By Kilian Playing with the Devil

Okay, the promised new Kilian Playing with the Devil review!

kilian playing with the devil

There is a new entry in the Garden of Good and Evil, By Kilian Playing with the Devil.  Now, that name conjures up all sorts of Bacchanalian smells in my mind.  Let’s see if Party With the Devil lives up to it.

Notes – litchi, blood orange, black currant, white peach, pimento, pepper, rose, jasmine, sandalwood, cedar, patchouli, benzoin, tonka, and vanilla.  

No musk? Cumin?  Virgin’s blood?  Tsk, disappointed in the list of notes.

Fine, it’ won’t be what I think it should be at all, but is it a good fragrance? It’s Calice Becker, so of course it is well made.  It opens strong on the litchi and fruit notes, starts to warm with the florals, and I was thinking it was heading off into more interesting territory all too briefly, left it for a while, got a nice build-up from the benzoin and pepper.  It smooths out and warms with the tonka and vanilla notes. The first two times I tried it, I wasn’t bowled over, but the third time is a charm. I really do like it, it’s a beautifully made fragrance.

It just doesn’t fit my idea of what Kilian Playing With the Devil should be just based on the name.  I’m over it, though, and just judging it as a fragrance I’d wear?  Yeah, absolutely, it’s in that slightly weird mix of notes categories like Amouage Beloved.  Not the same fragrance at all, but just a discordance that is interesting.  My other complaint is that nice weird phase doesn’t last long enough, the tonka and vanilla kick in and smooth out the roughest of those edges that I really, really liked. Still beautiful, but from after the first 5 minutes through the first hour is my very favorite part.  But, you know, there is just nothing in this that makes me unhappy in the least, I really love it, just doesn’t have the teeth I was hoping it did.  Trying to live up to a name is tough.  

I was doing some sample give-aways last week for this fragrance, and I’ll do another set of four this week and announce the winners next Tuesday.  Just drop a comment to be entered.  What are you doing for the upcoming Labor Day weekend?

  • Ryan Oca says:

    Having tried it in Bergdorf I can say I’m a fan. The peach stuck with me for over an hour and the smell was delicious. Too bad they didn’t have the refill package yet, I would have snatched it up. Thank you for your review! If it’s still going on, please include me in the drawing!

  • Gail Scott says:

    Looking forward to working on some projects around the house on Labor Day 😉
    Tried samples of the other Garden of Good & Evil perfumes, and didn’t find one that I wanted to wear. It would be fun to try this one. I find the lengthy names of these perfumes aren’t easy to remember!

  • edpgypsy says:

    I am pouting that it’s already Labor Day this Labor Day weekend. I hate saying goodbye to summer. 🙁
    Thanks for the chance to win!

  • Jillian says:

    Sadly we have to stay in the area because hubby is on-call. Boooo 🙁

  • Ella says:

    Non-American here, no labour day!
    The fruity notes sound right-up my alley I would say… and it soudns lovely. I dont notice names too much. 😉 would love to try this!

  • Edward says:

    I have been busy learning to drive and missed this entry, I’d like to try a Kilian perfume, but their prices are a little scary. Haha!

  • Marcela says:

    I would definitely love to try this. Thanks

  • dremybluz says:

    thanks for the giveaway

  • poodle says:

    There’s very little chance I’ll like this. I have yet to find any Kilian perfumes I like but I keep trying.
    No plans for the weekend. If I could stay home and not leave the house at all that might be perfect but it’s not likely. I might try to get the spare room painted. I have an awful lot of yard work to do too.

  • Elia says:

    no labour day here, I’ll be working…

  • Maren says:

    I will be kicking off a week long vacation, and am excited to be painting rooms that I’ve wanted to do since moving in 13 years ago. Yes I am excited to be painting rooms, sniffing “eau de paint,” weird I know. Would love to try Playing with the Devil. Thanks for the draw.

  • Kandice says:

    I’m with those who just want to sleep (on Labor Day)! My very first try of a By Kilian fragrance was Sweet Redemption which I still love with all my heart. However, I haven’t cared for any of the fragrances in this new series. Maybe this one would change my mind, but I’m not holding out much hope based on your review. However, I would like to sample it, so thank you for the draw!

  • Janet in California says:

    Yay, four day week-end! All I want to do is sleep, not a good sign.

    I am glad you like this By Kilian. I loved most of his other 2 series but this one, so far, has not done much for me.

  • Nemo says:

    I also don’t get Labor day off, but I hope to fully enjoy the weekend anyway! My bf’s family is visiting and hopefully the weather will be nice enough to do some hiking. Thus my plan for the week is to do some thorough house cleaning! Thanks for the draw 🙂

  • Sapphire says:

    Having the in-laws in town for the weekend. Mostly good since I get along with them really well, though sometimes my DH let’s his mother get on his nerves. Taking them to the really cool Perot Museum of Science in Dallas. Thanks for the drawing!

  • poodletwins says:

    This weekend I plan on studying Japanese alphabet. I finally decided to take the plunge and start learning a new language. And so I just signed up for a class. I’ll be celebrating a friend’s milestone birthday on sunday. And hitting my favorite consignment shop on monday. Thanks for the draw! I havent tried By Killian anything yet.

  • wefadetogray says:

    Thanks for this draw. I really want to try this.
    For labor day I have to labor indeed. I am late with pretty much every single thing I need to do and my deadlines keep piling up and I just want to smell perfumes ans forget about everything else :/

  • Lauren SC says:

    Labor Day weekend, I will be working around my house. Thanks for the draw.

