Fraaagola Saalaaata

I enjoy Hilde Soliani. I appreciate her sense of humor, and her boldness. If she loves a kind of pastry- well, why not make a perfume that conjures the presence of that pastry? I've wanted to bottle things I love, too. Her formulations can appear simple, with very few notes- like Fraaagola Saalaaata- but with her fragrances, you know how the product is going to perform, and that the ingredients used are top quality. Many times I have read a description of a scent, ordered it, and found it to be only vaguely similar to what I thought I was getting. I am a gourmand lover. If a fragrance I plan to purchase is described as smelling like say, a chocolate covered orange, then that's what it should smell like. I don't want oak moss, or cedar, or wood smoke (all wonderful notes, to be sure) arriving unexpectedly if they aren't listed. The scent I have chosen should convey a chocolate covered orange- as advertised. And though a fragrance may seem "simple" it needn't perform poorly. It should be composed of superior ingredients, essential oils that are genuine, that convey a true presence of what is listed in that scent. This is where Hilde Soliani shines. What notes are listed, what scent is described- that is what you're going to get. Every few years I treat myself to a some samples from Luckyscent. The selections may not work for the usual reasons- the scent is delicious but too fleeting, the sample turns weird on my skin, or it's just disagreeable. I ordered a batch, some years ago, that included Fraaagola Saalaaata. They arrived during what had turned out to be a challenging time in my life. My choices would be, I hoped, happy, uplifting fragrances that would be cheering, or would at least provide welcome distraction from the gloom. The only sample I can recall receiving, out of all of them, is Fraaagola Salaaata. And happy and uplifting, it was. Everything about Fraaagola Salaaata- except its name- seemed basic. Even the bottle was uncomplicated looking. The Luckyscent website listed only two notes for this fragrance: strawberries, and salt. I have always loved strawberries, and was curious as to how this note would perform, pretty much flying solo, in a perfume. Would the straightforward cylinder of a bottle hold tart, untamed, just cut berries, glistening in their purest form on the cutting board? Or would it possess a strawberry presence like the one in those hard candies in the strawberry-shaped wrappers, that have the burst of berry powder inside? And what would the manifestation of the salt's role be as co-star to the berry? What I experienced was a combination of fresh and candied berries. Fresh and true, but well-sugared. I was happily surprised by the very real strawberry essence this perfume conveyed. As for the salt, I couldn't really detect it, but it had to have been added to provide a counterpoint to the berry, like a complementary color in a painting. To me the salt was a silent partner, providing a service I could not detect. Fraaagola Salaaata is strawberry- period. You want strawberry- you're going to get it. And I happen to adore strawberries. I received the sample of Fraaagola Salaaata in late Spring, so this fragrance, which is perfect for Spring/Summer, came along at just the right time of year. After using up the sample I knew I had to have it. I never spend this much on a perfume, but this time I splurged on a bottle. It was a wonderful fragrance. I loved every atom of every spray. Sadly, it just didn't last on me. Although classified as an eau de parfum, it performed like an eau de toilette. The big happy cloud of sparkling berry faded away within less than an hour. But I loved my time with Fraaagola Salaaata, because it did always make me smile, and I reapplied it to its very end. Would I order a full bottle again? No. But I enjoyed it while it lasted. I miss Fraaagola Salaaata. I may order another sample of it sometime. Then I can experience again that Summer, when a kind of silly looking bottle of perfume with a weird name and two ingredients made life a sweeter and happier place.

