Love Don't Be Shy

Sweet, vanilla, white floral, citrus, caramel, warm, powdery, musky, fluffy, feminine, sensual, seductive, sultry, sexy, flirty, charming, whimsical, enchanting, dreamy, divine, decadent, delightful, radiant, luminous, lush, luxe, glamorous, classy, chic, elegant, sophisticated, alluring, tempting, intoxicating, addictive, intriguing, inviting, cozy, comforting On me this is an absolutely beautiful, sweet, fluffy, and sugary vanilla marshmallow and orange blossom with warm swirls of decadent caramel and soft musk. The opening has a softly spicy and citrusy burst to it with the bergamot, pink pepper, and coriander, as well as a touch of slightly green neroli. The heart blooms with sweet and citrusy orange blossom, sweet and fluffy marshmallow, lush jasmine, sweet honeysuckle, and just a touch of velvety iris. The base grows more sweet, warm, and musky with sparkling sugar, powdery vanilla, decadent caramel, the golden warmth of amber, and gentle musk. This is absolutely gorgeous! It’s what started me getting into some Kilian fragrances, and now along with LDBS I also own Princess, Sunkissed Goddess, and Angel’s Share. I really enjoy all of them, and think they are all excellent high quality perfumes. The funny part is that this actually wasn’t a love at first sniff for me though. I liked it, but it didn’t really wow me. I kept it though, and occasionally revisited it. About 6 months later something changed because I fell completely in love! I did first get it during the summer, and I typically go for beachy/coconut scents then. So, I think it was a mixture of trying it again in colder weather, it having macerated, and my nose having developed a bit more. Now I enjoy it throughout the entire year, but I can understand how it could possibly be thought of as cloying in the heat. It is extremely sweet, and gourmand, but that’s perfect for me (especially still being a Pink Sugar fan!)! This definitely feels ultra-feminine to me, and suitable for any age. It works wonderfully year round because it’s sweet and warm enough for the cold weather, yet radiant and fluffy enough for the warm weather. I think it’s fitting for everything from casual to fancy occasions, and works for work and/or school too. It’s a very easy reach for me, and is one of my most worn fragrances. It would also make a really fantastic signature scent! I do see a close similarity to PdM Oriana, which I also really love. Oriana is more vibrant and light with less orange blossom, and more citrusy, fruity, and lactonic (whipped cream) notes. I also see a similarly to JPG Classique Pin Up, which is also a vanilla marshmallow and orange blossom scent, but is more warm, spicy, and deep. I also find it to be a bit similar to Princess since they’re both Kilian marshmallow scents. However, Princess feels more delicate, it’s much more green and fresh spicy with notes of ginger and matcha tea intertwined with the marshmallow, but without any orange blossom, or musk. They do layer beautifully together too. They are definitely quite different too, and it doesn’t feel redundant having both of them in my collection. I own all 3 of these along with LDBS, and really enjoy having all of them. I get excellent performance with LDBS. The longevity is fantastic, it lasts throughout the entire day, and I can still smell it the next morning. The projection is great, it radiates out several feet from me. For reference, some of my other favorites include Kayali Yum Boujee Marshmallow, Vanilla 28, Vanilla Candy Rock Sugar, The Wedding Silk Santal, Yum Pistachio Gelato, GdT Celeste, Bianco Latte, Kilian LDBS, Princess, Sunkissed Goddess, PdM Oriana, Gucci Flora Gorgeous Orchid, Burberry Goddess, The 7 Virtues Vanilla Woods, YSL Black Opium Le Parfum, Black Opium Glitter, Guerlain Mon Guerlain, D&G The One Desire, Ellis Brooklyn Vanilla Salt, Queen’s Caramel, Marshmallows, Phlur Heavy Cream, Vanilla Nectar, Beach Skin, SDJ Summer è Amor, 62, 39, VS Vanilla Lace, BBW Beach Nights, Boardwalk Marshmallow Clouds, Whipped Honey & Vanilla, Fireside Flurries

