TinkiB

...To the sun, to freedom. So glad you're here! ;)

Do you know the song? And more importantly, do you know the feeling of "wanderlust"? Especially after this year 2020? Do you also just want to jump on the next plane and dive into foreign worlds & escape the German winter?

If you know that feeling, then at least I'm not alone. Last week, I was still testing and spraying the richest vanilla scents, wanting to lose myself in them and warm up with them. Cuddling up with a glass of wine, a book, and the wonderful scent, forgetting the world around me.

Now I want to go out. Out, just out. Not to the next muddy park, not to the cold Bavarian countryside, no, OUT into the world. I dream of sunshine, flip-flops, blue skies, the beach, and the accompanying beach bar. Here I drink a freshly squeezed orange juice before continuing on, always heading towards the sun. A road trip through California. Always along the coast, life feels light, people smile at me. Thousands of people who, like me, enjoy freedom. I look down at myself, nice tan. Nice warmth on my skin. Oh, the tank is empty. A short chat with the gas station attendant, completely without distance and mask. We shake hands to say goodbye. Oh how I've missed it. And constantly, the scent of orange trees wafts into my nose? California, you beautiful piece of earth. Are you still with me? ;)

Yes, I'm slowly getting enough of my four walls. I want to book the next trip and what better way to do that than testing summer scents. Of course, I had to start with my Van Cleef & Arpels summer fragrances. Neroli Amara is a hit, but today I treated myself to CR. Between the two, I had to wrestle more with CR before I could fully embrace it. I smell neroli, mandarin & jasmine in perfect form. I feel light and love freedom. A very light vanilla occasionally makes an appearance, but mainly the scent is fresh due to the citrus and like every Van Cleef, CR is unisex as well.

I can hardly wait to pack my bags again and explore new countries. Until then, I dream myself away with CR. The scent makes it easy, I close my eyes and ask with a grin on my face, "Where's the beach?"

Actually, I really didn't want to make any more blind buys. Actually. But with a 25% discount, you just have to go for it, it's almost a gift and you never get a chance like this again. Bla bla bla. Yes, yes, the lies we tell ourselves when we hit "buy" and enter the credit card details. I don't have many resolutions for 2021. 2021 first has to prove to me that it can be better than 2020. Easiest job ever - 2021 don't mess it up. Still, my resolution is not to buy blindly anymore. Wish me luck. Spoiler Alert: Petit Matin is already on its way to me. Just once more, just one more blind buy... My resolution only counts from 2021 ;) Oh man...

Well then, off to Grand Soir. Honestly, I was disappointed during the first test. "Is that it?" At first, GS smelled quite masculine, boozy, vanilla... but there was no wow moment. I wore the fragrance all day and have to say that, strangely enough, it wasn't particularly noticeable to me. So I sprayed a bit more on my skin - nothing. Checked again to make sure I actually had an original - fine, that's not the issue. I found the scent good, but I really smelled it very subtly. After reading the reviews, I didn't really understand that. Probably a bad purchase for the money & GS was definitely not almost a gift, rather completely overpriced. I started to regret it.

Yesterday, I took Grand Soir out again. And bam... oh, there you are! The scent hit me with such force that I can no longer properly categorize my first impression. It started quite masculine again, but the fragrance quickly developed into an absolute vanilla/amber dream on my skin. I couldn't stop sniffing my wrist, even though I actually had the scent constantly in my nose. Sillage is top. Today, I still smell the fragrance incredibly strong on my skin. So GS is also long-lasting. (so far 15 hours)

Grand Soir is an addictive fragrance. With every whiff of the scent, I am once again captivated and perplexed that I get to smell such a gigantic fragrance. Goosebumps - I love it. Even though I can smell GS more than well, I still bury my nose often at the direct scent spot on my skin. I just don't want to "miss" anything ;) In my nose, GS is not particularly sweet, a bit spicy, definitely unisex, and has the perfect tonka, vanilla & benzoin notes. I would love to smell this fragrance on every man. With GS, you certainly always make a grand appearance. Whether woman, whether man & not just in Paris.

My verdict after the second test.

Grand Soir is almost a gift at a 25% discount and you never get a chance like this again! ;)

I love this scent. Personally, I find it difficult to find summer fragrances, as I am not a big fan of aquatic scents or overly floral fragrances. Most summer scents lack depth, but Florabotanica is different. The fragrance is intriguing, yet light. Long-lasting, yet fresh. Unique, yet appealing to the masses. I feel like I've just stepped out of the shower all day, and I receive compliments on top of that. I think you can hardly go wrong with this scent. I had to give the perfume a little time. After the first test, I thought, "I don't understand the hype on YT." After the second test, I immediately had to reorder the 100ml bottle. IMMEDIATELY! 30ml? What was I thinking? Ridiculous ;) I never want to be without this scent again. I find it hard to grasp or describe this fragrance. I just find it very pleasant, and the scent is perfect for the office, but also for a summer date. It always puts me in a good mood - every time. The bottle is also amazing. Balenciaga - you did everything right.

...I am currently incredibly drawn to the vanilla scent note. Thanks to Diptyque Eau Duelle EDT for this. To the horror of my bank account, this fragrance has unfortunately made me aware that vanilla does NOT always have to be cloyingly sweet & sticky, but can be smoky, herbal, dry, unsweetened, and so on... I love these pure vanilla scents - as if you were scraping out a vanilla pod and slathering it all over yourself from head to toe. But who really wants that? That would be a bit gross ;) After MFK Grand Soir, this rather affordable niche fragrance has now also found its way into my collection, and I was enchanted from the top note. Unsweetened, slightly smoky, spicy, warm, pure, easy to wear & above all, easy to love vanilla bomb. The scent is 100% unisex. Vanilla & benzoin is currently my favorite combination in perfumes. I feel very comfortable with this fragrance, as it is not overpowering or too spicy. It is often compared to Herod on YT, just without the tobacco note. Unfortunately, I can't assess that, but for the price, every Parfums de Marly fan might want to take notice. Same perfumer, quite similar scent notes, and a really great fragrance.

I only recently discovered the house of Van Cleef & Arpels, and now I already have 5 fragrances from the brand. Thanks to 4 days of working from home each week, it only feels semi-worth it ;) Well, I don't know how it is for you, but my hobby has really helped me during this Corona time. Actually, my fragrance hobby only became truly "extreme" because of Corona. When the slight depression sets in, as you realize you haven't experienced anything this year and can't plan anything for the future, I just sniff the new and old fragrances, and each time one brings me back down. The Bois Doré in particular. It is incredibly warm, calming, and soothing. I really lose myself in this scent. This warm vanilla and those wonderful woody notes. I have always loved musk anyway. The fragrance is also unisex, which I like, as I usually can't stand overly sweet scents. I immediately fell in love with this fragrance and, of course, had to test it in public. 1 day in the office per week - it really has to be planned which fragrance gets to come out ;) Bois Doré made it outside, and on that day I received 4 compliments. So the sillage seems to be good. The longevity is also amazing. After 12 hours, I could still smell it on my skin. I can only recommend this fragrance. Close your eyes and switch off.