The weather is gorgeous, my favorite time of year here – warm, sunny and dry with occasional monsoon season rains. I’m in a good mood and my nose seems to be functioning reasonably well, so I’ve done some random sampling and had surprises (good and bad!) which is fun, rather than everything being merely ehhhhh, you know? My hot takes on three of them:
Creed Queen of Silk was launched in 2024. Isn’t that purple bottle gorgeous? She’s a looker for sure! Since she caught my eye I decided to give her a test-drive. Notes are saffron, osmanthus, magnolia, tuberose, passionfruit, patchouli, oud, vanilla, ambroxan, myrrh, musk, incense, cedarwood.
It starts off promisingly – I love a hit of saffron, and it’s rich and floral for about five minutes. Then the saffron gets bitter and the tuberose fades and it settles into … a sort of murky, muddy scent before drying down into an amber-patch with that Creed nuclear half-life. I also sprayed it on a tissue and I keep going back and smelling it, and it’s kind of a mess. Oh well, another Creed I don’t need. I am clearly not their target market. Next!
DS & Durga Grapefruit Generation – I know they’re hipster/pretentious, but I have a soft spot for the brand despite their “look how cool I am!” mediocrities. Radio Bombay is fun, and I think Bowmakers and Cowboy Grass are lovely if not “me.” Here’s their nonsensical blurb for Grapefruit Generation: “Imagine a grove far off. Put a gem in the ground. Surround it with flowering bushes. Pick a rare animal to lay over the gem.” (then rolllll your eyes — March) Notes are pomelo skin, elm leaf, silver (?!), hawthorn, tuberose, cork, grapefruit, animalic musk.
Well, that sounds … weird, how does it smell? It’s a nice, breezy summer scent. The grapefruit sticks around better and longer than you’d think it would (grapefruit, like ginger, never seems to last in perfumery). It’s a floral grapefruit musk. Hmmmmm, I don’t think I have anything quite like this, I might have to poke around online and see if I can find a decant.
Jo Malone Jasmine Sambac & Marigold Notes: marigold, jasmine sambac, ylang-ylang, honey, benzoin. I’ve liked several of the JMs over the years enough to buy them, although they tend not to last long unless they’re part of the cologne intense line, which this is.
How did I miss this, this is fantastic! And by “fantastic” I mean it is a ripe, indolic jasmine on me, which is the way I like my jasmine – smutty, vs. a clean white floral labeled “jasmine.” Bring me the skank! The Cos Bar SA saw my face (which was full of surprise) after applying and said, apologetically, that’s not for everyone. Hahahahahaha YEAH I BET. Proper filthy jasmine drying down to honeyed benzoin. Do I need a bottle? No. Do I want a bottle? Hell, yes. Whyyyyyy is this not included in their travel sizes? Some review blurb said “better in cooler weather” and that’s silly, it is stunning in the summer heat. Fair warning that it wears and feels like a jasmine Fracas, it is a lot, so approach with caution if I’ve piqued your curiosity.
Have you tried these? Any perfume surprises recently, good or bad?
images via Pexels
You have me wanting a Jo Malone.
I don’t seem to be in Creed’s target market either. I have tried though.
As to DS & Durga – a friend gave me a bag of about a dozen or more DS & Durga samples quite a while ago. Some were nice but all of them lasted between 5 and 25 minutes on my skin. Then, poof, they were gone. Obviously they’re not for me.
Now, the Jo Malone – you got my attention immediately with the marigold note. I really like marigold in perfumes. Plus, you could not have made it more enticing! So yes yes yes, I’m checking out Jasmine Sambac & Marigold. Piqued my curiosity is an understatement.