Year of release: 1965
Classification: Amber Woody
Nose: Jean-Paul Guerlain, who's created other masculine classic at Guerlain such as Vetiver and Heritage. He was the last of the family master perfumers, being the fourth generation Guerlain to work as the master perfumer of the brand. He retired as the head perfumer in the early 2000s and stayed on as advisor but removed from the Guerlain brand in 2010 for racist remarks made on French TV regarding his inspiration for one his classic perfumes Samsara.
Top Notes Lemon, Brazilian Rosewood, Orange, Bergamot, Lime, Tangerine, Basil
Heart Notes Rose, Carnation, Sandalwood, Cinnamon, Patchouli, Jasmine, Cedar
Base Notes Vanilla, Leather, Amber, Benzoin, Oakmoss, Labdanum
My take: Opens up with a deep lemon opening, it's rich and refreshing, but has a woody and slightly woody spicy backbone, coming via the Brazilian rosewood. There are other citrus' in the opening such as the Orange, Bergamot, Lime and Tangerine, however these are very much the backing players, the lemon is the main star, along with the Brazilian rosewood.
As the scent develops, it's joined by a slightly sweet floral rose, though it's very light on my skin, and the heart is mostly about the carnation, which gives off a slight cloves nuance, warm and spicy. The citrus lemon from the opening is now only a whisper on the skin.
In the drydown, the scent completely changes, and it's almost like it's a different perfume you've worn on your skin. For me I get this dusty quality, the drydown on my skin, is this sweet woody leather, which comes across quite dry and dusty.
My wife wasn't a massive fan of the scent, and make comments such as "It seems like I've been teleported 60 years", "you smell really old", "your scent smells like an old soap that grandma would use".
Performance: Unfortunately for me, this one doesn't perform as well as I would like, which is contrary to what other reviewers experience, where this one performs excellently on them. It must just be my skin chemistry. The longevity is around 6 hours on my skin, with the projection being good for the first 2 hours after which is becomes softer on my skin, the drydown especially is very subtle on my skin, though the top and heart stages project much more noticeably.
Season: This could work all year round, though it's best suited to Autumn/Fall, and I would avoid in the blazing hot days of summer, where the drydown could get a bit cloying.
Occasion: This is signature scent worthy, and could work excellently as a work and formal scent.
Rating: 8/10 - it's a classic, just wish it would perform better on my skin, if it did, it would get a solid 10/10.
You can watch my video review here: https://youtu.be/ImoSRRNjUGM
Love this. Opulent and classy. Mature.
Bianco Latte opens incredibly sweet, like a decadent caramel macchiato with extra vanilla syrup and plush, honey-infused cream. It's so sweet it almost makes me mad, which almost makes me weepy, because I'm one of those people who cries instead of yells when they get mad. And it makes me think of super cute animals, how sometimes when we see a little fluffy furry cutie-patootie, we just burst into tears. Even though they're adorable and charming, and they make us happy! And this, in turn, makes me think of that old 2006-era website, Cute Overload, and this one particular chubby, floofy bunny, whose fur was so white and its eyes were so big and innocent, and I just died every time I saw it. I think that's the essence Bianco Latte is trying to capture - that overwhelming, almost painful sweetness that stirs up complex emotions. As the scent settles on your skin, it softens, much like how you'd calm down after that initial rush of seeing an impossibly adorable creature. As Bianco Latte dries down, the white musk emerges, creating an airy softness that mimics the imagined touch of that bunny's impossibly fluffy fur. The vanilla becomes more rounded and marshmallow-squishy, reminiscent of how you'd want to cuddle that sweet little guy. The honey notes linger, reminding you of the golden glow of nostalgia for simpler internet days when a cute animal picture could be the highlight of your afternoon. It's a scent that doesn't just evoke memories, but feelings - that mix of joy, tenderness, and inexplicable sadness that comes from encountering something almost too precious for this world.
