Gourmandgrl

Gourmandgrl

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Gourmandgrl 1 month ago 1
"Liquid smoke"/smoke flavor, in a bottle
This is exactly what it says: smoke.

Smelling this, I felt like I was standing in front of a wood-burning fire I'd just put out while camping - with the hint of the forest trees (maybe from the cade oil?) behind me.

It's unique and photorealistic - so if you're looking for something like this, you'll probably love it.

But for me, it veered slightly too close to the "liquid smoke"/smoke flavor (used in BBQ/smoked meats), so it wasn't my personal cup of tea.
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Gourmandgrl 1 month ago 1
Identical Escada "Rockin' Rio" dupe - but fades fast
Opening is spot on for "Rockin' Rio (2012) | Escada" : indistinct tropical fruity blend (peach pineapple and green melon, if I had to pick the notes).

But very soon after spraying, I have to get very close to my skin to smell it - because it becomes soft quickly.

I don't know if the one I received was from a bad batch (it says expiration date isn't until 2024 though?), or maybe my nose is anosmic to some of these notes... but this dried down to basically nothing on my skin after only a few moments.

"Have Fun | La Rive" has much better projection than this does, and I prefer it over this (more fruit, more interesting, longer lasting, and closer to some Escadas) - if you like this, I would suggest trying that one too.
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Gourmandgrl 1 month ago 1
Not an Escada dupe like some claim
Bought this because it's supposed to be a dupe for "Pacific Paradise | Escada" . While there are some similarities, it's not a dupe:

- Give Me Love has similar lime and banana notes that Pacific Paradise does
- Pacific Paradise has more sweetness/other fruity notes, that Give Me Love does not have
- Give Me Love is overall more aquatic and tart than Pacific Paradise is

Still really refreshing for summer, and super cheap!

P.S. I tried layering "Have Fun | La Rive" and "Give Me Love" (to see if that combo was closer to Pacific Paradise) - but unfortunately, the two fought with each other and it became a powdery, "cucumber-like", aquatic mess of notes. Any of the fruity sweetness from Have Fun was lost, and I couldn't even smell the lime in Give Me Love.
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Gourmandgrl 1 month ago 1
Another sugar-musk "family member"
If you love "Pink Sugar (Eau de Toilette) | Pink Sugar" , "Midnight Fantasy | Britney Spears" , or "Fancy (Eau de Parfum) | Jessica Simpson" , you'll probably enjoy this.

The reviews I've seen elsewhere are accurate - to me this is very sugary-musky, toasted marshmallow, and ambery. Soft, fluffy, sweet.

It's just a bit too synthetic and flat for my taste. The toasted notes also smelled a little burnt or plastic-like to me.
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Gourmandgrl 1 month ago 1
Fluffy lilac-colored cloud
There was a Disney Sleeping Beauty doll released in 1994, that came with a small bottle of "lily of the valley" perfume. This smells almost identical to that perfume, just a slightly more grown-up version.

Although this doesn't match the notes, here's what it smells like to my nose:

- lily of the valley
- baby doll head (powdery/soft plastic)
- creamy rose
- faint iris

It's all very creamy, soft, and well blended - feels like a fluffy lilac-colored cloud to me.

I saw someone said it came across as more "screechy/synthetic laundry detergent" on their skin, and that's exactly what happened to me too for the first 30 minutes - literally like huffing generic dryer sheets with a too-sharp synthetic accord.

While the opening is screechy and lasts a while, the dry down is worth waiting for!
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