Gourmandgrl

This starts off with an oily, bitter cocoa - strictly unsweetened, with depth in the bitterness that almost turns sour and gives it a more “masc” feel. Although not listed, there is also a distinctive tobacco note for me - high quality, earthy, with a warmth and slight sweetness from an undertone of vanilla (more of a vanilla extract than anything creamy).

This earthy, grounded tobacco develops more as time goes on - taking on a deeper, woodier quality; like tree bark, but slightly resinous and with a touch of something lightly-spiced. The vanilla begins to feel a bit more toasted and boozy in dry-down - heightening the strength of the tobacco, and almost taking on a “rum raisin” feel. But I’d say this dry down is more of a distant interpretation of “rum raisin” than what you might think, and doesn't match the claims I've seen of chocolate-vanilla - as it’s more alcoholic, softly-smoky, and woody to me than anything sweet or edible. The jasmine doesn’t come across as floral to me, but rather a clean soapy undertone in the mid (didn’t stick around very long - but was lovely for when it showed up). There’s something about this that also gives the feeling of an expensive aftershave, and plays up the more leathery elements of the tobacco.

I get the hype now. While it’s something I wouldn’t personally wear, I’d enjoy smelling this on a significant other in cooler weather. It’s interesting how simple this blend is, given how not very many notes are listed - yet there is so much richness and complexity in the facets that are present.

TL/DR: Bitter/unsweetened cocoa, earthy/woody tobacco with subtle vanilla extract undertones. A softly-smoky “rum raisin” + expensive aftershave blend. Richly complex for such a simple note list. I would not classify this as a true gourmand (edible), so do not go into it expecting some type of dessert or any kind of sweetness overload.

In a word: underwhelming. I have an appreciation for softer blends, but I think I was surprised by just how understated this is. It has very little projection, and the notes themselves are all just whispers of whatever they claim to be.

I've heard so many refer to this as a "strawberry milk" fragrance, but I wouldn't classify it as a gourmand. I get a distinctively-waxy lipstick as the most prominent element throughout - and just a hint of lightly-powdery strawberry milk in the background. The generically-listed “fruity notes” are non-existent. The strawberry milk note is not pronounced at all - so if you’re looking for a creamy strawberry, keep looking. This isn’t your favorite powdery-pink Nesquik drink from childhood.

The baby lotion isn’t overtly floral or recognizable. It’s more like an unscented baby lotion: barely powdery, but mostly a “clay-like” feel I often get from unscented lotions. Caramel and woods aren’t really detectable. And I don’t know where this part comes from, but there’s somewhat of a sweaty quality to this - like a damp, slightly-musty sweat in a T shirt you’re taking off at the end of the day... and somehow a cheaper-smelling sweat, rather than anything musky or alluring; almost as if wearing synthetic fibers, and that plastick-y fabric traps the sweat and is what makes everything smell cheaper. It clashed in combination with the baby lotion and lipstick. I’m open to trying unusual notes, and have been exploring animalic facets more - but the sweaty note is actually what ruined this for me.

As a side note: No 52 Sweet Strawberry Milk Eau de Parfum (inspired by Cry Baby Perfume Milk ) shares some of this DNA, but I think they actually did a better job at what the OG was trying to do. No sweat, the lipstick/cosmetic accords are more palatable, and there’s a lovely addition of subtle plum. Even though it’s also understated, it’s not quite as underwhelming as Cry Baby Perfume Milk is.

Overall: love the bottle design/branding/fragrance concept, but super glad I never blind bought this.

Despite caramel not being listed, the notes here blend together to portray the most perfectly-balanced caramel I’ve ever experienced in a fragrance.

In theory, caramel as a note sounds delicious - but in execution is often too sweet for me, very frequently toppling out of balance from the overdose of sugar it often brings.

Here, it's perfection. It feels like a slightly-burnt caramel - and almond that isn’t overly salty, but just salty and nutty enough to provide polarity against the sweetness. The cardamom adds depth and warmth, to prevent the blend from becoming excessively one-dimensional - with a touch of animalic, sensual allure. It lies on a bed of soft, sexy patchoui - and subtle musky woods in the background.

