Hey Hey Posse Peeps! If you’ve been a perfumista for a long time you’ll remember the excitement about and around this brand when it launched in 2007. This very handsome young vampire, Kilian, always had one button too many undone. He always looked just a little louche in photographs. We all swooned. The grandson of the founder of the LVMH group, Kilian Hennessy grew up in the family’s wine cellars. That he also was the creative director of some sizzling scents made us all go gaga. Well, maybe not all, but a fair swathe of us. By 2011, when Sweet Redemption was released, the event of a new by Kilian release was as fever pitched as an Amouage. This is a few years after I discovered you all online and found out that I wasn’t the only perfume craving human on earth.
My bottle was part of the Michael Edwards collection and it’s even more precious because of it. You may remember the legendary weekend he emptied the vaults. Some lucky Sydney perfume peeps got to take what they wanted. I took a tote bag full but some people filled up their whole car. There’s a small part of me that wishes I had.
Having gone to look at the by Kilian site it seems Sweet Redemption has gone and is discontinued.
Sweet Redemption by Kilian 2011
Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Orange blossom, Benzoin, Myrrh, Opoponax, Vanilla, Frankincense
Legendary perfumer Calice Becker signed Sweet Redemption. Creator of Balmain Vent Vert, DIOR J’adore, Hilfiger Tommy Girl and many of the by Kilians.
Straight out of the spritzer Sweet Redemption swirls with the vegetally sweet floral beauty of orange blossom. It always makes me think of skin fresh from a wax or facial, well a day or so after when everything has calmed. Dewy, satin finish, soft like the blossom petals. It’s backed by a non bakery version of vanilla, just enough to give a depth and very lightly tropical tone. I’m making it read like the fragrance is a bit introverted. Please don’t get that impression. Sweet Redemption is a big, bold scent that is bound to turn heads but not bludgeon them.
The amber incense notes make themselves known through the heart and create layers to the orange blossom. They never take over and become the centre of attention. Right through to dry down the flowers are the star and towards the last gasp amber comes to meet it halfway.
What a shame Sweet Redemption has gone the way of the dodo. It’s a great grand beauty.
Cinnamon and Tom enticed me to Gold Knight last year.
Did you ever get to sniff Sweet Redemption?
Portia xx