OliveEyes@oliveeyes94
· Edited
Back to Bvlgari for some more of Le Gemme
BvlgariSahare3.68 ratingsSahare: The rose of Le Gemme. Quite citrusy to begin, so much so that upon first sniff, you could be forgiven for thinking this is a freshie. The rose soon appears - a little green to begin, before blooming into a lush bouquet of reds, oranges and yellows. There's a sparkly, candied sweetness here that feels very 'perfumed', and almost rubs me the wrong way. Certainly best on a woman's skin. This multicoloured bouquet of sweet, citrusy, sun-kissed roses is where it stays, slowly warming up and becoming more ambered. Not for me, but I might enjoy it on others. 5.5/10
Onekh: Dark woods, scrubbed clean, dotted with dry, subtly soapy green herbs. There's a modern, 'teak wood interior' airiness here that juxtaposes the overall more rugged atmosphere. This has Belletrud's paws all over it - suave, polished and inoffensive. Then the leather arrives - a note I dislike when constructed with the birch tar bogeyman - but here, it's ambery and resinous, with a fruity, dry-molasses sweetness that suggests a hearty slathering of labdanum. It goes a tad dusty in the base, but still a lovely ambery oud. 8/10
Falkar: This opens as dry as an old boot. Dark, smoky, leathery oud with a brief whiff of sweaty saddles, but nothing fecal. Some say this is hard to wear, but not me - there's an unmistakable cleanliness running through it that makes it smell friendly and inviting. I thought I detected some Imagination-esque ambroxan on paper yesterday, and I stand by that. Polished oud, brushed leather and clean musks - airy and sophisticated. I'd love my house to smell like this. 8.5/10
Gyan: "You showered, but perhaps yesterday's swim messed around with your skin chemistry", I told myself. If only. A citrusy opening, airy white florals and a transparent patchouli. The patchouli popped out more than yesterday, but it still felt rather flat and lifeless. It smells handsome, composed and well put together, but to me, as plain as Pete. Sorry, Pete, you're still a 7, but a strong 7.
