Loukhoum

As a lover of Turkish delight candy, and after trying many popular approximations of this perfume type, I have to say this is the best. Serge Lutens' Rahat Loukhoum got the yummy part right but ended up like simple syrup- too sticky sweet and not rosey enough. Its a fine line because it has to be floral, nutty, sweet AND powdery. Keiko Mechiri got the powdery part right but didn't go deep enough, it was more like inhaling the sugar that dusts the candy's surface. Montale's Sweet Oriental Dream got the chewy part right, which was pretty impressive actually, I'm not sure how you make something smell ..chewy, but they did. Unfortunately, it all sort of ran together as a sweet bomb and lost that beautiful rosey quality, plus the nuttiness was nowhere in sight. This one captures the soul of loukhoum! First off, it has a perfect nutty smell which gets your mental tastebuds going. See, that's the tricky thing about gourmands. Its not about smelling exactly like you put food on yourself, its more of a Proustian / mental appetite whetting kind of thing and this one strikes that perfect balance. It never loses that crisp rosey edge reminiscent of the prettiest rose water, its powdery and soft reminding you of the candy's delicacy and refinement, but its sweetness is still deep and satisfying, while never losing sight of the individual ingredients that make up this amazing candy. Most of all, it stimulates the memory of loukhoum while remaining a perfume rather than just a sticky exercise in literalness.

Anyone who doesn’t fall in love, eternally, with this scent is nose blind. It is a beautiful balance of delicious musk like clean skin - not Egyptian or white musk, not in any way, ever, bitey. There’s a rich rose. There’s the most beautiful pistachio I’ve ever smelled. I brought this on a long trip to Arizona and wore it constantly. In the heat it was soft, clean, pretty. I’ve worn it in winter when it’s sweeter - a snuggly, rose deliciousness. There’s not a single bitter note. There’s nothing like this. It isn’t Attack Of The Talcum Powder, there’s no Big Cherry. This is unique, perfectly balanced between pistachio, rose, musk. If I had to pick a desert island perfume this would probably be it because I’ve not only never regretted putting it on, I’ve never failed - several times in a day - to stop dead and think “Gosh I smell good! What did I put... Oh, Ava Luxe Loukhoum!” This is wearable, dependable joy in a bottle.

This is definitely not what I was expecting. It's an ineresting composition of crumbly, baked, sugard nuts with a dusting of rose powder. I can't tell the nuts apart, but I'm thankful this isn't the "cherry-flavored" almonds I'm so used to smelling in so-called almond scents. Also, the rose is not candied, but dainty and light. After a few minutes, the nuttiness seems to fade, and all I'm left with is a bit-O-honey and some roses. This is definitely more gourmand than foody, and on me, more floral than gourmand. I would have liked for it to be slightly sweeter and longer-lasting in the nuttiness department. I'm slightly disappointed because I was looking for a new Autumn/Winter scent. This probably won't be worn everyday, but I can see myself spritzing a bit after my nightly rituals. As I say this, I'm realizing it makes me feel clean, and fresh from a steamy & relaxing shower. I don't love it, but I don't completely dislike it either.

Interesting. This starts with a huge blast off nutty pistachio/almonds and soon settles down into a sweet, thick, nutty haze. It's not bad, there's just a little too much emphasis on the nuts for me, I think, and not enough rose. ;) Seems like the kind of fragrance that could grow on a person with time, though for now I'm rather glad my bottle is only 15ml. I really prefer Keiko Mecheri's Loukhoum, which has more rosy sweetness than this one. Also, it has a strange quality that I only seem to detect in hand blended perfumes from smaller companies like this (Perfumes by Terri, PK perfumes and OO also have this quality) that is hard to describe but very distinct. Does anyone else know what I'm talking about? It's not a bad thing, just something to note. Moderate opening / settles down to a skin scent. OK longevity. Edit- this is not for me. Ended up selling mine - perhaps others will have a better experience.

This is nice. Sweet, crumbly, powdery... it's not in the notes but with everything combined together it smells rather like lychee fruit or syrup to me. When I breathe in deeper I can definitely notice and separate the notes of the nuts. There's maybe a bit of powdered rose, I'm not sure if I can smell it or not. I don't get very much honey. Just sweet. It's very creamy, very smooth. After a few minutes the "lychee" fades away and the notes separate more noticeably. This smells young, like a very young girl. Not even in the teens, just a child. I like this, even though I think I wouldn't wear it. Light and sweet and relaxing. Edit: I wore this again and it gave me a headache. The sweetness was just too cloying, I had to wash it off. Just a warning!