I've been a member on here for a few years and it just dawned on me that I never gave my Signature Scent and favorite fragrance of all time a proper review. Before I begin, I have to address the elephant in the room. I unfortunately found out about and fell in love with this fragrance AFTER Estee Lauder (according to longtime fans of this fragrance) "defiled and desecrated" it aka "The White Bottle". I never got the chance to experience this fragrance at its best. I guess this could be seen as a blessing in disguise. If I experienced and was used to the "Black Bottle" and then received a downgrade, I too would lament and reminisce back to a time when this fragrance, according to longtime fans, was sweeter, more potent, more dense, more robust, richer, and just an overall powerhouse of a fragrance. Even the juice was a rich delicious looking burnt orange/reddish brown hue versus the light salmon color we see now in the reformulation (I have thoughts about this that I will address later in this review). This was the fragrance that kicked off my eternal love for marshmallow forward fragrances and marshmallow notes in general (if the fragrance has a marshmallow note, I'm immediately invested). Oddly enough, this was a blind buy. I remember first spraying (this was in the summer btw) and feeling like I dipped my nose in a bag of smarties candies. I pulled it out again around fall going into winter and that's when the magic began. What once was "smarties candy" now transformed into this sweet, fluffy, creamy, caramel-like, vanilla-like, creamsicicle, decadent marvel. It was at that very moment that my love for gourmands and marshmallows especially was born. To me, this is The Queen of The Marshmallow/Orange Blossom Combo that a myriad of houses try, to this day, to emulate and put their own spin on it (Oriana, Black Opium Glitter, Memo Paris Sintra, etc...). For me, strength and longevity are satisfactory. Of course, those who have had the pleasure of smelling and even owning the black bottle can contest this. I find that as time goes on; this fragrance becomes sultrier and possesses an "animalic bite" to it (The Musk & Civet). I wear this when I am happy, with my significant other, on a date, or want to make a statement. I always get compliments for this fragrance, and I never divulge what I am wearing LOL. I will always keep this in supply. I have a 100ml refill bottle from 2yrs stored as i type this. Speaking of that, I also want to address the color situation. Kilian himself has stated, in response to accusations of LDBS being reformulated and the color (or lack of for that matter) being objective evidence of said reformulation, that the juice gets darker as time progresses. I can honestly say that, when I first purchased my 100ml refill bottle 2yrs ago, it was indeed a pale salmon pink color. It is now darker. No, I don't expect it to ever achieve the blood orange hue that it possessed in the black bottle, because I honestly believe that this fragrance indeed was reformulated. However, I'd like to think that the dark hue is indicative of a strengthening of the potency of this fragrance. The darkening of the juice reminds me of how Kayali's Vanilla 28 darkens over time (my bottle is damn near purple lol). To sum it all up, I love this fragrance so much, and if anybody has leads on where I can purchase a Black Bottle, please let me know.

This is one of those perfumes that I have had a long history of testing here and there, and at very different times in my life, before finally feeling it’s the right time to buy. I first tried this scent a few years ago on a trip to London, which was extremely glamorous and I was in absolute heaven at all the gorgeous department stores with their perfume displays that held practically every perfume I could ever dream of smelling. I tried on Love Don’t be Shy and remember the scent trail following me for the evening, exploring the city streets as it got dark. I remember liking it but feeling a bit unsure of it due to how sweet it is, and ultimately decided it wasn’t for me. It was a scent that really stuck in my head, though, and I would remember it suddenly out of nowhere occasionally but I had no place locally to try it again. Finally I found it again the other day and fell in LOVE with it - couldn’t stop sniffing the test paper wafting out of my pocket, I could even smell it in my car from keeping a test strip in the cup holder. I’d just stop and huff the paper and roll my eyes back lmaoo. I decided I had to buy it for Christmas and now own a bottle. Love Don’t be Shy is a scent that I’m surprised I like so much - it’s extremely sweet and Kilian as a whole is just really not my aesthetic when it comes to perfume. But, somehow I find it sooo addicting. It opens on me as a very sweet honeysuckle and orange blossom scent (it kind of reminds me of the honeysuckle in Olene, if it were extracted and given a candy makeover). As it wears on, it softens to a powdery, extremely sweet but skin-like vanilla with hints of orange blossom that give it sort of a creamsicle quality. Definitely marshmallow-ey, but not in an off putting edible way imo. The creamy, spun sugar orange blossom trail runs throughout the whole scent from top to drydown. It is very soft and powdery and just makes me feel pretty. It’s feminine in a soft, baby pink bow kind of way as opposed to an elegant bombshell vibe like Chanel no5 (which I’ve considered a favorite for years because it makes me feel as such). I don’t know, Love Don’t be Shy feels comforting and sweet and fun in a way that I just need a little extra of right now in my life. I don’t have any scents like this in my collection - typically I go for vintage musky powdery scents that feel sort of old hollywood - esque. Chanel no5, Fleur de Peau, Musc Ravageur, Cafe Rose are some of my favorites. LDBS feels like an unexpected twist that doesn’t take itself too seriously, which I really love! Yes it’s stupid expensive, in terms of complexity and performance there are definitely some scents that would be more “worth” this price. But, I’ve always looked at it as in “welp, I really like this perfume, and unfortunately that’s just the price it’s stuck with, and I really want to buy it anyway because I like THAT scent.” I think sometimes the scent doesn’t have to be doing backflips to be worth the money - if you enjoy the scent and how it makes you feel, then that will satisfy you far more than a perfume that is more “worth” the money. Does that make sense? Lol i’m high asl rn just sniffing this shi

