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.

you bite into a lemon curd cream puff and the powdered sugar dusting poofs into your face & up your nose a lil bit. or maybe you open the oven on your lemon olive oil cake and that hot, sweet air blows your hair back. do you get what I'm saying? then you're sipping a london fog to dislodge a huge wad of caramel stuck to the roof of your mouth. it's citrusy in a way that's distinctly warm, chewy, and breezy. sillage & longevity are good, but can be pretty intense if you accidentally over-spray. dude who sold it to me said it was a crowd pleaser, which has been the case so far. it would be dishonest not to mention this, but we had an air freshener in my office that was real similar, which I only recognized after I'd already bought the whole bottle. no regrets, I liked that bathroom spray a lot. 👍

Absolutely beautiful smell, lemon, lemon iced tea and lemon rind and a tiny hint of vanilla on the skin but... I wouldn't wear it anywhere but outside and during the spring/summer. The problem with the scent is how divisive it is, people either hate it or love it, no in-between. And I think the sillage rating is absolutely off as people can easily smell you from 5-10m away, you will smell this scent even after hours have passed... on yourself. It's really strong. Don't get me wrong, definitely one of my favorite perfumes, but I really feel like the general consensus on this one is just off. Definitely get a tester before buying, this schmell is not for everyone. Also definitely unisex I wouldn't lean on either side

Got this as a sample with a few other Kerosene ones. I don't regret getting it as a sample. I absolutely adore this scent it's delicious. The opening is quite lemony and sugary. The dry down on the skin is as described by others- lemon sugar cookies and a cup of earl grey with cream and sugar. I can almost imagine having both when I smell this. The lemon tone is definitely very strong for the first few minutes- an hour. But over time it mellows out into that bergamot and earl grey scent. Absolutely delightful and delicious. I likely won't be wearing this as an everyday scent as I go for darker scents but it's still such a wonderful scent. 10/10- if it was more my vibe I would be buying a whole bottle ASAP

This is such a beautiful fragrance, it is my new signature. It's both a fresh and warm lemon with fantastic longevity. I have been looking for a fresh, comforting, non cloying gourmand for quite some time and I am so happy to have found this. The earl grey tea note is gorgeous, and the vanilla/tonka/waffle cone notes are subtle and float in the background providing smoothness. Never too sweet, and compliments abound EVERY time I wear it, usually "What IS that?" combined with "You smell AMAZING!". I love the gorgeous artisanal bottle as well, and it's a great amount of fragrance for the price. I am so happy for discovering Fragrantica, I would have never found this without you!

At first you get hit with a very intense, juicy lemon, which soon after spraying blends beautifully with caramel and vanilla. The scent creates a vivid picture of a cafe with freshly baked lemon pastries and hot caramel. As the scent settles it becomes more warm and amber. It feels like we’re watching the day pass at the cafe, witnessing the lives of different people walking in and out. The lemon gets fainter and the warmth fades into a light vanilla before the fragrance loses it’s scent Really beautiful experience I enjoyed smelling this on my hand throughout the day (lasted around 8-9h with one spray) I might look into getting a full size for the fall season

I love anything lemon scented so Unknown Pleasures might be my new favorite. I don't even like gourmands like that so i can't believe how in love i am with this. Perfectly encapsulates Earl Grey lemon bars that are slightly burnt, so the bottom got a bit caramelized. Tart, bright lemony opening with sticky honey and caramel. As it dries down, the tea note adds that herbal freshness that keeps it from being just another gourmand. a subtle smokiness creeps in and makes it feel a bit more mature. a very lemon forward scent that i promise does not smell like a clean kitchen. Just a really well-balanced fragrance. Will absolutely be getting a full bottle.

