Unknown Pleasures

I have been desperately searching for a summer lemon scent that will be light enough for high heat, without being overpowering and nauseating. I think I have tried all the well known ones so far, but Unknown Pleasures is my new No.1 favourite, knocking Casamorati - Lira off its place. Unknown Pleasures seems to be a polarising scent (or maybe batches vary?) because what I get from this is an absolutely gorgeous, bright, vibrant, fresh, lemon candy scent with some caramel. I will say I hate the opening and find it quite harsh, but that stage only lasts a few seconds. I do get the tea and some cake notes, but find this more of a fresh lemon rather than a heavy cake (like Lira) or heavy tea based lemon. I don’t get any Smokey notes and zero coconut. You definitely have to be a gourmand lover to enjoy this one. This has great lasting power compared other lemon scents I’ve tested. Suitable for all year round, although maybe still too much in high heat. UPDATE - I’ve just bought this anlong with Dulcis in Fundo. These are my two ultimate favourite lemon scents! Dulcis in Fundo for summer, Unknown Pleasures for the rest of the year. To compare this to the other Lemon’s I have tested or own: CAKEY CANDY LEMONS: * Casamorati Lira - OWN- weak (maybe my batch) Very cakey and sugary, heavy. I don’t reach for it often * Chilli Candy Crush - OWN - a nice spicy lemon, weak, struggle with when to wear it. * Akro Bake - PASS - smells heavily of Ambroxan in the dry down to me. * Devotion - PASS - sold, very cloying. * Devotion Intense - PASS - instant scrubber and suffocating with the addition of hazelnut. * Hufflepuff - PASS - ridiculously overpriced, weak, smells cheap. * Empire Victor - PASS - sold, cheap ambroxan dry down. SUMMER / HIGH HEAT: * Dulcis in Fundo - OWN - A fresh, sugary lemon and vanilla, very linear. No caramel or cake. Beautiful, light and summery. My No.1. * Il Colore del Vento Nobile 1942 - A light, airy, effervescent vanilla/citrus with a light candied fruit dry down. Another excellent choice for summer and high heat. * Crema Limone - PASS - sold, an iced lemon sorbet scent with a mandarin note that bothers me. The best lemon for hot summers if you like the scent and the cold effect of it. Very refreshing. * Capri In A Bottle Lemon Sugar -PASS - light and airy enough for summer, not keen on the Freesia & raspberry. unsure how bearable it would be in heat. * LV Afternoon Swim - PASS- very basic For the extortionate price. * Cedro di Diamante - PASS - is a short lasting lemon and lime with a dry down I don’t like. LEMON TEAS: * Armani Thé Yulong - OWN - my fav lemon cardamom tea, light, high quality, easier to wear than the others. * Sunday Brunch - PASS -tea dominates. * Wulong Chá - PASS - too much * The Amara -PASS - didn’t like the dry down. AROMATIC LEMONS: * Acqua Viva - PASS - too sharp/harsh. * Noa Noa - OWN - more complex and less harsh than Acqua Viva. A great option for summer. OTHER LEMONS: * Celine Parade - PASS - overpriced and smells of nothing to me. * Narcotica Limonata - PASS - Deceiving since it’s a heavy grapefruit scent * Torino21 - PASS - too sharp for me * LV Pacific Chill - PASS - overbearing * LV Imagination - PASS - overhyped.