But the real secret to this blend, that took me a while to fully identify, is something I never would have expected to pair with the rest: a distinctly-soapy jasmine, that is so clean and smooth it comes across like a white bar of Ivory soap.

It was hard to detect, because it doesn't register as anything particularly floral to me - just an edge of something quietly-refreshing to cut through the gourmand, musky richness. Sadly this is only present in the mid, and I wish it stuck around for the entirety of the wear - because it makes everything so much more addictive.

I don't really pick up anything citrus (the mandarin) or lily-like - which is fortunate, since I think these would take away. Performance is impressive:
- medium-soft projection (not beast mode, but people will notice if they're sitting next to you - without you moving)
- delicious scent trail; love catching whiffs of myself when moving my arms or turning
- 8-10 hours strongest wear on my skin
- softer tapering between 12-16 hours

Rue 21 has been closed for a while, but this can still be found on resale platforms. If you love caramel, and are open to unusual twists (must enjoy cardamom/lightly-animalic facets - this component was a no-go for a caramel-loving fragrance friend of mine!), Cozy is worth a splurge. One of my favorite gourmands in my collection, with quality that rivals that of more expensive blends!

In the beginning, there's a burst of super realistic citrus: a very true-to-life bergamot, and lemon that feels kissed by the sun (like smelling a whole lemon, with the rind ripened enough to actually smell a bit sweet from the outside). Amazingly, none of it smells synthetic - which is a feat to me, considering how artificial these two notes often smell.

Then it moves into a green, slightly-peaty but still fresh neroli - with just a hint of citrus rind. The combination is so zesty and invigorating, and is one of the best portrayals of neroli I've experienced. As it continues to develop, the peaty nuances lessen and the citrus fruit becomes more ozonic - like breathing in fresh air at a citrus grove. I also picked up some subtle complexity that felt similar to mustard seed, and reminded me a little of Platinum Égoïste Eau de Toilette .

The neroli loses its peaty nature completely in the dry down - and paired with the orange blossom and jasmine, takes on a more floral quality. These florals stick around with a clean, "transparent" Ambrox-like musk in the base. Lasts forever (went strong for 3 days on my tester strip), projects with mega strength (I actually had to move the tester strip to another room at one point, just to give my nose a break in the first 24 hours), and has a powerful scent trail.

As someone who rarely finds citrus scents to live up to the real thing, Sun Song is stunning. It's not groundbreaking or especially complex; but if you're seeking a sunny, bright, neroli-forward freshie - with a lovely floral base, and incredible performance - this is a high-quality contender.

P.S. I tested the most recent version, so I'm not sure how this release compares to the previous formulation.

The name is a misnomer, since there's nothing spicy about this. It opens with a burst of fizzy raspberry, and sweet champagne close behind. Then the sparkling champagne fades out quickly, creating a mostly-linear experience of the remaining notes: raspberry, heliotrope, jasmine, amber, and sandalwood.

Despite the resinous and woody elements listed, this is anything but heavy. Instead I picture a cloud made out of pink, slightly-soapy, sugared-raspberry rose petals, and vanilla fondant you can sink your teeth into.

I know no rose is mentioned, and neither is any vanilla - but the combination of velvety heliotrope, subtly-soapy floral jasmine, and a powdery amber create the impression of a powdery rose... and the creamy sandalwood in the background, paired with the powdery sweetness, mimics the qualities of a soft fondant.

The sweetness from the raspberry/champagne makes the rose petals seem finely-coated in a light dusting of sugar, but the soapy quality of the jasmine keeps the sugar in check. There's a subtle bite to the raspberry - but this makes the note feel more candied to me, so it's not a bad thing here. Towards the end, the sandalwood comes out more - smooth, dry, and a solid base to balance the sweet powder.

Overall it's fluffy, sweet, and unapologetically-girly. Lasts about 10-12 hours on my skin. Decent strength for projection and sillage - I agree with the review below in that you can easily overspray. It's a bargain for the full bottle, and also free to test in Anthropologie stores (US).