Parisian

The longevity is not there unfortunately, but oh! I am (was!) always looking for the 'perfect' v hot weather perfume - and have purchased many trying for the elusive 'something' I look for, for very hot weather wearing. I'm not a huge fan of 'very fruity' but I think Dolce & Gabbana L'imperatrice is lovely, but needing to spray it literally every hour on the hour (bc it barely lasts 49 minute - obv I checked bc argh!) really does annoy me - yes, I love the watery nature, and the beautiful base notes which don't add any heaviness, but don't smell 'cheap' either, but although you can find it relatively inexpensive, it is not a cheap 'bodyspray' and the lasting power is completely atrocious - nb, I still wear it, bc I love it (unusual for me, it being all fruit!) - but there it is. And ofc, I have always loved 'green' - even now, I still love Chanel Cristalle (which I started wearing age 10 - it was a vintage perfume then!) always the eau de toilette (the eau de parfum is NOT the same thing at all!) and though I dislike Tom Ford perfumes (not great quality and hugely over priced imho,) I fid buy Vert Boheme - at slightly less than retail, bc the current Cristalle formulation is a shadow of the nineties version, obviously. & in saying ALL that - here it is! The most perfect green perfume, fresh, but balanced, present, but not 'too much' in v hot weather - although v important! Do not overspray, due to the unfortunate (not nearly as bad as L'Imperatrice) longevity problem. Technically it's an edp - hm! & 2/3 sprays is plenty - repeat those every 2 hrs (less often than L'Imperatrice) and it's just beautiful. I hv never purchased Zara perfumes (I bought this + Mochi Atelier - honestly, I couldn't resist - Park Jimin is my favourite! Ahem.. & Sweet Pastry A Paris, after recommendations from 'Arlene' - one of only 2 perfume bloggers I like) - & THIS is just something that really stands out as being the perfect summer perfume. I love the mint in it, the airy freshness, and the 'can't put my finger on it' perfect blend of notes - it is the best thing perfume I have purchased in 12 months of ridiculously rampant perfume buying (during the pandemic and horrendous lockdown restrictions, only 2 things have made me feel better - one is the lovely PJM (I honestly cannot help myself ;) ) and the other, has been buying loads and loads of (100ml) bottles of perfume. It's been a bit rubbish, lockdown etc, and Arlene (etc) don't help, bc I think, when watching them, my purchase ratio to months in lockdown is not completely ridiculous - & then when I actually stop and work out just how many bottles.. Hm - if I didn't completely hate being 'on cam' I could rival many perfume bloggers for variety of bottles - the sheer number is a bit naughty, but I am promising myself after the next 6 (6?!) or so on my list, that I will calm down. Hopefully I am in good company here, and some will understand my perfume obsession. Or not! As said, I always thought, Zara, - No! (I cannot bear cheap perfume!) But - this was Jo Malone, so like many ppl, I thought, 'well that's different!' And I completely love it - not too floral, sweet (in a different way,) but not too sweet. I have purchased mutiple matching body lotions & body wash - and I have bought backups, bc am v worried they will discontinue this but.. Just perfect, a stunning (& stunningly simple blend) - with a beautiful base, which is an even better (summer) base, than L'imperatrice, a soft, musk base, light but present - with nothing too woodsy to overtake the perfection of the whole. I read the notes on Fragrantica and thought maybe there's something similar with better longevity - but no - although with similar notes in mind, I purchased the newest Armani 'Acqua Di Gioia' - which I hadn't tested - 100mls - bc if it's lovely then I like to hv a large bottle, & it's brown sugar note is way to forward - and it's not bad but nothing like this - tbh, I never have found an Armani perfume I particularly like - that's about the best, but more mint (& less heavy brown sugar) would have helped. I also, (after buying Vintage Green & Linen Vetiver,) bought 'Windblown Vert,' from Banana Republic- & WV was a real mistake. Here we see, what Jo Malone could have gotten wrong - dreadful over use of Lily of the Valley' which I simply cannot stand - and which tips it into 'teenage' for me - it's a really nice summer perfume, but Lily of the Valley' is a note I do NOT like - it ruins a 'green' perfume, I think - but in WMTD I don't smell any - though it is 'sort of' floral, it isn't that heavy or 'good girl' floral, that I would never wear - honestly, I cannot think if anything else to say but how perfect and hos lovely it is. I also feel v English wearing it (though I have always loved french perfumes, I like that idea, too) and nothing could be more perfect for that extremely hot weather we now seem to get in England, which we didn't, when I was a child. Bc of the pandemic, I am living back in the UK - hoping that next year, I can be overseas, and I plan on wearing WLTD this summer (in the daytime, anyway. As you can no doubt see, I love it v much and am v taken with how wonderfully blended it is - but as said 3 sprays maximum. Overspraying does NOT make it last longer - but it does make it too heavy for warm weather - it is delicate if you spray less - but more sprays overtip it into 'too heavy for v hot weather.' Use a light hand and you literally think, dappled sunlight shining through the trees, and perfect English summer days.