It's like opening the door to a warm café in the heart of a cold city. At first, you're enveloped in an unexpected warmth ... a wave of fresh lemon and bergamot, like lazy sunlight filtering through a misty window. Here, the citrus is not the destination, but the first greeting before you are led to the proper depth or the key to a room you're not sure you were invited into, or one you've wandered into. It arrives first as a whisper ... a blend of pale light slipping between rain-streaked curtains and a citrus kiss, like lips that have just touched a cup of lemon tea. The scent begins as an invitation to a cup of hot black tea, sweetened with thick golden honey, Its air is infused with the slow-melting aroma of brown sugar. meeting the creamy pulse of vanilla, like sitting before a fresh-baked pastry just pulled from the oven ... Yet veiled beneath a mysterious shadow. In the heart of Unknown Pleasures, flavours weave together like an improvised jazz piece ... Salted caramel, a touch of crisp waffle, and a delicate dusting of warm spices. There is sweetness ... but never naïve; it's a mature sweetness, blended with faint smoky nuances reminiscent of toasted wood or the pages of an old book. As the piece quiets, the base places the final full stop: Soft woods, whispers of tonka bean, and a sheer leather note ... adding gravitas to a composition that began as dessert and ended as a warm memory kept in a small wooden box. Nothing here is entirely innocent... and nothing altogether dark. Unknown Pleasures is not a perfume for everyone ... It does not aim to please the crowd, But to capture those who find stories in scents. It suits the city's autumn and winter, evenings when the soul longs to sit by a rain-speckled window, or wander down a street lit by yellow lamps ... coffee in one hand, a book in the other ... or those moments when you wish to vanish from daylight... and be known only by your fragrance. Longevity: Moderate to strong (6–8 hours on skin, longer on clothing). Sillage: Moderate, leaving its trace like a sweet whisper lingering in the air. Value for money: Excellent for lovers of gourmand fragrances with a refined, intimate warmth. "Sometimes... we need a scent that redefines sweetness, not as a taste, but as an entire state of being." Ahmed Hadi - Baghdad - IRAQ

Whoaaaaaaaaa I haven't tried too many gourmand scents but I feel like this is as gourmand as it gets. From first spray I get a blast of coconut lemon pound cake, and going closer I get a hit with bright zingy lemon, like from a lemon tart. As its drying down now i'm getting notes of like burnt sugar??? Something burnt almost like a campfire but not in a bad way, in a really pleasing and harmonious way. It smells like walking into a bakery with the sweetest and most delicious cakes and pastries. It is sweet but its not overly sweet at all. Everything in this works so well I'm seriously blown away. I think this fragrance is very true to the notes, I can smell the earl grey, the lemon, the caramel, the vanilla, the honey... Except i'm getting a lot of coconut in this! What I love though is the coconut I am getting doesn't smell fake like some other frags. This is the second fragrance I've tried from Kerosene so far and I've found he's very good at citrus scents, neither this one nor Summer of 84 smell medicinal or cleaner-esque at all. Super well blended. I think you could wear this any season but would shine during colder days. If you like gourmand scents, this is for you!

A more mature, refined version of Lush Super Milk. The Earl Grey notes in this are perfect for the gloomy, grey British spring days (it is raining as I type this lol). On me, the first note to appear is a very realistic lemon note, specifically lemon peel. This is what makes it stand out to me, the slight bitterness to it that is so irresistible. Super Milk is lemon juice which is tart, not bitter. Most perfume notes blend together on me but for Unknown Pleasures I can smell each note the longer it's on my skin. The caramel is delectable and I had the urge to lick my wrist the first time I wore this. Whilst the notes are individual, they somehow blend together to create the most delicious harmony on my skin. It isn't loud but I get whiffs when I move my arms around hours later. It's a cosy, warm, yet sunny lemon. This is a chilly day but the sun shines through and warms your skin every so often. Dare I say this is close to becoming my signature scent.

This is one of those crack scents that turns you into a wrist-sniffing slave. First it is a strong sweet lemon pie with a thick graham cracker crust. Then it mellows out into a lemon cookie. It dries down gradually becoming more creamy and vanillic, resembling a lemon-vanilla ice cream on a cone. After the lemon is gone it smells just like L de Lolita Lempicka! Unknown Pleasures really touches a place deep in my heart. It is truly a scent for pleasing one's inner child. I almost started crying the first time I smelled it. It is that good--pure innocent joy in a bottle. Maybe I am biased though because I have always loved lemon flavored sweets. But I never would have thought I'd love a citrus-centric perfume so much. I wish I got more tea from this but regardless I will totally be buying this eventually. At $140 for 100ml it is way worth it for me. And that bottle is awesome. Love. Love. Love.