PixieDevil

Duchessa is the royalty of cherry fragrances. Have I smelled every cherry fragrance out there to make this bold declaration? Of course not, but why bother when I’m so smitten.

It opens with a dark, tart cherry which is slightly sharp & medicinal for the first minute. This quickly softens into a beautiful cherry marzipan with sweet almond & saffron in the dry down. It is gourmand without smelling like a dessert for the florals help to round it out. Soft & barely perceptible, they add beauty to the background like an elegant centerpiece at a dinner party. Duchessa is seductive, sophisticated and mysterious. It is blood-red satin gliding against black velvet with curls of white chocolate clinging to it, which makes the black velvet bottle the perfect presentation.

I’ve had my bottle for a year & the scent continues to get better. The cherry remains throughout the life of the fragrance, which lasts 8+ hours on me, and the marzipan is really coming out & adding a creamy texture. I wear it year round, 1 spray for warm weather & work (because why not), 2-3 in cooler weather or when going out (which is probably more proper for this profile). I would say the sillage is on the heavy side of moderate so there is no need to overspray. 10/10 masterpiece to my nose.

I wanted to smell a big, open rose with a hint of vanilla. Instead, I got a whiff of someone’s clean, deodorized armpit, their deodorant of choice powdery & unscented. Rosie is a synthetic, musky ambroxan on my skin & smells like Not A Perfume by JHAG. It does have good longevity, as I applied a decent portion of my sample before bed & still smell it after waking & washing. It’s not a bad scent, just uninspiring, bringing to mind gray office cubicles & no-fluff detergents that get the job done with respect to sensitive noses. Possibly good for layering, suitable for the office or gym (as it sits within a tight, personal bubble), but unfortunately, she is too unassuming for my small perfume tray.

I was tricked! This is yet another sunscreen scent. I depict no vanilla, mostly a salty coconut in the opening, even though coconut is not listed in the notes. There is a slight sweetness that may be more benzoin than vanilla. I did get a very faint whiff of pickle from the sandalwood when I inhaled deeply & close to the skin, but fortunately, it didn't last long. As it sits, it acquires more of a salty-mineral smell which then combines with a powdery, soft floral before drying down to a synthetic, salty-musk. Longevity is good, as I can still smell it after wearing it for 6+ hours with only one spray to the throat, but I'm really wishing it wasn't. They should have named it Salty Beach Vibes. I’ll just stick to wearing sunscreen when I want to smell like sunscreen. Plus, less $, less cancer.

Upon the first spray blooms a giant red rose in a bed of sugar-sweet chocolate. It’s Valentine’s Day & the single rose becomes a full ten-dozen or more & the milk chocolate… a cardboard box of dark coco powder. This is a very linear rose - a thick, red rose which becomes dark & dusty towards the end. I wish I could smell a grounding bitter coffee note to break up the intensity, but alas. I wait for something to save me - something light & sparkling like champagne to bring a bit of fresh, cool air. This rosy beast is just too overpowering, which is a shame because the profile is good. Projection & longevity will follow me into tomorrow. A dream for intense rose lovers. Hopefully they will make a l’eau version for us wimps.