Zofi

…in German: nein danke.

What a pity, as I love Greece and most of what surrounds Greek life.
I thought Philosykos might appeal to me, as I plunder every fig tree in the Peloponnese.

But unfortunately, I do not smell the beautiful nuance that a fig tree exudes in Philosykos Eau de Parfum; rather, it is the opposite.
We had to cut down our old, huge fig tree a few years ago, and that exact smell comes back as soon as I smell at my wrist. Fresh, green cut wood, it breaks my heart.

In itself, I do not find Philosykos bad, but I do not want to smell like this.
Now and then, a minimal sweetness wafts in, but it is really tiny.

Otherwise, I find this perfume rather… unremarkable and interchangeable.
Longevity is so-so; after two or three hours, the scent is really just very close to the skin, and the sillage is not particularly impressive. Some of my body lotions smell more intense.
What a pity!

My skin and I are at odds in certain matters.
Although I was spared from pimples and acne starting from the age of 12, we still won't be friends.
Reason: Many beautiful scents stink on my skin.
Yes, stink.
Libre Eau de Parfum smells like cat pee on me, Versace pour Femme Dylan Blue smells like after sports and before the shower, just to name two fragrances.

Therefore, I was quite pessimistic when I bought a few samples, including "Imagination | Louis Vuitton," from a dear user here via Souk.
But hey, maybe a fragrance worth 280 euros smells less bad on me.

And what can I say? Now I'm at odds with my wallet, thanks, Louis Vuitton.
Because Imagination smells(!) beautiful on me!

Imagination is simple on me, not versatile, doesn’t change much, and I think that's good.
Upon spraying, I immediately get a full blast of bergamot and a bit of ginger.
The Chinese black tea listed in the pyramid brings the scent back a bit from the shower gel association, rounding off the fresh notes.
Somehow, I think I can also sense a bit of cinnamon, which helps keep the fragrance from becoming too masculine. That's a plus point!

Imagination smells like vacation to me.
Do you know that feeling when you come out of the much too warm sea on a much too hot summer day and the water on your skin dries immediately?
That's how Imagination smells.
Warm, fresh, as contradictory as that may be.
Like a fresh cocktail with lots of lemon on a much too hot beach day.
It even seems a bit powdery to me.

Nevertheless, I think that Imagination is not just a summer scent. Today, I'm wearing it at -3 degrees at work and, as of 1:00 PM, I've received more compliments for this fragrance than I did in the previous weeks for others.

I was afraid that this freshness would get on my nerves, but that fear was unfounded. Because the freshness doesn't push itself too much forward, making it, in my opinion, a beautiful year-round all-rounder.

Hats off, Louis Vuitton, no cat pee, no sweat, I'm thrilled!

This was actually my first blind purchase.
This is because I tend to overestimate myself when it comes to imagining scents.
But even here, my mind definitely tricked me:

In the comments and reviews, there is always talk of lemon cake. Bergamot is at the top of the pyramid, I usually can't stand jasmine, and lavender... well, I find lavender beautiful.

Today my order arrived, and first of all: how beautiful is the packaging and the bottle?
Then the first spritz.

I was full of expectation. I thought, "Let's see if this will be my new freshie for the summer; it's definitely too cold for fresh scents right now."

And what was it?
Nothing, nothing fresh.

And I was totally happy about it. I smell lavender, I smell caramel, maybe a hint of citrus, but that's it.
Oh how beautiful, I think to myself, this is indeed an all-year-round all-rounder!

Do you happen to know Lush's "Twilight" bath bomb? That’s the scent twin for me. (Hmm, what kind of strange skin do I have that makes the lemon cake scent smell like lavender on me? Doesn't matter, as long as it's beautiful!)

I'm glad I trusted the blind purchase.

Many years ago, I stumbled upon Lush, though I can't quite remember how.
My nearest store is almost 200km away, so a visit has to be well thought out.

Somehow, I am the only one in my circle of relatives and friends who loves the scent of these stores. You step inside and are practically overwhelmed by impressions of all kinds, colorful, loud, kitschy, and yet so beautiful.

