Nushka

Bizarre indeed! It is the perfumery equivalent of the TV series "The White Lotus" - would be paradise turned personal hell.

First impressions before looking at notes and story of creation:
smoky salty musty melon. A wave of cold, salty sea water washes over you, but it's the high tide and it's bringing in cigarette butts and bits of fruit, and the water's rising a tad too fast.

Looking at the notes: I get more musty/dry patchouli than actual cannabis, but it's definitely there. Smells like a teenage summer crush - 90s fruity cologne and cannabis-flavoured kisses by the sea.

Reading this weirdo's origin story, the notes make total sense: created as a memory of an 18 year-old on holiday in a tropical country with bestie, broke and partying too much, panic attack at night in the beach (induced either by too much partying or the crushing weight of existence being far away from home, or everything at once).
This fragrance holds this double edged sword throughout - soft and happy but with some unease and wrongness growing in the background. It's not unpleasant, but it doesn't let you relax completely. Very well accomplished yet not for me - not a fan of marine notes or cannabis in the first place, and it's too masculine on my skin.

Recommended for: cannabis and/or marine notes aficionados,noses nostalgic for 90s perfumery, curious noses tired of smelling the same old same old, or for chronically depressives looking for an olfactory illustration of their generalised anxiety.

It is difficult to find the right words to describe a perfume that provokes such a deep emotion.

In other reviews elsewhere I compared it to little Moroccan rose-shaped, rosewater and honey-syrup basted pastries made with almond meal that I received once from an acquaintance celebrating the end of Ramadan. Just like the pastries, Blossom Love is rich with flowers and almond, mouth-watering, both filling and moreish (impossible to have just one, impossible to stop, a delight that should know no end).

It is an ultra-feminine, opulent, unapologetic scent. Much, much more than the superficially sexy gourmands you can imagine.
I am talking about 2018 tech parameters: longevity is days long on fabric and hair; sillage is noticeable even with a micro-spritz. There's a slightly indolic opening which makes you feel like you shrank and landed head over heels on the pistils of a giant cherry bloom (by the time you reach the heart notes, this note is gone). It is sweet, but has a note of cleanliness that I can't quite describe, which prevents it from veering into a tooth-aching gourmand. I didn't like the colour of the bottle until I tested the perfume : this is exactly the right colour. Unapologetic, ultra-feminine.

I leave you with the words that I think describe best the ache and delight this aroma contains:

" I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved." (Cant.5 from the Song of Solomon)

There is something familiar, warm and comforting in this fruity floral. Were it released by a niche house, with maybe sliiiightly better quality ingredients, it would have been a huge hit no doubt.

The composition is teetering in the verge of a fruity Chypre because of the bright bergamot and pungent Marygold melting into a juicy peach, but then flowers and vanilla take over closer to the heart, and the drydown/base is a warm, sweet white chocolate. I guess most people expect either one, but not both in the same composition. But that's exactly what I like so much about it!

The juiciness and sweetness makes me think of Jonagold apples; this scent is the most apple-like in summer.
I wish it had better longevity on skin (on fabric it's about a day, on skin - a skin scent after 2hours) and a bigger sillage, but for the uniqueness alone I'll forgive its faults. Especially at that price (bought on sale for 13€ in 2021)!

In my opinion, a wildly underrated hidden gem, worth a try while you can still find it!

How does Serge Lutens do it, conjuring such bright light contrasting with darkness in his creations?
He speaks of the nuances of black in his (very few) interviews, and his perfumes are exactly that - nuances of darkness.

Fils de joie is a bright explosion, blinding like the sun. Heavy and huge jasmine blossoms weighing down the branches, and swarms of bees and butterflies attracted by the sweet nectar dripping from the hearts of the flowers.
The day passes in drunken euphoria, and lo - the sun has set, and it is dark. Yet the flowers are blooming even more, white spots against a dark background, like constellations or fireworks.

There is a slight cosmetic tone (probably from the ylang-ylang), but the honey (more like beeswax) counterbalances it. It's never too clean, or too pretty. It's *real*.

I am at a loss as to how and where to wear this beautiful fragrance. Pagan celebrations of old come to mind - equinox, beginning of spring, celebrating being one with Nature.It is festive and it is wild, and it should be worn with a flower garland in your hair and nothing else.

When I was little, I remember visiting a friend of the family's house. We were regularly invited over for dinner, the friend in question was a very cool French lady who cooked delicious French cuisine but also smoked, wore black eyeliner and always spoke her mind. She loves lilies and her husband bought her a big bouquet of lilies every week. Their living room had this distinct scent of fresh lilies. I also remember the big bottle of Tocade (1994) Eau de Toilette in her bathroom - to me it seemed so incredibly chic, and 9 year-old little me was overwhelmed with joy when she gave me a miniature of that magical vanilla.

Vanilla and lilies is how I'll always remember that year. And I have never ever managed to find a true lily pollen in perfumery- until now! It must be the champaca, but my nose decodes it as lily - the peppery orange pollen that left an indelible mark in my neuronal pathways apparently! This peppery, indolic opening note may not be to everyone's taste - I love it. The vanilla that follows is not gourmand in the slightest, but reminiscent of classical French perfume vanilla (just like Tocade as I remember it from the '90s).
Incredible longevity (my sweater is very fragrant with vanilla even after washing), and as far as I can tell good sillage as well (noticeable but not monstrous).

As with all fragrances that are tightly interlaced with childhood memories, I am really no objective judge on this one. I don't know if it's any good, all I know is that I will love it forever. Very grateful for the decant I received, and very much looking forward to buying a full bottle!