In Paradise Riviera

In Paradise Riviera is an elusive ghost at first and it took me a few wearings to understand her. At first I was quite anosmic to it and thought it was too light and molecular. After testing somewhat I now smell it strongly and understand how it performs. And I love it. On first spray you’re greeted with the most beautiful fresh realistic peony which then bounces in and out of reality. One minute she’s there, the next she’s gone. Ever present is a clean powdery musk underpinning the entire composition which gets more powdery and cotton-like further into the drydown as the peony slowly fades. I honestly don’t get much of the white florals here. To my nose Riviera is mostly a clean peony and musk perfume (but I’m still testing her of course and this may change in different weather and as I experience her more). This fragrance is light as air but ever present, with moderate longevity and beautiful sillage. You’ll catch wafts of sweet fresh musky peonies throughout the day and be loving the experience! This one is for the soft girlies out there. I think this may turn into a big love 🤍✨

This is a beautiful version of the original Lust in paradise which I find to be better than the OG. I found the OG Lust in Paradise to be too similar to Delina. This one on the other hand is more complex and mysterious than the OG. I am in love with this fragrance. I also love the fact that it’s a limited edition and I will cherish it for as long as it will last me.

Smells like a clean girl on a very chic vacation 🐚

Yeah, I’m unsure about this. It was a blind buy that I regret for the price. It smells just like pencil erasers in the air. It’s very animalic which I wasn’t expecting from the notes. I don’t smell any of the florals unless I shove my nose into my wrist. It lasts VERY long on clothing, but is extremely light with almost no sillage. There’s something dirty/green about this. I might use it to layer with Fleur Narcotique. This is NOT with $350. I’m sorry. *Edit in 2025 - I ended up not wearing it one time since my initial review in 2022. I ended up giving it away yesterday*

I have the original Lust in Paradise and was really excited about this new version. I was expecting a twist on the fragrance since the Ex Nihilo website says the Riviera version has Tuberose (which I love) and Tiare flower. I’m not getting either note in this fragrance. Unfortunately, this smells almost identical to the original. If anything, it’s slightly less appealing. In my opinion, it’s not worth purchasing if you already have lust in paradise.

Lust in Paradise is my favorite perfume and I almost bought the Riviera blind, but found a sample. Riviera is an entirely different scent and I don't like it at all. It is hard to describe, no distinctive character, just a mix of everything, loud and annoying. For me it smells like an average not niche female scent. It is not horrible, but I would not enjoy wearing it and it is not worth the Ex Nihilo price tag. I will stick to the high quality permanent line and will skip the limited editions.

Slightly updated as it’s been a while and I also can compare it to the original Lust in Paradise better now as I have both, which I did not when this was written... I am absolutely in love with this fragrance! It is spritzy and happy and sunshine in a bottle. And at the same time not exactly the same as most summer white flowers tiare cocnutty pina colada-ish beach fragrances can be but summer and beach sophistication if that makes sense...? What I also love the most with this fragrance is that it reminds me of fragrances from my childhood and youth when often the scents were so well put together that you could not from the first whiff immediately detect the different notes which for me elevates a perfume to a special state of art that I admire whenever I encounter it. Now I did not own the own the original Lost in paradise that this is a limited edition flanker to. But I do now and I need to revise my comparison accordingly. My first impression from when I wrote this review also shows why first impressions often do not last and how they can also be quite misleading. In this case I found it connected but a bit toned down, which I do not find it to be at all today. Instead I find they do still remind of each other but the original Lust in paradise is a lot more floral and peppery with a bit of powderyness in the dry down. And on top of that the litchi is prominent. Lust in paradise is therefore more heady and sweet compared to In paradise which is more floral fresh and even a bit clean leaning due to the musks used. None of them are if you ask me toned down but rather represents different facets of the concept. Unless florals are your most loved forte I’d now say In paradise is more summery and an easier wear. Lust in paradise however may work nicely also in wintertime as it is more heady and dare I say slightly darker? The dry down also offers a bit of soapy ness which In paradise has none of, which I am quite thankful for! As I prefer clean musks to soapy ness in general. If your preference is the opposite then List in Paradise may be your choice. Both are nice scents but In paradise is the more memorable one of the two for me. In paradise has a fairly strong projection and a bit more citrusy fresh punch from the get go and a really decent lasting power without becoming a room filler so I still find this office appropriate and it actually has worked also with super critical and scent sensitive patients. On the skin the scent warms up and mixes with the skin and creates an uplifting and sunshiny vibe but if there is coconut in this (which is a note not listed but some claim this contains) it then pleasantly takes its place in the background and there is no cloying pina colada in sight! Also the tuberose is taking a backseat and does not become overwhelming as it so easily can dominate a fragrance. If anything the tiare is more present which to me places this fragrance clearly in a warm and sea connected tropical setting. The only animalic tone I get from this scent comes from my own skin when it warms up with the fragrance in the sun which adds to the mix a flare of sun warm skin on a sandy beach which is a note I personally love. What I also love is that Riviera is despite its name not typically aquatic or too woody but stays more floral with a pinch of salty warmed up skin and a touch of fruity ness on the spritzy side without being too citrusy. All in all again I must say this is very well rounded and balanced and becomes like one new fragrance instead of a bouquet of very detectable scents side by side. It seems Ex Nihilo deems all their fragrances as unisex and that is good but for those interested I would say this leans clearly feminine at least to me. I love it so much I have gotten myself a back up since this juicy lovelyness happens to be a limited edition fragrance... (I also love that it is completely clear and void of colour in the bottle which means you can safely spray it on white clothing without staining anything!).

I got In Paradise Riviera as a free sample after purchasing decants of Blue Talisman and Fleur Narcotique, and while I've enjoyed the latter fragrances, this, on my skin, really smells like an upper middle class home's guest bathroom. It's upsetting. It's like a scented trash bag. I'm not saying there's anything pee-like or garbage-like to the smell, but there's a definite olfactory association going on in my brain that makes me think I'm sitting on a toilet.

I am glad to see these reviews. I have the original which is fresh, and frankly I am glad it was devoid or tuberose since everything seems to now have tuberose in it. Now, this flanker adds tuberose which I was hoping was not the case. I cannot find a sample anywhere to try first, so I will be staying with the original which is a beauty on its own.

This reminds me of La Perla possibilities, but so very fleeting in comparison. The peony note here makes it so sheer. The tropical feel is “red” somehow, like hibiscus 🌺. Youthful too.

It is a little bit different from the original. It has a coconut and watery vibe(Tiare note). the dry down is not really different from the original.

Is this different from the original?