Gretel

A deliciously addictive gourmand with a darker twist to it. There's a rich, spiced sweetness that is immediately apparent in here. Clove and cinnamon dusted gingerbread, opening all warm, syrupy (slightly medicinal maybe) and nearly edible, yet there's something deeper that holds it back from smelling like a pure dessert. The opening in the air smells absolutely incredible, literally spicy toasted gingerbread. Closer on skin, there is more of a syrupy dryness to it. That's the sort of balance that the sugar needed; an incense that rises through the mix and announces itself. Performance is great, was still visibly on my skin after 7 hours and do not overspray this. Much like Tobacco Jam, the opening might be a little tough to get through with excess spraying, but at the right amount it's gorgeous. This is the final fragrance in my discovery set and the evolution of CE's fragrances as it sets on your skin makes it a genuine experience. Gretel is no different, after a few hours it dries right out and loses a bit of the gingerbread becoming a smoky and sweet, cozy and rustic masterpiece. The name Gretel suits this perfume so accurately in the sense that it feels fairytale-esque. A dark gourmand that presents itself with a familiar christmas-like warmth but with a gothic twist, think gingerbread but baked in an old cathedral kitchen that has smoke curling through it's rafters. Second favourite of the brand so far, very impressive and perfectly niche but wearable. Bravo ~ Stepping into a candlelit chapel kitchen hidden deep in the woods during winter. The air is thick with incense, hymns echo silently through stone walls, and on the altar sits a plate of warm spiced gingerbread. Outside lies hay and tobacco fields that are mute under the frost, but still apparent. Inside, it's a fusion of the sacred and the indulgent.

Gretel is an intense burst of treacle like honeyed ginger and spices with a thick base of tobacco, hay and incense. The cinnamon and clove are at the forefront of this fragrance. To sum it up think of a church made of ginger bread and that is what Gretel smells like. It's truly one of the more interesting gourmands I have smelt and am looking forward to doing a full wear test next week. Like tobacco jam beware over spraying this one.

Gingerbread, the really old fashioned kind that was heavily spiced and molasses sweetened. A Biscoff note (according to my A&P lab tutor) Heavy dark woods. Exactly how you'd expect a proper gingerbread house in the woods to smell, even down to the faint aroma of pipe tobacco and incense from the witch. This is amazing to wear, and layered with Hansel elevated to olfactory magic, and dare I say sexy af.

Gretel feels less like a fragrance and more like a scene from a dark fairytale. It tells the story of a witch standing at the door of her gingerbread house, beckoning Gretel inside with a knowing smile. From the initial spray, there is an immediate sense of atmosphere. Rich old school gingerbread packed with heavy spice, warm and dense, rising in thick wafts. Gretel is not a playful gourmand. Beneath the gingerbread lies something sinister. Incense curls through the composition like smoke from a hidden fire, while tobacco lingers in the background adding a dry whispering depth that keeps the sweetness in check. These darker elements create tension giving the fragrance an unsettling undercurrent. A fragrance fot those who revel in evoking imagery and narrative rather than simply smelling pleasant.

One of very few extraits released in recent years that truely feel like an extrait in term of the richness, the depth, the performance. It's built around gingerbread but to me it's not really gourmand, more woody spicy. The scent opens with a huge blast of spices. Then it mellows out and you're transported to a forest with old woods around, from a far someone is baking cookies/bread. The bread is not sweet or powdery but has a slightly smoky smell to it. The smoke is perfectly controled to give out a very realistic sensation without being too overpowering. This scent is perfect for the nights when it's a little chill outside, you're in bed enjoying some "me time", listening to an audiobook and let yourself emerge into the story. Sillage is room filling with just 1 spray & it lasts 2 days on my skin. Masterpiece!