Sugarspun

Beyond the world of sillage monsters, there exist quietly, the understated, the delicate, for they still find their audience. The sensitive, the considerate, the nurturing, the migraine sufferers - and all those who enjoy being enchanted by quiet beauties, bringing their noses close to their wrists to catch the last whiff of fairy dust.

Fragrances with "Intense" in their name often pass by this audience. A chance find in the bargain market, a blind purchase, I actually didn't want to do that anymore. We know the drill. Excitement, anticipation, skepticism. The first cautious test. The first longer tests. The surprise - Intense is at most the unobtrusive gentleness here. A quiet presence like from a textbook, a close-up sparkle, a light, gentle veil on the skin. A beauty!

The iris hits my nose first, fresh, a bit dry, cedar-like, the teen note could also underline this powdery, pencil-shavings freshness. Accompanied by soft warmth, gentleness. Later, the fragrance becomes sweeter, rose petals join the accord, fresh and light. I sense a hint of vanilla.
All of this happens as close as possible, the sillage is minimal, even worn on clothing it is no more than a fine aura. Well-groomed, discreet, fragrant, without feeling perfumed - the scent has nothing to prove to anyone, it is simply there, a quiet but steady, pleasing companion.

Without hesitation, I would have thought the scent was a Softly flanker; it connects with this (very much appreciated by me) line, providing a calming, grounding effect: This freshly showered, moisturized feeling in freshly made beds, the undertone of someone caring for you, like an expensive fabric softener. One of those scents you want to hug yourself with.

Despite all the comfort, a quiet critique: I find the price quite ambitious and would like to assume this is a reason why the scent lives more in the shadows here. Yet it is truly a great addition to the fragrance portfolio of the understated.

I have never been to Palermo; I can only let myself be taken away by videos, pictures, and texts to the oldest market in the city - the Mercato di Ballarò - and by this scent. The images on the screen and in my head shine in every conceivable color, life pulses, and the senses vibrate. Madness! I absolutely want to go there; at this point, a recommendation for a journey through Google Image Search, daydreaming, and wanderlust for a short break from the German small town.

A journey through the internet has sparked my interest in the beautiful brand I Am Sicily, and thanks to a dear perfumer, I was able to test this fragrance. And even in this version, life pulses, the senses vibrate, and I hardly know where to look or sniff first. The grand entrance is made by a honey-sweet, creamy, dense caramel, and yes, Bianco Latte waves friendly from around the corner. The same density, which I call sweet-umami for lack of better words, sweetened condensed milk that speaks to deep-seated instincts and encourages some people to want to eat an entire bag of caramel fudge at once. Copy, dupe? I wouldn't say that. Ballarò Idda, despite all its similarities, follows its own paths, and here we return to the marketplace: The spice of cumin, its slight anise note mixes freshness and lightness into the sweetness; next to the candy stand, the Arab spice merchant has spread out his sacks, into which one wants to reach with both hands and bury their nose. And where does the fruitiness come from? Not listed in the pyramid, I smell sun-drenched, juicy mandarins. The tuberose certainly plays a role here, with its floral creaminess, delicate and carefree white flowers. The word similarity is striking, il ballo, the dance - light-footed, cheerful, elegant.
The floral splendor gently fades over the course of the fragrance; now almond and vanilla take over with powdery tenderness and embrace the milk caramel, like the evening glow that quietly lays over the marketplace, feather clouds in the sky, sudden dreamy calm.

Here, another comparison is allowed: The scent is long-lasting and not shy, but by no means as expansive and intense as "Bianco Latte | Giardini di Toscana." Thus, for me, it is more wearable and suitable for everyday use.

We don't even need to talk about the price-performance ratio. Those who love caramel gourmands can buy this without hesitation; despite the extremely fair price, there is no unpleasant synthetic note. An authentic, beautiful fragrance, and even though I am not the biggest fan of caramel candy scents, this one has completely convinced me. And hooked me. I urgently want to go to Sicily now. And sniff through the range of I Am Sicily.

