Once Upon a Time

I adore Francesca Bianchi's work in general - I've been pretty smitten with everything I've tried except Tyger Tyger, which for me was way too cloying, and that is the only reason I decided to order a sample of this rather than just going for it blind! But this one? Pure, immediate LOVE!!! Once Upon a Time has *SOME of the familiar, animalic Bianchi base notes, but the candied almonds give it an almost playdoughy effect in the first moments, something I don't always enjoy but here I love love LOVE! It reminds me in those first moments of the one most captivating playdoughy perfumes I still regret never buying (since it's now discontinued): People of the Labyrinth's Luctor et Emergo (minus the cherry). The effect of the almonds give this a super cozy depth and I love how the gourmand touches (and they are light, not heavy handed) mix with the animalic base --- it's the most refined and classy gourmand I've had the pleasure to smell!! OUAT feels like a warm, maternal hug, and makes me think of what characters in an Elsa Beskow painting would smell like :-) I've GOT to get a full size of this one!!!!!

I got got my bottle today and I was pleasantly surprised. I was worried this might be too sweet and cloying. but it's not. It's a woody slightly leathery fragrance. it's spicy and a tad sweet, but nothing like the new mainstream death by sugar kinda scents. Its definitely one of her more pleasant, easier on the nose scents and I absolutely love it!

Ah, good friend Vanilla Beaver. It greets you with a warm hug, and stays a good 7 to 8 hours - as a welcome guest 🦫 Edit: well, almost 12 hours and it's still here!

Francesca is one of my favourite perfumers of today, she holds such immense talent, which is especially seen when she indulges in her own taste and style. Sadly in recent releases, her work seems to hold less life, less character, and less ‘Francesca’ inside them. Once Upon A Time is not bad, but another representation of this. The candied almond note is lovely I must admit, intensely dry and nutty, with a decayed, dusty vanillic leather in the background. The castoreum adds a sweet musky bitterness to this which is wonderfully welcome. However, the Candy floss accord and Iso E Super bring it all crashing down. This could have been incredible, had Francesca delved further into the dark animalic character she used to. Sadly it seems she is determined to crack the wider market, pushing out perfumes which are good, but mass appealing. This is not what people love her for, by appealing to the masses you start to lose the true enthusiasts.

I get the mandarin at the opening which fades quickly, then the candied almonds. There is and airy sugaryness not so much cotton candy, more caramelized, like the scent of the air in a candy shop. I also get a slight plasticy note like the scent of a baby dolls hair. I can see where the nostalgia element comes from ,candy and toys, smells like a mall in the 90s at Christmas time. A bit linear. Not much change after the opening. I like it and while I would like to own a full bottle there are other Francesca Bianchi scents that I would add to my collection before this one.

This is exactly what I was expecting after reading the notes, an animalic gourmand. Its a soft almond vanilla with a heavy dose of dirty animalic musk that sticks around for about two hours. It's interesting, sexy and the drydown is comforting. If you aren't already into notes like civet and castoreum, this one might be a little challenging, but is definitely worth sampling.

Well, I am not such a fan. Lately Mrs. Bianchi has been on repeat when it comes to new creations. This one was not the exception, once I got to try it I recognized the scent. Smells exactly the same as the others: leathery, sweet, ambery and animalic. Patchouli on the base. Reminds me of the repetitive style of her Hedonik Luxury’s offerings. Don’t you bother about the gourmand notes quoted in here. You won’t even detect a single one of them: they are tacitly silent. Niente! Nada. Zzz 😴 Come on, woman! Give us something new to rave about. Not the same formulation all over again. We are getting sick of this nonsense. Boring! Overpriced and simply BORING.

I am a big fan of her work, I really wanted to like this but it’s just not for me. I actually feel a little repulsed. I don’t smell any cotton candy or sweetness I smell mostly leather and some animalistic undertones (probably castoreum) that make me gag, and a dark heavy vanilla. It’s really not for me. I think it’s definitely not blind buy safe. Actually Bianchis perfumes are really not for everyone should be tested first, but once you fall in love with one of them you will fall hard.