This smells like eating strawberry Pop Rocks on a sticky hot sunny day in July in the late 90s. Something about this scent brings about nostalgia for my childhood, funny how scents can do that. It's definitely a more artificial strawberry scent, as every berry scent is going to be because it's not possible to distill their aromas naturally, but it's not at all medicinal, sour, syrupy, or heavy like a lot of berry forward perfumes. It's a unique and addictive scent and hard to describe, but my husband inadvertently nailed the description when he commented that something in the air smelled like carnival food. It really does smell like a photorealistic snow cone or cotton candy or funnel cake or all three mashed together at a seaside carnival which to me is a joyous evocation. And I notice a bit of a chocolate/cocoa smell after an hour or two, but maybe that's just me. Anyways if it wasn't clear yet I love this scent. It is one of few sweet perfumes that works in summer for me; yes it's dense and sweet yet it has buoyancy and balance. Still I'm not sure it'd be a safe blind buy because it is unlike anything else I've ever tried and it is expensive. But get a sample and try it a few times as you can detect more complexity the more you wear it. 2 month update: This is in my top 3 favorites. I never get tired of it! Will buy a bottle eventually but for now I have a larger decant. 2 year update: This remains solidly in my top 5 of all time, and I tend to get sick of fragrances after a while.

Strawberry candy-- super fun! It makes me think of a 50's housewife with Marilyn curls, wearing a gingham apron and bright red cherry lipstick. I could see this being worn to the beach or an outdoor summer party. Projection, sillage, and longevity are STRONG. I would caution against wearing this in an enclosed space as family members could smell it from upstairs (with only one spritz). My husband needed me to scrub it off because it was "actually upsetting him physically". He said it left a ploom behind that lingered. His opinion: way too sweet, like jello mix, mixed with cough syrup and 90's kids toys, but too much like chemicals. Scented markers and scratch 'n sniff. My small child exclaimed she could smell it across the room but LOVED it! The most positive reaction I've seen: "mmmmm!! Can you wear that for Daddy's birthday? I want to smell it again!" I scrubbed it off and sprayed 2am in Lafayette to cover it up since my husband likes that one alot. It then morphed into cotton candy and could still smell it still at the end of the day. I can't speak to the salt note or development due to scrubbing. If my husband liked it, this would be a contender!

Strawberry Shortcake grew up, had a rough couple of years and started working the corner. A witch disguised as your grandmother gives you one of those hard gooey strawberry candies and you bite into it only to find it's filled with salt water - somehow, it still tastes alright. Salty, skanky, sweet sweet strawberry. This is addictive. I've been waiting to sample this ever since I read the notes - a simple combination that was bound to lead to something interesting. I agree with the comparisons to strawberry candy or lip gloss, but the saltiness brings it to a skinlike place where maybe, just maybe, you might actually just smell like this. Like if you just naturally sweat strawberry juice. Or if those little pores on strawberries could sweat. In my mind, the coolest woman in the world naturally smells like this. Some will find it boring but the juxtaposition of the sweetness and saltiness keeps it so interesting and has me sniffing my arm like a maniac. This is the one for spring/summer if you're tired of freshies and florals and want to smell a little unusual without choking everyone out around you. I'm obsessed.

Childhood memories in a bottle! Here's what comes to mind when I spray this perfume: ❤️Jell-O powder, ❤️Red Kool-aid powder, ❤️Pixie sticks, ❤️Fun Dip Candy, ❤️Baby Bottle Pops, ❤️Smarties, ❤️Sweetarts, ❤️Slurpees, ❤️Strawberry Bubbaloo, ❤️Snow cones, ❤️Sour belts, ❤️Red Lollipops, ❤️Red Popsicles, ❤️Strawberry hard candies It's a well crafted hyper-realistic candy scent. It's comforting, pleasant, bright, sweet/tart but balanced, and so, so cute. It projects, lingers, and leaves a delicate berry-candy skin scent. It doesn't smell cheap because it's not, and does not give me a headache. I just adore these types of fragrances. I can't stop smelling my wrist when I spray this on me! It's worth the price tag in my opinion! The child in me is happy. 🥰🍓🍬💕 p.s. Want to die and go to heaven?? Layer this perfume with Tihota by Indult for the ultimate and elevated Strawberries & Vanilla experience! 🍓🍦