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

I love this. The initial spray is a little harsh and green with no sweetness, however it dries down to a very sweet orange flower scent. It is actually very similar to Love don't be shy. I cant decide which one I like more, this one is a more natural fresh bright version of their orange flower where as Love has a caramel powder overall more fluffy scent. This carries a bright plant feel with the very sweet orange flower and strong vanilla ribbon through it, but I love it. It would be great for spring. It almost feels like a hint of tuberose in the background.. I have Love and now I want this.I may even swap. Its amazing how much this changes over the dry down. I have never seen a fragrance morph so much from non sweet harsh scent to a refined sweet lovely fragrance that stays all day. Great beauty IMO. :) Ok I have decided I like the vanilla in this one once it dries down more then love. Its more straight vanilla vs the sweet cloud with Love. I think I like this more... they are very close though in dry down only, so Im not sure if both are necessary. I would love to hear other opinions on this comparison. :)

It's rather disheartening to discover that this is being discontinued. It's excellent, well-crafted orientals/gourmands that have put Kilian on the map. As others have mentioned, Kilian is known for creating bold, olfactory experiences and Sweet Redemption is definitely proof of this. Perhaps that's why I keep snapping them up like playing cards, but oh well... What catches my eye first is the juice, which is so viscous that it leaves a coating inside the vial. It looks like orange syrup, and the scent is just as strong as it looks to be in the vial. But the only solid comparison that I can make to Love Don't Be Shy is the orange flower note. The difference is that Sweet Redemption is chock full of resinous notes that its sister concoction doesn't have - it also remains a bit more linear and keeps that gooey resin goodness right up until the end. The benzoin is especially prominent, and it starts overtaking the orange a little bit when it starts reaching the drydown. I'm really sad to witness such amazing gems like these getting nixed.

This house has so far been a source of frustration and relief for me. Frustration because I had built it up in my mind quite a lot, and relief because now I won't have to concern myself with a ever more absurd wish list. Having tried very many, I am a bit jaded regarding orange blossoms. At first the orange blossom itself was very potent, however I was quite disappointed because it was simply bludgeoned by cheap, tacky, unrelenting resins sweetened with sugary vanilla. It was sweet alright.... The discordant edges took an exceedingly long time to become a cohesive unit as the resins faded away and a tart-and-sweet citrus seemed to join in, sort of a reversal of your usual perfume-pyramid structure, but still evoking nothing remotely related to the name. According to some other reviewers, this irony of tawdriness to innocent (though not overly compelling) treat is an artistry beyond my ken. Nice, but not special.

This is my favourite from Kilian. I am in LOVE with it. Gorgeous, gorgeous sweet orange blossom and vanilla perfume. Very longlasting lasted from 8.00 PM last night to this morning at 8 Am when I woke up. I went for the travel refills this time and I am very satisfied. The price is acceptable with the refills and I can put them in another refill bottle which will cost me way less than the original travel atomiser. The main reason is they remind of soaps when I used to be little and my grandmother would make a bath in the garden for me and my cousin, they smell like these memories, the smell of soap combined with flowers from the garden. This is not a simple orange blossom/neroli scent but it is a delightful combination containing these notes plus vanilla. Resembles also with Love but that one is way sweeter, like a marshmallow.

One of my favorite Orange Blossoms! This is a honeyed and sweet orange blossom. very edible. The orange blossom and opoponax are the dominant notes in the opening but I get a hint of incense and vanilla too. The heart is more benzoin than opoponax and I loose the incense but the oranges blossom is still dominant. The incense comes back in the drydown and becomes the dominant note with the orange blossom. There's also a hint of vanilla and myrhh. this is the least sweet stage of the scent which is good because by the time you get to the drydown you need a break from the sweetness. Or at least I do. The longevity is great, about 11 hours. I catch snatches of it up to a day later though. The sillage is nuclear, so use a light hand or you'll suffocate.

