Pomme Poivre

Yes, it is Dead Sexy. Both the fragrance and the sentiment. BUT, it's more floral; more vanillic. It's more wearable for the non-perfumistas than Dead Sexy. More wearable for me too, a shameless perfumista! It's dark. Handsome. If it were tall, I'd marry it! ;) I find it a masculine floral. A masculine vanilla. I guess I just find it masculine :) The woods here are absolutely dark. They all but jump off my skin, but there's no lightness to the note at all. I can pull it off, NO problem, but a man would rawk it with greater satisfaction to me. The floral and the vanilla a little more interesting on a man, far less expected. It would provide instant curiosity. I find I want to snuggle into Pomme Poivre on someone else, more frequently than I want to smell it on my skin. I like it. It's mini bottle worthy to own, but it's full body worthy to gift. Prominent notes: Ebony Wood Vanilla Rubber Tire o.O Projection and Longevity: A dab will do Oh, and Pomme Poivre, Pepper Apple? Pepper Apple? Hmm, I think not. With a house name like Love and Toast, this should have been named Burnt Toast :)

Pomme Poivre reminds me of a tiny house my husband and I rented when newly-wed. It wasn't much, but had a screened back porch and lovely gardens. Many muggy summer nights we would sit on the porch. Distant thunder, night blooming jasmine and deep woods rolling towards us, mingling with my vanilla body spray (the height of sophistication!) and his musky after shave. We were young and optimistic, the world before us. If do wish PP had a little more depth. If this 'fume had something boozy, or maybe some tobacco... or actual pepper...I would go weak in the knees. Still, it is lovely. The woody element keeps it from smelling too girly, and the vanilla is almost dark, mysterious, not cake-ish.. The Ophelia-like bottle is gorgeous, too. PP is not offensive and people compliment me constantly when I wear it. Masculine and woody on top, clouds of musky vanilla and whiffs of jasmine. Most importantly, it makes me smile.

Pomme Poivre is Bvlgari Black without the greasy car parts. I love Black...and I put up with the greasy car parts because I love it so much, but this is exactly what I love about it, without the weirdness. Dark, smooth vanilla-musk and, in this case, a little oud thrown in for good measure. I'm glad to have found this but I wonder if it will be like caffeine-free coffee, it tastes the same but you still know that something's missing. Only time will tell how attached I really am to the smell of greasy car parts. It is very linear and has very good longevity, 6 hours or more, which is exceptionally good given the price. Good projection, but definitely not a sillage monster. All in all, I am very impressed with this niche-at-a-great-price find.

I smelled this at Earthfare today and it instantly brought back memories of my teenage years in the nineties. It smells like a mashup of the fragrances I wore: vanilla body spray, Victoria's Secret musk, bath and body works sugared maple (an old one, not sure if you could find it now). It makes me think of the dark, sweet, opulent 1996 remake of Romeo and Juliet. When I became pregnant in 2004, I was wearing another dark vanilla, Laguna. If you've ever had morning sickness, you know how powerfully you can lose your taste for something. My husband smelled it on my wrist and liked it. I wish I could overcome my aversion to dark vanilla scents, because this is something I once would have loved.

Love this dabbed, not so much sprayed. I've been enjoying my dabber mini and finally scored a full-size bottle. I was so disappointed when it arrived and almost thought it wasn't the same scent or that it might have turned. But then I realized that it is the dab vs the spray that made the difference. Dabbed, I get a full bodied yet balanced exotic ebony wood gently wrapped in soft florals of orchid and creamy jasmine and a touch of vanilla. Sprayed all i get is wood, wood, wood. Nothing sweet or floral or anything. This reminds me a lot of Robert Cavalli Nero Assoluto and I will test it out dabbed because it also is all woods when sprayed.