Onism

The sample of Un Été Français reached me unexpectedly. While I always enjoy testing new releases, I wouldn't have rushed to get this one based solely on the fragrance pyramid. The combination of bergamot with petitgrain and neroli sounded too bitter/piercing/harsh to me, and I could hardly imagine how it would find a pleasant balance with gorse and vanilla.

However, the manufacturer's sample was there, and it piqued my curiosity.

Generally, there are few scents with neroli that I like. I usually find it piercing, rather masculine, and often old-fashioned. But here it is really well-rounded. The fragrance is equally refreshing and soft from the very beginning. I would have expected to wait longer for the vanilla base to emerge, but that is not the case. Coconut is not listed, but I perceive it along with the vanilla. In the drydown, the warm-soft notes prevail, and you smell well-groomed and moisturized.
Un Été Français is a very mature summer scent, fresh, creamy, lightly woody, and unisex wearable.
Typical Celine DNA - smells expensive, is not loud, and is very pleasing, but not generic.

The sillage is close to the skin, which I find very fitting and pleasant. When someone wears this fragrance, it is perceived rather subtly. Very unobtrusive and stylish.

I cannot assess the longevity, as I only tested one spray on my skin. Here it lasts at least a few hours, but it becomes quieter.

For anyone looking for a pleasant, elegant, and unsweet summer scent, I highly recommend giving this one a try.

Zen has been on my wish list for ages. Although it is not particularly expensive, it took a long time for me to add it to my collection.

Now that spring is coming, I struck at just the right time. The fragrance is slightly woody and very clean right from the start; I feel like I've just stepped out of the shower when I wear it. It reminds me of saunas, spas, and wellness, probably due to the cedarwood. I find it somehow mature, as it has a slightly herbal note and is not sweet at all. Although it is marketed towards women, I find it absolutely unisex - so here’s my recommendation to men to just give it a try.

I can't pick out individual notes - except for lily of the valley and cedarwood. However, it is super well-balanced and envelops you throughout the day with a floral-woody freshness.

In fact, I would say it feels balanced and calming to me, but I am certainly a victim of marketing here - if it says Zen, especially from a Japanese company, you tend to imagine Zen. But whatever, what matters is the result, and I like it.

The bottle is okay, but not eye-catching. At least I have the latest version with a wooden cap, which I like a bit better. However, the square design is super unwieldy for spraying, especially the smallest 30 ml bottle. You almost need both hands to spray properly. But for me, in a fragrance at this price point, that is a minor issue.

Longevity and sillage are in the good middle range; it accompanies you discreetly throughout the day.

Overall, a wonderful everyday fragrance with signature potential!

Recently, while browsing, the new Chloe caught my eye - I really like the Chloe Rose, and I wear Love Story from time to time, so I wanted to test how I feel about this one.

The bottle is appealing, and the red bow is nice too. The name is somewhat ambivalent (L'eau = water, so fresh/light, Intense the opposite), but that's typical for flankers. After the umpteenth new release, names eventually run out.

The scent itself initially pleased me during a brief test in the perfume shop. It is only loosely related to its origin: the rose is present, but it is sweeter and also more powdery. If I had tested it blind, I'm not sure I would have identified it as a Chloe. In any case, it smelled pleasant, feminine, and suitable for everyday wear. I wanted to treat myself again and almost casually took it with me. Ultimately, I moved on and coincidentally received a free sample a few days later. I sprayed it in the air at home and just wanted to confirm briefly that it was a candidate for purchase. However, it then settled in the sprayed spot in the room all day long (Intense, after all) and annoyed me more and more every time I walked by. So, it was crossed off my shopping list, saving me some money.

Now, I was curious about other reviews because one thing stood out to me: it had a note that reminded me of the dentist. It's not necessarily unpleasant, but the association is there. And then it clicked: Baccarat Rouge is also often associated with this note. However, I had never really tested that one, so I could never quite relate to "smells like the dentist." Now I can. And as I read, some of you perceive it the same way.

In conclusion, back to the new Chloe: it's okay, I enjoy flankers and like to test new releases. If others wear it, I would probably find it pleasant too. However, on myself, it would give me a headache in the long run.

...for a review, because I have worn Mon Precieux Nectar the most this year.

It is the most expensive perfume in my collection to date, but since I read everywhere that it was being discontinued, I didn't think twice about buying it when I found out it was available.

Unpacking the package was a celebration - beautiful packaging and an even more beautiful bottle. I have read in forums that the bee bottle from Guerlain is kitschy. I can't understand that at all - it is so detailed and elegant. I take it out of the cupboard often, just to look at it.
The bottle itself is a decanter, so it's meant for pouring. A small 30 ml spray bottle, in a similar design with a bee pattern, is included with the purchase.

And now to the scent itself: it is sweet and soft, very close to the skin and doesn't linger too long. Personally, I don't mind that at all; I even think it wouldn't suit him if it were more intense.
Right after application, I perceive flowers - jasmine, but super subtle, an indefinable light sweetness, and also a bitter note. It's an interesting combination, and the individual scent notes don't blend at first; they all stand alongside each other. After a while, when the top notes settle, it becomes creamy, woody with a hint of vanilla, still with a subtle sweetness. And then it is already almost gone.

Mon Precieux Nectar is, for me, a classic scent that one wears exclusively for oneself. It is not expressive and doesn't make a statement. It is quiet and gentle, and on many days, it is exactly what I need.

I have read many reviews about this, and the word "honey" kept coming up. I can understand the association, but I absolutely do not perceive any honey. Maybe it's due to all the bees on the bottle, the name "Nectar" (bee nectar=honey), and the yellow juice?

I would never part with Mon Precieux Nectar from my collection. It is truly precious to me, even though I can certainly understand if it doesn't excite everyone as much as it does me.

When I purchased another fragrance, I received Baiser Volé Eau de Parfum as a miniature. For some reason, the brand and the bottle never appealed to me, so I wouldn’t have thought to test it beforehand and held it indifferently in my hand.

Before it could disappear into my miniature collection, I put a small drop on my wrist and turned my attention to other things. Initially unconsciously, I soon realized that I couldn’t stop smelling it - so pleasant, delicate, and feminine. And it came at just the right time: the beginning of spring, the first cool but sunny days, the birds chirping, and the trees slowly turning green again. This doesn’t happen often, but I could imagine this fragrance as a bottle for myself.
****
Fragrance:
It starts very green, almost herbaceous - it strongly reminds me of the smell in a flower shop (damp + cut flowers). As it develops, it becomes softer, turning powdery, very floral, and it stays that way.

In my mind, I picture a closed lily, green on the outside, a bit dewy, it smells fresh, until it gradually opens and the white petals radiate the soft, floral scent, with the pollen bringing the powderiness.

With lily stamen - lily - lily leaf, it is very monothematic and simple. This makes it very interesting to me, as this is rather rare.

Occasion:
In spring through early summer, it actually suits every occasion - I just don’t see it as a night or party fragrance. For me personally, it radiates a certain calmness, as if it were made for a quiet, reserved young woman sitting in the park, observing people and enjoying the first rays of sunshine.

Bottle:
Honestly, it’s unremarkable and uninspired. However, I am also not at all familiar with Cartier fragrances in general - perhaps one gains a different perspective when one engages with them more.
**
Before I really buy a whole bottle, I will test it a few more times and see if it truly suits me. It’s definitely nice to be able to test it freely without any expectations, without having an idea, fragrance pyramid, or recommendation in mind beforehand. This happens far too rarely, as one usually keeps long wish lists. In any case, I am very glad that chance brought it to me.