Karleidoscope

I am surprised at how few people have commented on the packaging! Karleidoscope arrives in a narrow tube, with faceted plastic (like a kaleidoscope lens) on one end. A foam silhouette of Karl's head forms a cushion between the bottle and the lens, so that you can look through the slit (also shaped like Karl, seen sideways) to see Karl's head surrounded by faceted color, all of which reflects off of the golden interior. It's perfume! It's a toy! It's really goofy! The bottle also has a black casing surrounding the inner tubing, providing that stripe effect. All in all, this is quite original, and makes this scent a lot of fun to open. The next big surprise arrives shortly after I sprayed the scent. Immediately there was a distinct herbal floral note, velvety, a touch sharp, entirely unfamiliar. Five minutes later I could not smell anything on my skin. I was baffled. Karleidoscope went from quite strong to nothing...and after about 20 minutes, faded back in, eventually reaching a nice intensity. This intensity seems to come and go in waves. I was baffled. I couldn't figure this out, so I went looking through all the notes. It turns out that humans can only smell violet for about five minutes. After about 5 minutes, the scent molecule turns off our scent receptors, making itself undetectable until enough time has passed for the B-ionone to be perceived as a "new" scent. So, for me, the B-ionone is very forward in the beginning- it is all that I smell. So when my receptors turn off, the scent disappears completely. As the heart opens, violet continues to fade in and out, while the other scents remain steady, creating that wave effect. Neither musk nor the fantasy freesia note appear on my skin (YAY!). This is one of the most unique scent experiences I've ever had! It also turns out that I really like violet, and the reason that I've never enjoyed violet scents is because of artificial violet notes. Good to know. So, the opening is a pure blast of violet, which comes and goes throughout the life of the scent, while the other notes provide a backdrop. The heart opens as nicely pungent angelica, with a resinous edge from the benzoin, and just a touch of heliotrope, combined with subtle dark patchouli. The dry down is soft vanillic tonka, layered with heliotrope. And the violet come and goes, and comes and goes. K is an amazing scent experience. It's inexpensive ($12 for a 2 oz on the 'bay, free shipping), and even if you don't care for the scent of violet, it is worth experiencing, in my opinion. I do present this with the caveat that you have to have the OR5A1 neural receptor to perceive violet scent. So, before buying, please go sniff a violet. Make sure that you can smell the flower before purchasing! You can usually find viola odorata in flower stores, but you may have ask for it. And then, enjoy the "hide and seek" experience of true violet. What fun! And, in my opinion, this is also a really lovely, deceptively simple, elegantly warm, lightly playful scent. And the best part? You never have to worry about your scent overwhelming those around you, so you can apply with abandon! If they can smell violet, the violet will disappear and reappear for your companions as well. It will be noticed when you enter, and again, after you have been in company for a while. I really love this! I am seriously considering ordering more bottles and making this a spring/summer signature. First, because it's lovely, and largely ignored, and second, because, as a neuroscience graduate student, Karleidoscope is fascinating! Longevity appears to be quite good, 6+ hours. Sillage varies, depending upon perception of the violet note, from a skin scent to within arms length. I suspect that K may form a slight scent trail, but I haven't been able to verify this, due to the hide and seek nature of the violet, and the limited time that I have been wearing it. Highly, highly recommended! EDIT: In warm weather, the angelica really shines, taking on an almost amaretto-like tone. Seriously, people, you've got to try this!

This is really gorgeous! I love violet and angelica together, so I was pretty sure I would. It wears very much like a Blvgari in terms of longevity and sillage, but is of high quality like them also. Gorgeous powdery violets, herbal minty angelica, and benzoin for a vintage touch and gives it that luxurious high class velvety feel. I also get some clean musk. Going through my laundry today I noticed a lovely cloud of a smell and found it on a sweater I wore last week one day and had to look on my timeline to see what I had on that day. It was Karleidoscope! I wasn't really all that impressed with this at first, but I really truly love it! A sweet, lovely cloud Is it backup bottle worthy? If you love violets and angelica, you bet!

I love this one so much! Wasn't really sure if I should blindbuy this, thank God I did it, as it was totaly worth it. First of all it does smell a lot like My Queen (which I love too, but sometimes I find it a little bit too heavy and cloying. That's why I love Karleidoscope, because it's weaker than my Queen but still smells amazing. By weaker I don't mean that its' gone in an hour. By that I mean I can spray it as much as I want and it will not cause me nausea. I'm a sucker for everything powdery and the musky violet in this one suits me more than well. I can only praise this fragrance. Well done!

I made a review for this one before but it seem like it isn't here anymore. Got a bottle of this (60 ml edp) from the bargain bin for €11 and am so mad at myself for not buying more. I have a hit or miss relation to violet. This fragrance is one of the few that contains violet without it dominating the olfactory profile for me. It is a sophisticated, not that sweet but warm amber fragrance with earthy violet and angelica to keep it balanced. Very well blended . Only minus is that is sometimes seem to disappear to my nose only to reappear a few minutes later.

