetic, but who cares if the scent works? Sadly for me, the banana is only there in the opening for about five minutes. After that, I don’t really get almond, meringue, or much sweetness at all... just flowers. Lots of flowers.

If you think you’re getting something close to Kayali Maui in a bottle, run away and don’t look back.

I’m not a stranger to “unusual” fragrances. Some of my favourites have quirks: Narciso Rodriguez Musc Nude can smell like olives to me at times, Lancome Idole Aura gives me a rose with a hint of dill, and even Tom Ford Vanille Fatale occasionally leans slightly olive. But I wear and love all of them.

I’ve tested a lot of samples over the past years, and this is only the second time my partner has flat-out told me I smell bad ( the first being Hermes Tutti Twilly , which on me can come across as sweat.

Le Labo Santal 33, though, is something else entirely on my skin. At first, it smells like straight-up pickles with dill . Then, as it develops, it takes an unexpected turn, like someone poured milk into that same pickle jar, giving it a creamy feel, softer vibe.

I can appreciate that it’s iconic, but not my cup of tea.

There are days when I understand why people compare Beach Skin to JHAG Vanilla Vibes. It has that same woody, mineral, slightly salty vibe, but here it comes across a bit spicier. I personally love peppery notes, so that works for me.

But then there are other days when it feels completely different. It becomes denser, almost coconuty with a milky sweetness. On those days, I wouldn’t reach for it in high heat even though it’s a body mist, it actually has decent staying power and can be a heavy.

I don’t expect much from body sprays, but this one easily gives me around 5–6 hours, which is more than enough for me.

I absolutely love salty scents and I’m always on the lookout for them, but this one wasn’t it for me. It smells like a goat barn, specifically that salty mineral rock they lickw hich was a bit too much for my taste.

My dad actually loves it, so it went to him. The longevity is really good for a body spray.