Carmen 7

Smells like an upgraded mainstream perfume without the annoying synthetic smell. At first I thought it smelt similar to Elixir of Aphrodite, but Carmen 7 is more complex. I can mainly smell pear and litchi, but I confused those two notes with peach. When the drydown comes the praline and vanilla are more noticeable, with a little bit of spice. Carmen 7 is sweet and delectable, but not cloying or childish. It's youthful and fun, but it doesn't smell cheap or trashy. Over time it becomes less similar to Elixir of Aphrodite. Now it reminds me of a sweeter, more fruity version of Evil Temptress which also has a mainstream perfume smell. Carmen 7 is the fun younger sister. Projection is normal and longevity is very good. I like how Alkemia make scents similar to designer perfumes, but they're more interesting and better blended. It makes a difference without the alcohol 😊

I have loved Alkemia since I found them on Etsy in 2012 and this one is gorgeous. It's not far removed from a mainstream perfume but still retains that deep, warm, musky amber that Alkemia does so well. This scent is unusual in that a lot of the notes in it aren't ones I usually go for (almond blossom, pralines, gardenia or other white flowers) but they work. This scent is the colour burgundy to me, rich, sweet, fruity floral and musky scent and I love it for summer nights out.

I would describe this scent as "sweet". No notes in particular jump out at me, which honestly has it's own appeal. I smell freshly showered, sweet as a vanilla goddess, lovely like a fruity garden, and enticingly innocent without having to analyze the notes I'm smelling. It's wonderfully and subtly feminine. Sits close to the skin like a naughty vixen. When I wear this an unusually high percentage of men seem to lean in closer to inquire about the fragrance I'm wearing.

One of the best fragrances I've ever smelled. On me, it is gorgeous, mysterious, and sexy. It does smell like more of a mainstream perfume, but without smelling like a giant bottle of rubbing alcohol.

i like this scent. i wish i loved it. i have the rollerball version. if you sniff straight from the rollerball, it definitely has that mainstream bright, fresh perfume smell that is similar to fantasy by britney spears to me. however, when you put it on, the white florals sing through- a very clean, soft, musky scent that is reminiscent of a walk through a park on a spring day. i get absolutely no vanilla, praline or spicy notes, which is a bit of a let down for me. maybe i need to let it sit, or it doesn't work too well with my body chemistry. strangely enough, it smells much differently on me depending on where i place it on my body, that's what throws me off. on my wrists, it has an almost dirty floral scent, though the drydown is much nicer. i actually think its a very accurate and true white floral scent. however, on my inner elbows there's the sweet, fresh, musky pear smell tempered with the white florals again. finally there is a hint of ambery musk in the drydown, but it ultimately just smells "bright" to me. on the other hand, i appreciate how well-blended this is; it's definitely complex, even if i'm not the largest fan of it. it really does give off a mainstream-perfume-but-better vibe, so it would be a good blind buy. not my thing, but definitely not bad at all.