FINISHED DECANTS SEPTEMBER 2023

BDK GRIS CHARNEL

Smokey (because of the Black Tea?), smells like the color/shade grey, sweet (not Fig), spicy Cardamom, grassy Vetiver, Sandalwood-y, and hasn't gone nasty on my skin despite having Tonka Bean. Vetiver and Sandalwood forward. Powdery Iris. Sandalwood and Iris work synergically to create a creamy quality. Doesn't smell like Black Orchid anymore. It's unidimensional: a smokey, woody fragrance. Faint cooling menthol sensation. Masculine-leaning unisex scent. 

PACO RABANNE FAME

Super mango-y. Subtle jasmine floral notes and incense smoke (barely there.) Sunny and warm. Fades into the background after a long work day. Who knew that one would be happy to develop anosmia? The brand markets this as a new era of femininity, the irresistible Parisian, playful, sensual, empowered, and avant-garde. Reiterating sentiments from my original review: this doesn't smell avant-garde and childishness does not equate to playfulness. You can't imagine any young, artsy Parisienne wearing this. They'd probably wear something green, woody, musky, or oriental. Sweet and fruity doesn't scream hip and forward-thinking. 

I rejoiced when I finally finished this sample spray! 

A LAB ON FIRE WHAT WE DO IN PARIS IS SECRET

Overly sweet gourmand. Old lady vanilla, powdery baby wipes, and Play-Doh. I mainly smell artificial honey, heliotrope, and vanilla. Heavy gaslighting can't convince me to pick up any base notes, though it started to smell more resinous, tart, and balsamy. Weak sillage, thank goodness! Decent longevity; sweet gourmand scents cling to me like long COVID. It smells infinitely better after you give it time to settle (after all the sickly sweet notes and loud florals dissipate to just the vanilla.) FYI, I'm wearing a mask when the scent becomes likable. Predictably warm and cozy with the vanilla. Once, I noticed the super fleeting and subtle litchi note, but they were never experienced again. The opening is not worth going through to get the pretty remnant.

BYREDO GYPSY WATER

With all the sweet gourmand fragrances I was going through, this smokey fragrance was a welcomed reprieve. I've said it already. This is Baby Jazz Club/Jazz Club-lite. If someone wearing Jazz Club hugged another person and imparted some of the fragrance on them, that's what Gypsy Water smells like to me! It's more piney than Jazz Club. Other than pine and incense smoke, I smell sandalwood and vanilla. It's a likable smokey and woody fragrance that's great for cooler weather, but I wouldn't purchase it. My first pick from the brand is Rose of No Man's Land and then Bal D'Afrique. There isn't much of a wow factor.

+ L'ARTISAN PARFUMER IRIS DE GRIS (I recently reviewed it, so I didn't do a write-up for it in this post.)