Lemon Tart

People need to STOP comparing this to devotion and/or bake and/or Lira. Ugh! Sheeple! Just stop. Ya’ll need to start practicing training your nose. It’s got citrus and sweet notes. Yuuuup! That’s literally the only similarities! Doesn’t mean that they smell anything alike. And NO, people will not confuse the two when they smell you. Now to my opinion.... This has got to be one of the most synthetic, smelling frags I’ve ever encountered . More so than any BBW frag I’ve ever smelt. But weirdly I freaking love it. People compare this to a buttery lemon pastry? I would say in the interpretive (but not the literal) sense.... contrary to what other reviewer‘s are saying. It smells buttery and lemony and sweet...(almost butterscotch-y to my nose), but in a very synthetic way imo. My favorite part about this fragrance is it stays pretty linear (A rarity for a lemon gourmand, and something you WONT find in devotion or lira). again, something I find contrary to what other reviewers are saying. The descriptive words A4 mentioned would make you think that this is a fun whimsical nostalgic gourmand, but I actually find it to be very complex. The scent cloud in the dry down introduces this SLIGHTLY: sharp, smoky, incensey, dirty, tart note that I can’t quite pinpoint (this must be the Tartine? Never smelled that note b4 so I’m assuming that’s what it is). It kind of gives it an intriguing nuanced, complexity (kind of in a bal d’afrique way, but this is obviously very gourmand, & more whimsical). I’ll be honest... most of my friends and family think it smells weird and unappealing. I definitely wouldn’t wear it on a date if you’re trying to be sexy and alluring. I mainly wear it for my own comfort and pleasure (aka..fragrance therapy). I also find the projection and longevity to be pretty solid! (once again, contrary, to what other reviewers are saying.) But I live at a super high altitude in a very dry climate (so perhaps that’s why I have a better experience?) Scent - 9/10 Sillage - 8/10 Longevity - 8/10 Unique - 9/10 Price - 6/10 — I will definitely savor and enjoy this while it lasts so in that regard, it’s worth the price. But not really a staple fragrance thus would not buy it again once it’s empty.

I would consider this a summer gourmand. I usually don’t wear gourmands at all during hotter months but I can pull this off since it has an airy feel to it. It starts off with a bright lemon curd/custard scent, supported by a dry pastry accord in the background. Some ppl may interpret that pastry accord as plain butter biscuits. Does not transform too much in the dry down, except the lemon note does become softer. As for sillage, this sits close to the skin, but never feels sticky or sickly sweet. I actually prefer that since lemon gourmands can easily be overwhelming (especially if you’re gonna be in a stuffy room/transportation full of people). Clings better on clothes. After an 8hr shift I can still smell it on my sweater. Overall a pleasant light gourmand and relatively crowd pleasing. This is better than the recent release of Akro Bake. That one smells like straight up lemon floor cleaner and burnt sugar. How this compares to Lira: Lira has a bit more spices among other notes that make it more complex, and i wouldn’t wear that during the summer. The caramel makes Lira too decadent and heavy for warm weather. How this compares to Unknown Pleasures: This one has a sharper citrus compared to the other 2. The lemon note on this never really softens on my skin, and mixed with the tea note + bergamot, it’s too acidic, it gave me a headache after a while.

Theodoros delivers again. This gives me the same feeling I get with Coffee Addict, Velvet Chocolate and Alluring Fig. It is exactly what it promises; nothing more, nothing less. Smells like lemon curd with a dash of cream infused (a la Philosophy’s fresh cream but far less lactonic) and buttery pastry. Like you’ve just bitten into the most delicious lemon tart and it’s giving you all the feels. The lemon is zingy and bright and doesn’t give off lemon cleaner at all. This is a gourmand in the truest sense, but the sweetness here isn’t cloying or overbearing. Compared to Lira and co., this is a literal interpretation rather than deep/complex/spicy/transformative scent. On me, the lemon blast at the top tames after about an hour or two and the pastry aspect takes center stage (the lemon is still there throughout though). Projection is good for this duration too, thereafter sitting closer to the skin. I got about 8hrs wear - 2 projection, 4 scent bubble and then it starts to gradually fade) but if I turn my head I still get whiffs of it. I did overspray though. But for the fabulous price of this little gem in a gluttonous world of obscenely priced fancy water, I don’t mind. A guilty pleasure without the calories (or debt).

This perfume threw me on my tuchus. I ordered a full bottle within 10 minutes of wearing it. The impression of lemon sugar cookie was so photorealistic, I decided I didn’t care what it performed like (actually could last longer 😭). Almost broke my neck running to write a review, then decided to wait so I could write about the longevity (or lack there of!). I didn’t go ham but I didn’t even get an hour spraying on pulse points, sans clothes and hair. It’s affordable, relative to my collection, so I’m willing to tolerate the lack of longevity. I figure if you’re the type of person that can stand to respray any of the Sol de Janeiro body sprays or I Do by Anthropologie (😍), you can respray this. It shows self-awareness to have it priced at this range. This is also my first fragrance featuring butter. It did not disappoint and I think it’s a good example of perfume range.

Another photorealistic gourmand from Theodoros Kalotinis, in all its yummy goodness. Opens with a very lemony blast, full on citrus like lemon zest, not that sweet in the beginning. Then as it starts warming up, I can smell the buttery biscuity base, the vanilla and the sugar. It really smells how a lemon tart bite tastes. Unfortunately, the lemon only stays on my skin for literally just a bit more than 1 hour (timed it) and then it becomes a vanilla biscuit-like skin scent with no projection. I had really high hopes for it and would definitely purchase a full bottle if it performed better... I might still get one because I like it so much. Get this if you want to smell like you just walked out of a bakery.