Center of the Universe

God I love this one. I ordered the Curious Oddities sample pack from Alkemia a while ago, along with a few others, and this was the first scent I tried. It was everything the card's description promised, and I was intrigued. How on earth had she bottled the smell of ozone, hot metal, and gunpowder? How did such strange scents mingle so well with sharp raspberry and rum? I'm convinced that the almond is the bridge; a little liqueur-like, a little bitter, the binding tie between fruity rum and heavy machinery. Overall, the effect is incredible. The only flaw in Center of the Universe is the lack of projection, because this is a scent I want to jump off my skin. Maybe I would have better luck with their Ultime? I'm sure I'll burn through my current rollerball soon enough to give me an excuse to find out.

This is a very interesting scent. The first thing that hits is the raspberries, and then you are overtake with synthetic notes. It smells like ozone, fresh almond cookies, and alcohol (the rum, I guess), all at once, creating the overall effect of pure energy and fuel. If I could imagine a smell for "electricity," this is what it would smell like. It's kind of sexy and exciting smelling, but also a bit strong and strange to wear on a regular basis. I love the concept, and the execution as well.

This is so unique! It just might be a love, but I'm still testing. It's a sample. It's been resting from it's most recent flight for about 3 weeks. Raspberry is certainly the most dominant. I am trying to get more almond, but will try to detect that later when I test it again. It's bordering on love for me. Not sure I'll buy a bottle any time soon, but I think that I like it's originality. I'll update this review if it changes with age.

I was very excited to try this and it did not let me down. I'm not usually a fan of fruity scents, but this is the exception. It starts out sharply sour with the fruitiness of the raspberry and a slight sweetness that reminds me of cantaloupe. As it dries though, it gets softer and muskier. If you are familiar with Serge Lutern's Dent de Lait, it's got a similar metallic twinge. Very strange, but amazing nonetheless.

I am completely new to perfume, but I got the Curious Oddities pack as a gift to myself for Christmas since I was so intrigued by its offerings. This was the one I was most excited to try, and so far it is the most nuanced and interesting (yay)! Uncorking the sample, the raspberry and rum were strong, but on my wrist, the ozone notes come out more. I still occasionally smell something fruity or boozy, but it's constantly shifting when I try to pin it. It is a little medicinal, but I think I like it. I'll have to try it again in summer and see if that boosts the warmer scents.