  • Sharyl Suzanne Morris says:

    Thanks for the draw–would love to enter. This weekend I’ll be tidying my unruly garden–I have a LOT of work to do before the fall rains come (I’m in Seattle).

  • For labor day weekend, we will be with family celebrating my grandparents’ 65th wedding anniversary — 65 years married and my grandmother still wears White Shoulders and my grandfather still loves the way she smells. 🙂 Thanks for the draw.

  • Maureen says:

    I will be labouring around my house Sat. & Sun., maybe painting a hallway. Monday I will be going to my son’s house and spending time with my grandchildren, so much fun and so cute -5&3. I have never had a Killian fragrance…funny name…should be dark & smoky. Please enter me…thanks.

  • Dina C. says:

    This fruit salad concoction doesn’t sound very yummy to me, so please DNEM. As for Labor Day, I will be taking DD and her BFF down to the Lake for a day and a half. I’ll also be quietly rejoicing for a dear friend of ours who has been job-hunting for several years. She recently got a new job *with benefits* and told us she is looking forward to Labor Day because, “I’ll actually be paid, and not be forfeiting a day’s income!” I’m so happy for her and her family. 🙂

    • Ann says:

      Hooray, Dina! I will send up a prayer of thanks for your friend! I feel her pain; I was unemployed for more than two years, so a new job is definitely something worth rejoicing about.

  • Yulina says:

    Our labor day here is on 1st of May. It actually will start next year, as an national holiday. I do not think I will be doing much on it.

  • Dana says:

    My sister-in-law is coming for a visit from VA. We will smoke some ribs and have a nice brunch on Sunday. We will also continue to work on the finishing details of our kitchen remodel. I don’t have much experience with Kilian fragrances, but would love to smell this.

  • leathermountain says:

    Not much happening. I’ve been grappling with perfume titles quite a bit, recently. Thanks for the draw!

  • Martin says:

    I work part time in retail so will be laboring on Labor Day. One of the pleasures of the work is the people watching and the enjoyment of catching occasional interesting scents as customers pass. Thanks for your Playing With the Devil review.

  • Connie says:

    This week is my first week of college, and I’m spending Labor Day Weekend at home with my parents, cats, and favorite city.

  • solanace says:

    This series seems to be aimed at teens who like fruity bath products but want to spend more. I still want to try this one, though, specially since you compared it to my beloved Beloved.

  • Ann says:

    Patty, I have to say that I used to look forward to the BK new releases, but after the ouds (except for Incense Oud) and this slew of white bottles, not so much. That’s good, I guess, one less thing to try and want. Of course, DNEM. Thinking of your family and am keeping the prayers going up for your brother and all of you. Hugs …

  • Belle says:

    Hello there! Don’t give so much of a thought to Labor Day since I don’t work yet. We don’t really celebrate it much here either.

    I thought with that name, it would be some raunchy fruit maybe….

    Thanks for the draw! I’m continuing my prayers for your brother!

  • Bridget C says:

    I agree, the listed notes seem incongruent with I would expect from the name. Regardless, I’d love a sniff! Thanks for the draw.

  • patriciaC says:

    Labor day, forgot all about that. Gives me an excuse to make and eat BBQ ribs YUM. I love fruit and floral together so to me this sounds pretty good. I don’t like the name though, can’t imagine someone asking me at church what i’m wearing, and what i would say.Please enter me in the drawing,i won,t wear it at church.

    • Ann says:

      Good point! I always felt funny wearing Opium to church, so ended up picking something else with a more innocuous name, ha!

  • Steve Tsotras says:

    Will probably be doing some grilling with the family as usual, enjoying the 3 day weekend.

    Hope to see what this new Kilian is all about

  • Kim B says:

    WHAT!!! It’s Labor Day??? Nooooo…….

  • Sally McSweeney says:

    Hmmmm I think I’d like to be entered in the draw, please and thank you 🙂
    I’ve tried the others in this series – Good Girl Gone Bad, Forbidden Games and I can’t remember the other one – something along the same “bad” lines. They were all over the top fruity for my taste and I kept getting images of Carmen Miranda in my head. However, I’m grimly hanging on in the hope that one of them will finally live up to its name and take me to the dark side…
    This weekend I will be estate sale-ing with the hubby on Sat, bbq-ing wiith dear friends on Sun, and (hopefully) doing absolutely NOTHING on Mon.

  • tammy says:

    This sounds almost as disappointing, name-wise, as Illamasqua’s Freak. Not quite as bad, because the notes of that one actually sounded freaky and exotic and were not at all, whereas with this one at least you see it’s probably not very devilish at all. Would hit a’ kilt her to put a wee note of smoke or sulphur or some other cliche in there, FFS?? 😛 Litchi and vanilla don’t really scream Beelzebub to me. Perhaps we’re meant to be be seeing his softer, more playful side!

    No need to enter me, this doesn’t sound like my thing at all, although I am coming around on the packaging. ( I don’t usually like white, but I love the idea of using it as a clutch)

  • springpansy says:

    Thanks for entering me in the draw – I’d love to try it. Spending Labor Day visiting family in Seattle and hoping to attend the UW football game, shop, eat seafood and enjoy being near the water.

  • Musette says:

    from the name, I expected it would dance around your skin with little licks of flame, before bursting into some incendiary fabulosity! dang. (DNEM – I just wanted to say ‘dang’)

  • spiker says:

    Sadly, I don’t get labor day off, but that’s ok. Just a regular nice weekend would be great.

    I’m curious since I’ve never tried any of the Killian scents, but I admit it might be a relief if I don’t win a sample. From what I’ve heard, I’m not sure I can afford to fall in love.