Botrytis

I am with Doc Elly. I was consulted more by my preconceived notions about the fragrance, along with the favorable reviews. I was at the same time excited and a little afraid when I ordered a sample. I was excited to discover my honey HG, and I was afraid of it (since it's pretty expensive I heard). But actually, the most informative piece of advise is the name of the perfume itself, botrytis, the noble rot which gets the grapes from which some of the finest wines are made later. This is what it actually does smell on me, sweet grapes a step away from becoming a very fine dessert wine with amber and a slight hint of dried fruit in the base. My first reaction was "hate" but this is only because I was expecting honey and it wasn't there for me. Upon a second wearing I like it better, but it's already Botrytis I'm smelling, not "a long-awaited honey HG candidate." I'll need a third wearing of this.

I just recently received a sample of this because I am a lover of gourmand perfumes and several people have told me to try this one out. I am in absolute love with this smell! It is a sweet smell and stays fairly close to the skin, yet strong enough to smell if you walked past someone. I can see this getting a lot of compliments if you wear it because it is somewhat unusual, unlike most fragrances out there at Macy's, or Sephora. The honey is very dominant, which makes this special and unique. The dried fruit and gingerbread notes make this very gourmand. If you love gourmands this is one to try. This is a grown up smell and does not smell teeny bopper. Athough a young woman could wear this, I think it is aimed at ages 25 and up (IMO). It's worth a sniff. And I will be buying a full bottle soon.

It is fascinating to me that some of the most interesting & staggeringly well-crafted perfumes I have tried lately have all come from houses more often known for their fine wines or cognacs. There are many similarities between fine wines and fine perfumes, so perhaps we should not be at all surprised by this development. I should like to write more about this another time, but for now, let me describe this incredible scent... Breathing in the top notes of Botrytis distinctly reminds me of eating hot, buttery toast slathered in Fireweed Honey. This delicious honey is, coincidentally (following our alcoholic theme) known as "the Champagne of honey" for its richly aromatic nature & excellent quality. The honey tastes quite strong, not at all sugary sweet, more of a spicy character with hints of the exotic. So it is with this fragrance - a richly honeyed Oriental that just sings in harmony on the skin. Nothing is overdone, everything in moderation, and yet creating such powerful feelings of comfort, warmth & sensuality. Wearing Botrytis is like seeing the world through amber tinted spectacles, or drinking a subtle, fruity dessert wine from an amber goblet: everything is warmer for its touch. This lasted very well on my skin and, to my absolute delight, got warmer & fruitier as the day went on. The dying notes, the last few hours, were pure plum tobacco for me (though these notes are not listed, this is the distinct impression I got). This part reminded me of Frapin's 1270, though not as dry. There are almost elements of Casmir, too, in the fruitiest peak of heart notes with the vanilla base peeking through. A definite for my Want List!

this has been my all-time fave since it first came out. my boyfriend goes wild for it (i go heavy on it- especially after an argument!) it's a gorgeous, decadent bath of dessert wine & honey, mostly. i can still smell it the next day. it's absolutely *intoxicating* and worth every penny.

I finally got myself a big bottle of this, I just had to. According to my dabber sample, this is a soft, sweet honey with dried fruits. The scent is different when sprayed though, it has a slight, sparkly, fresh white floral scent to the honey. Very easy on the senses, soft and not harsh, artificial smelling, and no traces of beeswax. No bitterness, and the white flowers are an excellent addition to the honey. I wouldn't want any other flowers in it. The longevity and sillage are both unfortunately quite weak, but what you gonna do if you love something? Reapply. I love this. It's very similar to Escada Collection but has a more expensive feel and more prominent honey, whereas Escada feels younger and thicker, more caramel, longer lasting.