Let me start off by saying I am no means a gourmand lover, but this might’ve changed me, I saw something earlier saying that if you don’t like gourmands you just haven’t found the right one yet and well I’ve found mine. If you have ever made or had lemon bars before this smells exactly like that or any lemon sweet vanilla baked good for that matter, for me it’s a total scent memory of eating lemon bars with my family. I also do pick up on more tea then others experience and I also do not get a coconut note to my nose at least, maybe as it macerates I’ll start to smell it. Overall 10/10 easily top 3 in my collection

No coconut in it. None. You will read reviewers that think they're smelling coconut but it's actually waffle cone.. THAT'S what is the predominant note in the drydown. Citrus.. strong Caramel..and strong Waffle Cone. A touch of vanilla...Not coconut. It has excellent lasting power..and the bergamot keeps the citrus going. Caramel is not my favorite note, so I don't wear this often but it's sometimes perfect on a cold fall afternoon when coziness is in demand. If you've ever tried Whiff of Waffle Cone by Imaginary Authors, this is similar, not exact. If you like that, you'll love this.

John Pegg, the genius you are! This is what I call a masterfully done gourmand! Seriously, this is utter perfection. While the lemon may come off a bit "sharp" in the opening it dries down into the most gorgeous and delicious smelling lemon pound cake dessert, served with a warm inviting cup of Earl Grey Tea. Easily one of his best gourmands in his line up (which is sure as hell better than the olfactory crime that is followed). I really do enjoy the kerosene line up, and will likely continue to buy from this line! If you don't like gourmands, I'd stray away.

I just love this! Think of warm lemon cupcakes freshly baked and just coming out of the oven--then dunked into a creamy mug of warm milk. Drizzle with bergamot icing (bergamot smells like Earl Grey tea). However, this does not have the smokiness of Earl Grey tea. This fragrance is all lemon/bergamot cake with a drizzle of icing and whole milk to give it the creaminess. Someone said this smells like waffle cone. I agree with that too--a fresh baked light lemon waffle cone. Wonderful and long lasting!! I will always have a bottle of this in my collection!!

Its super cold here was snowing the other day. This just smells so good. The lemon isn't like a cleaner its like a true lemon but then with the caramel its like a candied lemon. I get the tea note and love it. What it says is literally what you get. I absolutely adore this for my winter scent. Love the vanilla and waffle cone in this. It really shines in this weather. I think it could be worn during warm weather when its cooler at night. This is my first fragrance from Kerosine and i can't wait to try more. I have totally fallen in love with this.

I love love love this fragrance but it's ultimately a disaster as it has ZERO longevity on me. My skin just gobbles it up. I get the intial delicious blast of lemon, then it settles into a lovely waffle cone/caramel scent, then 30-45 minutes later it's basically gone. I've experimented with spraying it in different areas, different amount of sprays, spraying it on clothing/linens, and every time it has nonexistent longevity. It's a real tragedy! I just want to smell like a lemon cupcake all day long but this has the longevity of a soap bubble :'(

One of my top ten perfumes. A very realistic chantilly cream with lemon. The tea note is not prominent. It sits in the background to give this perfume some weight. It's just basically cream and lemon. Gourmand, very smooth, more feminine leaning. Unique and very strong. Please note that the letters on the bottles are now straight, not crooked. I ordered a bottle from Ministry of Scent and had to email Kerosene to confirm it was authentic. They confirmed it was. Smell: 10 out of 10 Longevity: 8 out of 10 Leans feminine For reference, I'm female.

My favorite of the lemon vanilla niche fragrances (Kerosine Unknown Pleasures, Akro Bake, Xerjoff Lira, Ex Idolo Love and Crime). All are a yummy gourmand of lemon and vanilla notes. In this fragrance, the earl grey tea note provides a level of depth that the others do not have which I appreciate. It also has a sharper, hotter smelling lemon than the others. If you like any of the others, I’d imagine you’d like this too. That being said, even though they are different, if you have any of the other three, I don’t think you’d need this one.

