Strangers Parfumerie Comme Un Carrousel

Sigh. This weekend has been nothing but paperwork and I’m a grump (see below). Apologies. I’ll try to come up with something cheery next week.

I did say I picked the most recent samples because of the names …

I’d never heard of Strangers Parfumerie (based in Thailand, Prin Lomros’ brand is ‘experimental’, drawing from ‘favourite memories, films, music’). A trawl around the net offered some reviews, including one that covered quite a few fragrances and went on literally forever.

The EdPs appear to be offered in fairly pedestrian 30ml bottles priced at around $80 on Lucky Scent. So, in the context of independent perfume not cheap but not insane.

The notes list for this (launched in 2020) is all over the map: cola, rum, red apple, honey, basil, rose, orange flower, cinnamon, coconut, clove, tobacco, vanilla, myrrh, amber and ginger. I think if I had looked at the notes list I probably wouldn’t have picked this after all. But that’s what happens when you choose by name.

I am not really enamoured of the name – it just stood out (I got another from the same line which will likely pop up in a review at some point in the future).

So, what to say?

This is supposed to be a reflection of being a teenager during the summer in Nice, France – all those teenage things: cigs, booze, furtive moves.

Well, maybe …

On me, this starts out like a fizzy version (the cola?) of the orange creamsicle ice creams (so, vanilla, I guess) my mother loved (we always wanted things with chocolate, or those chocolate dips, which you can’t find here). There may be a hint of the apple as well.

I was trying to figure out what this reminds me of as it (sort of) develops and finally managed to grab hold of cream soda with a shot of orange syrup… With a bit of clean musk thrown in for good measure.

I was not overwhelmed after trying it on two occasions. For something with such a fanciful name this is sort of pedestrian.

As the notes list implies, it’s pretty sweet, which in general isn’t something that puts me off. But both times I tested this I forgot I had something on after around 10 minutes and had to remind myself to re-smell.

There are a lot of fragrances in the line. I’m afraid I’m not compelled to go after more of them post the two I’ve already got.

So, have you heard of this house? Do you own anything? Thoughts if you do, please.