Idôle Now: Twenty-First-Century Rose Vanilla Blend

Idôle Now by Lancôme
Amber Floral

Idole Now is the newest release by Lancome in the Idôle range. It is a rose orchid and vanilla perfume. A strong floral with a sweet vanilla base. A less innocent, more powerful version of the original Idôle from 2019. It is a solid release; however, there is something about the musky, light, airy rose that the original Idôle represents.

Idole Now is not fruity at all and feels more grown-up. I like Idôle Now, not as much as the OG, but it is a quality floral. If I got a full bottle from somebody as a gift, I would not be mad and would probably use it up. It is easy to wear every day. However, would I buy a bottle of Idôle Now myself? Oh, definitely not. I am not in love. I know a handful of rose fragrances that I personally prefer.

Devotion: Uncomplicated, Likeable, Delightful

Devotion by Dolce&Gabbana
Amber Vanilla
Olivier Cresp

Devotion is a brilliant surprise from Dolce&Gabbana. The scent brings joy, especially in the opening. It has a gorgeous candied lemon note followed by orange blossom, panacotta and rum, underlined with vanilla.

It is a sweet-tart heaven on Earth. It smells like a lemon cake. The vanilla is soft and inviting. It is a vanilla smell for people who are not into vanilla. So friendly and easy to wear. A vanilla scent for the day, light but with a decent lasting power.

A great release from Dolce&Gabbana, perfect for autumn. It is also going to sell well around Christmas in particular. Vanilla is a big thing not only in the perfume community but also among regular perfume consumers. When I first got into perfumes, vanilla was a no-no for me, now I thoroughly enjoy it, Devotion included.

Burberry Her Elixir: Big Fat Red Strawberry

Burberry Her Elixir de Parfum by Burberry
Gourmand Fruity
Jerome di Marino and Maia Lernout

A more rounded sensual Burberry Her the OG. I smell more of creamy milky notes in Elixir. It is delectable and alluring but stays close to the skin. No shouting whatsoever. It smells like a strawberry milkshake. A rich one with bio strawberries, fat milk, and eco sugar.

There is this plastic feel throughout the fragrance which is detectable also in the original. I actually do not mind. That is what sets Burberry Her apart from other fragrances. Moreover, strawberry is a note, if strong in fragrances, that comes across synthetic almost all the time. So, if you want a strawberry-dominant scent, you had better get used to it.

If you want the fruity aspect fresher and woodsier, you may look for wild strawberry nuances in a perfume. I like both: the fruity sweet strawberry as we know it from our gardens and supermarkets as well as the wild rare strawberry growing in the forest.

Perfume Empties in 2023: 28 bottles

I cannot believe I have used up 28 perfume bottles in 2023. Yay! Okay, okay, minis, travel sizes, but full sizes too. I have to show mostly summer feminine scents but some heavy stuff also. You can look forward to Vetiver D’Hiver by Armani Prive, Delina La Rosee by PDM, Figues & Agrumes by Maison Lancome and much more.

It is a great feeling to not only display the fragrances but actually use them and enjoy them. In other words, to spice up your daily routine with a bit of aroma. There is something magical about a fragrance … and to see me tenaciously going through them brings me joy. I created this video for you to enjoy as well.

Flowerbomb Ruby Orchid: Secure in Her Own Skin

Flowerbomb Ruby Orchid by Viktor&Rolf
Floral Fruity Gourmand
Domitille Michalon Bertier

Orchid flower – so typical for a Flowerbomb perfume composition. It’s no surprise we can find it in Ruby Orchid, too. Although it is a floral fruity, it has a similar dark smokiness, which the original Flowerbomb also proudly carries.

However, if you want a potent and long-lasting fragrance, go for the OG Flowerbomb because it has patchouli, which helps the scent last and project. Ruby Orchid is beautiful and mysterious but is missing the punch the OG has.

Ruby Orchid would make a great, intimate, seductive scent with all that sweetness from vanilla. It has a subtle velvet texture. It represents sensuality without going overboard. You are not going to scare the man off. Instead, he is going to be drawn to you gradually but surely.

I enjoyed most of the Flowerbombs, and Ruby Orchid is one of the best. It is sexy together with being soft at the same time. I can see myself wearing this to an intimate dinner with my husband. It would be pretty hard for a man to dislike this.

La Vie Est Belle Soleil Cristal: Always Comes Back to My Collection

La Vie Est Belle Soleil Cristal by Lancôme
Chypre Floral
Dominique Ropion and Nicolas Beaulieu

Upon the first spray, it carries the La Vie Est Belle OG DNA. I get a refreshing feminine combo of mandarin orange and pink pepper. The heart is strictly floral. Ylang and iris are dominants to my nose, giving the fragrance a creamy powdery texture you feel throughout the entire experience. There are coconut and vanilla in the base. The coconut note is full-on: nutty and milky compared to the watery coconut you smell in Coconut Sun by 7 Virtues.

Soleil Cristal is a lighter, more floral and summery flanker of the original big seller. It is a solid-quality perfume, but I am still unsure whether to keep or return it. On the one hand, it is very floral for my liking. It smells better from the atomizer. The iris comes off strongly and powdery on my hand, and I am not exactly a fan.