Just heavenly. The fragrance of hot tea with milk and sugar, but somehow better. Both bright and cozy, like staying in on an overcast day. Very distinct citrus-forward open that gradually diminishes to sweet base notes that juuust hold themselves back from smelling "good enough to eat" (in a good way). Still appetizing, but not overwhelmingly edible like some other gourmands. I'm getting a very subtle hint of spice somewhere. I just want to curl up and take a nap in this scent.

beautiful citrus-gourmand bomb. the first thing I notice is the earl grey tea and then the lemon, and then the following of the sweeter notes. I am very impressed with this fragrance it is so well blended. I cannot speak on its longevity but from my past experience with Kerosene I can imagine this will be a very above average performer. sillage is also very decent. this was a blind buy but as with many niche perfumes I always recommend sampling. a true 10/10 !

Amongst all current citrus vanilla gourmand scents, this stands tall... And takes the cake! It's zesty, sugary, doughy and buttery. The tea can be distinctly perceived in the top notes, but fades to make way to a buttery, cakey vanilla. It's the smell of a London fog served with shortbread fingers, and I love it ! Amazing performance and decent sillage. I wear it all year round and will always have it in my collection. For true gourmand lovers only 😉 10/10

This is one of the most unique gourmand fragrances i’ve ever smelled. It’s this beautiful lemon sugar cookie with a cup of earl grey tea. This fragrance does have this dirty underside to it almost like a dirty car smell. Performance is great i get at least 12+ hours out of this. This scent is very versatile as well you can wear this 3 out of the 4 seasons. Top 2 of my favorite fragrances of all time. 10/10.

F*ck me! Crispy, buttery, caramel waffles covered in light, fluffy cream with earl grey syrup, a splash of coconut milk, lemon rind and brown sugar over top. All served on a cedar table with a vanilla candle burning and the sounds of "she's lost control" playing in the background. THIS is what I'd want to be eating, smelling and experiencing on a cold, rainy day, preferably in London. Josh nailed it.

I was initially stumped on how to explain how this scent smells. It starts with an herbal opening, but then dries down to something sweet. No, it doesn’t smell like a lemon pie and the lemon is subtle. But the way to explain the dry down is that it smells like a mixture of an almond joy and coconut candy by la molienda. Solid 7.5/10 Longevity 7/10 I would rate it higher if it was stronger.

This is my favorite perfume ever. I love how packed it is and the journey it takes you on. It opens as very green and leafy (the tea) and citrusy with a dollop of caramel and honey. Then, the citrus and green mellow about an hour or two in depending on the weather, what you’re doing and if on clothes or skin and the gooey caramel takes the lead. It’s so yum I want to eat it

i blind bought a small size because i thought "wow this is just like the joy division album" and i love that album and ohmy god it was a very pleasant surprise to find out that the perfume was so delicious smelling... lemon gourmands are some of my favourite and this does it really well and has its own little flair and i eat it up. if you have this on i might lick you

Not sure if I can pull this one off ; it’s quite sweet. I’ll need to try it on skin to know for sure. On a test strip, though, it’s absolutely stunning. The lemon tart accord is spot on, precise, delicate, and beautifully blended. It’s also impressively long-lasting. Another standout from Kerosene, in line with the brand’s consistently excellent releases.

Absolutely delectable lemon gourmand. I’m new to fragrances and this is one of the best I’ve ever smelled - so high quality, so gorgeous and yummy. It opens very boldly lemon but fades pretty intimately into a delicious lemon waffle cone. I do get a little bit of the tea. Will be wearing this all summer and probably the rest of the year too.

This is addictive. I get why everyone thinks this is a winter fragrance, however, I wear it at 30 degrees celsius outside, or even if I need to go outside and be under the sun for a while, and I still can't get enough of it. To me this is a sunny and uplifting fragrance, it makes me happy. Also, the Joy Division reference adds some edgyness.

