Sweet Redemption

Impressive, bright and uplifting fragrance that is vastly different from a lot of stuff out there. Who knew I was going to be a sucker for orange blossom? One can imagine a lot of things when mentioning orange blossom but probably not how Kilian carefully blended it in their fragrance. There is no denying that this fragrance is sweet but it's a different kind of sweet, it's the kind of sweet that you assign to an orange flavored ice lolly. Huh, what? Let me explain a bit : Imagine the orange flavored ice lolly : you know you're eating something sweet and that it resembles the orange flavor and smell but the artificial nature, texture and coldness of ice balance out the flavor in such a way that you can not really compare it to a real orange anymore ... if that makes any sense. Whatever, in any case Sweet redemption also follows that weird logic. You know it resembles orange but not in the way that a real orange would smell like. The benzoin and vanilla really push it towards the ice lolly philosophy but made with expensive ingredients and with a lot of complexity. Don't worry guys/gals, you are not going to smell like a giant carrot top ice lolly! (thank god - who want's to smell like that apart from an ice cream vendor?) Just somewhere hidden in your brain you will connect to this type of smell if you remember it from your childhood. Luckily, sweet redemption also provides a slight medicinal vibe thanks to the incense that make this fragrance really really great and unique smelling. Quite mysterious in a way. I've not encountered anything similar so far and definitely not in the designer market so in a way it's niche on all levels. There is also something very uplifting and bright in this smell, it's the complete opposite from all this dark oudy and woody incense fragrances that are hitting us from all sides. Honestly, this is a fragrance for positive and optimistic people. Power? It lasts and lasts. Put on in the morning, still projecting in the evening. I would advise to keep your trigger itchy finger at bay though, 2-3 sprays is really enough, more than that and it might become too sweet. Compliments? Well, only a few so far but I can just see that people have a hard time understanding this scent trail, it's just different but rest assure, they're intrigued, not offended.

This is my second review of this scent. My first review was written in the hot and humid summer of Florida. This review was written in the cooler and drier winter. For the first time ever I got the rootbeer note others have mentioned. It surprised me. Besides the rootbeer note it opens with a Honeyed Orange Blossom full of Opoponax and Vanilla (which probably adds to the rootbeer). There is a menthol/ medicinal quality here, sitting behind the Orange Blossom, that reminds me of fresh, crushed orange leaves. Could it be from the Myrhh? Orange leaf isn't listed but I swear it's in there. The opening also has a hint of incense in the background. It's a very sweet opening. Not candy sweet but that sweet scent you know will taste bitter, like vanilla extract. It's a really interesting dynamic. As it warms up, the Orange Blossoms comes forward more and the rootbeer edge lessens. It's also a little more dessert sweet than vanilla extract-like bitter sweet (for lack of a better way to explain it). It's a lovely change and very different from the opening. There is also more... Orange... pulp? I don't know what it is, but it has a nice Zing and I am still getting a hint of that menthol/ medicinal quality that I think of as fresh crushed orange leaves. The Zing and the medicinal really balance out the dessert sweetness. It's truly lovely. The drydown is still mostly Incense with Vanilla and a hint of Myrhh. The Vanilla isn't very sweet and it is a nice break from the sweetness of the other two stages. It's warm and comforting. I'm not sure which is my favorite stage but the drydown is very beautiful. It's actually that menthol / medicinal edge, that I perceive as crushed orange leaves, that really makes this a work of art. The composition walks the line between overly sweet and overly medicinal like a tightrope walker who's perfected their skills and can run across the tightrope, blindfolded with no net. It's mastery of an art and beautiful to experience. How this composition wears is greatly impacted by the temperature and humidity (at least for me it is). More so than any other scent I've worn (except maybe Seville). The longevity is amazing and lasts forever. The Sillage is NUCLEAR and you will kill people if you are not careful and use a light hand.

Here is my second stab at the Kilian house (see Back to Black). Let me first start by saying I try to get a great deal of feeback of a fragrance the first couple of times I wear it. I typically get this from coworkers as I am around them for 8+ hours per day in a Corporate setting. I will wear a fragrance once then come back a week or two later to see what they think. Sweet Redemption got the same comments both times. The first response was you smell like a popsicle, this is something I would wear (women) and you smell great. So what do I think? Something in the combination gives this a very sweet, but not pink sugar/blue sugar, sweetness. It isn't really gourmand either which is wierd. It is the sweetness of a fresh orange without the tangy/citrusness of it. I think the vanilla really tames the tangyness which should come from the orange flower (unless the orange flower doesn't have the brightness of citrus orange found in most summer frags). As the day goes on it gets sweeter and the incense kicks in about halfway (3-4) and you have a vanilla, sweet orange incense vibe that stay with you for the next 7 plus hours. I get about 10 hours of real scent time and at least 6 hours of this projecting very well. This was my favorite Kilian but now has become number two behind Rose Oud (smell it, you have to) and then Black follows this. That may change if Incense Oud is as good as everyone says but for now this is number two. The entire Kilian line is well worth a try as it is my number one house. Sweet Redemption gets a 5/5 for accomplishing what it set out to do and doing it superior to the others!

I'm just tuning into the house of By Kilian now, at the supposed end of the L’Oeuvre Noire series, with Sweet Redemption. I had heard a lot about this house being on the strong side, and seeing that I like bold and somewhat outrageous smelling fragrances, I find that this house, and this fragrance in particular, suit my personal tastes. Sweet Redemption is either a love it or hate it. I personally adore it, however I have had many repeated wearings, over which time the scent has grown on me. It opens with a deliciously zesty and juicy mandarin orange, slightly sweet but also very natural. Once settled, Sweet Redemption has a somewhat medicinal accord, slightly antiseptic but strangely likable. The scent becomes darker and richer as the fragrance progresses. My nose seems to detect a hint of creamy benzoin, chocolate, vanilla icecream and smoky myrrh. Honestly, it is a bit of a gourmand experience, especially with all the vanillary and orangey sweetness. The base is quite sexy, with the myrrh, incense and opoponax creating something quite animalistic and gritty. I've been game enough to wear this to quite a few social gatherings, where men in particular have gone bananas over the drydown of this fragrance on my skin. It is unisex after all, and although sweet, I wouldn't call Sweet Redemption entirely feminine. This fragrance clings to fabric so well, that I can smell it on my coats and jumpers for days. The longevity is of course, very impressive, as is the sillage, which could knock someone out if applied too heavily. All in all, I'm impressed.

Oh has 2019 really changed my thoughts on sweet redemption. At first about 6 months ago I bought a little sample dab stick and when I first sampled this I immediately wanted to gag because of how cloying and sickening the orange blossom+ bitter leaf note was and yes I quickly scrubbed it off. A month goes by and I decided to give it another try but this time wait and see how this scent settles down. The scent transformed from from a bitter + syrupy orange sweet scent to a creamy orange creamsicle/ marshmallow. Wow I was very impressed with the dry down and decided to get a decant. 5 months later and this scent is now quite possibly my favorite kilian and for some odd reason the opening isn’t as cloying to me as it was before(idk , maybe my nose just got immune to it ) but ya sweet redemption is definitely the opposite of a “love at first sniff” u guys have to be patient with this one and trust me dry down is drop dead gorgeous for spring season. Creamy bitter sweet orange creamsicle dipped in marshmallow fluff, a perfect choice for an orange blossom lover. Longevity- 9 hours Sillage- beast Opening scent for first 5 mins- 4/10 Scent for first couple hours- 7.8/10 Dry down- 9.2/10