On the other hand, having La Vie Est Belle in one’s collection is a must-have for every woman. I do not know a perfume which would be more universal and appealing. It is floral, sweet, lady-like … day or night. In other words, you cannot do wrong with La Vie Est Belle. At the end of the day, it is a keeper.

Raindrops Ajmal: Easy-Peasy Sporty Whiff

Raindrops by Ajmal
Floral Fruity

Raindrops by Ajmal smells like a Yves Rocher fragrance which means not bad for the price. It is an aroma from 2006 so I am sure the price has dropped significantly since then. However, being a perfume enthusiast I am not bought.

Raindrops smells fresh and fruity and cheers you up for the upcoming 30 minutes but that’s it. If that is what you are looking for – a scent for the gym, or leaving the house to go to the supermarket, fine. But if you are on the hunt for a signature scent or something more special, forget Raindrops.

It is supposedly a dupe for Coco Mademoiselle EDT by Chanel, which I had in my collection and gave it a lot of love; therefore, this comparison would have never crossed my mind. Although you cannot beat the Ajmal price, what you lack in Raindrops is elegance. If you are not a teenager, go for Coco Mademoiselle.

Prada La Femme: Everything You Need in One Fragrance

Prada La Femme by Prada
Amber Floral
Daniela (Roche) Andrier

I must shamefully admit that I slept on Prada La Femme for a long time. This fragrance was launched in 2016 and I thought all that time I did not need it. The reason why I was hesitant towards buying it was in fact, the prominence of honey in the fragrance. I was afraid it was going to be too sweet and too claggy for my personal taste. But luckily, in 2023, I realised I do need La Femme in my wardrobe and here is why.

The honey is there but it is actually one of the many things that make this scent so good. First of all, the flower choice is absolutely stunning. You get my favourite yellow flower frangipani, together with buttery ylang-ylang and tropical tuberose. The warmth of these florals is balanced with cold powdery iris tones which are so typical for Prada.

The aroma is tiny tiny oriental with some added spices. The beeswax though is the cherry on top and it does contribute to the overall sweetness. Prada La Femme is indeed a sweet fragrance but I find the honey aspect surprisingly lighter and somewhat more natural smelling than other components in sweet fragrances like caramel, tonka or benzoin.

The best part of Prada La Femme is its duality. It can be cheerful and carefree as well as incredibly classy and sophisticated. It has the standoffish Prada DNA we know from the private collection of Infusions; however, the honey and tropical florals introduce warmth and cosiness which is so comfortable and pleasant to wear.

I love this fragrance to bits. It does not remind me of anything else, maybe Mimosa & Cardamom by Jo Malone, a little bit but it still holds its head high, and has an admirable spirit and flair. A bottle for a confident independent woman.

Idôle Aura: Sweaty Clown at Bday Party

Idôle Aura by Lancôme
Floral Woody Musk
Adriana Medina-Baez, Nadege Le Garlamtezec and Shyamala Maisondieu

Although I absolutely love the original Idôle and think that Idôle bottles are drop-down gorgeous, so far I have not found anything special about this Idôle flanker Aura.

It is a salty vanilla fragrance with a bit of flowers. It has been advertised as an effervescent marine summer perfume but I find it to be the opposite. You expect a fairy airy queen but you get a funky musky clown.

It does not smell like the OG. Perhaps it is reminiscent of Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker in the sense that it is stuffy, floral and musky. The musk is modern though, somewhat reminds the musks of Narciso Rodriquez. And yes, there is salt, so I slightly smell Levante by Nobile 1942 and I adore Levante … but when you combine the muskiness, saltiness and floral components you get something strange and claggy.

It is strong and lingers well which is no good this time. But if you love the scent I am pleased to report that in regard to performance, Idôle Aura is tenacious as a maze runner.

Long story short, I am not going to be wearing Idôle Aura neither during summer nor any other season. It lacks sweetness and airiness as far as my personal taste is concerned. It is looking pretty in a box, ready to go to another owner.

Osmanthus: Under the Radar Excellency

Osmanthus by Ormonde Jayne
Floral Fruity
Geza Schoen

Osmanthus is a flower although it truly smells fruity, particularly like a juicy sweet apricot. Our Osmanthus by Ormonde Jayne is spiced up with pomelo, artemisia and pimento. Unlike Frangipani by the same brand, Osmanthus has depth with leather nuances. It leads to an exotic/oriental-smelling fragrance. I am enjoying this twist. It sets Osmanthus apart from other florals.

It is a gentle perfume yet you will get noticed. Its projection is leaning into the citrusy herbal unisex category and it is a universal compliment-getter. The scent gives similar vibes to Atelier Cologne citruses but softer. It falls into my favourite family of fragrances hence I am a happy camper when wearing it.

I like Osmanthus a little bit more than Frangipani even though they are much alike. It is a perfect idea to layer these two, Frangipani in the morning and Osmanthus in the afternoon. Together, they are a floral heaven.