I have loved, Love by Kilian for 3 years now and it's finally mine!!! I got my first taste of love from fellow fragrantican museum gal. At that time (I'm not sure her thoughts now) she was excited to finally find a gourmand she liked, and I told her it was the sweetest thing I had ever smelled lol! And I still stand next to that opinion to this day. Love by Kilian to my nose is the sweetest perfume I've ever smelt although Sugar Shack by AlchemicMuse sure did come close. Sugary orange blossom nectar high concentrated in mountains of caramel, neroli syrup, marshmallows, and more sugar. There is a nice spicy underbelly adding character, but when it comes to kilian love I think SWEET. Aside from Love's fabulous, earth shattering, sweet scent, I appreciate the quality of this fragrance. Nothing makes me grumpy like a great smelling fragrance that is poorly made and overpriced. Kilian's $160 refill kit (50 mL for me!) was a bit of a bullet to gnaw on, but I've got to say I love that their fragrance is THICK. Potent, amazing lasting power, heavy silage, moderate projection. All I need is one spray from the black tester bottle I became very well acquainted to from all my trips to Saks 5th Ave (for the intent of spraying and walking away, I'm that kind of jerk). One trip I went with my boyfriend and he was surprised to see me spray only once. "Aren't you going to put on anymore?" And I was like "Trust me, this one spray is all I need, I don't want to kill you." And he understood 10 minutes later LOL, but he did say he liked the scent on a side note. In summary, Kilian Love is an extremely sweet and powerful fragrance. Not for the faint at heart.

If we pay top dollar for a fragrance...are we more inclined to believe the scent is everything it promised to be? I sometimes wonder but, as I am often buying older fragrances at a greatly reduced price, I don't bother to wrestle much with this question. Instead - I'll be honest in my evaluation of LDBS - Pez? Flintstone Vitamins? Sweet Tarts? - the first spray is a slightly sour candy. I also get the neroli, followed by the orange blossom and jasmine. Is there a marshmallow note hiding in the accord? Perhaps, but as per usual - I have yet to wear or smell on another something that makes me think of actual marshmallows. The scent then becomes slightly powdery in the dry down as I wait for the base notes to appear. It started off somewhat candy so I suppose the sugary notes are here but any vanilla or caramel are mild at best, indistinguishable as singular notes. The civet must be just a baby as I can't say there's anything animalic to my nose and that is a note I often appreciate. Overall, I'm very glad to have this perfume in my collection and to finally have a chance to smell what all the fuss was about but, as a dedicated hi/lo shopper, I can dispense with any expectations and simply be honest. This is an oddball scent (my husband called it "sexy Fruit Loops") that starts off as chalky sour candy and develops into a pleasant creamy, sugary musk. Edit: I sprayed Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme, another marshmallow scent, on the opposite wrist of my LDBS and to be perfectly honest, Pour Femme lost all its charm when compared directly. So, discount prices aside, there's something to be said for a high quality blend.