A Winter Melody Scented Water

Simple, silvery, stunning. This does require a few layers to lift it off the skin, spray, dry, spray, and great longevity on clothes. It is Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” translated from words into scent. The rose peeks through the snow only occasionally, I can smell it in the sillage but not on my skin. Magical.

I am appalled by how much I personally want this just based on its looks, and I can see thus far all other reviewers are beguiled mainly by its pretty presentation. Of all of Gucci’s premium line, this is the one I love most; there is something very bracing about the Bergamot, a highly mentholated gelid opening that does indeed feel like an agreeable winter’s day, when the snow has settled and the sky has loosened its grey cloak slightly. But that might for me, also be the primal response to another Icy cologne of my childhood, by German House 4711, in its pretty miniature gin bottle and green label and dinky red-topped cap, sitting on my Grandma’s dark brown teak vanity like a little jewel. the predominance of bergamot in both seems to indicate a strong connection, and 4711 cologne is a much more economical yet effective option, by a wide margin. Winter Melody is further, not aided by its poor silage for its price. Longevity however is decent and it does shift beautifully into a languid rose a few hours later, but practically a skin scent. That bottle though... Paired with 4711’s Ice cologne, is an Instagram still-life in the making...

Now this scent is not something I thought I would like, as the cypress is the leading note and it smells kind of like a room spray. But this beautifully blended scent reminds me of Christmas and I actually really like it for very specific events. I love damask rose, and thought it doesn’t really shine, it gives the scent a nice depth. I would love to layer this scent.

I am a collector of rare and exclusive perfumes, with some more widely available beautiful ones there too. I expected to like this - my initial feeling was that I was very wrong. The top notes are nauseating. I felt sick, got a slight headache, my tongue swelled, eyes watered and I started sneezing. Obviously strong enough for allergy, which does not happen often and also a really sickening smell. I could smell patchouli (which I hate) although I haven't seen this listed in the notes; I would describe this as a very strong musky cypress, like damp, slightly rotting wood in a forest that, as it dries down, develops a sweet, rotting rose petal note onto the wood. I can understand the incense connection because of the heavy, warmed patchouli oil overtures. It was a definite dislike from me, one I wanted to wash off my skin. I was looking for a similar perfume to my beloved Tiempe Passate - the former is beyond beautiful and seems to melt into your skin as though it were your natural scent, whereas this one seemed to sit thickly on top of it. I persevered and as the base notes came through it became more intimate, pleasant and musky. I would say that this could work better if it was layered up with, say, a bright violet or mimosa. However, the musky, woody cypress was still a dominant feature and it continued to have a slightly sickly smell reminiscent of patchouli oil. This could be unisex, which I tend to like, but for me it leaned a lot more to the masculine.

A neighbour put this expensive bottle of perfume out on the street “free to a good home”. I thought wow, what a boon. Took it home. Sprayed and sniffed it. Gave it some time. And boy oh boy, it really just smells remarkably like acrid cat piss whether at the top, the heart notes or the dry down. I promptly put it back out on the street, “free to a good home”.