Wonder Bouquet

What a surprise! I had been ignoring most of Les Exceptions after trying several disappointing ones. They all seem to try to be original and bold but smell pretty meek and pedestrian. This one caught my attention because I used to own and love Jeaux de Peau, with which Wonder Bouquet shares a wheat note. I assumed I wouldnt like this much because of the alleged "white floral" bouquet but I just had to sample another bread note. Lo and behold, this takes that toasty, flakey pastry note that smelled so nice in Jeaux de Peau but adds a clever counterbalance to the warm, cereal goodness in the form of a highly inedible, soapy accord of lily of the valley and bitter neroli. The shiso is faint but as a member of the mint family it nicely bridges the gap between the world of the edible and the cosmetic. Likewise for the honied beeswax. So instead of hanging out in the Boulangerie all day (getting bored, sleepy and hungry) like we were with Jeaux de Peau, now we step out on to a breezy Parisian sidewalk, next door to the florists and just downwind from a steaming dryer vent. The yeasty, toasted smells from the bakery now waft together with soapy, snowy laundry musks and delicate, high pitched florals. Sublime! This could be a casual or formal, equally comfortable. Honestly, all the niche fans should be raving about Wonder Bouquet and I hope it gains some traction and gets more widely discovered. And this high praise is from someone who has never owned a classic floral perfume OR a gourmand perfume.

Magnificent and mysterious floral. It harks back at some Alien invation (that we are familiar with by now), but it is distinctively less abstract and more botanical, yet still wonderfully weird, as it is so gourmandy and seemingly edible. You know when they come up with novelty ice creams or fancy flavours for jelly beans: this is one of them as you can imagine this as a sorbet in a high-end gelateria somewhere in Firenze or Rome. It is a truly joyful burst of glorious, sun-drenched neroli with this buttery brioche, edible flour-like quality. So does this make it a floury floral? It is also somewhat fruity and distinctively moist and wet, like a cake or a tiramisu, when these gaufrettes/ ladyfingers are here dipped in honey and neroli over a jasmine juice. The drydown is very musky and somewhat animalic, but most certainly utterly beguiling. I can honestly say, that this is the most wonderful new floral explosion I have smelled in a long time. I usually adore Gardenia interpretations of florals but this is another modern day masterpiece. If you love "Carnal Flower" by Frederic Malle, you will love this (and vice versa). Truly mezmerising! Verdict: 9.5/10!

A unique Mugler. First Impressions: The opening reminds me of a better balanced alienesque accord using orange blossom as its focus point with jasmine and tuberose supporting it. (Its floral component reminds me slightly in the vein "and the world is yours" by a lab on fire but lighter) Its a honeyed floral, and the bran/brioche accord surfaces once the florals start to bloom. It has a nutty touch that works well with the brioche note. Its a good all around scent..day or evening. I get about 4-6 hrs for longevity. Very wearable. The Exceptions line is more refined and subdued than the main line, and here is no exception to that idea.I tested it as soon as it arrived so Ill do another update once the fragrance has a chance to rest.

A funny thing happened to me about 5 minutes after I sprayed WB - I saw Gal Gadot delightfully declaring “it’s wonderful” with her Wonder Woman accent. And I totally concur. WB is wonderful. Yes, it’s a creamy white floral and quite Alien-esque, but the moment that delicious hazelnut and freshly baked pastry accord hit, it hit hard, it hit sweet. It made me smile and it made me believe in wonders again, such as actually having GG by my side whispering “it’s wonderful” to me. That’s the sort of stuff I love fragrances for. Not just smelling beautiful, but also triggering images, memories, hopes. A few hours later reality hit back with a mundane vanilla musky dry down, but all that came before is well worth repeating. ****(*)

This is awesome. In the opening I get a blast of an pastry odor wich smells truly like freshly baked crunchy cookies out of the oven. It's so unusual but fantastic. To my nose this smells somewhat like sweet wheat wich goes into a (floral)/Gourmand territory. This is a chameleon fragrance - it molds and changes a lot, so that the pastry accord disappears after a while. A bouquet of white florals mold throughout the entire heart - until the final dry down of this fragrance. After the unusual delish bran accords, you're left with a pleasant concoction consisting mainly of jasmine + orange blossom. A delish tuberose is detectable in the background and it's not heavy at all. .my favorite - Les Exceptions line - fragrance <3.