Herxi

My grandma used to bake cinnamon and vanilla waffles during the Christmas season. Not the soft waffles, but the cookie-like hard waffles for the cookie platter. Back then, we had an electric stove as well as an old table stove in the kitchen that was fueled by wood. In its oven, the waffles were baked with a special waffle iron with a long handle. And it is exactly these vanilla waffles that I think of when testing this fragrance. The scent that filled the kitchen: vanilla, warm sugar-butter, and the wood that was burning in the oven. On my skin, it develops into a cozy warm pleasantly woody vanilla. I can't pick out individual fruits, but the scent starts with a fruity sweetness that brings freshness and diminishes over time. However, it lingers lightly in the background the whole time. Vanille 12:00 is not overly sweet, but rather warm and woody. For me, it's unisex and definitely suitable for summer, even though I personally would wear it more in autumn/winter. Sprayed on in the evening, I can still perceive it closely the next morning.

Uva Dulcis starts off fruity sweet and quite loud for me. I smell plum and pomegranate, both deep dark red and juicy, with grape swinging in the background. However, the sweetness doesn't last too long; it weakens and becomes rosy. Rose and patchouli take over now, the scent becomes slightly earthy and then transitions into a warm woodiness that lingers and connects with the still-background grape. Like a red wine aged in an oak barrel.
In fact, the development of the scent on my skin lasts for hours. I keep noticing different notes. The sweetness, the rose, the earthiness, and in the end, the warm wood, with the sweetness almost completely gone. An unusual fragrance, not an everyday scent, but one that convinces me precisely for that reason.

Ristretto Intense Cafe starts sweet, quite sweet even. The rosy sweet opening reminds me of a rose liqueur or rose syrup. A few moments later, the bitter sharpness of the coffee joins in and resonates in the background. I find this bitter-sweet blend wonderful, but unfortunately it doesn't last long. Vanilla and musk quickly make their presence known, and together with the rose, they push the coffee aside. It's a shame, because it's the coffee that gives the fragrance its certain something. Nevertheless, Ristretto Intense Cafe is a great gourmand, sweet, elegant, vanilla-beautiful. However, in my opinion, there are better and especially more lasting coffee scents. Because for me, it simply doesn't hold; I've tested it multiple times at different times and temperatures. I have to press my nose to my wrist even with 4 - 5 sprays to really smell it. I'm not only looking for the coffee, but also wondering where the Intense is. It holds better on clothing, but even my surroundings don't seem to really notice it, as there were virtually no comments (once, when directly asked, I got "I smell a little something sweet"). So it's not a candidate for purchase, especially since the fragrance isn't exactly cheap.

First of all: I love lilac. It is one of my favorite flowers, and I look forward to its blooming and fragrance every year. You have to like lilac, as A Drop d'Issey is truly lilac-scented. Fresh and delicate, yet slightly floral. Over time, it becomes creamy soft, which it remains. I also detect a very subtle green woodiness that actually reminds me of a lilac bush. A Drop d'Issey is perceptible on me throughout the day; little lilac clouds keep wafting into my nose, yet it is not intrusive, loud, or overwhelming. Rather, it gently envelops you, making it wonderfully wearable in everyday life.

"I walk through a grass green forest..." this song spontaneously comes to mind with the first sniff. The scent is green, fresh, slightly peppery. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with the Scandinavian forests. "My" forest is the Palatinate Forest. I have always enjoyed wandering through it throughout my life. And yes, the scent is definitely woody. A forest in summer, when the sun shines through the trees. There is a certain freshness in the air and the wind blows very lightly. It smells fresh, herbal, and slightly grassy. After a while, hints of coniferous trees emerge, and it becomes woody.
The longevity is of course not overwhelming, but I don't expect that from an EdC. Especially since the price allows for generous reapplication. Still, at least an EdT would be nice.
Wakening Woods of Scandinavia will certainly accompany me more often this coming summer.