KL

This is another review of one of my favorite fragrances of all time. I see they have introduced some new KL scents, for her and him...this is the real KL...„The Secret behind the fan....” Yesterday I had such a craving to wear this wonderful fragrance again. I have a very little bit, left in the bottle, so decided I would wear it, and really enjoy it, as I did years ago. Oh how I loved wearing this gem! It's extremely well put together. It opens with a smooth, bright orange, which combined with the bergamot and spices just grabs your attention from the very start. The spices play a huge part in this fragrance, and they are very vibrant. The cinnamon is deep, almost like it has just been purchased at the African spice market, and the same goes for the cloves. They aren't weak, by any means, but they don't override the other fabulous notes. The rose and jasmine shine through, and the pepper and ylang-ylang play their parts just right. But the biggest secret is the dry down. It just seems to drift into the dry down, ever so discreetly. The warm amber..patchouli and vanilla, with the touch of civet. This fragrance lasts and lasts. It needs to applied with a bit of caution, as even the EDT is strong. I have heard people describe this as very similar to Opium. In my opinion, it isn't. I wore Opium for years, so I can compare them. Both are spicy, yes..but they have a completely different vibe. And the dry downs differ. I purchased my last bottle of this fragrance in the late nineties, duty free). I could never find it again, after that. I had the shower gel at one stage, and it was astounding! I have never had such a potent shower gel. I loved wearing this perfume..it was such a striking, and vibrant scent. Maybe that's perhaps I'm a Tauer fan) His no.12 for example..Eau D'Epices). The wonders of the fragrances from these times..the longevity. Oh, how I long for that wonderful staying power, on today's perfumes! This was not a super expensive purchase in the eighties, but the prices have soared! Never mind, I loved it when I wore it, and the secret behind the fan is still safe with me!

This was my very favorite fragrance in the 80's! I was a big fan. When I found out it was discontinued I was so disapointed I lost interest in fragrances for a while. It used to be my signature scent and now I was without one. I allready knew what would be a great replacement; Coco by Chanel. Coco and KL were in a way similar. They were released in the same era en both start of citrussy and spicy, kind of sweet and oriental. But it took me years to let another fragrance take KL's place. (stuck in the 80's right?) At last indeed it was Coco by Chanel that became my signature scent. Another similar scent is "8me jour" (Huitieme jour) by Yves Rocher. (also discontinued) In this internet era it is not that hard to find a vintage bottle of KL. (not cheap though) I purchased an EDT and a pure perfume on Ebay. They still smell great and I am so happy I have acces to that fragrance again. But honestly, I have to admit that Coco is a bit more balanced than KL. The 80's are over and I am much older now and Coco is now my signature scent. (Although I own so many fragrances now that I don't really have a signature scent anymore) KL was the perfume that started my fragrance obsession and it will allways be part of my collection. Oh and I have to add that the design of the bottle and advertisement were so great at the time. The combination of grey with a touch of pink, the oriental fan design. In those days that was so creative en trendy! Nowadays when I wear KL I allways get compliments. For me it is also a comforting scent that I wear when I am at home. I guess that is only because of all memories that are connected to this fragrance.

I am wearing some of this beautiful perfume today as I have been on a nostalgia lick. This is from my 80's stash of the 60 ml spray, and also I have a 120 ml splash that is hardly used-thanking Heaven I kept them both! KL was my obsession after the original Opium. My husband, then boyfriend, LOVED it and bought this for me every Christmas for several years. I had it coming out my ears! This, right along with original Galanos at the time, were my signatures and was saved for nights out, then became my scent every day until I burned myself out. Everything I owned wafted of KL. It's still just as strong and beautiful today, a spicy soft, deep floriental that bursts with orange. Yes, it IS in the vein of Opium but much, much more refined! Original Opium was a masterpiece as well, but please don't think KL is a dupe or less than Opium; they're cousins from a long lost era of greatness. I sprayed with abandon those days and wish I'd have known the great ones would vanish-I would have been a little more frugal maybe?....na! if you can ever find a bottle please grab it; you will not be disappointed! The "only" thing I might not like is in KL, if your chemistry on some days is off the civet will come out too strong and goes straight to a, sort of musty, day-old laundry, needs to be washed dirtiness"...but on most occasions it's just glorious. PLEASE, Karl, bring it back!!

Oncle Serge you devil! Thank you for reinventing this beauty in Bapteme de Feu! I went in rummaging through my sample stash and hell no couldn't find my decant of Bapteme....but if the incendiary spicey overcooked marmalade chord in yours isn't a riff on this stunning beauty I'll eat my hat as we say Downunder.... Anyway it stopped me procrastinating on a bottle of Bapteme at horrendous Aussie prices before the 50mls are all gone... Ah but I digress. And join with those weeping over this stunner. It had a warmth and sweetness that Opium avoided in its take no prisoners sourish biting perfumey dryness and fiery synthetic carnation spice emphasis. I bought this beauty instead of Opium and I still prefer it. Nay, I love it and have hunted it down on eBay expense be damned. It's just so richly beautiful. Laughingly it was another one I wore to work! Millions may have dropped from allergies around me but I have emerged unscathed and am still hosing down with all of these magnificent beasts! And people love it, I will often get a compliment from youngsters...

Interesting how differently our noses can perceive fragrances. To me this smells nothing like Opium. It doesn't have Opium's heavy carnation, and it's also much more subtle than vintage Opium. I mainly get a lot of citrus, especially the orange, and the cinnamon and clove. It smells like one of those clove-studded oranges that you make at Christmas dusted with cinnamon. But I also seem to get a lot more of the florals than other reviewers mentioned. If I hold my nose closely to my wrist and sniff, I get a lot of orchid and rose and ylang. I have the EDT, and now that I've worn it, I do get the civet in it. In fact, it's a pretty dominant note on the drydown. At first I couldn't detect it, but it takes awhile to show up in the wearing. A very intriguing fragrance. It's delicious as it develops. I think it works with skin chemistry and can smell differently depending on the person. I also thought it might be something like vintage Coco, but again, smells nothing like it. This smells much more tropical to me, a spicy tropical. Beautiful!