Warm Bulb opens with a subtle but singular blend of fuzzed salinity combined with the scent of a heating element, evoking the imagined aroma of a Himalayan salt lamp covered in a fine patina of dust. I have several of these lamps, and mine don't smell like much of anything in particular, but this opening is always how I thought they would smell. It's the essence of warm, mineralized air, like you could smell the soft, pinky-orange glow emanating from rough-hewn salt crystals beneath a thin veil of settled particles. The fragrance makes me think of the lamp's alleged ability to ionize the air, creating an olfactory impression of a purified, slightly electric atmosphere tinged with a hint of neglect. As it develops, the scent undergoes an unexpected transition, as if a forgotten offering has been left near the lamp's warm glow: a small dried bouquet and a marshmallow, both altered by proximity to the salt lamp's warmth and accumulated residue. Imagine pressed flowers; their colors faded but still discernible, mingled with the powdery sweetness of a marshmallow slowly desiccating in the lamp's ambient heat, all covered by a ghostly layer of time's passage. Though not a scent that wildly excited me, Warm Bulb's quiet journey from dusty, electrified minerals to withered floral sweetness proved to be an interesting olfactory experience, even just to think about and write about, if not to wear.
Crushed Fruits from Regime des Fleurs shimmers and unfurls like an overripe reverie, fruit flesh and flowers awakening from brandy-soaked slumber; an ultraviolet tumble of plums, an infrared rush of raspberries, a kaleidoscopic cascade woven through the fold of a forgotten black velvet painting, glossy and dripping and beckoning with the urgency of a thousand hummingbird hearts. That 1970s canvas time-shifts into a 1990s dress, empire-waisted, bell-sleeved, phantom filigree choker at the throat, echoes of stompy boots, an ambery oxblood slash of Spice or Black Honey staining ghost-lips. A current of boozy bitterness and dusky incense, a smoky scent of hazy late neon nights bleeding into dawn, of kisses that taste like vintage lipstick from a dream you haven't had yet but always remember the moment before waking.
I prefer the regular Alien Goddess, itās way more refined.
This has been my signature summer scent for a while now. Beautiful and fresh, bright floral and green.
A truly perfect rose for summer weather. Never fails to get compliments.
Fresh but warm. Soft almost lactonic scent. It's really cosy and beautiful. Great if you're a bedtime scent wearer!
A stunning dark mysterious rose oud.
Expensive.
A good introduction to Oud.
There is something astringent about this that puts me off. It's almost too 'dry' smelling. Just give me the perfume any day.
Very neroli heavy which is beautiful however it's a very weak cologne. Nice to have if you enjoy neroli but don't expect too much.
Absolutely stunning scent. Just wish the price point was more reasonable.
Often said to be an Adventus 'clone' - personally I don't see it. A beautiful bracing green citrus with a spicy leather dry down. Absolutely beautiful.
A powerhouse. Don't be put off by the hyped 'reviews' or TikTok people. Whilst it is not for everyone and is incredibly potent, it's a wonderful smoky spicy scent. Use sparingly!
Smells like my mum
After testing a small decant I bought a bigger one for my husband, hoping he'd add it into his Musc Ravageur/L'Homme Ideal rotation. It's a sweet, masculine leaning perfume, one that you can't get out of your mind.
Itās FINALLY back!
Standalone review: opens with a blast of sweet candied apples, then the caramel and bubblegum ease into view. Anything floral is just there to add depth, the star of this show is apples and sweets. This is average longevity and projection but smells so delicious, itās worth reapplying. Way in the dry down this turns into sugar and soft amber.
Listen, this is not complex, itās not totally unique, but it is damn good. To me, compared to all the things up topā¦ itās better. Eden Juicy Apple is too sharp and musky. Candy Apple Cauldron is too sour. Dylan Purple, Irresistible and Dolce Rose are too floral. Sugarful is a synthetic mess that disappears in minutes. Sugar Fleur is perfection.
These days getting a 3ml bottle under 80usd is unheard of, but I got mine under 60 thanks to a sale. I definitely feel itās worth it because I have begged for them to bring this scent back.
OG comparison: the OG was sharper and didnāt last as long. Thatās it. The new one feels sweeter and better quality, more refined if you will. I also prefer the new label/ribbon. Very demureā¦ other than that, we have back the scent we fell in love with. Iām grateful.