I first got to know American Cream as a conditioner. Unfortunately, it had no chance with my unruly hair, but I always bought a small bottle just for the scent. (And yes, maybe I used to slather it all over my body in the shower, no conditioner-shaming please! :D)

Still, 200km or ordering blindly is generally not an option for me at these prices. Thus, the paths of the Lush empire and I parted ways.
And then there was a Boxing Day Sale.

I will never forget how the postman stood at my door back then and said, "Whatever this is, I want it too, it smells incredible. I would have preferred not to deliver the package and keep it in my car."

Amid what felt like 400 bath bombs and bubble baths, the bottle of American Cream emerged.
One spray and I have to smile.

This perfume is, for me, cuddly in liquid form.
So incredibly warm, soft, and beautiful.
For me, the strawberry comes through only slightly; mainly, I smell vanilla, and it lingers forever.
However, even though I primarily perceive vanilla, this scent is somehow versatile and yet beautiful in its simplicity.

Imagine you are sitting in America, somewhere in a small town, almost a village.
There isn’t much there, a few shops here and there, a gas station, and also a diner.
The souls of the village gather there, and you are right in the middle.
You see a young couple sitting at one of the niche tables, freshly in love, giggling and whispering.
They order together, the portions are big enough, a huge milkshake.
The whipped cream on top towers high, and with every sip from the straw, you get a dollop on your nose.

THIS is what American Cream smells like to me.
Kitschy in love, carefree, and romantic.


The longevity of this perfume is, in my eyes, gigantic; sprayed on in the morning, I can still clearly smell the vanilla late in the evening.
The sillage is lovely; I am often complimented on my "sugar scent."
For me, a clear recommendation for anyone who likes vanilla but finds vanilla too simple. The price/performance ratio is absolutely fair in my opinion, and American Cream is and remains a staple for me.

It was 2008, I was 15.
My stepfather sponsored a trip to London for my birthday - how exciting this city was for a teenager like me!

On the last day of our trip, my mother and I were in Harrods.
We sniffed and sprayed.
And there stood John Galliano Eau de Parfum, which of course, because I found the bottle so beautiful back then, had to be tested.

"Börgs!"
Quote mother (40)

"Wow!"
Quote me (15)

"Are you crazy? This is a scent we can only take for grandma, it's not for you!"

At 15, one is rebellious, and I was too.
So the bottle was allowed to come with me.

Of course, the scent was inappropriate. I was a chubby, pimple-covered teenage girl (hey, I got rid of the pimples!) and naturally clashed with this heavy fragrance.
At some point, I gave up; there were still a few milliliters left in the bottle, and it was allowed to disappear into the drawer of shame.
I hoarded that little bit because this fragrance was no longer available.

Two years ago, that is, 13 years later:

My boyfriend and I were on our way to Greece.
We took the ferry from Italy to the Hellenes, 26 hours to kill.
Since playing Uno and staring blankly at the sea can get boring, we made a detour to the small onboard boutique.
In the somewhat dusty perfume department, it happened.
Imagine how suddenly angelic singing started and a bright light shone on that one bottle high up, covered in dust, on the shelf.

I actually had to burst out laughing and was so overwhelmed by nostalgia that I had a little tear in my eye.
One spray on my wrist and I was back in London.

Iris, lavender, incense, and amber. Those are the notes I smell.
I smell like a Gothic girl.
Naughty, a bit dirty (but not too much!), but in a good mood.
I usually don't like patchouli, but here I could bathe in it.

I absolutely cannot perceive the bergamot or any other freshness in this fragrance, but that's okay for me. If it's going to be bombastic patchouli, then let it be!

Over the hours, this somewhat sharp top note slowly disappears, leaving behind a powdery, very strong pleasure of musk and amber. That's when I love this scent the most.


The longevity is exceptionally above average, just like the sillage.
Theoretically, one could use this fragrance as a biological weapon, it's that strong.
But it's awesome.

My boyfriend silently grabbed the last two packages and bought them.

Now I can wear John Galliano Eau de Parfum again.
Only in winter at what feels like minus 50 degrees.
But I can wear it!