So Hooked on Carmella

Dear So Hooked on Carmella fans, I, too, hold a candle in my heart for this perfume! I remember purchasing it 10 years ago, in a Duty Free at the airport in Atlanta. It smelled so good, perfectly balanced and lasted all day. One of Benefit's best, I still remember exactly how it smelled! I liked to layer it on top of the Flowerbomb lotion and together they created the most soothing little scent bubble. I still have my bottle for collector's item purposes but the juice is long gone. However, there may be hope yet! I have never smelled anything remotely close to So Hooked on Carmella since it's release UNTIL last week. I went to Claire's looking for fashion glasses and stumbled upon their new fragrance collection. I was so surprised, never have I seen "sophisticated" perfumes in a Claire's store. I went through and sampled all 5 frags and "Latte a la Caramel" immediately struck me! There's a definite echo of SHOC within the DNA in this frag. Lasting power is so-so but for $20 bucks and the chance to reinvoke even a sliver of SHOC- it's worth it! There aren't any entries for the new Claire's fragrances on Fragrantica but I'm hoping that that will change soon and open up more discussion about them. But I'd be remiss if I didn't share the good news of "Latte a la Caramel" here with you all now. Of course I purchased "Latte a la Caramel" and also " Lait de la Fraise". Both smell amazing! Happy smelling!

Carmella, sweetie you smell just lovely! This is the second perfume from Benefit with which i have fallen in love (the first being Gina). Sweet vanilla and amber...such an intense amber though , it's presence is sublime and mixed expertly with the perfect amount of vanilla making this perfume sweet but not too sweet, oriental but not heavy in that direction. The beginning is very light citrusy and a hint of florals can be felt just lightly, but oh man the amber, oh so caramelly and charming - i know other ppl feel the vanilla is the dominant note here,but on my skin it's the amber - fortunately! Love it, projection nice, silage ok - nothing that's gonna blow your mind, duration... well this is where I fault these juicy concoctions from Benefit : they need to last a little bit longer,i mean i'm not complaining, for their price range it's actually ok : now i'm going on 4 hrs, and knowing the other fragrances from Benefit, by the 5th hour it'll be almost gone....if it would last 6 - 7 hrs it would be perfect. But all in all lovely fragrance. Later edit : The name is soo spot on : "hooked" on carmella yes I am ! It's my new perfume obsession! And about the beginning on me it smells like peach/pear ice-cream, then comes the vanilla-amber mixture.So ... unique? Yes it is unique, and delicate and addictive!

This is a lovely fragrance with lots of sensual appeal. Many people think that caramel should be in the fragrance pyramid, but I think this is just because of the name. In actuality, this fragrance dances around caramel, hinting at it, giving the impression of it, but never explicitly broadcasting this note. At first spray, it is very sweet and vanilla. It comes out a bit heavy and single-note-ish but the dry-down sets in quickly and very soon this density is lightened by the citruses and florals, deepening the complexity. it feels luxurious and indulgent, like wrapping oneself up in cashmere. A must-have staple for fans of sweet, sexy, amber scents.

How odd to open sweet warm caramel with a sour lemon!? In spite of that I find myself craving the dissonant notes. Like a strange piece candy that once the first tart lemony coating has dissolved you are left with a delicious grainy melting vanilla center. In the end I'm really delighted by this. A soft dusty caramel with a just hint of lemony sourness lingering. It has a light but pleasant projection. A very subtle and dreamy gourmand, with an understated elegance. Smells wonderful on the cuff of my sweater. I find it uniquely delicious. The tiare really blossoms in the heat with this one. Longevity is good on skin, great on clothes.

Seeing the notes, I am rather confused. And an oriental floral? I would never have guessed. Either way, what this fragrance is is extremely yummy! I get the most amazing sweet milk and caramel, with vanilla musk undertones. Definitely gourmand, but not overly sweet. This is a comfort scent for sure, warm and cosy and softly sweet. It's certainly not a dressy fragrance, nor is it very perfumey. This is for being at home and snuggling with your boyfriend, wrapped up with a book on a rainy day or for putting small children to sleep. Inviting, reassuring and delicious, this is my favourite gourmand scent.