Woman in Gold

Perfect! THIS is the one! I have had such good luck this last year discovering new fragrances to love and revisiting fragrances sampled years ago to find my appreciation has grown. I've gone several years without finding a single full bottle worthy fragrance, no problem, I enjoy my wardrobe. Then Woman in Gold comes along and I'm absolutely stunned by how much I love it. By Kilian's Woman in Gold is that shockingly perfect-for-me fragrance that catches you off guard. I kid you not, about five minutes into my first wearing, I knew this fragrance would be with me for a very long time and boy am I looking forward to our time together. I sampled it because I saw it listed as a Reminds Me Of suggestion for Tocade and it is (thankfully) Tocade-like with the beautiful vanilla rose combination, but it is SO MUCH BETTER and that's saying a lot. The top immediately surrounds me with rose, vanilla and geranium. It's both graceful and persistent in presentation. The combination is unmatched. A couple of minutes in, the listed citrus top notes, not distinguishable specifically as bergamot or mandarin, are available to me if I just push my nose into my wrist, but they don't jump off my skin as I expected the citrus might. Second wearing the citrus top lifted a bit more, but not as with an accompanying aldehyde. The heart remains vanilla, rose and geranium, but it really warms up. I know amber is not listed but I get an Amouage Ubar-like amber here. It's not a prominent accord, but my nose says I'm enjoying amber as well. The rose and vanilla are a little powdery, maybe even dusty (?) but smoooooth and welcoming. It's a bit nostalgic as a result and wonderfully affecting. No freesia was found. The base remains vanilla and rose for me, but also a bit woody. I'm not overly familiar with akigalawood, but it's wood :) and maybe a little peppery. The smell of patchouli typically holds the base together in many fragrances for me, but that's not the case with this fragrance, unless it is hitchhiking on the akigalawood. I don't have the words to describe how lovely I find Woman in Gold. Sensibly I know it's my reaction to something remembered in this By Kilian offering, not just the composition. That being said, it's just lovely. I'm convinced EVERYONE should love and wear it while simultaneously wanting to be the ONLY ONE who smells exactly like this *shakes head* Noteworthy rose, vanilla, geranium nostalgic perfect! It feels more special occasion than every day, so every day will just have to be a special occasion :D

Although I've been reading the commentaries on this site for a while now, this is my first review! Quick note: My interest in fragrances renewed very recently during the pandemic with an intense desire to explore this world again. It could be that I needed a lift or something wonderful to look forward to in the mail. Or maybe I really am turning into my father who circled the perfume counter at our local department store each Saturday. I still remember his bottle of Grey Flannel nestled in with dozens of other bottle names I wish I could recall. I want to start with Woman in Gold because it takes me on the same kind of journey that I remember going on as a kid when I opened that cabinet cluttered with my father's scents. The opening of this fragrance is bright and citrusy. But already with the tart (lime?), there is something strong and rich but also bitter waiting on the other side. I am guessing it's the vanilla mixed with geranium that enters quickly in. Together the scents are not harmonious at all. Yet they work to evoke something that feels like an acquired taste for a unique cocktail. It makes me think of what the name of this perfume implies: sophistication. The innocent sweetness is balanced by experience which then dries down and loses its edge. Over time the scent softens, turns more powdery as if it's giving itself permission to give in and be soft and sweet. But you have to wait. You have to like the wait--which I do. I bought a small 7.5 ml bottle blind based on the reviews. I am utterly delighted!

I have found so beautiful perfumes with citrusy touch lately. That note isn’t easy for me but when it’s blended seamlessly with other notes it’s absolutely charming. I’m totally in love with Woman in Gold. Creamy composition with a captivating combination of vanilla and bergamot, refined rose and deepening Tonka and patchouli create a special and unique scent. Believe me, this has nothing to do with Lira nor Ani. It feels like a fragrance from decades past updated for the modern era. It has a glowing glamour, a stylish, sensual and seductive character, and yet it is extremely versatile. The scent is powdery, fluffy, a bit hazy, but still bright. The patchouli doesn’t make it dark in any way. This is not a rose perfume in the way that you can smell clearly it’s petals. The most prominent notes are Bergamot and Vanilla. I’m totally hooked on this. Woman in Gold is great for parties with an evening dress, but I can’t resist wearing it after a shower in the evening. It brings a touch of luxury to an ordinary day. Longevity is excellent and it leaves a seductive scent trail behind you. The scent is office safe and it’s suitable to wear year around. Thank you for reading, I hope my review was helpful. I would appreciate a lot if you want to follow me on IG and/or YouTube (English subtitles): @ninamariahperfumes It gives me a lot of motivation to write more.

