Love

Conclusion

If this scent were a character in a movie, it would be the knock-off handbag the protagonist buys on vacation – looks convincing from afar, but reveals its flaws upon closer inspection.

Olfactory Experience

The opening is a blast of candied raspberry and rosewater, reminiscent of rose-flavored Turkish delight – sweet, intense, almost cloying. There’s a definite cinnamon spice lurking underneath, but it reads more like potpourri than freshly ground spice. The heart attempts to deepen with incense and poppy, but the incense feels thin, lacking the smoky richness of the original. The poppy adds a powdery, almost makeup-like veil. The drydown is where this diverges most noticeably. Instead of a warm, resinous amber and myrrh, it settles into a slightly synthetic musk with a plasticky edge that lingers unpleasantly. There's a disconnect; it smells like the *idea* of the inspiration but with corners cut.

Performance Reality Check

Longevity is moderate, clocking in around 5-6 hours on skin. Projection is initially strong, filling a room for the first hour or so, then quickly settles to a skin scent. I tested it at a business meeting, where the loud opening was initially noticed, but it faded to obscurity quickly.