Sweet William

My favorite of Ineke's Floral Curiosities line, let it be known up front that this utterly unique scent will definitely be polarizing for some. But those who appreciate it will likely find it to be one of the most prolific in their fragrance library. The boozy, fruity top gives way to juicy spiced peaches that get warmer near the drydown. As trusted perfume blogger EauMG has pointed out, it gets quite "cozy...like baked spiced peaches." The ingredients almost suggest a Fall fragrance, evocative of cuddling on a couch wrapped in a knit shawl in front of a fire with dry leaves scattered outside. Certainly true, but this hidden gem served me in fine form during a moderate Spring and hot, humid Summer just as well, maintaining its resilient magic even when mixed with sweat and challenged by ones hot, frustrating day. Not an every day scent, and not a formal scent, but a casual-cum-professional wear unisex trooper that will perform well year-round, and is perhaps best suited for lighter complected dryer body chemistries. As polarizing as its notes may be, it has yet to let me down. The clever, quality "library book" packaging is perfectly befitting. Those on the fence may wish to try the 15ml EDP travel spray for $38 before going the larger 75ml ($78) route. But many will surely want to pick this up as it continues to catch on. ★★★ (out of ★★★★).

Sweet William reminded me right away of a sunlit perennial garden in late summer. There is a lovely hint of fruits in this scent mixed with woody greenness of twigs, branches and light aroma of outdoor flowers. What a lovely way to represent cheerful Sweet William flowers. Their bright clusters in every shade of red are always an eye-catcher and mood lifter for me. I find that Ineke’s imagination is spot-on with this flower, representing not only the cheerful character of the flower but a garden where it grows. The composition is spicy but soft and pleasant to wear. The peach is natural and a bit boozy but not candied. I think the peach gives this composition tender and charming quality. The spices mixed with carnation-like note work beautifully here. I often find that the scents with clove, cumin and cinnamon are a bit strong but Sweet William is warm and well-balanced scent that wears effortlessly. The composition is grounded in woods and earthy patchouli reminiscent of a natural garden warmed by the August sun. The sillage is similar to other Ineke creations – subtle but noticeable. The longevity is at least 5 hours. Overall score 8/10. The scent is interesting, unique, high quality and easy to wear. I was happy to add it to my collection.

Each scent I've tested from Ineke has been beautiful and unique in their own special way. This fragrance is spicy, herbal, and "wet." I think the easiest way to describe it is a peach-infused herbal tea or booze. There is some sweetness provided by the peach here, but its very natural. This scent invokes the comfort of sipping from a warm mug while you watch a storm rage outside your window. I've found it suitable for any time of year, save for perhaps the most humid summer days. It lasts about 6-7 hrs for me, then it becomes a milky/spicy skin scent after that. Unisex in my opinion, maybe leaning slightly feminine. A wonderful scent that I wish was easier to find.

Woohoo! I won this in a giveaway right here on fragrantica. :) I was taking a real risk by selecting the ONE single Floral Curiosities scent I hadn't sniffed before, but I think it paid off. I already own Briar Rose and wouldn't mind owning any of the others. The first note that I get from Sweet William is fresh peach... the fruit note is juicy and a bit boozy but not syrupy. The scent has a green stems and gently flowery quality to it which gives it a surprising freshness, considering how much the clove note pops through! To me it almost smells as if some violet and violet leaf was in this composition too. As it dries down the woody notes come out more. The dryness of cedar and sandalwood is softened up by a dose of crushed vanilla bean. The cumin and cinnamon warm it up a little more but do not make it dirty at all. In fact there is a clean skin, white musky aspect to this which plays very well off the peachy note, which gets less green and more jammy as time passes. After a couple hours it smells more gourmand, creamy, and musky on my wrists, but stays more carnation-fresh and woody on my shirt. Sillage and lasting power are both moderate. This is very easy to wear. I thought this might be a very fall/winter sort of fragrance with the spice and wood, but the peaches and wildflowers give this a taste of summer as well. It has a casual, sweetly bohemian vibe that pairs well with a lot of the clothes at Anthropologie.

109 I tested a 2.5-ml sample and sprayed the entire contents on my cotton top. It’s alcohol heavy and takes a while to settle. The result is an anemic watery floral, supposedly with peach and cinnamon and clove. Unfortunately, I cannot smell any of these and since it’s done with such a light hand, it seems pointless to me. A faint mentholated Patchouli peeks its head out at the very beginning and end. There is also a generic chemical fruit haze on the dry-down which is unpleasant. However, I do love the false book packaging on this scent... Oh Ineke, your fragrances would be so much better if we could actually smell them! Intensify them, make them more concentrated. I would love this. I suggested this before and I still think she should create stronger versions of all her scents because I find several of them very lovely or unique but so weak that I won’t bother with buying them. I am done with weak fragrances no matter how nice. I need at least moderate longevity and projection. Her scents are some of the weakest I’ve ever smelled from beginning to end. I actually think this scent has potential if the notes were stronger. It does not smell like Sweet William to me, as these flowers are actually sweeter, with a more noticeable clove note and other floral aspects. Still, this could be a very nice tart spicy fresh floral for the summer. 7/10-weak. Would not repurchase.