fragrances
reviews
24 reviews
First off, how the hell is neroli not in the fragrance pyramid?? It's the dominant note! And what a glorious note it is. (EDIT: looks like it has been updated--thank you, Frag editors!) Secondly, for an EDC, I'm getting surprising longevity as a skin scent compared to some other 4711 offerings. There is a reason this has been around for centuries. It's a straight up masterpiece! Sure, it would be cool to have it in a stronger formula, but maybe that's kind of the allure--its fleeting nature makes it that much more precious. So, spray lavishly. Mr. Muelhens has given us a timeless gift!
This is the most accurate representation of tea that I've ever encountered in a fragrance. If you've ever smelled a freshly brewed cup of assam tea, the aroma is EXACTLY like this fragrance. Deliciously malty and perfectly paired with citrus. I teared up when I first smelled this! I don't get grapefruit specifically, but more of a general lemon-leaning citrus. I was surprised by this, because I find Jo's Grapefruit to be a harsh masculine assault to my nose. (For reference, I love both citrus and masculine scents). I agree that this fragrance is definitely unisex rather than masculine. My only complaint about this is the horrific longevity. Typical for Jo, but this one is worse than normal. I maybe got a good hour before I stopped detecting it. Is it worth $200? No. However, if you LOVE tea scents like I do and can find a good deal, I'd jump on it. It's the most I've ever spent on a FS bottle ($160 incl. shipping) but sometimes if you love something enough, it's worth treating yourself.
I cannot say enough good things about this fragrance! As a certifiable tea slut, I adore the addition of tea leaf here. I think it adds a nice balance to the bomby nature of gardenia. Though it's mentioned as an accord, I don't find it to be terribly ozonic like some tea fragrances (I'm looking at you, Elizabeth Arden!) I wonder a bit about the name of this fragrance, and the lack of tiare in the notes. It has that white floral, heady quality, but not a knock-you-over-the-head type that gardenia sometimes affords. I layered this with the body butter, and that added a few extra hours of life into this scent (Pacificas tend to have a fast fade). Just a solid, summery floral that I think could work day or night. So happy to finally have this in my frag arsenal!
I found the opening of this to be nothing but a chalky, dusty mess. I suspect this may be due to chemistry based on the vast difference between my wrist and the scent on the spray card in store. I get slight plum beneath the thick layer of dust, but that doesn't make up for the hideous vintage overtone. The drydown is tolerable, but certainly not worth wading through the above to get to it. I adore violet. It's a constant throughout my fragrance wardrobe. However, I can't imagine this working as a skin fragrance for anyone.
