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!

This review is for the EDP- At first spray, super nutty. Like, crazy nutty. Lots of almond and hazelnut. Then quickly the nuttiness gave way to a sweet rose which reminded me of LUSH's Rose Jam perfume. Surprisingly, I do not really find the perfume powdery, which is strange to me because I find most loukhoum perfumes quite powdery. I have Keiko Mecheri Loukhoum eau Poudree, which I love, and which is VERY powdery (but gorgeous). I also find there isn't much rose in the Keiko. The Ava Luxe version is far from that. To me it's a nutty, candied rose, and the rose to me is more prominent than the almond. The almond is sort of in the background as it dries down. I kinda wish there was a bit more almond, but I'm really liking it so far. I'm usually not a fan of rose scents, but this one has just enough sweetness and is light and ladylike. It's like a juicy, candied rose- very appropriate for the whole Turkish delight thing. The sillage is not really that heavy. I would say this is more of a skin scent. I mean it's not a total skin scent, but not huge sillage. I believe if you ordered the parfum instead, it would be stronger and last a little longer. I did wish mine lasted longer, so if I do go through this bottle, I will order the parfum next time. I have tried Sweet Oriental Dream, Keiko Mecheri Loukhoum eau Poudree (my fav), SL Rahat Loukhoum, and SL Louve. I can't say this is my favorite, but it is the rosiest, and the least powdery so it may be perfect for some people. I do really like the scent, but I'm glad my bottle is only 15 mL. I guess I was just wanting a bit more powder and a bit more almond, but then again, I'm not a rose person. That being said, the rose in this is gorgeous! And I did get a sample of Ava Luxe Amande, so I will try layering it with the Loukhoum. It might just be heaven! Regarding the whole process- I ordered this from Ava Luxe's website. The perfume took 3 weeks! Yeah, crazy. But I have to say, communication was good (once I initiated an e-mail) and I received the two samples I asked for in parfum version, which was very nice. She also threw in an extra because it took so long and the one I originally wanted was discontinued so she gave me a sample of something similar.

I’m not a gourmand lover, but I like loukhoum and I couldn’t resist ordering a sample of this. I love the fact that it’s a sweet gourmand scent but it doesn’t have a dominant vanilla note, which I often find smothering in sweet perfumes. When I first sprayed the EDP on my wrists, it smelled like bitter almond. I was a little put off by the bitterness, but fortunately it toned down pretty quickly. I can smell the rose, especially in the beginning, but it’s very subtle and soft. Loukhoum vaguely reminds me of an almond scented hand soap my grand mother used to have in her bathroom. There is a certain soapiness, but Loukhoum is still ultimately a mouth watering gourmand scent. It’s nuttier than the kind of loukhoum I’ve tasted. If it wasn’t for the rose, I’d almost say it resembles more the Spanish turron. It’s nutty, crunchy and sweet. The sweetness is gentle and round, but it’s just too much for me. I can’t see myself wearing this scent. For those who like super sweet fragrances, this would be great for layering though. I'm sure a fresh, delicate rose perfume would work well with Loukhoum. Longevity and sillage of the EDP are good. It lasts on my skin and clothes all day.

Ava Luxe’s Loukhoum wasn’t exactly what I expected. It smells so literally like loukhoum that it feels more like a novelty scent or perhaps like a baking ingredient. I cannot detect rose in it, an accord frequently used to recreate the loukhoum aroma. In Ava Luxe’s take we have another variety of this sweet: occasionally called soutzouk loukhoum, this is the nutty version of the confection. It can contain almonds, pistachios, walnuts, occasionally roasted sesame seeds or desiccated coconut, always in addition to lots of sugar, cornstarch (to give it the gel like texture) and sometimes dairy butter to give it a distinctive aroma. Ava Luxe’s Loukhoum is nutty, sweet with a faint trail of butter and dry coconut flakes. Nice, but not something I’d like to smell of as I felt it lacked sophistication. Moderate to low silage and longevity for the perfume oil.

If you aren't a fan of rose scents, probably skip this one. At first spray it was very faint, I couldn't smell much at all. Then- the rose. And it's all I can smell. Of course I don't really like rose and was hoping the gourmands in it would overpower but they did not. It's a nice scent, just not for me. I got the same vibe when I sprayed delina la rosee.

This is some truly amazing stuff! It's scrumptious, sensual, sweet without being cloying, gorgeous! I think it would be a great addition as a layering perfume but it's also quite beautiful on it's own. It doesn't have a lot of projection, it's a very skin scent, but if anyone will smell your up close there will be trouble ;)

This is nutty loukoum. More of pistachio and hazelnuts. I can't sense the loukoum other than a syrupy nuts, and mostly i see it more of cloying syrup nuts.