Trouble

Have you ever smelled ferns under sunlight? Ferns are not the ones who like sunshine, and tend to congregate in shady and moist areas, hiding under the old and broad trees canopy. But every now and again a family of ferns will turn up in the birch wood. Birches let plenty of sunlight through, especially when young, and this is when you can actually smell the ferns, - dusty, oily green, with a light wood note. This is the opening note of Boucheron's "Trouble" - ferns under the sun, sprinkled with lemon dew. So, where is trouble in that? As one is wading through the ferns, often reaching to the waist and above, it is nearly impossible to see what is underfoot. The soil is soft and always slightly moist under their broad "leaves" (ferns are not the leafy spices technically), the air above them is fresh, with a light soil tincture, making this blend of aromas rather pleasant and refreshing. And then comes a HISS. The world stills in a heartbeat, the body freezes in whatever position it was before that cold and rasping sound, silence falls all around, except the heartbeat in one's ears and throat: one, two, three, four... Fear rises in waves of indolic jasmine with every beat: five, six, seven, eight... Is the snake still there? And where "there" is? Is it an adder? A smooth viper, or just a terrified grass snake thinking itself even in more trouble than a human frozen in their steps? Is it going to attack? Has it attacked? Has it run away in a silky smooth, slithering motion?.. Nine, ten, eleven, twelve...jasmine grows heavier, almost burnt. Sunshine is blasting from the skies making one blind and hot, oh so hot... What was a rather fresh day is now filling in with heat and rich and resinous scent, adding to the jasmine-tasting fear and unconcerned herbal-woodiness of the darn ferns. Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen... People are saying something, but no sound makes it to one's ears, all senses are directed an the dark spot among the ancient plants where the Trouble is hiding in its invisible layer. Sixteen, seventeen eighteen, nineteen... Don't breathe, don't move, don't blink! Survival instinct roars in one's head, - Trouble! We are in Trouble! The woods move slowly with the breeze, spicing amber with their dry smiles at a silly human who dared to venture amongst them. Then the world shudders around you... It's your friend, shaking you awake and back to life, shouting that there is nothing in the ferns and even if there were it is long gone, as you've been standing like a frozen crane mid mating dance for good 5 minutes no less, and no viper is that patient to wait for one to attack. You blink, once, twice, let the breath out of the lungs and then back in... It is still hot, the swirls of dry amber and jasmine are still permeating the air, the ferns are giving out the dusty-green vapours, soured with a persistent lemon note, sun is shining and the forest's voices are back in their cacophonous choir. Trouble, where is the Trouble?! Was there one to start with at all? Only the trees and ferns know the answer, but they are still laughing and swaying in the wind.

I have ordered this online untested based on all the fantastic reveiws! I love lemon and all citruses and I love vanila, so I thouht this could be great. I have sprayed it on a scarf for the first test, because I was already wearing a different fragrance and couldn't wait to try it and I was instantly in shock. It was pure incense and nothing else! Nothing at all, but an orienal shop full of burning incense sticks! I could not believe that I am the only person to experience this...could it be that the bottle is off? In any case I have decided to try again on my skin - this time I could smell the citrus and the very strong incense smell only lasted a few seconds. It quite quickly faded and although I can clearly identify it still after 6 or more hours, it's mild and not disturbing and unpleasant any more. After half an hour or so the fragrance started to be very pleasant and getting better and better all the time! I could finaly agree with all the positive reviews, after several hours the scent on my skin is lovely, sweet, warm, unique and full of vanila. Update: either I got used to it somehow, or it was just that the first few sprays of the fragrance were somehow harsher, but I don't find it that strong any more. Very, very, very pleasant! + I just got the body oil also and that is slightly different, pretty subtle and really exquisite, but sadly it fades away quite quickly. Adorable fragrance all in all.

Ooh no, not for me! I received a sample of this today as it had been recommended to me as a 'sophisticated vanilla'. To me, it smells like a cross between Obsession and Chantilly - powdery and just not really my thing. UPDATE: Well that was my first impression, instant, impulsive old me. I have found that shortly after the mish mash topnotes (in which I couldn't detect any citrus at all), this has mellowed into something which is indeed 'sophisticated and vanillic'. For me, everything comes out in the heart of this perfume - the citrus which to others is in the opening (although I get an almost orangey smell), the vanilla, and floral notes. There is also a 'mustiness' to it that I actually find very pleasant. Sorry for my unpoetic description, I must look at those notes again to decipher what this must be! The whole idea of getting a grown up vanilla was that my husband only seems to show a positive reaction to vanilla perfumes and I wasn't so keen on Britney Curious or a Lush frag as a signature. He likes this! Also, this now feels to me like a comforting perfume that I would love to spray on at bedtime to help lull me to sleep. Hmmm, think I will get a lovely red bottle of this one. UPDATE 2!: Well, I had a bath and reapplied this and on my neck, not just my wrist this time. I can get the citrus top note now. Bit puzzled by the inclusion of Dyer's greenwood though after reading up on its properties...

Oooo, Trouble! A very fitting name for a dark & daring, womanly perfume. Trouble is what I'll be wearing on Hallow'een this year. She fits the bill perfectly: mysterious, deep, smokey, voluptuous & she'll last all night long without corruption. Trouble smells dangerous....in a good way! Once the citrus opener is tamed, the perfume is all about the jasmine - dark caramel & incense-smoked jasmine ....there is nothing delicate & light about this midnight beauty! The cedar adds a seductive smokey woodsy feel, the amber is rich, warm & inviting. The lemon doesn't lighten the scent (it isn't sour or tart) but it does brighten her dark side, giving her ruby-red richness a glorious, golden glow. They say the scent of Dyer's Broom can tame both man & beast - Trouble is certainly bewitching & has the strength of a lion. Sillage is good & on my skin the dry-down is a smooth, buttery caramel with the merest hint of citrus, but this is many, many hours later. I like Trouble. She is a wicked, independent beauty confidently walking in the shadows to a masquerade ball, her black cape with red silk lining flowing behind her.

Trouble is iconic. They couldn't have made a more suitable bottle for this indulgent perfume; the rich tone of dark, devious burgundy, crowned with a gold serpentine cap, then finished with an embedded emerald. The 30ml bottle is interesting - it's not the squared bottle as shown... it's shaped quite like a dagger, and I feel rather mischievous holding it in my hand to spray it on. It's like I could put it right through someone's heart, which is how it smells: contemplative, dangerous, provocative. Yes, serpentine... it smells serpentine. Trouble is a lady in the dark slowly slipping off her velvet gloves and dress, the way a snake sheds its skin. Who knew such simplicity in the notes profile could evoke something so powerfully mysterious? Heavy vanilla amber base, sensual jasmine, and citrus (and then some); that's all it takes when a master perfumer is at play. Honestly one of the smoothest and sexiest scents I own, a true favorite, and a crime to have been discontinued. It lasts forever, projects madly. Makes me feel like a seductress with secrets.