It is definitely cold weather fragrance and I was wrong about this beauty,thats it.I put it on my wrists yesterday and could smell it for several hours.Very classy and balmy ,discrete rich scent,high quality perfume .Not sexy and in your face ,but sexy clouse your skin scent.Closest to Unforgivable Women,just not that powdery,more balmy rich I am actually amazed by quality of Lagerfeld perfumes,own two of capsules Light and Red.Classy and ladylike scents Just amazing for the money I paid for that quality perfumes Highly recommended

It’s a lovely scent - powdery, musky and floral. Angelica opening note is very nice too! Sophisticated, light and appropriate for daytime wear, in my opinion. The only downside is that it doesn’t last for more than 2-3 hours on my skin. One of the best angelica scents I’ve encountered so far. At drydown it reminds me of Mon Guerlain EDP.

Nothing to say really as Henriette has already perfectly said what i would have said. Nicely done Karl. A delightful spring fragrance that cost peanuts and doesnt smell a lot like either of the much sweeter AM Queen or ET Bronze.

I am stocking up on this gorgeous scent!!!!!! It is the most gorgeous, sensual grown up baby powder scent I have ever smelled. I adore KL perfumes and this is another perfect creation. RIP Mr. Lagerfeld <3

A true Karl Lagerfeld perfume! Deep, warm very sexy and feminine sweet oriental. Definitely a treasure in my collection.

I just bought this as a blind buy - and what a lovely surprise it is! It smells pretty full-on when first sprayed, but after literally a minute, it dries into a more subtle, complicated scent. First hit is Parma-violet sweets, then powdery, with something vanilla and light musky after that. Sweet, but with a hint of bitterness and a hint of creaminess as well. I have synesthesia (all my words/days of the week etc have shapes, colours and sounds....google it -it's hard to explain.). and so as my synesthesia dictates, this has an uncurrent of the smell of the letter 'O' for me! Not particularly useful information for anyone else, but there is something in this that smells like an 'O'! I wish I could work out what ingredient has that effect on me as I smell it in other things too. It feels like a grown up, sophisticated scent, without being old or mumsy. It's what I thought chic women smelled like when I was a teenager. (I'm 33) My husband likes the smell of it too...but it's a fairly up close and personal sort of scent! It only has a far reach for a few minutes and then you need to lean closer to enjoy it. I don't know how long it lasts yet as its my first wear and we are only an hour in. A good but, different buy for me. Unusual, bargain price, stands out from popular sugary scents. Nice if you are looking for something that's different, but you don't want a big powerhouse fragrance.

I'm amazed at how scents in general are regarded: when they are expensive, exclusive, rare, they gain immediate attention and positive comments. Sometimes the wallet, or the brand, is more trusted than our nose. I bought Karleidoscope blindly, it was a mere 16 Euros so easily affordable and with few regrets in case of mistake. I am one who in her entire life has gone for special perfumes, privileging the famous brands (Guerlain first of all, but with an eye to Chanel, Dior, many others and some niche too) and often disregarding in haste the cheap, less famous creations. And sometimes disappointment came. Karleidoscope is a very nice scent, with a beautiful bouquet of delicate flowers (heliotrope and violet in primis, two notes that I adore) which develops from an initial cool colour to a very warm hue. I feel embraced by the flowers as if, shy at first they dare to more tightly hug me after a few initial glances when they try to see if I'm willing to welcome them. I am. And I love that embrace, cold at first and becoming warmer and warmer minute after minute when patchouli, tonka beans and musk join in hugging me. Second bottle is already keeping company to that first blindly bought one. Never ever was I that happy with a blind buy. Underrated and VERY BEAUTIFUL.

I too got this on the cheap. I didn't even smell it when it arrived, I just placed it on my perfume tray and figured I'd check it out one day when I wanted something new. Today's the day and wow! It isn't what I expected. I hadn't even read the notes prior to buying so the citrus (I inow its not a note but I sure smell it! Maybe the freesia?) and violet combo was really exciting! On first spray (and by sniff of bottles), it is exactly like L'Artisan l'eau de Artisan! I think I'll do a spray on each wrist to really analyze the two. It's bright but it's warm. Someone else said it well that it opens cool and then warms up. I can easily detect the heliotrope and Violet. The benzoin rounds it out to keep it from being to sweet or airy/fluffy. It is perfect for a spring day and would be great on a hot summer day, is my guess. To me, this is the perfect combination of notes I love but don't often grab (I usually like more almond or licorice) I'm thoroughly enjoying this new discovery and will certainly be grabbing for it now!

