Well, January. I haven’t bought samples in a while so looking at something that came in an xmas box of lovely stuff from a friend.
Illuminum isn’t a house I’ve ever paid much attention to.
I will say first off that after trying them, the samples went into the bag for the charity shop. They are those wiggle/pull off tops and I think I’m just getting spoiled and grumpy, but I’m not willing to struggle with a top to get to the juice. I looked through the samples I’ve kept and to a one they are sprays – small ones, but sprays: meaning I don’t even think about the delivery method. Dear Illuminum, You are doing yourself a disservice by making getting to the juice difficult.
The key thing I know about this brand is that Kate Middleton, wife of Prince William, Duchess etc of something – oh, no, now Princess of Wales – wore/wears the brand’s White Gardenia Petals (I think). Which had a huge moment after this was revealed. Basically made the brand, if I’m recalling correctly.
Anyway, Moroccan Tuberose.
This no longer appears on the website. So, why are you writing about, you ask? Well, it’s the one I liked. Not liked outrageously, but liked. So, I thought I should at least talk about that.
Mind, if it were still around I wouldn’t buy it.
Ok, notes: geranium, Turkish rose, ylang, Maroccan rose, tuberose, musk and cedar. I was going to say this is a tuberose for people who aren’t taken with the menthol/petrol aspects of tuberose. But, it actually does have a gentle whiff of that.
I want to say this is a tuberose for those who are put off by those weird aspects of the flower. A pretty tuberose but not the least bit challenging. Nice unless you absolutely positively hate tuberose.
It’s soft, gentle, not too sweet but still tuberosy. There’s something candied – ie, the menthol is actually sort of like sucking candies vs straight up, in your face, sharp – like in the opening of SL Tubereuse Criminelle. I would say this is TC’s little sister who got left home playing with her doll house and having pretend tea parties. And when I went back to read the comments on Fragrantica’s post someone else said this: the little sister of TC and Malle’s Carnal Flower.
It opens on me some spicy tuberose and after about 20 minutes there’s that whiff of menthol.
In the middle it’s gentle white flowers with enough petrol/menthol whisper to keep it from being pedestrian.
This has a very nice drydown, probably the best part of the fragrance. Any sweetness is gone and we’ve got tuberose, ylang and a whisper of petrol.
So why did I review something it doesn’t appear you can get? I guess because it was enjoyable to wear this. Pleasant. In truth, I don’t think I would now review something discontinued that was incredible because that would be unfair: this is sensational but you can’t get it any more. Anyone sampled or have this?
Pic per Pexels
I looked through my sample drawer F-J, but no Illuminum samples. I like the idea of a soft tuberose. The strong ones like Fracas are too much for me nowadays even though I really like the way tuberose smells. I’m probably the exception. Most folks like their fragrances to have lots of projection and spillage. Thanks Cinnamon!
These sounded not that interesting when I read about them (I think related to Kate using one of them) and now that I’m reading comments I’m not grieving. I’m not a fan of the menthol bit like in TC, but I do like a tuberose with a bit of oomph.
I remember trying some of these and finding them kind of bloodless.
But I prefer tuberose to be Fracas fierce.
Agree on fierce even if I’m not quite fierce enough for Fracas.
Me, too!!!
I hardly smelled any of them and actually sampled on my body only a couple. Illuminum seems to have passed me by. If I remember rightly their packaging was very nice.
What I remember of what I wore is that the brand doesn’t seem to be for perfumistas. Of course this was during my “it better be weird and unusual and push my boundaries” phase.
Maybe if I tried them now I’d be less sneery.
Maybe
Portia xx
Two other samples came in the box but I can recall nothing about them even though clearly I sampled them. From this experience even if one isn’t focused on pushing boundaries these simply aren’t that compelling.
I also tried White Gardenia Petals when everyone online was raving about it. I didn’t like it at all and was very surprised by all the praise it got. Since that was seemingly Illuminum’s best, I decided not to try any others.
As an aside – I had just spritzed on some Amouage Love Tuberose when I went to the Posse and saw this post. 🙂
Ack. That’s what I get for trying to be cutesy. White Gardenia Petals is definitely still on the site and indeed is what I was thinking of.
I tried White Garden is Petals when everyone was excited about it.
I thought it was awful. Not just “not me” but awful in general.
I out my sample aside and tried it a few weeks later – maybe I had a cold or something?
Still awful.
I gave it a third try before giving up. The Princess of Wales seems like a lovely person, and I’m sure it smells great on her. Maybe it’s my Irish blood?
It really did have a moment and the brand hung its hat on that.
The Illuminums I sniffed were all polite & mimsy. None were unpleasant they were “nice”. Nice, that most cutting of descriptions in the English language.
Didn’t something untoward happen to the brand at one time? I remember some online chatter years ago but can’t remember any details & can’t be ***ed to search.
Hope you enjoyed your NY holiday
I have this vague idea you are accurate on something happening with the brand. Maybe I’ll have a sniff around later. Hope it’s not too freezing up there. Not enjoying the cold but at least the sun has been out.
I don’t generally mind crisp, sunny cold days. It’s the grey, dank, wet & icy days I loathe with a passion. It’s the latter we currently have.
Even wrapping up well, the damp gets through to my bones.
Jarvis refuses to go walks when it’s like this.