Once again it is time for a new perfume review. As I’m sure anyone who has ever read my posts with any regularity can tell you, I am a very scent oriented person. This makes perfumes one of my weaknesses and guilty pleasures. Another guilty pleasure is pretty underwear, but that is a different story..
I know a lot of people go for a signature scent, the scent that will be forever linked with them in the minds of those who know and love them (or even know and despise I suppose. I’m pretty certain both Snow White and Cruella DeVille each had a signature scent – as well as people who loved and despised them).
While I hope that one day I too might find the scent that is perfectly me, I somehow doubt it. I am more like the honey bee in a field of flowers, flitting from perfume to perfume to build a collection. I tend to think of scents the same way I think of music. Some days I want Billie Holiday, other days, Vivaldi, Beethoven or Rage Against the Machine. I listen to the music that suits my mood that day. I’m certainly not going to choose one song and only listen to it all day, every day. For me perfume is the same way.
Some days I want something sensual and seductive (even if the scent is just seductive to me) other times I crave something light and clean, or even floral and happy.
Can you have a signature collection of perfumes?
Well whether you officially can or not, that is what I am going for I suppose. I am building a mood ring of scent. I tend to group my scents by both mood and season actually.
And to do that, I need to try out a lot of samples. Today’s perfume is from Viktor and Rolf and it is the Flowerbomb Nectar. According to Viktor and Rolf …
Flowerbomb Nectar is a new chapter of the Flowerbomb story: a sensual and intense version of the iconic fragrance, reaching into the heart of the floral bouquet.
With a denser silhouette and sharper lines, reflecting the intensity of this potent fragrance, Flowerbomb Nectar continues with the iconic bottle tradition.
Fruity and sparkling head notes with blackcurrant bud absolute and bergamot blend, explode with the smoky note of gunpowder. At the very heart of these flowers, lies an addictive and feminine flower liqueur enhanced by this infusion.
Flowerbomb’s floral signature: the honeyed floralcy of orange flower absolute and the liquorous notes of osmanthus absolute are ever so faintly lilted with warm notes of vanilla, amber and benzoin at its base – adding a sensual touch.
I know some of you saw bergamot in the description and went, ‘uh oh, this won’t be good’. Some of you may have even shouted ‘Run Mimsy, Run!’ I appreciate that.
But truthfully I can’t smell the bergamot, or it is enough of a base note not to trouble me. With many bergamot infused products my eyes tend to itch and water, hence the warning to run away. I’ve worn this for a week with no actual issues with the scent so I consider that a win.
But if it doesn’t smell like bergamot what does it smell like?
To be honest, it smells vaguely peachy. It is still floral, but for some reason I get a vague hint of peach. Like those really ripe peaches that have been sitting in a shaded road side stand and have never seen the inside of a refrigerator. They aren’t over ripe, it is a much more subtle peach thread than that, but it is somehow present.
There is a grounding element to it so it isn’t sweet on sweet (although it is quite sweet). I wouldn’t say it smells of gunpowder but it is a slightly smoky note at the back of the perfume. I think that note comes from the amber and benzoin. I can smell the vanilla in the scent, but I still get more peach than black currant.
Personally, I think they could have bumped up the smoky notes just a little bit and it would be a little more balanced. It is leaning a bit too much to the sweet side for me to be head over heels in love with it.
I like it though, and over the past week it has grown on me, but it isn’t one of those scents that makes me immediately put it on the list of want to buy products. The sample size is quite large so there will be several more weeks of testing before this bottle is empty. I think it is one that I may set aside while I try other perfumes and then try again in the spring, and then again in high summer to see how I feel about it then. It might prove to be a seasonal scent. Once the bottle is empty I will decide if I want to pick up a full size for my collection.
I know that sounds a little wishy washy, but I am okay being on the fence with perfumes. Sometimes my brain needs more time to decide on scent. With other beauty products you can see results or application. Perfume is more of a state of mind. Sometimes it just takes longer to settle than others.
Plus perfumes can be quite pricy so I like to be sure before I buy, not only for the cost but because of the wasted product. I really hate wasted product. And because I am looking to build up my collection so I have a scent for the Many Moods of Mimsy I do tend to use sample services, like Scentbox and luxury perfume discount retailers like Sobelia.(I’ll post an ad for them down below for you to check out. They are one of my favorites actually. They have a lot of products, ship fast and well and offer great discounts on perfumes. I think they currently have the Flowerbomb Nectar in several sizes on their site if you are interested.It is a great way to build a collection without breaking the bank.
At the moment I like the Flowerbomb Nectar and will enjoy wearing it, but am uncertain if I want to commit to a full sized bottle. I also think this is more of a warm weather scent which might be part of my on the fence situation. It feels more spring than winter. I suspect that when I put it on my wrists in the spring I will like it a lot more than I like it in the winter. But of course I won’t know until I get there.
While there is something slightly sensual about this scent, it is still very much a day time perfume. The scent stays close to the body so you aren’t walking around in a cloud of it and I believe that if you apply lightly in the morning, it could easily be worn in an office without causing major reactions from coworkers. I know that sounds a little odd, but I have worked with people who you smelled coming around the corner well before you saw them. I love perfume, but I never want to be that person.
I like wearing scent for me, but I don’t want to inflict it on everyone around me. This is a scent that you could get away with in an office space without being referred to as The Scented One Down The Hall Who Must be Avoided in Elevators.
I don’t think that is a moniker anyone wants.
This perfume settles in close to the skin and while it does fade a little throughout the day, it is still noticeable on the wrist at the end of the day.
At the end of the week of wear, I like the scent and will happily wear it. Whether it will be purchased in the full size and added to my permanent collection or simply worn until empty and the empty bottle passed along after being thanked for its service has yet to be determined. For that, I will have to wait until warmer weather arrives.
Ms. Mimsy Reviews 