Best in Show

Vanilla gourmands are having a moment, and every fragrance house has one. Of them all, Ficifolia is my favourite. Rich, airy, creamy vanilla custard, flaky pastry, a dusting of icing sugar, a hint of florals and almonds. She's delicious. Photo-realistic vanilla slice, the good kind with the whipped custard, not overwhelmed by too much icing, and sprinkled with flaked almonds. Eaten outside your local bakery, on a bright winter afternoon, with hanging baskets and flower pots Unlike the majority of vanilla gourmand fragrances released over the past year, this one isn't trying too hard to be the sweet, beast mode fragrance winner. There's something light about this one, despite the richness of the custard and pastry, that makes it very wearable. The floral and almond notes are a welcome change from marshmallow, berries, caramel and chocolate found in so many recent gourmands. I'd put her above Queening. Yes, Queening has the fruit and aldehyde thing going on that makes it summer friendly. But Best In Show is a true gourmand yet will still be wearable in an Australian summer. Best In Show is a slice of Australiana, in the very best way Ficifolia does it. Love her.

Ficifolia NAILED the freshly baked vanilla slice from the Vietnamese bakery down the road—rich, creamy custard & lightly toasted puff pastry dusted with icing sugar. tastefully sweet, elevated so wonderfully by the jasmine, rose & musk. i do wish it projected a little more and lasted a little longer, but it wouldn't stop me getting another bottle. one of my favourite scent profiles of the year for sure.