(NB I like Oscar de la Renta Intrusion sometimes, but much as I love all things Issey Miyake (those 90's pleated bags & long skirts I used to swoon over when I was very, very young - age 9/10 reading endlesscopiesof Vogue - precocious only child, etc, etc) L'eau D'Issey is something I have never liked - & myself I see no similarity between it, and this green, airy, perfection in a bottle. Some on Fragrantica seem to think so, but I certainly don't.) This is Jo Malone (with the usual longevity issues) but at a better price - that's all - anybody who has doubts about 'Zara perfumes' don't be silly enough to not try this bc of the Zara connotations. The packaging is plain enough, although I don't like the paper label, the bottles are okay enough. Just beautiful

I think reviews complaining about the longevity, must be for the lighter, more floral eau de toilette - which I neverhave bought. I first purchased this in 2002, (the edp) when I was v v young - one of my first perfumes (the first was Chanel Cristalle edt, which I still love, but is hard to find and perhaps, a little too dated for some (oakmoss whisper/soft vetiver) although Tom Ford's Vert Boheme was the closest thing to a direct copy I haveever purchased, albeit slightly stronger - so it's still something good & I don't care, I still love it & do wear it.) I tend to like perfumes with a fresh element - which this has but - but it's not your average fresh edp - there's much more to it. It's classy, quite refined, & makes you feel very 'put together.' The bottle WAS a beautiful, v heavy, short, rectangular shape - with an also heavy (fake) tortoiseshell cap - it looked so luxurious and desirable - when I spotted it as I walked into the dept store (Debenhams - sadly now lacking from the UK high street - Corona finished it off, but that store was a staple of my childhood.) I wasn't actually looking for a new perfume then, when I tended to stick with 1 or 2, but the moment I saw it, it sparked my interest, and I tested it & really liked it + the bottle & the marketing was very enticing - & I literally had to go back that afternoon and buy it. It has a slightly almost spicy, opening - which is apparently star anise, which makes the initial part a little unusual - maybe that's why it's called 'Intrusion' - bc many ppl say the perfume doesn't match the name (& I agree the edt is a little non descript) but for me, the edp is not - mandarin opening gives the freshness I enjoy, there's some grapefruit, but it doesn't hv that sour note that it often has in some perfumes - it is all, v well blended, some bergamot & neroli - leading to heart notes of lily & water jasmine - the lily being the star, I think, but though I cannot bear L'eau D'Issey - much as I love all things Issey Miyake, but here, everything is harmonious, and the citrus and other notes lift the main accord and it's lovely. I do not like gardenia v much, but I wouldn't say I notice it particularly, bc all is so well blended - nothing but that slightly discordant (in a good way) opening note (or notes) in the beginning, stick out. As said - those slightly discordant notes in the beginning really make a difference too - on Fragrantica I read not just star anise, but coriander, and I thought maybe that is it - but usually I loathe it with a passion - coriander growing in the garden, nothing worse, when all the lavender & rosemary in the summer smell's so soft and relaxing - & then somebody gives you a coriander plant & it ruins it with it's horrendous over powering, almost soapy awfulness - can't have it in the garden at all, am not fond of it in my food - but if it's in here, I don't notice it. I like many Alberto Morillas concoctions, despite ppl calling him 'Chemical Albie,' here, he worked with Jacques Cavalier as well, & the result is understated but not boring, claasy, even elegant, but with some freshness, and despite the bottle (not the flower printed edt!) now being tall & plain, (with a now non descript silvery metal looking cap) the perfume is not boring & never an afterthought - although it is an easy reach, and something you can just throw on, which will make you feel 'put together and 'dressed' - but it works fine with jeans and a white linen shirt, as well as something less casual. I don't ever purchase the eau de toilette form - but the eau de parfum would be suitable for most occasions I think - maybe it's not a 'date night' perfume, but it's not something men dislike, I think - obviously it isn't all candy sweetness & vanilla, but I don't find it masculine at all - although I know somebody who's younger brother wanted 'something to spray on' & he liked it so much, she gifted him the bottle & bought another - he loved it, but I think this is certainly more feminine than anything else. Sillage and longevity are not bad at all - I think if you spray at 7am, then a minimal top up after lunch at 2pm (if you wore this to work) would suffice - not saying it would be completely necessary but I think a slight refresh at that time is good - those interesting top notes really do add to it, & the citrus in it always makes me feel refreshed. I think spray 3/4 times at 7am once or twice at 2pm and you will smell cool, clean and as said v elegant - there's something extremely classy about this edp - EL Pleasures I didn't like - too floral & too 'nursey' or maybe even 'young mumsy' - such a mainstream effort I thought, although it smells good enough & many like it - but this is much better, more unusual and it can be picked up from AllBeauty for under £20 per 100ml - which is a complete steal for this kind of quality - but always the eau de parfum! I mention the bottle, bc it's not the most important thing, but when I first bought this way back in the early 00's, I was v in love with the heavy bottle & beautiful cap - it was stunning and felt luxurious when I used it - & that's always appreciated, in perfumes, makes using them something special, but alas, now the bottle is quite plain - not unattractive but somebody who is new to this - will see the current bottle, & cap - & think 'meh' - but the liquid inside is the same - and goodness knows, back then 60mls was almost 4 times the price you now pay for 100mls, so the new packaging has some benefits. As said, quality for price here is excellent, and there's not many settings this is not suitable for, I think it is a classic, and a sterling example of a fairly simple, elegant fragrance for anybody between 18/21 up to whatever. Minimalist (possibly,) but not, 'not interesting' it's something I think can find a place in anybody's collection, and is something which, if you don't know what to wear for a certain occasion, then this will always be appropriate, and may well be something you start to reach for quite often.