Serendipitous

Once upon a time (a few years ago) I wrote a glowing review for the reformulation of serendipity 3. After wearing it many times, I decided to re-review it because I felt like my review was overly positive. I still think the scent of serendipity 3 is gosh darn delicious. To me it smells like orange chocolate dipped marshmallows. You know those lovely marshmallows with a thin chocolate coating? Think of those with little pieces of orange peel in the coating and you've got the scent. However, on the other hand it's worth noting (on me at least) that the scent does not project or last a darn. I do have projection issues for whatever reason, I have cool skin that doesn't throw scent well. Although, today was a 90 degree day and I definetly wasn't feeling cool to the touch and still had the same problem! Compared to the many other scents I've tried this is definitely a weak one. I love the scent but run across the performance issue everytime I wear it. I spray generously 6-7 sprays (which is a TON compared to the typical 2 sprays I wear) and it wears like a body splash or light cologne. This smells terrific but I couldn't justify repurchasing this for fourty something dollars. Maybe if it was $15..

This is a wonderful comfort scent. When my father passed away recently, this is the scent I reached for over and over again during those first emotionally trying days. As to what it smells like, this seems to be ever-changing and enigmatic. Myself, usually I pick up the sweet orange and vanilla at first, and after a while it mellows to a white chocolate. But it is not overly gourmand on me, nor overly sweet or heavy. It is somehow refreshing and light, a bit warm, and very comforting. My husband thinks it smells sweet and floral. My mom's first words when she first smelled it on me was "You smell like roasted marshmallows!" This leads me to think it is similar to that Harry Potter love potion whose scent changes according to each person's preferences (since I love orange scents, my husband loves florals on me, and one of my mom's favorite treats is roasted marshmallows). I do find that I have to spray more than I usually would to get a satisfying level of scent. Longevity is okay, after a few hours it becomes more of a skin/snuggle scent. But the price is *very* reasonable, so I do not mind at all.

This is one of my favorite sweet scents. I didn't realize that it was chocolate, I only smelled a wonderful vanilla. That said, I'm not good at note detecting. Many slip right by me. I'll compare it to others that it has been compared to. Pink Sugar - no contest. PS is nice, but you really have to watch how much you put on or it will choke you. Who wants to die a slow agonizing death choking on browned cotton candy? Serendipitous is higher quality and doesn't smack you in the face with that carnival scent. It caresses you like cashmere. I find it easier to wear. Greedy Chocolate - no way. Greedy Chocolate is the dark, sinister, sticky, bound and gagged, chocolate playdoh cousin to Serendipitous. You know the one nobody wants to invite to thanksgiving dinner? It's so sticky that I'm waiting for the ants to come marching in. I just don't see any comparison at all. It's a mess and I am now stuck with 5 ml of it. [ha, my inadvertent dyslexic handling of the name suits it better]

This scent is AMAZING! It smells exactly like S'mores. Melty, ooey-gooey marshmallows dripping with molten chocolate and sprinkled with graham cracker dust. The initial orange notes also add a nice touch. This is definitely not an ordinary vanilla. In fact, I get more chocolate than vanilla. To me this scent is very sweet, yet not cloying, and very cozy and yummy. It reminds me of cudddling up in a fleece blanket in front of the campfire while licking marshmallow residue from the S'mores off my sticky fingers. I don't really get much, if any, coconut, and I don't feel this fragrance is too powdery, which is good since I'm not a huge powder fan. I am currently on a "diet", if you will (more like a lifestyle change... no refined sugar at all!), but this is a great substitute for dessert. If I can't eat dessert, at least I can smell like it! Sillage and longevity aren't bad either, and the price is fairly affordable. I say it's a MUST HAVE for gourmand lovers.

I am so sad to say that this has been reformulated! Serendipitous (in the original square bottle) used to be magical, constantly shifting from toasted marshmallow to chocolate to vanilla to orange to cookie dough and everything in between and more. It also had amazing lasting power, with one or two spritzes lasting all day with a lovely dry-down. It was a tremendous value for the price point, smelling and behaving like a much more expensive juice. The original bottle was also more aesthetically pleasing. Now, it is a very flat and boring cocoa powder. No personality, no depth. Also ridiculously weak. No sillage, no lasting power. The new cheap-looking and generic bottle accurately reflects the contents. This used to be my signature scent, so I am heart-broken. There was nothing like Serendipitous, it was cozy and comforting while at the same time being complex and sophisticated. I will be treasuring the last drops in my old bottle.