Kantali

Wonderful.... these days I am revisiting many fragrances that were popular in my teenage years, Opium being one of them. I find that they are really growing on me and while I may not be ready to shell out for a (probably horribly reformulated) new Opium, the Milton Lloyd offering Kantali ticks all the same boxes for me. The only thing (and this also goes for ML Tutu and others) is that the initial scent upon spraying has a certain harshness which may be to do with the pressurized sprayer (it sprays like, say, a deodorant or body spray). This quickly goes away and the actual fragrance is both smoky opium den like and deep vanilla-ish. It is very rounded and also perfect for layering. I layered it with Gres Cabochard the other day and it was mindblowing.

It's a mature fragrance and one I didn't appreciate until my nose matured with appreciation of perfumery. I haven't sniffed Opium yet so I cannot comment on the similarity. It's the blast of aldehydes that I mostly get. For me it is very close to White Linen and yes it does have that washed linen/cotton fragrance after drying on the washing line. When I was immature I would've said it was 'old fashioned' but now with a more educated taste I would describe it as a classic. Maybe screechy for some (it has an almost medicinal bitter scent) but very dry and elegant like good dry white wine. On the drydown however there is that cola amber that is reminiscent for me of 'Youth Dew'. Very radiant and fills the room.

I have been wearing this perfume all week and I have to say I like it more and more every time I spray. Dry, ambery, spicy, delicious. Chatting about it with my partner this morning, I likened it to sprinkling myself with ground cinnamon. It sticks around, too, which is AMAZING considering the price point. No one else around me has a smell quite like it, so it makes me feel very unique. I will definitely be repurchasing when this bottle runs out (which, based on my current usage, won't be long from now!).

Really good dupe of Opium. Wow i have 18 fragrances of Milton LLoyd all dupes of perfumes i want but can't afford to buy. The quality is really Excellent and the lasting power is close to the originals and even better. Because nowadays the originals are very watered down and very weak. These cheap perfumes have the strenght of the originals years ago and that for such a cheap price. Here in Europe i pay Euro 3,70 for a bottle of 55ml. So definitely glad i have found this brand.

I have huge respect for EnglishCountryGarden and her reviews. She's usually bang on the money, and she is this time, too. Opium was my signature scent in the early 80s. Kantali is remarkably similar to (what I remember of) vintage Opium. Give this one a try. You have very little to lose and a lot to gain. Go easy on the trigger, though - as with all the Milton Lloyd scents I've tried, the atomiser acts like a hose and drowns you in fragrance.