Butterbeer

My bottle has been macerating a couple months now and it’s developed into this delicious cream soda float. The butterscotch is also coming though now. This is so nice! I’d def say it’s an “atypical” gourmand. Not everyone will like it. But I’m happy I took a chance on it cause I love it! Will layer with Eilish for the ultimate Icecream bar vibe!

Butterbeer is a Dua original blend from 2022 that was inspired by the beverage of the same name from the Harry Potter series. The opening captures the sweet and cream beverage aspect that so seemingly defines the experience, but the dry down is a little bit more subtle and less sweet. I enjoy both aspects but prefer the more limited opening, so while it’s not among my very favorite gourmands from the house, I really like the concept and enjoy reapplying it some times as I wear it in order to experience the opening over and over again. It’s quite enjoyable and, as it’s only available when the vault opens a few times a year, but its pricing is now the more modest $36 for 30ml, so that’s a great value. 7 out of 10

Gingerbeer would have been a much more accurate name for this fragrance. I can detect a fizzy cola or citrus note in there, but the opening is almost exclusively bright ginger. I really struggle to find any butterscotch, cream, or ice cream. The vanilla is rather woody, so perhaps that is meant to simulate ice cream? As a butterscotch soda fragrance, it's a 6/10. As a ginger soda fragrance, it's a 9/10. As for personal enjoyment, I rate it about 7/10.

Maceration won't matter with this one. It is what it is. A light and airy gourmand for warm/hot months. It's not cloying as it is not heavy and can be worn all seasons for that reason specifically if you don't have long cold winters. A light buttery/creamy scent with light vanilla.

This is one of the most horrible fragrances I've ever smelled. This is oud sprinkled with oud. Someone below said it has a yeasty scent and yes, it really does. So yeast and oud. I put up a review on DUAs website about this and it was deleted, as DUA does with unfavorable reviews. And I wasn't even bashing the scent or DUA. What I said in the review was that Butterbeer had a very strong oud note that was not listed and to not expect a gourmand with notes of butterscotch, cream soda and vanilla ice cream if you purchase this. YMMV.

First spray after shipping - it's sweet yet light and airy. The "main accords" section aren't lying - it's definitely aldehydic. That would be the cream soda :) I'm looking forward to layering this with fragrances in my collection that feel either too heavy or could be sweeter. After I let it macerate, that is - we'll see how it is after that. Update: decluttering because the aldehydes give me a headache. bummer.

Don't let the notes fool you, this has a healthy dose of oud to offset all of the sweet stuff. A man could wear this. I love it, but it's probably not for everyone and benefits from a long rest to let the scent meld/settle down after shipping.