Delicious Bouquet

Is it a vanilla-lemon or lemon-vanilla opening? Oh, I do not know, and, honestly, - I do not care. Those two are simply sublime and are perfectly equal in their exquisite execution. The lemon is an Amalfi one, I am prepared to stake my name, pride and nose on it (did I just go too far? LOL!) It is sharp as a a Renaissance stiletto blade and bright and vivid as the Venetian Carnival mask. It's not a linear, boring citrus, no, - this one is a live, gregarious and aromatic one. It has an immense character and panache. Vanilla is cloud-like, plush and feathery. It is not cloying, not overly sugary or thick, - it looks like it's made of staff what cherubs (those little cute babies, not the ones from the Book of Enoch) play and rest upon. Divine. Rum and sugar are also affectionate and velour-like. They maintain the etherial sweetness, giving it richer hues, and yet do not overload the scent with their prowess and intensity. The notes of the "Delicious Bouquet" are old Flemish school painting-like, - fine and precise, creating a realistic and sumptuous image, without overloading one's senses. Whipped cream and honey are powdery and smooth and give the fragrance its unmistakable flow, silky-sleek and milk-like. They are but ruffles on the surface, never waves or whirlpools. The lemon permeates the entire composition, maintaining its intensity and reflecting off the surfaces of other notes as a ray of light, dispersing, bouncing, and exploding into a myriad of riveting and delightful sparks. Knowing just how volatile the citruses notes are - this is nothing short of a miracle. Caramel and tonka are the best of themselves neither plasticky nor dusty. Musk becomes one with the lemon and maintains the freshness and zest, anchoring and elevating the entire bouquet. There is hardly more to add. Projection is wonderful and self-assured, sillage is superb. If you also want to see in colours what I just described in scent, have a peek at the JAN DAVIDSZ DE HEEM (UTRECHT 1606-1684 ANTWERP) - which went for GBP 3,670,000 in July 2025 at Chritstie's. Just like the "Delicious Bouquet" - not nearly enough value for a true masterpiece.

This one blindsided me - in a good way. I've sat with it for a few weeks to be able to fully express what's going on here. I got it looking for a delectable, lemony gourmand. What I get is the other side of the coin, or rather, the back view of the theater set. I see the comparisons to D&G and, unfortunately, I have never smelled that one so I can't say how it compares. The first time I wore this I KNEW it can be a credible dupe for Alien Essence Absolue. After a few weeks, my opinion has not changed. Yes, all the listed notes are "there." But most of what I'm smelling is the myrrh, amber, and chewy vanilla-caramel of EA. The lemon is either short-lived or completely ensconced in this syrupy-balsamic drama. It replaces the offputting menthol of EA, while still representing the freshness needed to balance the whole affair. It's too much for warm weather unless it's very dry. Today is a cool, rainy day and Delicious Bouquet is delighting me with its hot, moody, incense-laden cakiness.

I found a new love with this perfume! I have Devotion, but somehow I reach for this bottle more often than the other. They share the same DNA but this is a lot easier to layer with another perfume. I love how they are interchangeable in the dry down, but the journey to get there is different. This starts off as a boozy tart dessert. Citrus, rum, and sugar encasing white flowers and it all makes so much sense. Like all the notes are meant to be mixed. They’re not clashing, but rather complementing. The musk becomes dominant in the dry down, and by that time, this perfume is straight up Devotion. 1:1 similar, like no mistaking it at all. This lasts super long both on skin and clothes. Like I wore it for my 16-hour shift and I can still smell it on me the next day. It’s garnered me a lot of compliments, sometimes uncomfortable ones, because of how delicious I smell wearing this. I guess you could say it lives up to its name, Delicious Bouquet.

I’ve tried Devotion OG, Victoria by Lattafa, and Delicious Bouquet by Afnan. Delicious Bouquet is basically the OG on steroids, while Victoria is the lighter, airier version with the worst, most disappointing drydown. Delicious Bouquet hits hard; super sweet, syrupy, and lemony. Think honey, sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel, vanilla, mixed to a thick pudding consistency and a little caramel drizzle, but without the whipped cream people talk about. Despite all that lemon, it feels strangely warm, probably from the rum and honey. Honestly, it’s much warmer than the OG, which makes it terrible in summer. On hot days it turns into straight-up burning lemon candy on my skin after a couple of hours. Personally, I prefer the Lira DNA over Devotion, so I can’t see myself finishing a bottle of this. I’m still stuck with my decants. But if you love the Devotion style, Delicious Bouquet is a solid fragrance with strong sillage and longevity.

When I just received it, it was not very well blended, I sprayed it and let it sit for three days only and it was sooo much better. So I guess with time it will be even better. It’s a beautiful fragrance! Very citrusy sweet at the opening and the citrus doesn’t go away during the whole journey. Then I noticed the orange blossom and after about 40 min It got sweeter with prominent caramel notes. I sprayed it at night and in the morning 10 hours later I still had a citrus sweet smell on my arm. So I think when it fully macerates it will be a beast mode fragrance. It’s the type of gourmand that you can still wear in the summer because of the constant citrus note. Well done Afnan!