As a child of the 90s, like so many, I immediately picture something when I think of this scent. My older brother's girlfriend, the mother of a school friend, the gym teacher. Loud, dominant women, short haircuts, confident and modern, but also a bit distant and intimidating. And so Sun Eau de Toilette was never an option for me, long past the 90s, always too stuffy, too strict, too loud - and I never understood why I should smell like sunscreen that I already use in the summer.

Until one cold, gray February day, I came across a sample and impulsively sprayed the scent on my wrist.

In the dreary cold-gray February, Sun suddenly becomes a beautiful powdery scent. Bright flowers, summer-tropical in feel, creamy soft Ylang, sweet orange blossoms, and at the same time a bit bitter, delicately vanilla. Yes, sunscreen-like, the association is clearly intended by the bottle and name, but far from the sunscreen scent, it is above all finely powdered, distinguished, clean, gentle and soft, elegant, harmonious, and rounded, every cog in the fragrance pyramid fits perfectly into the next. And behind the ice cream commercial facade, I catch a whiff of adult seriousness - is it February, or have I simply become modern and confident enough for this scent? How much does our expectation affect our perception?

In summer, it is still too much for me, too loud, too stuffy. But in the cooler seasons, I will wear it more often now, feeling well-groomed and well-dressed. Nostalgically thinking back to the 90s. And reminding myself to stay open, to experiment, not to categorize scents too rigidly, summer, winter, women, men - how many discoveries have I missed due to box-thinking?

Leather was not a scent note that ever dazzled me; it was either too masculine or too deliberately sultry, too much like new car seats, too reminiscent of creaky cowboy saddles, too much like dominatrix boots. But then this sample wafted under my nose and erased all my prejudices.
From the introductory words, it is already apparent that leather is the dominant scent note. It is a fresh yet warm and soft leather, very natural. More like a woven, delicate leather sandal from a small workshop in the heart of Barcelona than motorcycle boots. It breathes sun, freshness, and fruitiness. It is complemented by the Mediterranean freshness of orange blossom, a fresh sweetness that adds additional lightness to the fragrance.
I sense a hint of seriousness without imposed dominance, a touch of freedom, perhaps the allure of a little adventure. I hear dancing steps on cobblestones on a balmy summer night, I let myself drift, close my eyes, and dream. Not a scent for every day, nor one with which I can impress others; rather, it is for the small escapes from everyday life, for the moments when I want to feel special. Absolutely and in the best sense unisex, not too loud and featherlight. And for me, it is an encouragement to occasionally look beyond the horizon and not to ignore scent notes just because they don’t send me into ecstasy at first glance at the fragrance pyramid.

Elegantly, definitely. Lilies are beautiful to behold, majestic, harmonious, proud. Their scent - I would say, it is not pleasing. In this fragrance, I primarily perceive them in the top note, spicy, almost a bit sharp. A brief irritation, is there a sting?

No, it is caught by a sheer sea of jasmine blossoms. White, fresh-tender flowers, as far as the eye can see, clean, a little powdery, bright and clear. In Tokyo, I do not see this sea of flowers; my mental movie sends me to a jasmine field in southern France, under a radiant blue sky, a woman carries a woven basket full of white flowers from the field to her sparkling clean postcard village, houses made of natural stone, a cat stretches in the midday sun. Filigree, flower-white curtains billow in the wind. A little bit old-fashioned, soothing and dreamy.

This also fits with the woody, warm, slightly earthy base of the fragrance, which ultimately teleports me to my southern French village. It keeps the sweetness in check, preventing the scent from drifting into the kitschy, allowing it to still finish fresh and clear, softly.

Jo Malone has created a reduced yet very expressive fragrance here, which truly surprises for its Zara mass appeal. I can perceive it for 6 to 7 hours without it overwhelming me. Unisex wearable, simultaneously modern and rustic, minimalist and elegant. Only Tokyo, I still cannot see.