Serafina

You probably all know them... sticks made of milk chocolate with a sugar-crusted filling with a citrus flavor. You either like them or you don't. No, they were never my thing, even though I like most sweets, except for jelly bananas, dark chocolate, and of course the aforementioned refreshing sticks. The combination of citrus and (brown) chocolate is simply not compatible with my palate. My mother knew this well and therefore preferred to buy them for herself - they were safe from me, as I often snatched the chocolate-nut bars in purple wrappers that she also loved.

But as a fragrance, it's a different story! I don't mind this combination. So I was glad to receive a sample based on my wishlist. In fact, I can initially recognize both poles, that is, citrus and chocolate, quite well; from my perspective, neither dominates. On my wrist, the scent soon loses intensity but remains present. The fragrance feels citrusy-gourmand, but without being overly sweet. Over time, the orange note does prevail on me, but the chocolatey aspect remains as a more cocoa-powdery background. I also find the comparison to Jaffa cakes or candied orange peels covered in dark chocolate (which I also don't like to eat for the reasons mentioned above, only the oranges with white coating) quite fitting, but the refreshing sticks simply came to mind more.

As the fragrance develops, it unfortunately loses a bit of points on my skin. It feels a bit stale.

Still worth testing for fans of unusual gourmand perfumes!

...sounds a bit pretentious to me! "Women of the World"... Does that not raise high expectations? Fragrance notes from all 5 continents, that's what I would think of, for example. And then such an ordinary scent! Couldn’t the name have been a bit more modest? But maybe that was exactly the intention: this perfume can be worn by almost any woman in the world (nearly) at any time, as it is pleasant, light, (with moderate application) unobtrusive, and without clearly defined edges. A floral-fresh scent with subtle fruity notes, hardly sweet, spring-like but surely also suitable for summer. Usable at any time during the day, for the evening I would find it a bit too generic and subtle. And if over-applied, the apple (blossom) note could come off as slightly piercing, I fear.

Nice, but not a real "must have".

At the beginning, there’s this bitter-sour note... once again typical for oakmoss on my skin. O.k., I have to get through this... after all, I can even recognize the pineapple in the top note, which I find nice! Then the fragrance becomes softer and develops into a harmoniously arranged floral bouquet. Nevertheless, after a short sweet phase, it still makes no secret of its origins, even though it is by no means as bitter as other perfumes from the 70s. Perfumes with oakmoss are not really my type, but here I must acknowledge that the composition is well done. The woody base underlines the noble impression of this extrait.

The bottle consists of more than half of the thick glass base... it looks high-quality but also a bit bulky; a little less glass would have sufficed. And I much prefer the EDT version in red in terms of bottle design. It’s a matter of taste...

Definitely a valuable vintage in my collection!

Yes, “Zara Woman White” is indeed a lovely floral perfume! Rather fresh with a pleasant mild sweetness and just a hint of powderiness.
However, it still doesn’t quite reach the (in my opinion) wonderful “Miracle” (the name says it all!). At first, there is definitely a high similarity, which is not surprising given the fragrance components. But “Miracle” is more pronounced, a bit sweeter, and above all, much more intense. With ZWT, I have to spray a lot to achieve even a remotely similar scent effect. The fragrance does fade away quite quickly despite generous spraying. ZWT feels to me like a heavily diluted “Miracle,” which also lacks some of its sweetness. Nevertheless, I believe the mention as a fragrance twin is completely justified. The composition of the scent itself is already very similar.

However, I am referring to the original version of “Miracle,” it may be that the current version has less power, so that in terms of intensity the differences are not that significant.

For fans of floral fragrances, it is definitely a budget-friendly alternative to “Miracle,” at least if strong sillage and good longevity are not a major priority.

Although the sample threw me into a whirlpool of emotions, I jumped at an online offer - and I do not regret it!

Yes, at the beginning I really smell something that reminds me of old effervescent tablets, which could come from the citrus notes in the top note. Not really pleasant and rather off-putting... and yet: this perfume captivated me as it developed! Because it follows with something resinous-bright, beautiful. Chestnut honey comes to mind. And there is something spicy in it. I wouldn’t have recognized the cardamom right away without looking it up; it could have been cinnamon or clove. Sage? It’s probably the dominant note in this perfume. I don’t have it in my garden, but I have to think of another plant: a yellow, about 40-40 cm tall umbellifer with feathery leaves that grows in masses along the roadside and blooms (in cool Franconia) in late summer (probably earlier in other regions). The slightly bitter scent of the flowers has always been part of the great holidays of my childhood (which are late in Bavaria). Unfortunately, I do not know the name of the plant.

In any case, this perfume is once again just right for my favorite season: the transition from late summer to autumn. The golden, still warm September sun shines through the already slightly colored leaves... This perfume combines both: summery, bright elements and the spicy hints that hint at the approaching autumn. Okay, currently we are still in the (for me) second most beautiful season - the second half of spring up to and including early summer. Therefore, "Ambre Essentiel" has to wait a bit longer.

A truly unusual perfume! However, it should definitely be tested before purchase, as it probably does not develop the same on every skin.