Gourmandises

Keiko Mecheri Gourmandises This perfume REALLY grew on me, to the point of going from a lukewarm ‘like’ to a strong ‘love’. This is a candied rose, but with depth. Lots of it. It won’t smell candied or even remotely gourmand next to the tooth-achingly sweet sugar-gourmand roses and fruitchoulis of the 2010’s however, and I think that accounts for quite a bit of disappointment when it comes to this fragrance (and also for those looking for a true gourmand, not necessarily super sweet, but foodie). This is actually more along the lines of MFK Oud Satin Mood, though this has no oud and is lighter/airier (Oud Satin Mood is already pretty airy for a sweetish oud-rose if you haven’t smelled it, to give you perspective. This stuff is REALLY airy. You can definitely smell it, it’s just very “translucent”, like it kind of smells like it’s wafting in the breeze even when you smell it up close and directly). BUT, once you stop thinking of this as a GOURMAND-gourmand and approach it more as just a straight-up rose perfume, THEN you really start to notice the sweet and gourmand aspects, and you understand why it was named as such. It’s kind of like how after you stop eating sugar for a while, you can notice, taste, and appreciate the nuances in a subtle sweet dessert, as opposed to needing 500 grams of sugar in everything for it to taste “sweet enough” because your taste buds are so worn out and blinded from the constant influx of sugar that they have built up a tolerance. And that’s when this stuff really starts to smell like a true rose-soaked Turkish delight. Almost all the Turkish delight/loukhoum fragrances out there focus on being SUPER sweet, including KM’s own Loukhoum line, and rose seems to be more of an afterthought IF it’s even perceptible or present at all. This is all sweet sugary (but not TOO sugary) rose, with a powder sugar dusting coat and while there’s no literal chocolate note in here (though I suppose maybe that could be the praline note?), the depth of this scent somehow does an amazing job of creating a sort of illusion of a hint of a dark chocolate note, kind of like how TF’s Noir de Noir does it but even more toned down, quite significantly so, but it’s still just enough that it’s there and you feel it and it adds to the overall impression of Turkish delights smashingly well. The light powderiness of this perfume really contributes to the powder sugar dusting feel without resorting to using a more literal-and extremely sweet-sugar accord. This is the perfect loukhoum perfume for someone who doesn’t really like gourmands or very sweet perfumes. To me, it feels equal parts sophisticated/elegant and fun because of this; you have on one hand a very well done, classy, elegant perfume that you can wear day or night but always feels like you should be well-dressed and stylish in expensive clothes when wearing this, while on the other hand it cheekily reminds you of Turkish delights and smells enough like them to keep you smiling throughout the day whenever you catch a whiff, all the while projecting an image of utter sophistication, offset by a cheeky and flirtatious wink. That’s what this perfume feels like to me. Backup worthy.

This is a ridiculously good, grownup gourmand. This is the smell I imagine would greet me walking into Victorian woman's boudoir, or even a classic 1940's hollywood starlet's. Her room is full of rose bouquets from admiring suitors and there's a light dusting of her powder in the air. It starts off as a lightly sweet rose, but it's warm and lightly musky/woody, as if the woman who wears it is both ladylike and strong. Then the powder sets in, that light dusting of femininity. And is that a hint of berries? The more I smell it the more I don't think so, but there's a light sweetness that gives it the rose jam feel others mentioned. It's not cloying or syrupy, though, and I don't get the medicinal note whatsoever. The musk and praline are there but their presence is just enough to add a hint of mystery, not to take it into candy territory. It's like an intoxicating bouquet of dark red roses. The woman who wears this would be a woman worth getting to know. All I know is I'll be saving up for a full sized bottle.

I just got this yesterday and I wore it a full day before writing a review. The name of it is super confusing, as this is really not a gourmand, but rather a very rose and powder-forward perfume. When I say powder I am not comparing it to Loukhoum in any way, they are nothing alike. I would put Gourmandises into the same group as JHAG Moon Dance and NR Musc Noir Rose (not saying they are the same, just the similar vibe). However, Gourmandises is simply gorgeous to wear, and my husband asked me at least 3 different times what I am wearing yesterday, saying it was beautiful and classy. I think I love all of Keiko's creations. I am dying to try Tuberose, just because of all the negatives, so I can judge for myself! I refuse to believe there is a KM perfume out there that can be that bad to warrant all those negative comments. As a side note, I also got Lunea, and it is freaking marvelous! If it matters, all my Keiko perfumes are original formulations in old bottles.

A lovely, powdery rose that manages to be sweet but not cloying, even though praline is such a dominant note. It reminds me a bit of Piguet's Calypso, though far from a dupe. Both silage and longevity are pretty decent,, especially if one considers that it's a Keiko Mecheri offering. It will take some time to determine if this is just a Like or a Love, and given that summer is here, I'm not sure that the warm weather will do it any favors, but I spend most of my time in a climate controlled environment, so I should get a pretty good idea. I have to admit though that I'm already thinking how good this will smell on a crisp, autumn day, wearing a big, cozy sweater. I now own three Keiko FBs - White Petals, Myrrhe and Merveilles, and now Gourmandises. At this point, M&M remains my favorite, but with its superior performance, Gourmandises is a real contender.

A very unexpected find for me. I wasn't even aware of this scent, to be honest, but I saw this listed by a frequent and trustworthy seller and it drew my attention. I could immediately tell from the bottle that it is a discontinued scent, so I had to jump into it. On my skin, all the notes are balanced and in such good harmony. The powderiness gives a soft, rose-flavoured Turkish delight touch to it (which most presumable loukoum scents lack, unfortunately. The majority smells like candies to me). I think it definitely embodies the name "Gourmandises".