I just got Karleidoscope for Christmas and I love it! It's everything I wanted it to be - powdery, soft (albeit with presence) a hint of sweetness. I have to check out the violet disappearing/reappearing thing properly once I've gotten over the cold I have at the moment, but so far I really like Karleidoscope, it is truly beautiful. I have Prada Infusion d'Iris on my want list but I wasn't quite sure whether it would truly suit me. Now I won't need it anymore, because Karleidoscope is exactly what I was after. I am turning 52 soon, btw, and I will wear Karleidoscope with abandon (and will definitely not wait until I am 70 or 80 before wearing it). Very feminine and suitable for many occasions! On a side note, the packaging is quite funky with the kaleidoscope but one has to be very careful with taking the bottle out and putting it back since the container opens at the bottom, and if the lid is not replaced properly the bottle can slide out.

I recently took the time to test some perfumes and this was one of the few that made it on the back of my hand. It is available at a very very good price and I recommend buying it if you see it! The only reason I did not was the fact that I have a similar perfume at the moment and want to finish that bottle first (Dsquared Shewood). Karleidoscope is one classy lady. It is a soft scent but with sillage and longevity - I read somewhere that violets smell hide and seek with our senses meaning that you cannot smell the scent anymore although its there. This somewhat shows in this perfume, too. Upon first spray it is quite masculine and fresh and dries down to a powdery scent with notable hints of violet, tonka bean and musk. It's quite lovely really and can be worn in all seasons. The packaging is also a real treat! Outer as well as the bottle itself. Another great scent from Karl :)

I'm in the Twilight Zone! I've never had a Jil Sanders perfume until tonight, when I received Jil in a swap. I tried to place the smell and nailed it when I recalled Karleidescope! It must be the heliotrope because that's the most notable commonality between the two. Then I looked at what others were reminded of and saw another Jil Sander fragrance! And then, for spooky number two, I read the review from Lotus and Jasmine and at the exact same time I read the word Goofy, the goofy cartoon dog on my daughters Disney Channel appeared and said his own name. It was like the review was read to me, lol! As for this scent, I already reviewed it once. I don't wear it often but I do like it a lot. The *almost* masculine vibe makes it interesting. Now I'll have to more closely compare Jil with Karl and see how that goes. One thing I can deduce is that I like heliotrope!

First impression (based on the sample I got): This is really pretty. I didn't really expect the perfume to smell this good when I got the sample, but it's really nice, it smells like violet powder with a hint of an interesting peppery spiciness to it. It feels quite soft, elegant and yet very comforting, it reminds me of Bronze by Ellen Tracy, which is a lovely powdery scent with really poor longevity and sillage. I will need to test this a bit more in order to get a proper view of its longevity and projection, but nonetheless the scent itself is decent. It would be so nice to find the new "Bronze" with more intensity to it, I kind of wish Kaleidoscope could be that. :D though based on other reviews I am not quite sure. I will give a further update, we will see. :)

Sadly, I have never tested most of Karl Lagerfeld's fragrances, but always ADORED his fashion designs. His vision for Chanel is legendary. I was lucky enough to be given a sample of the long discontinued Karleidescope perfume. What a beautiful, softly feminine fragrance! I sprayed 3 sprays to my wrist and neck around 10am this morning before going shopping. It was immediately soft, gentle sweetness, clean violets and powdery heliotrope with a vintage vibe due to the angelica top note that softened within 10 mins. Instant like! Warm and fuzzy with VERY soft sillage. It is now just after 3pm and I can only smell it if I glue my nose to my wrist. How I wish this beauty lasted longer! Comfort in a bottle on a cold, sunny day.

I fell for the packaging and the price.. it was on sale online and I just blind bought it with a couple other bargains. It's very VIOLET. Unfortunatly this gets very powdery on my skin, and doesn't quitq suit my personality. But it is a lovely scent, and for me (who wears mostly heavy strong oriental scents, even in the day) it could work in spring/summer. Think brunch with the parent inlaws or something a little formel. Light and airy, but not silly sweet/teenage scent. It's a grown up scent! Definatly a daytime scent in my opinion. On me the longivity was actually really long. But I agree with the sillage being weak. Although I find that it works best with this scent + the situations I would use it for anyway.

I've had this for a while now and I also own Balenciaga Paris, the fragrances do smell similar but Balenciaga Paris is colder, more metallic and more aloof. Karleidoscope is the friendlier version of the two. This is a powdery and soft sweet violet fragrance with some light greenness, it has something that smells like a very gentle aniseed in it, like the smell of the fronds from far away. It has that same grey green feeling to it too, not bitter ever but a little herbal. The base here is also sweeter and warmer than Balenciaga Paris. It's really a very relaxed and comforting long lasting fragrance for me. It's a shame it's discontinued.

If you're looking for an antidote to today's sweet gourmands and sillage bombs, then you've found it here. This powdery scent is woven of delicate herbal threads of angelica, decorated with almondy vanilla heliotrope blooms. I close my eyes and think of royal icing decorated with little pastel coloured sugared flowers. A wonderful vintage powder scent envelops you, like putting on your favourite cashmere jumper. It's comforting and sophisticated, and I could imagine happily curling up in bed and falling asleep to this scent. In silk pyjamas, of course!