Far Away Royale

Far Away Royale, I'm sampling this with a tester that just arrived in the mail. Upon first spraying this, this begins with a note which is almost like a fine liquor...this smells warm -- like the notes in an after dinner brandy with hints of toasted coconut shavings. This reminds me of some decadent desserts that I have had while vacationing in tropical places like Hawaii or the Bahamas. This first liquor/coconut smell - resembles a brandy liquor drizzle glazed over the top of coconut/vanilla ice cream. There is a richness to this fragrance which definitely reminds me of more niche' fragrances. As this perfume wears about 15-20 minutes, a light hint of salty Play-Doh emerges with what smells like an expensive lipstick/cosmetic note. It is as if the first liquor/coconut smell morphs into a slightly salty Play-Doh. The general vibe of this is a warm balmy type smell with some inviting coconut/salty Play-Doh notes make this more playful and like you are enjoying a vacation. There is a hint of sea salt in the air. There is a refreshing quality to this fragrance chord almost as if there is a slight hint of peppermint in the mix towards the final phase of the dry down. There are elements to this that make this smell almost like aromatherapy. I can see this having a therapeutic effect on whoever wears this and smells this. About 30 minutes into the wear of this, I pick up a slight hint of a sandalwood incense which is an alluring and attractive warm and inviting chord. The Play Dough subsides and the notes morph more into a smokey incense. There is still the warm brandy boozy type note in this chord - along with vanilla ice cream. This perfume is really quite yummy! I agree with the other reviews that this is a new twist on Avon's Far Away perfumes. This does not have the slightest resemblance to the other perfumes that I have smelled in the Far Away collection. The only common theme would be that a number of these Far Away perfumes by Avon seem to have smokey incense notes to them - that appear somewhere in the unfolding chords. I like this direction. This is unique -- I don't think that I have smelled something quite like this. The closest thing that I can think of would be the original Bronze Goddess by Estee Lauder... but really, I like this much better. Avon's Far Away Royale does not have the suntan lotion vibe that Bronze Goddess has. (It is more elegant than a casual perfume that hints at sun tan lotion). The dry down of this more closely resembles Versace's Crystal Noir...with slight hints of a vanilla - balmy coconut. Avon's Far Away Royale could be worn in a number of settings. This is sweet, alluring, playful, fun - and could be worn day or evening. I feel that this leans more feminine, but the initial chord of this is strong enough where this could possibly be masculine. The dry down leans more feminine. I like this one, this is definitely worth exploring. It is a little more balmy than the notes that I am typically drawn to, however this is a new fragrance niche' for me. This is definitely worth exploring further.

Far Away Royale begins with an interesting blend of subtlely dark & fresh fruits and the sharper sweet/spicy sprinkle of coriander oil. It's tricky to try to explain; the mix of fresh & darker fruits, and the herby sweet & spicy sprinkle of the coriander all develop at once, in a energetic rush. The energy rush soon calms a bit and let's us get to the expected nod to the blueprint of the original Far Away not too long after the fresh-sweet-spicy mashup, with the classic traditionally feminine white floral heart of orange blossom and jasmine, mixed with a soft vanilla & Neroli. There is something that seems like a more masculine leather accord in the base; perhaps this is this the combination of Myrrh, musk and balsam? This quickly transforms into the faint impression of a incense, as amber & sandalwood develop and helps everything run together more smoothly. The longevity & aura for Far Away Royale is impressive for the price - it wears for a complete working day (eight to nine hours) and carries about a foot for several of those hours. I think that Far Away Royale is a really impressive release in the line, and has just pushed Rebel & Diva out of my personal top 3 favourite editions in the Far Away line (Beyond and Rebel are my other top recommendations). Far Away Royale smells much more expensive than it is, and the longevity & aura is up there with the likes of Dior and Kayali. A bargain buy, that I highly recommend trying out if you like the listed key notes.

I own several of the Far Away flankers - Glamour, Exotic, Gold, Fantasy, Sensual Embrace, Infinity, and of course the original - Royale is my absolute favorite. I was in love at first sniff. Warm, beautiful, resinous, voluptuous, somewhat Middle Eastern, and sweet in the most seasoned way. It’s intoxicating. I love that the myrrh and the olibanum are at the top. And the vanilla at the bottom is a grown a** woman vanilla, not the saccharine, nauseating vanilla so prevalent in the gourmand-dominated retail stores. It projects well and is satisfyingly long-lasting. I look forward to baptizing myself in this for autumn. Also this unisex to me - enchantingly sweet enough for women and some heavy, red-blooded earthiness for men.

Very balsamic, warm, oriental type of fragrance. I'm surprised I like it. It's like wandering in a crowded souk; you can catch some of the aromas that are in this fragrance. I'm not the biggest fan of the Far Away-line but I do like this. I might even buy the set. Later: I bought the set and love this fragrance. It's great in the 30°C heat, stays well on my skin. This might be the first time in many years I am wearing something balmy and oriental during the heatwave! The bottle is beautiful.

I'll be writing a more detailed review soon - I've just realised what Far Away Royale always reminds me of, and I wanted to share... This reminds me a bit of the long-discontinued Hilary Duff With Love edp. I'm very pleased by this; With Love used to be one of my favourite fragrances when I was younger, but when the juice for it ages, the scent changes. So now you don't waste money tracking down bottles like I have done in the past, as you can just try Far Away Royale instead.