This is for the girls and guys who like to smell like a candy shop. If the name and notes didnāt make it clear, allow me. This is a bottle of cavities. I love it, but it may be too much for you. Donāt be mad at a Sugar perfume for smelling like sugar if you know you donāt like sugary scentsā¦
To me on its own itās definitely traditionally femme. But as a layering scent, surprisingly unisex. This adds such a nice touch of sweetness to so many scents, itās definitely worth keeping an open mind.
Anyhow, Iām in love and so happy to have this missing piece of my collection on the shelf where it belongsš„°
A modern and Luxe Cashmere Mist. Not the same scent, but the same vibeš
Literally the perfect quiet musk. They picked the right fruit, the right florals, the right accords and the just the right amount of all of it. Not too juicy, not too sweet, not too floral, not too woody, not too powdery, not too muskyā¦. It has the perfect amounts of all these elements.
This dries down warm and sweet and in my opinion is better than Skin. As much as I love praline in fragrance, itās too heavy in Skin for me and ruins the scent. But this gets its sweetness from a juicy, almost preserved, pear that balances well as a skin scent. It feels more natural.
I was lucky to get an older batch on deep discount at a rack store, as Iāve heard this has been reformulated. Sad to see perfection tampered with unnecessarily.
Overpriced Jāadore. Why was this made?
I have never requested a refund so fast in my life.
I paid nearly 40 bucks for what translates to a dollar store body spray. The worst Fantasy Iāve tried, this being my 9th.
So, what do I get? Someone down the street yelled bubblegum while spraying an off brand air freshener, and the wind blew in my direction. The end.
This is faint in every way imaginable, and on my skin, what smells like a two week old body mist test on paper, turns into a jumbled chemical mess. Yes, on paper 5 fresh sprays are hard to detect.
I purchased from the Britney Spears store front in Amazon, and assume this is authentic, but who knows. This could be scented tap waterš¤·š½ Either way, itās a no for me. What a wasted release.
Just added the beautiful Shaghaf Oud Tonka to my collection. This is the perfect almond tonka vanilla blend to me. The almond leans into its fruitier nuances and is not bitter at all. The cinnamon is sweet and almost honeyed and the rose essence is just so perfectly blended only a rose lover would even notice she was there. There is no way in the world this should be so inexpensive! This smells amazing!
If you love Velvet Tonka, you may love this. They are in the same world. The tobacco in VT gives it a smooth and sophisticated feel, and I just love that fragrance. Shaghaf Oud Tonka, by comparison, feels more lively, decidedly more feminine, and more captivating. Different vibes but that same gorgeous take on the main accords.
I donāt find it overwhelmingly sweet, loud or dense. It has an airiness to it that offsets the heaviness of its accords. It is a powerhouse though, so no need to overspray. Its powdery feel is a bit more textured than Velvet Tonka. If VT is pressed powder foundation, Oud Tonka is pressed highlighter with texture provided by glitter. Stunning š
Iām glad I got this now and not in summer. This is perfect for cooler weather and will sing in the cold. Ughā¦ Iāve fallen in love
On the nozzle, I get milk and raw greenish honey. They shouldāve skipped Davana and Bran and went with Patchouli. Thankfully itās fleeting.
On my skin, I smell like Iāve been bathed in honeyed spiced rum by the maidens of a goddess. Heavily honeyed. Raw honey. Immediately the rum and cinnamon are boldly present, then davana and bran pass through sourly, just enough to keep this from giving you a headache.
This dries down really beautifully and is a perfect fall gourmand.
I see what this is trying to be, mildly sweet, understated patchouli. It wants to be soft. It wants to stay close. It wants to be a breath of fresh air to anyone catches a whiff. And there are times when I want just that. Not to smell like perfume, but to smell like a clean, refreshing breeze.
Sadly, from my wearer perspective, I canāt get past the cleaner vibe. Windex or Comet cleanser is ruining the wear for me. Iāll stick with underspraying Gucci Rush when I need this vibe.
Way in the dry down this is slightly reminiscent of Valentino Donna. I much prefer Donna to this, however.