Grabbed this sample not thinking I'd like it but more so to smell something really popular. I'm surprised by how much I like it. I've regretted most of the super sweet scents I've purchased but this one is fresh and lovely. Lemon loaf cake and Earl Gray tea exactly. On the blotting paper I was obsessed and I have to see how it wears on me.

Smells like warm lemon and butter in the best way possible. I don’t usually want to smell like food but I can’t stop smelling this. It’s just so good. A cheerful, happy smell. There is a “burnt” smell as some people mentioned, but it’s the caramelized sugar edges of whatever you’re baking in the oven. This is so delicious and I’m obsessed!

This is the most mouthwatering fragrance I've ever smelled. This is a vanilla cake with lemon icing thrown in a blender. I literally started salivating. Im not a gourmand guy, and I'd never give this a full wearing (especially on my diet) but I'll definitely dab this on my hand on my cheat days as a bit of olfactory dessert.

The first niche perfume I ever owned! Predictably, I turned out to be a gourmand girlie, so I used the sample down to the very last drop. To me, it's like you are currently baking a lemon cake in an oven where you just made sticky toffee pudding. Sweet but not cloying, citrus but not sharp.

this opens with such a bright and realistic, juicy lemon that it actually made me smile when i first smelled it. I couldn't really smell it on myself after two to three hours, though my friends could. Later in the evening I actually started getting some soft wiffs of toffee and cake again.

The perfect gourmand scent. The blend of Lemon, Caramel, Vanilla creates a lemon cake type of scent which is delicious and addicting. The added earl gray tea note really just takes it to a whole new level by adding some depth to it making it a complex and rich gourmand. Amazing

smells like eating a bowl of fruit loops with milk and drinking an earl gray tea with lemon. the lemon note is sharp at first but it mellows out quickly. very yummy. smells a LOT like the supermilk hair primer from lush, so i like using the two together.

Whatever fragrance molecules they’re using for caramel make this less of a “cakey” frag and more chewy candy toffee but smells inedible, and way stronger than lira. So if you don’t like gourmands to smell that edible then get this...

Starts with a beautiful citrus that's loud but not sharp at all and very pleasant, then dries down into a DELISHESS iced lemon dessert with a lil sip of tea. Has me wanting to take a bite out of my own wrist 🍴😁 eat eat eat

If you have Lush's 'super milk' hair primer its practically made for each other. I like this one. Its a natural kind of sweet while balancing out the tartness of the lemon with milky vanilla. A sweet morning in the fall.

straight iced lemon pound cake. and i mean that in the best way possible (also if ur in the atx area they sell this + a few others from this brand at uncommon objects. just thought yall should know)

this has everything that i love about supermilk, without everything that i hate about supermilk. yay! love my lemon gourmands. will need to compare with devotion and bake side by side

the NICHE Ani, this is a top ten gourmand and masterpiece. Truly outstanding and beautiful blend. a bright Lemon Tart with a cozy earl grey tea in the distance. 100% blind buy safe.

It's warm and familiar while also being youthful and happy. Just really nostalgic. I am in bliss, continuously sniffing my arm. The only gripe is that it doesn't seem to last on me.

For being picky with citrus fragrances, I dig this one! The tea and gourmand notes balance it out well. This reminds me of biting into a soft lemon cookie while drinking a cuppa!

This is niche but it smells exactly like the portable houses they bring into the elementary school parking lot to practice escaping from a house fire ... it smells incredible

Pretty caramel! First few minutes if extremely lemony, then I can smell the tea and then the caramel, but there is still some citrus scent in the background. Very cool

Sooooo good. Opens with a more fresh lemon scent and dries down into more of a very sweet lemon cake. Might not be for everyone but it is definitely for me.

This smells like a lemon cake. A simple lemon cake that's very sugary and has some syrup over it. It even has the aftersmell. I love it a lot.

This smells SO much like coconut to my nose, like a zesty lemon meringue pie with a bunch of coconut without being sweet or cloying. Love it