This is so beautiful. I wasn't taken aback when I first smelled it but the more I wore it the more I liked it. It smells like a really fancy dryer sheet to me. It has that fabric softener dryer sheet vibe to it but in a good way for sure. It specifically reminds me of the time I made a valentines day mailbox in grade school out a cardboard detergent box. The way it smelled after it was full of candy is almost spot on to this for me. I can only detect a little patchouli when I very first spray. After that it becomes pretty linear for the rest of its life. It turns to a soft air-y powdery ever so slightly woodsy scent. You get those little hints of sweet vanilla and citrus. I thought the performance on this would be less than impressive because it is such a soft scent but no. The projection is moderate-stong. I can smell it through my mask and it radiates around me while I move my arms. It last a very long time. It will last you all day. You won't fill up a room with it but anyone close to you will think you smell good. A kind of soft refined clean and comforting kind of good. This works as an every day scent. Since it is kind of on the soft side I think you could get away with wearing it to school and/or work as long as you don't over spray. an elegant soft understated scent

Contrary to the below reviews this scent is unique on my skin. It is not powdery on me, I do not get soap or baby wipes vibe on my skin. Few years ago I would say "try it before you buy it" but unfortunally it was REFORMULATED!!! Black bottle vs white bottle - a test side by side: The opening is different, I loved the opening in the black bottle from the start. With the white bottle I had to check the name if I got the right one. The opening in white bottle is ... nothing special for my nose. If you wish to know how the old version smelled like please wait for the drydown. The drydown in both versions is very similar at the begining but .... the similarity fades with time. When it comes to longevity and projection on my skin the old version also wins. For my nose it is no longer the same scent. I wonder if it was Estee Lauder (new owner) forcing the changes or using less quality ingredients. The scent from black bottle is longlasting, strong, sophisticated, rich, a real complement getter. The juice in the white bottle is merely a decent dupe for me. Don't get me wrong, the drydown is similar, especially at the beginning but I will not repurchase it. I can not forget the scent from the black bottle. In my very unprofessional opinion a masterpiece has been distroyed.

I usually go for heavy, dark, deep scents, but this is an absolute exception and I am head over heels for it. This perfume is light yet welcoming, sweet yet refreshing. It opens with a lemon-sugar & vanilla sweetness and dries down to a warm vanilla/tonka scent. It's very feminine, very classy, clean and feels high-end. The name and the smell of this fragrance makes me picture a well-put-together woman in a white suit paired with gold jewellery, she's confident, she's inviting, she's sophisticated. This is the vibe I get from this and I can't get enough of it. It will simply elevate just about any look. Projection 7.5/10 - Moderate projection, making it very suitable for office wear, or an easy go-to when looking for something inoffensive Longevity 10/10 - Lasts about all day and even more on clothes. After spraying this on my jacket, the next 1-2 days, whenever I would open my closet this is all I could smell as the scent still lingers around. Sillage 8/10 - This will leave a soft scent trail behind and people will be picking on it, however is not as strong as, for example, Hypnotic Poision. Scent 12/10 - Pure heaven, I would bathe in it if I could.

I wasn’t sure if Woman In Gold would be too sweet and vanilla-forward for me at first, so I was scared to spray it onto my skin. I was immediately reminded of Dulcis in Fundo but with less melted and curdled ice vanilla cream and more fluffy marshmallow. This is what I wanted Dulcis in Fundo to be. I’m struck by how a softly sweet vanilla fragrance can be equally so spicy. It’s simply powdery white marshmallows with cracked pink pepper corns. Powdery and peppery, such a spicy-sweet Oriental, I love it. And it has aldehydes, of course I love this. This is almost the less extravagant, non-royal cousin to Valiant (another powdery favourite of mine). Yes it’s mature, feminine and a timeless classic in style, but that’s just how I love my perfumes. Update: So I’m wearing it again today, with 4 sprays from the full size bottle. This time I get the Turkish Delight loukoumi style rose water that’s powered with soft icing sugar. It projects wildly for the first half hour but then pulls back to become skin scent for another 8 hours. It’s stunning but just short of being signature worthy. Apparently it’s one of Melania Trump’s favourites.