As @zenbuu advised below: this is not blind buy safe. Absolutely not! Initial spray is repulsive. Smells like cat tinkle, and it’s pretty obvious it’s the castoreum. Within five minutes (if you can withstand not running to a faucet desperately trying to turn it on while you simultaneously scramble to find strong hand soap) that fades, and you are left with a very powdery vanilla, with there being faint sweetness. It’s a little dirty, but you sense the sweetness from the patchouli. It’s not candied almonds, and you can chuckle at the mention of a cotton candy note, because you’ve been warned there isn’t any of that here. 4.8/10. I’m keeping my bottle because (1) it was a gift, and (2) I already survived the cat pee experience to share my story. (3) I have too much integrity to sell it to someone else.

I wasn't going to listen (read), I was going to blind buy ASAP. Found a well priced 1 oz on the grey market (olfactoryfactory). It's Christmas at the Bianchi home. 60% of the scent is Bianchi's familiar notes/base. I sprayed and instantly KNEW it was a Bianchi. Do the almonds and candy show up? Yes, they do. The way Tyger has it's peach, this has those two notes. It's NOT a gourmand- it's Xmas. Almond adds a tiny light sweetness to that dark, dank, patch-civet FB is known for. I like it. I don't have any regrets. But this ends up predictable. Only Bianchi fans will get it (some will appreciate it), and those like me will find my collection doesn't NEED any more of her scents after 4-6 faves.

The first hour is kinda reminiscent of BR540 or Ariana Grande's Cloud to me. It has that "Cotton Candy/Almond/Ethyl Maltol/Ambroxan Bomb/Rubber Gloves" smell to it, just heavier. It's very crunchy in texture, transparent and sugary. The drydown is mainly tonka and patchouli to my nose, a bit milky too, with a lot of that initial sugary-ness remaining. It stays linear beyond that. Overall, this isn't the leathery animalic/orris butter scent I expected from Bianchi. It doesn't really have her DNA, at least not from what I can smell. If anything, it reminds me of some Italian brands' attempts at gourmand scents. Still, it's very pleasant and would probably smell very nice in the cold air.

Finally received it, and trying it (going to the gym 😂) of course not a gym fragrance. Honestly I was expecting something different based on the notes, this is my only disappointment, still, is it a beautiful fragrance, yes it is, is it within the spirit of FB, for sure it is, this is why it can’t be but a beautiful fragrance, do I regret bying it, no I don’t, is it my favorite of her collection ? Everyday I have a new favorite.... Am I happy, yes I am. With fragrance I don’t tend to explain or to analyse, it’s a feeling either a good one or a bad one and this is definitely a good one.

A gourmand fragrance with an animalic undertone that creates a nice contrast to the sweeter oriental profile. It is much less cloying than I expected and feels well balanced. Mature, feminine and one of the better fragrances I've sampled within this style. While I can appreciate the composition, it isn't something I would personally wear. Thumbs up.

Strange white musk cotton candy subtle thing with mass appealing freshness. I get a slight nostalgic factor but not enough to change my view about the perfume’s lack of depth and uninspiring blending. I think Etruscan water is the best bianchi I’ve smelled

This genuinely smells like Christmas to me. It's not in any stereotypical way that people would represent Christmas, but rather its just this sweet warm comforting scent that reminds me of Christmas spent as a child

I agree with the comment below, don’t go into this thinking it’s a gourmand you won’t detect any of the listed cotton candy or sugared almonds. It’s not a horrible fragrance it’s just nothing to get excited about

Blind bought all FB fragrances, and not a single regret. Pre ordered this one the minute I received the email, and can’t wait to have it...

Honestly; if you like the smell of a Lush store - it’s spot on.