Nanaafromgha

I can say with my chest that I am a citrus gourmand lover. I love a good sweet and creamy lemon / citrus / citric floral. But gourmands aren’t always appropriate for warm weather, and especially where I live (dirty NYC). I prefer florals and citruses for the summer, but sometimes I do crave a sweet treat in the heat. And that’s where a scent like Dulcis In Fundo comes in.

Dulcis In Fundo is a very simple, linear, citrus vanilla. The vanilla here is sweet, creamy, and fluffy. It’s delicate, but also strong and kind of decadent? Mixed with the citruses makes for an even more delicious and inviting dessert like fragrance. Almost like a lemon flan! It’s bright, kind of foody, but still smells like a perfume. And I absolutely love it. It sticks very well to fabrics and layers gorgeously with many other kinds of scents. I especially love the oily formulas of Profumum Roma’s scents cause you just know you are getting amazing quality, and the scents will always perform well. This one isn’t a crazy projector, but it will stay with you all day.

While I wouldn’t douse myself in this to go out for a summer brunch, it’s definitely a scent I won’t shy away from when it’s hot out. This is very much a “summer weekend in the Amalfi Coast” kind of scent. I can’t wait to see how the vanilla deepens as my bottle continues to age. Gourmand lovers, you need this!

Of the newest line of Diptyque fragrances, this one and Lunamaris were my absolute favs. Funny enough, violets and violet leaves are some of the most challenging plant notes in perfumery for me. They often come off too sharp, cold, and uninviting for me. But Lilyphéa may just be the perfect one for me.

The name of this one is brilliant because it tricked me into thinking this would be a lily or water lily focused scent. Come to find out no such florals exist in this, but actually, no florals exist at all here. It’s just a big, plush, violet leaf in all its ozonic and dewy glory. There is a *sparkle* to this scent, reminiscent of sun reflecting off the water of a pond. I take it the ginger + cardamom give that effect without the scent ever going too spicy. And then there’s the vanilla that likes to reveal itself and then hide again. It gives the fragrance some sweetness without overpowering its green, aquatic nature. As if it exists on a green screen that keeps glitching. The whole composition definitely gives an atmospheric vibe (as often ozonic scents do) and I just adore the association of ‘naiad’ that others have brought up. Think of the cutest toad at a local pond, jumping from lily pad to pad (hence, Lilypheá!) on a hot sunny day.

Now this line wasn’t built to project and shout like some of the EDPs from Diptyque, but I will say the staying power is fairly good and I do think these scents were meant to be sprayed with a bit of a heavier hand. This one lasted well on clothes and I think it’s going to be a summer stunner. Grabbing a full bottle as soon as I can get my hands on a slightly discounted one (these are pricey!!!)

I *finally* got to sample this one in store the other day, and I’ll be honest, the ratings for this aren’t shocking. I know many are disappointed with it, but I can see that many people also enjoy it for what it is. I veer more towards the people that enjoy it, as I for one, enjoy a good smoky / spicy vanilla.

With its very simple composition, BT covers a lot of ground. It has a sweet / spicy duality, but holds a smoky heart, reminiscent of burning wood. The sugar actually packs a big punch, giving the scent its saccharine center. Based on the reviews, I was really nervous to test it (because I feel like everyone HATES it!), but as usual, I actually quite like it. This is exactly why I go and test scents for myself. And reading through some of these reviews, I think some people just like to hate on change.

Is the scent profile new? Probably not for many who have been in the game for a while, but for someone new to scents, this could be very new to them (especially with the large smoky accord). Is this scent way overpriced? I would agree and say yes, it is overpriced. But it’s Christian Dior at the end of the day. You are paying for the name and the quality. Now I can’t speak to the longevity and projection, but the scent is really nice for the simple composition in which FK made it. I don’t understand why people are upset at that.

I’m gonna finish off by saying that I truly believe that the hate for many of these new Dior releases are fueled by people’s disdain for the perfumer, Francis Kurkdjian. I can’t fathom as to why people believe that he’s trying to “ruin Dior”, as if he isn’t one of the most well known and accomplished perfumers of our decade. Companies wouldn’t be trying to dupe his famous (or infamous depending on who you ask) BR540 to this day if he didn’t know what he was doing. Can perfumers get it wrong sometimes? Of course! But I don’t think the hate is really justified with this one. The same way people loved to hate on Dioriviera (also shared my thoughts on this) is the same way people are trying undermine Bois Talisman.

Hate all you want, FK is going to continue in his craft and if you can’t find beauty in his work, well then it simply wasn’t made for you.

The title says it all. I don’t know what kind of drugs Bō puts in their scents, but everything I’ve smelled from them is just addicting and insanely beautiful. I haven’t gasped out loud at too many perfumes in all the hundreds I’ve tried, but this one has left me absolutely speechless and bewildered.

Ave María is a sweet floral that you’ve never encountered, and the note pyramid definitely has me scratching my head compared to the scent. The gardenia is not like one I’ve ever smelled, and mixed with the merlot and rainwater, the scent has an aquatic core and a soft bitterness in the background??? It’s so complex I can barely describe it. The pear is sweet and also adds to the aqua freshness of the scent profile. My nose can also pick up a smooth suede-like leather that I can trace more in the sillage vs. smelling the scent close to my skin? I truly cannot comprehend the magic that this scent is. But already, I can see this being a spring and summer staple in every fragrance enthusiasts collection.

I just recently fell in love with Bombón from this house, and Ave María might just be my next full bottle purchase. They have such a unique quality to their scents and aren’t afraid to do something different from everyone else. I will report back when I test the longevity and actual projection, but the scent is a 10/10 for me! I think this is a sweet floral than even floral haters could get behind. ¡¡Increíble!!

This is true niche perfumery and novelty.

I’ve been meaning to try the House of Bō for a hot minute, so I recently ordered their 3 x 10 ml. My selections were Casa Blanca, La Mar Parfum, and this one.

Bombón is marketed as a floral gourmand scent, and I think that’s very true to its nature. With a prominent muguet (I.e. lily of the valley), the scent is fresh and floral at its core. But the marshmallow + caramel combo definitely give way to a much sweeter and yummier heart, and they hold true through its wear. There is a slight spicy/boozy bite in the late dry down (the cognac) and it is absolutely magnificent paired with the woods. This composition is so unique and magical, and I don’t understand why this scent doesn’t have a higher rating. It’s truly a stunning floral-gourmand for the lovers of niche perfumery, sensuality, and elegance.

I wore it to work today, and the man walking IN FRONT OF ME, could smell it. He turned around and told me how good I smelled in a more flirtatious way than I was expecting (LOL), so this scent definitely has some sexiness to it. Needless to say, I’ll think twice before wearing it to work cause this thing is strong and an apparent man-eater. Happy to have finally sampled this and this will likely become my first full bottle from Bō. A love at first sniff.

Edit: On the third wear, I’m noticing this dried down to marshmallow, a touch of birch, and a whisper of the lily of the valley on me. I think with time and maceration, the gourmand notes will get stronger and make this scent even more delicious / beautiful. This is definitely one to test on yourself. I’m guessing I’m one of the lucky ones who gets the gourmand notes in good balance with the everything else.