Grain de Soleil

This is a beautiful, rich, warm fragrance. I have owned it for a couple of years - but given the size of my wardrobe, haven't worn it for quite a while. It's a cool weather scent, for certain. I sprayed it a couple of times this afternoon, because I'd moved a few bottles of perfume around and the distinctive bottle caught my eye. Initially, Grain de Soleil packs quite a powerful punch, but the sillage becomes moderate, in my opinion, within a short time. I envy those on whom it lasts a long time, as - on me - it lasts about 4.5 hours or so (but my skin absorbs most perfume very quickly). I was wondering which perfume GdS brought to mind and had been idly thinking about it for the last few hours, when it finally came to me. It's a far more restrained and polite Alien Essence Absolu. I've spritzed a little AEA on the back of my left hand and refreshed the GdS to compare them side by side. Now I am not suggesting that Grain de Soleil is a clone (it would be the other way round, as it was launched over ten years earlier) or that it could even be mistaken for AEA - but there is definitely a similarity. They have incense, amber, vanilla and jasmine in common; both also have a slightly powdery quality which is probably coming from orris root (in AEA) and iris (in GdS). They also have a woody substance to them (cashmere wood in AEA) and sandalwood in the case of GdS. Grain de Soleil is a very classy perfume and certainly smells far more expensive than it is. ETA. My comments about Alien Essence Absolu are absolutely not intended as negative; I love it (and am now wearing it instead). Further edit 11 December 2018: There are also similarities between Grain de Soleil and Joop! Le Bain; again, I am not suggesting a clone, just... I've spritzed Le Bain before bed this evening and it's made me think of GdS.

This was my very first blind buy. I was disappointed there was nowhere I could go to test before buying but the company I bought it from had a satisfaction guarantee, where they send a small sample with the purchase and I could return the bottle if I didn't like it. After all the positive reviews, I took a jump! The bottle is just so beautiful, and cute! At first spray I was a little worried I wasn't going to like it. It's very potent in the beginning, almost sour?, but as it dries down, Grain de Soleil becomes warm and powdery. All the notes blend together perfectly and create a kind of very soft, velvety and powdery sensual oriental floral vanilla. I can smell soft powdery vanilla notes, warm amber, gentle florals, a hint of spice that balances it all beautifully. The projection is strong! I'm an avid over sprayer but you definitely don't need to with this perfume. A couple of sprays and you're wrapped in a beautiful aroma! Like a big cuddle of warm sunshine, soft flowers and a sweet breeze. The more I wear it, the more I love it. Sillage: amazing! A few sprays and you can smell me when I enter a room. My husband said I smell like a fresh washing blowing in the sunshine. ☺️ Longevity: long lasting! I sprayed after my shower and I could still smell it the next day. Fresh and beautiful Value: good value for money. It's not terribly expensive and you don't need alot of product to make a big impact. Bottle lasts a good amount of time. Weather: I'd wear this in all seasons myself although I can see it fitting more in a beautiful sunny spring day and cozy autumn nights in. Gender: can be uni-sex although I feel it's more on the feminine side due to the soft floral notes. I definitely will be recommending this product to everyone I speak to! What a gem. 🙌🏻

I blind bought this perfume, which is always risky, but it does contain all my favourite notes. Thankfully I love it! I really do get that solar feeling here, but it's unlike any other solar perfume I've tried before. It feels like walking through an old spice market in the morning heat. There's faint wafts of exotic spices and apothecary products, homemade with dried flowers. Incense is perfuming the air somewhere in the far distance. You are slightly sweaty from all the exploring and the sun has warmed your already tanned skin. This perfume is so beautifully blended that it's hard to describe which notes appear and when. I mostly get vintage powdery notes, possibly from the heliotrope? There's cinnamon too, which adds a dry, gentle spice. The amber is absolutely gorgeous! It's warm, glowing and inviting. I think I pick up on the faint iris note, but it's not cold or melancholic (like iris can sometimes feel). There's also a slight floral lift, which may come from the jasmine or orange blossom, but I can't be sure. No note sticks out individually. It also has a little bit of a funk to it, which I love! It reminds me of the way Shalimar has that mysterious, lived in warmth. It definitely smells vintage, but in a very understated and effortless way. It never feels heavy or old fashioned. I wouldn't call this a vanilla fragrance really, at least not to my nose. It's very much a note in the background. The incense note is fairly quiet and comes deep in the dry down. It's not church-y, thankfully. Right now this perfume is fresh out of the box, so I can't wait to see how it matures. I've seen a few people's bottles darken with age, and I have a feeling this will only get better over time. Maybe the vanilla will reveal it's heart, we'll see!

My boyfriend knew how obsessed I was with this perfume’s bottle and gifted it to me for Christmas. For that alone, I love it. But in the 5 or so months since having it this perfume and I have developed a unique relationship. I don’t always reach for it, and yet I have such a fondness for it in my heart. It’s familiar and yet unlike any other scent I’ve smelled. Contrary to others’ reports of this being an ‘old lady’ scent (I hate that description!) I think a person of any age could wear this, even a child, and that’s a testament to its range. It isn’t sexy, and it isn’t trying to be. It’s comfort. It’s a hug from your grandmother, and the laughter exchanged between friends who haven’t seen each other in a long time. It’s the powdery smell of a woman who makes you feel safe. It’s the smell of skin after a bubble bath, tucked in warm to your twin sized bed, ladybug sheets pulled up to your chin, your mother’s bracelet-clad hand stroking your forehead. It’s your childhood friend’s mom’s perfume, and their house, and the smell of sleepovers. It’s the scent of a lovely young woman working at a local store who always treats you with dignity and kindness. I think this scent works for all seasons. My one disclaimer is that this scent, though wonderful, is not immune to becoming overbearing. Spray sparingly; you’ll be surprised at how much this projects. I recommend at the wrists and/or neck; when I spray it on my chest I find that it becomes too cloying to my nose. I’d also caution against wearing it everyday; this somehow takes away the magic of it. If you grow weary of it, as we sometimes do with dear friends, just leave it on the shelf for a bit. I have a feeling that, like me, you’ll come back after awhile.

Wow.. the perfect scent for seasonal depression.. it is so full, dense and warm, yet so soft and powdery and gentle. It comforts you, caresses you and hugs you like a winter sun Notes are blended greatly, you dont notice one note over the other (maybe patchouli jumps out here and there, but in a cozy way and not a dank way) The vanilla in here doesnt smell like vanillin, which is good because vanillin smells extremely masculine to me. The iris is textural, the jasmine is indolic, the incense is unlit, the heliotrope isnt overdosed and doesnt smell like playdoh, the amber is vintage and elegant (no ambroxan detected! It smells really soft and resinous) I only detect a HINT of rose, and i dont really smell anything necessarily cinnamony. Weirdly, it reminds me of cacharel’s eden combined with guerlain’s l’heure bleue and a hint of jil sander sun. Yet its not the same as those three at all. Idk. May need some more time to collect my thoughts. But this is beautiful! And im obsessed with the bottle! Immediate edit: omg this reminds me of a chai latte... specifically celestial bengal spice. Theres no sweetness , but the heliotrope makes it slightly milky and i guess the cinnamon does add some warm spiciness without being obviously cinnamon. I always add dried rose buds to my chai so maybe thats why it doesnt pop out so much. Theres patchouli settles quite fast which is why it doesnt overwhelm. But it may just be me, if you want a gourmand chai i wouldnt recommend this..