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
This was the one that got away. By the time I was ready to buy it, they had discontinued it – I was sad and mad!
I’m sad this one was discontinued. It was probably my favorite in this particular collection.
It’s a beauty Diana,
Portia xx
I tried By Kilian a long time ago. It was Good Girl Gone Bad and I really didn’t like it. So so sweet and no girl gone bad part, at least on me. I went and looked at By Kilian perfume lists but wasn’t sure if I tried any other ones, but then I saw Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi. I sampled that one a year or so ago and liked it enough to consider buying a decant, but didn’t. I should try out some of his newer works and check out VVCAM again. I remember Musette’s review of Dark Lord too!
I think I have a travel of Dark lord or Gold King or something. It was tremendous and not VERY long ago. Not new new but done really well.
If you have a nearby store that has them, go spend an hour with the SA. there could be a hidden gem for you Maya.
Portia xx
I like his stuff a lot but somehow I have never actually bought a bottle. Wonder why?
It could very well be price Tom. Back then what we thought was stratospheric pricing has turned out to be a bargain.
NOW it’s bewildering.
Portia x
Oh, lord. I remember visiting the Kilians a few times at the nearby Saks, in my former life, and I was so overwhelmed I couldn’t focus. I have decants of a few I really like but somehow could never quite bring myself to buy a FB. I’m sorry I missed this one, it sounds lovely.
I have that feeling now when I see the by Kilian booth at our city department store. TOO MUCH. I’m overwhelmed just looking.
Portia xx
I bought the coffret of the L’oeuvre Noire collection when it was first released, back when coffrets were still a thing (now it’s a few samples for the same price!). Sweet Redemption and A Taste of Heaven were my favourites so I’m glad I was able to afford some of each albeit travel spray sets as both are heartbreakingly discontinued. Perhaps Love (Don’t be shy) is the last of the originals?
Those coffers were so cool Lynley, did it come with the uber cool travel case for the decants?
Portia xx
I know that I have tried a couple of the Killian offerings and wasn’t too impressed. Maybe because I got into the habit of ignoring things out of my price range. You don’t get rich working retail.
Truth Eldarwen22,
You don’t stay rich buying perfume too.
Portia xx
No you don’t. At least I can smell good while being broke.
HA! Jin often jokes I’ll be the best smelling human living in a cardboard box.
I must be that contrary soul who resists trends because I don’t think I’ve sniffed any of the By Killians. Either that or the price point just scared me away. This sounds really lovely. How fortunate that you have a bottle. Thanks for a great review.
OMG DinaC! Remember when we thought perfume was expensive? Now it’s unbearable.
Portia xx
I remember sniffing the Kilians in Harvey Nicks around that time. I remember they were all a bit too sweet for my taste. Strange I have a sugar aversion in perfumery but a massive sweet tooth.
Really Alityke? I was much the same till Cacharel Liberté slapped me hard, now I have a few confectionary loves.
Portia xx
I do have some perfume sweets. 4160T Sherbet Lemon & Rhubarb & Custard, Casamorati Lira (on my sales list), Eau Rhubarbe Escarlate & Reminiscence Dragée. Other than Lira they are either sharp & tart or ethereally almondine.
The idea of the Cacharel jumping up & slapping you made me smile x
Aha! So a slightly sweet perfume taste, not the whole crazy current enchilada.
I’m a fan of Angels’ Share and Dark Lord – the others are lovely but don’t stay in my mind for long.
KH and the shirt… and the Vampire Smoulder..… bless his hort. But he’s a Hennessey – and I’m not -he can wear ( or barely) what he wants
HA! Yes, he can Musette.
Tom, Jin and I met him at Lucky Scent with his soon to be (now not) wife. He really does do sparkly vampire.
Portia xx
Oh Jeebus I have no memory for certain things. Like meeting people. I used to see this guy at parties in school and we’d chat and I’d ask my friend “who was that?” and they’d answer “Albert Grimaldi. The only royal prince in the room.”
(No he wasn’t gay, he was just a very pleasant man who went out of his way to be nice to people- and I haven’t seen him since the 80’s) If I don’t see people a lot I can totally forget who they are by what they look like. I used to lose my own mother in department stores until I learned to remember her outfits and hair. So don’t ask me to name someone from a line-up.
That is something I would never have lined up with you Tom.
Well, Tom. I guess if you’ve met one sparkly vampire, you’ve met them all!!!
No, not smelled, sadly, and wish I had had the chance.
I totally missed the original launching of this brand but am slowly catching up. Adore Dark Lord and Love, Don’t Be Shy. We’re deep in mock orange blooming time. I know, not quite orange blossom, but a similar heady, sweet scent.
Is mock orange Muraya Cinnamon? Our area has lovely hedges and trees of it that scent the air, sometimes for weeks.
Portia xx
Looks like Muraya might be a jasmine. Mock orange is philadelphus. Different flower.
Mock Orange’s posh name is Philadelphus. Beautiful OB scented shrub.