Funfair Evening

This is really pretty! I'm usually not a fan of fruity gourmands, but this is so gentle and effortless. It would fit in well as a newer pink juice Guerlain or Mugler. And those are perfume houses I actually respect. The 'genre' of this scent might be conventional but this is still really elegant and sophisticated. Of course being Replica, anything they make that has an ounce of personality or uniqueness must be immediately discontinued. I smell powder (not cloying and overwhelming talcum powder, but a lotiony, creamy powder), pear nectar, licorice and a touch of cinnamon-like spice (this must be star anise!), and a tuberose that doesn't suffer the same fate as the "funeral flowers" feel of other tuberose-heavy fragrances, here it is a gentle and creamy supporting character to all of these light, tropical and slightly spicy sweets. It smells exactly what an aristocratic tea time, with delicate gold-rimmed tea cups and hand painted dusty pastel rosettes, would look like. There are little saucers with oversized whipped sponge cakes with slices of pear on top and a translucent rosewater syrup, and there are also madeleines made from real vanilla extract, and candied orange peels on other little porcelain saucers. There's a breeze from tuberose bulbs nearby that are moving and bending with the wind. All of the desserts and teas are lightly flavored, and are decadent mainly in looks only, which allows you to take your time and eat them all without getting a sugar rush. I am deeply impressed by how expensive and gentle this smells for a "floral fruity gourmand". This is not my genre at all and yet I find myself wanting a full bottle, even for the eye-watering prices on eBay. The drydown is gentle, lotiony and even a little spicy, with a dry and spicy vanilla, soft musks and dewy rose petals. The more Replica fragrances I try, the more I realize that nearly all the good ones are the discontinued ones. I don't know why they do this, as it's made them lose a lot of their credibility nearly overnight. When I first bought Tea Escape with my tiny student savings from Sephora almost a decade ago (for an eye watering $130, they only sold 100ml bottles back then!) I felt incredibly fancy for buying a designer fragrance that was so unlike other department store offerings that it bordered on being considered niche perfumery. How the tides move, sampling something like Sailing Day nowadays smells cheaper than even the pharmacy discount colognes it's imitating.

While candy isn't my thing to eat , i emensly enjoy liquerish and the taste of fennel seeds covered in candy , and this is exactly what funfair evening reminds me of. Anis seeds covered in a sugary shell of candy. Followed by caramel , marsmellows and candied apples. Very much a gourmand fragrance , gorgeous for cooler days but also very suitable in the hot summer. To me this a a great, easy to wear versatile fragrance. Easier to pull of than angel or prada Canada , although prada candy is pretty easy to wear . I like how the Replica line smells quite natural. He must use very goood ingredients in his fragrances. I love that each fragrance takes us to places and memories , that they smell like things we love and enjoy rather than the smell of perfume. There is a time and a place and a mood for each. I like a hefty perfume to go out at night or to dinner. But the Replicas are a great choice for just hanging out , inoffensive and cozy , not very dressy nor classy. Just good fun or delicious aromas that are quite addictive. Love the presentation of the bottles. The apothecary style is well suited for this line. However a lid would be nice for traveling.

Scratch the Santa Monica 1994 statement and replace with Seabrook Island, North Carolina 1940. Yes, Miss Allie and Noah from the Notebook, out in the evening strolling at the fair, her in burgundy wine heels and he in his wool conductor cap. The fair and all it entails brings this scent to life —To Me. This smells Lovely, it’s also very hard to pinpoint the notes as this is just a wonderful concoction. The emerging scent straight out of bottle is quite caramely, marshamallow-y, popcorn-y, and the vanilla is ever soft but boy does it make itself known! Second to these would be the Moroccan Rose, and from the anise you can definitely get a light woody licorice-like aroma, but it’s very faint and delectable. The dry down remained beautiful with warm rich vanilla and Pink roses. The ambroxan unveils itself deliciously with the Tahitian Vanillin and caramel. I’m so into this scent, I don’t have anything like this. I feel like I’m Allie from the Nicholas Sparks Novel when I wear this. LOVE!

Against all other reviews here I must say I liked it a lot, didn't buy it only because it was too expensive and with too little staying power. The reason I like it is simple - it lives up its name: it really gave me the feeling of a funfair evening, romantic and melancholic at the same time. It's a nice evening, you are happy in that moment but there's also a slightly sad feeling because you know it's going to be over soon. Have you ever felt like this? So, as Replica is the point of this collection, I say this perfume does it well. If it's good perfumery or not, I think it depends on the point of view. It's not a masterpiece for its notes or staying power but it smells and feels like it's supposed to.

I really love this fragrance. I suspect it has rounded out over time since this was discontinued several years ago. On me, it is a skin scent that's sweet and creamy, and reminds me of how a newborn baby smells when you nuzzle your nose in their neck. It is on the faint side, but it has longevity. An intimate scent that will only be noticed by others if they come in very close. This is kind of like a distant cousin to Eau Duelle by Diptyque in the way that they're both sweet and subtle without being overpowering gourmands. Eau Duelle is woody vanilla while Funfair Evening is more of a powdery milky caramel.