I am in love with this citrus,vanilla woody perfume , such a classy yet modern ,sparkly ,warm masterpiece! In fact it reminds me of a modernized chanel# 5 , love the aldehydes ,vanilla rose and woods with the sweet tonka and hint of patchouli . I adore that soapy mature elegant yet sexy powdery feel . The hint of oud is perfect I believe it’s a molecule and not real oud which I am perfectly oaky with. This perfume is worth every penny , it reminds me of MFKs satin mood , like another reviewer already had mentioned. Also has reminiscence of Chanel #5 as mentioned earlier. It fills all my needs in a perfume , it’s warm, sexy, elegant , youthful and sweet aromatic and powdery fresh . My husband loves this one and I get many compliments. Pls Kilian never discontinue this one. I also find It to be tweaked when the new packaging came out. I love how it’s been changed ( if it has ) as I use to not like this perfume I now swoon over it. It could also be that my taste has matured or changed . Probably the later lol .This is perfection to me now , I own the white bottle . Love the citrus – woody–,vanilla feel.

Reading the very polarized opinions about WIG, I am totally astonished about how absolutely different our sense of smell behaves from a person to another. How different a scent is perceived is quite curious. So, i’ll start by saying, yeah this juice is very linear, so if you love it from the first puff, you’ ll enjoy it to the end. That is a good thing, as there are a lot of fragrances that promise a lot and then, in 1h or so they turn to good ol’ soap smell or cheapie toiletries. Then, this one is unique. I mean, you don’t smell it and instantly find similarities or get obsessed by hmm, where did I smell this before?! Although a lot if people associate it with rose, this is not a rosie, but it’s more into the aromatic vibe. I sense a nice cosy basil. Mom said i smelled like the church, there :) It is such a vibrant, loyal and powerful perfume. Totally worths your money, it has incredible longevity. I put in on at 7 am - 2 puffs are enough - and mom sensed the church smell at 6 pm. I sensed myself too. Great for late summer, dunno how it develops in winter, but i bet it is still wonderful.

This is the type of fragrance you wear to a summer wedding when you are the bride and you want the moment to live forever. It is the kind of scent trail people remember long after the last dance, the quiet signature that lingers in photographs, vows, and warm evening air. You wear it not just to be noticed, but to remember. Every breath becomes part of the day you never want to fade. This fragrance is soft yet undeniably powerful. It wraps around you like light on silk. The vanilla and marshmallow create a delicate sweetness that feels intimate and comforting, while orange notes add a gentle radiance. Rose blooms beautifully at the heart, romantic and elegant, never overwhelming. The aldehydes lift everything, giving the scent an airy, luminous quality that feels timeless and refined. Woman in Gold is memory made wearable. It is graceful, emotional, and quietly commanding. The kind of scent that becomes inseparable from a beautiful day and stays with you for a lifetime.

I’m very confused by reviews on this one. Some people say that it’s not unique at all, maybe we smelled different batches or I’m getting something different then other people. I love this scent. It is VERY unique to my nose, much more niche then most of other feminine offerings from Kilian like Love or Princess, or Good girl gone bad. Those 3 and some others share similar DNA and are very designer style. On the other hand Woman in gold gives me a smell of a gorgeous feminine old school vibe fragrance mixed in with freshly painted room. It is not vintage by any means. Imagine a very wealthy neighborhood. And an avant-guard artist is making a fresco mural for Charlize Theron. And she is standing there in the same room having this soapy floral scent trail. I know she is J’adore ambassador, but it’s pretty hard to imagine her wearing it all the time. And the drydown of Woman in Gold is luxurious too, warm vanilla...

Onaona’s review: NAILED IT! I think I already left a review, but if not, Onaona’s review is perfection. Let me add: if it helps anyone::: Akigala wood is not a wood. It’s patchouli, molecularly altered to present as wood. You’d never know it unless you read about it and tried really hard to detect it. BUT, it can be super clunky and unsophisticated like in Angel Nova, which I don’t mind.) Don’t get me wrong—- WiG is the polar opposite of AN!!! I’m Only mentioning it as an Akigala reference. I just wanted to share what I learned, because when I saw that note, I was worried that WiG would have that facet. IT DOES NOT! Don’t let the Akigala wood note deter you from WiG! THIS is what the Akigala wood inventors envisioned. This is Akigala done right, and it’s a small player in the composition (but still present) in WiG. It does smell like real wood here. Hope this helps!!