So beautiful!! I have a vintage travel size bottle with 1 refill. Testing in the summer heat of south Texas. Opens with a green orange blossom sweet and syrupy. The myrrh, benzoin and vanilla create a creamy fizziness or “cream soda”/ “root beer” the frankincense I smell in the deep set down and it comes across as woody in the composition. I’m wearing LDBS on the other wrist and the difference is LDBS has a powdery texture. The orange blossom mixed with Neroli creates an aromatic and “dragee” or Jordan almond candy coating feel. Projection and longevity above average If you have a bottle and want to swap or sell please message me. This is an instant love for me. I would make it my signature if I had a full bottle

Extremely clever name that people just don't "get". Oh how I tried to pass this off as "too sweet". As much as I expected it to be cloying is as much as it redeems itself almost immediately. Yes this is a sweet one. But never TOO sweet and never girly. Just like the name suggests (or flat out describes) this perfume is exactly what it says it is. This line is clearly a masterpiece at naming their work and what's ashamed is most people pass it off as trite (Aw*w poor souls just don't get it). It's not "trite" it's that YOUR NOSE don't recognize great work. A RICH full sweet perfume. Can't help but fall. I usually can't wear such sweet stuff sO boy was I delighted when this puppy took to me. ...Peace..

I just received my sample from Lucky Scent! It reminds me of a summer night party circa 1975. Incense is burning to hide the clouds of special herbs that are being passed and enjoyed by party goers as the orange trees in the back yard are making their presence known. I've worn this 3 times now, twice at home (and I love it at home) and once to work (I'm a server at a local diner) Maybe the smell of waffle's and bacon in the back ground disturb the fragrance that I smell on me right now, but I didn't care for it at work. I'm still on the fence about purchasing it. May buy another sample and wear it in the fall?

Such an addictive scent. Spicy and sweet, smoky and bright, syrupy and dry. It’s weird, but I love it. You get this bright and sweet orange blossom with a bit of really nice spice. As it starts to dry it becomes very syrupy and thick with a smokiness from the incense. Funnily enough, even the liquid itself is kind of more oily than other kilians. It thick, full bodied, and definitely the more “punk rock” sister of Love Dont Be Shy. While Love is out in the field eating cotton candy and marshmallows, Sweet Redemption is chainsmoking outside the downtown concert venue.

A beautiful and enchanting floral scent. Sweet Redemption is a mystical, enveloping and mysterious perfume.... My Soul immerses itself and is transported in a whirlwind of colours, sweet flowers and sensual amber/incensed notes. A wonderful perfume, truly extraordinary. If I had to give a color to this perfume I would give it light orange with golden and red nuances... Inebriating. Sillage : 9/10 Longevity : 9/10 Scent : 9.5/10 Overall : 9.5/10

interpretazione autunnale delle classiche note estive di neroli. la parte volatile di fiori d'arancio sembra infatti adatta a temperature calde, ma rapidamente vira verso un cuore di vaniglia più caldo. le note finali si assestano invece su sentori caldi e aromatici di benzoino e incenso, meravigliosi. un preludio alla stagione fredda: il profumo dell'addio all'estate.

I love this so much! Orange blossom is one of my favorite notes and, boy does this have a lot of orange blossom. Pretty good longevity, decent sillage. I've had lots of compliments on this one, too! Unfortunately, it's discontinued, but I've been able to find fairly large decants from multiple sites, so I have about 50ml. Love, love, love!

Everyone says it reminds then if something from the past but they can't remember what. From the initial blast I know what they're saying and I think I know what they're referring to.... To me, the opening sorta smells like those tootsie rolls, but the orange fruity one. That's exactly what I get in the opening of this. And I love it!!

An extension, a beautiful one, of Lutens' Fleurs d'Oranger. Or is it the other way around..? I love the addition of Oppoponax, Myrrhe and Vanille. It makes this wonderful perfume more rounded and passionate. Gorgeous Benzoin in the drydown. A new yet familiar Treasure in my wardrobe. Edit: in my top five for a while now!

I never thought I'd like this, as vanilla isn't one of my favorite main notes. I keep finding myself coming back to my sample, and I think I'm addicted to it! It's a smooth linear balsamic vanilla orange blossom. I'll probably get the smaller (and cheaper) travel size since it's so long lasting. It lasts over a day.