Notes: gardenia, freesia, rose damask, orange flower, rose, Indian sandalwood, white musk, tuberose
This is one of those fragrances with which I have a love/hate relationship. The opening of honey sweet gardenia is overpowering and cloying. It's obnoxiously "perfumey" and at the same time smells like Pez on steroids mixed with head-shop candles. Then the gardenia fades as the sandalwood takes over; I still don't love it, but am growing much more fond of this scent. It's still sweet, but less cloying. The other floral notes are blending together rather nicely, with tuberose making the most impression on me. It's a subtle soapy kind of tuberose, just the way I like it. I take another sniff and - bleargh! It's sweet again, the soapiness of the tuberose making me feel like I just snorted a nostrilful of laundry detergent.
Much later on in the drydown, it's all sweet white musk with floral overtones. Much nicer and more wearable for me, but it takes between one and two good hours before it gets to that point. And then I absolutely love it. But Mr. Minx says it reminds him of something one of his aunts used to wear, so of course that completely ruins it for me.
But I suppose, in the long run, I should be thankful that he's saving me some money, as this is one less fragrance to add to my "must buy" list.