Last year, for my birthday, I went to Saks Fifth Ave to find the perfect fragrance for me. As someone who owns 50+ perfumes, it is quite difficult to find something that truly WOWs me. After trying dozens of perfumes from multiple brands including MFK, Bond No 9, and Tom Ford, I came across this gem. It was an immediate love. This scent is the epitome of sophistication, luxury, and class. It is fluffy, smooth, and feminine. I receive tons of compliments when I wear this. My father and uncle commented that it smells angelic and heavenly. It gives me similar vibes to Mont Blanc Signature so if you love that scent, this will definitely be up your alley. I would describe it as a citric vanilla that is sweet and powdery. I personally don’t get any oud or woody notes in this. It is a timeless perfume, that I see myself wearing for decades to come. Overall: 10/10

Oh my first love, my first bottle of niche perfume that got me started on this exciting journey of olfactory experiences. My first bottle was black one and recently I bought new one and it’s white. This is quintessence in a bottle for what I love in a perfume. Perfect balance of citrus and flowers, not crazy sweet, and has this smokiness that I love. There is definitely depth and smoothness to this perfume. I associate it with elegant, sophisticated, successful woman who walks down the hall in a building of her multimillion corporation. She is strong, smart and highly attractive in her suite. This scent is signature scent worthy. It works well under different temperatures and suitable for many occasions despite not being typical “clean/day” perfume. BTW it has some similarity with Dior The Addict. But I would say this is way more refined version.

Woman in Gold is one of my top 3 scents of all time. It’s very inoffensive, you could wear it to the office 100% (but it is also suitable for date night too. It’s a bit sultry but not attention seeking.) It has a lot of vanilla, bergamot and tonka especially on the dry down. The opening is a bit citrusy but that fades away after the dry down (about an hour-2 hours.) It has a great lasting power, about 8 hrs on me. Decent projection, about an arms length. Sillage is about 6 ft behind the wearer. I’m not crazy for perfumes that smell up a room so this is perfect. I just love this perfume. If you love vanilla and bergamot notes in conjunction, you will love this perfume, too. UPDATE: I wore Woman in Gold today & am at 12 hours of wear - it’s still going strong. Normally I only use one spritz but today I used two & I see it has paid off!

This perfume takes on so many personalities during wear, and I love every one of them. It goes on bold and powerful, but not overwhelming. I can't describe my first impression in scent notes, but I can describe it as "wow"! I couldn't stop sniffing my shirt and arm where the perfume hit. Once the initial spray settles, a sexy business woman shows up. This is the boss B in the office. About the 2nd hour, my granddaughter actually walked up to me and commented how she likes this perfume. After a more few hours (yes, it's that long lasting), another personality showed up; this one saying I'm confident, feel good and I know I'm "all that". This is where the perfume takes on a scent that reminds me of a softer version of OUD Satin Mood. That's a win-win situation for me, because that's one of my favorites as well.

It is DIVINE! I’ve had a sample that I forgot about and tried it - Purchased 3.4 oz. refill bottle immediately, for a great price too. Because of our different chemistry it might be disliked by some. It is sophisticatedly blended, there is nothing mainstream in it, this is probably why the opinions are polarizing. On me is warm, strong, deep, intoxicating, feminine sweetness. I’ve passed the phase of the girly, citrusy perfumes, now I want a bomb! Something that will walk a few feet before and after me, lol WIG is quite different than anything I’ve tried before, it has class and character and it a IS Woman In Gold! The staying power is impressive. Killian Black Phantom Memento Mori, Dark Lord and Woman In Gold are my favorite of Kilian’ creations.

In my opinion, Woman in Gold is the best perfume from the House of Kilian followed by Good Girl Gone Bad. This perfume is an extremely elegant, refined and creamy vanilla (non gourmand) with slight citrus nuances. It is the epitome of a very feminine, beautiful, classy and confident mature woman. The longevity and sillage are moderate. The only downside of this perfume is the high price point. It is worth mentioning that this perfume bears no resemblance to Lira, Ani or Devotion whatsoever, even though they are all vanilla-citrus fragrances.

Pure perfection to my nose! I absolutely fell in love with it the very first time. It is long lasting, and the notes blend together so beautifully, nothing feels sharp or out of place. This is very easy to wear!! I do believe this is now going to replace my (old) favorite Kilian~Love, Don't Be Shy. I have already bought three decants of this. It may be a little dressy for jeans and every day, but I do believe because it's gentle and not 'in your face' it is office safe too. I have to give this one a 10 out of 10 for this work of art!

I have a sample. I’m obsessed with it. It smells so good with my body chemistry, on top of some white Dove soap. It’s early spring and I’m really enjoying it with these coolish but sunny April days. It’s like the powder that’s on marshmallows combined with laundry combined with a heavy tonka note. Maybe a little non toxic patchouli (as opposed to the heady stuff)...I just used my Guerlain voucher to purchase Angelique Noir, so I’m restraining myself from pulling the trigger. But I know this scent belongs with me.