Kiki Eau de Parfum

Kiki elevates the simple pleasures of lavender. The first few hours are a technical marvel, as refreshing top notes defy expectations by maintaining their presence and verve for a surprising length of time, weaving in and out of the olfactory "view." The fragrance opens with lavender: armfuls of dried lavender, dazzling fields of fresh growing lavender, and cocktail glasses full of lavender liqueur. At various points in time, zesty, juicy citrus pops in and out like a bright ray of sunshine. When you aren't paying attention, somehow the huge lavender mellows out into a soothing accent for passionfruit - fresh, sweet, yet oddly carnal - for a time. Then the balance shifts again, with varying degrees of fresh, bracing, herbal, floral, and soapy lavender, at times infused with bergamot, at other times veering to caramelized brown sugar facets or coming back to melt into the vibrant passionfruit. As the brighter, tarter notes start to quiet down, the caramelized, sun-warmed musk gradually shifts the balance from exuberant to cozy and indulgent, like a lavender macaron. The caramel tones are persistent but quiet and not overdone. The musky base, which reminds me of some old-school Guerlains, feels especially sultry and coy pushed up against the prim, clean scent of lavender. Kiki is breezy and easy, but never a bore. Before I tried Kiki, I didn't feel the need or desire for a feminine lavender... it seemed like strong lavender belonged in bath products, room scents, or prototypical masculine colognes. But then I sampled the extrait, and though it was not love at first whiff, I kept coming back to it. I'm so glad I took the risk and went for the EDP blind. The extrait is comfortable and rich, but flat and linear compared to the shimmering, multi-faceted EDP. The two formulations are closely related, but have different personalities.

I love all sorts and blends with lavender, it suits great to my chemistry and my mind loves this smell, but I have never even dreamt of having caramelised one, with passionfruit on the top. It could be a recipe for disaster for any other fragrance attempt, so I do believe in certain magical super powers of Vero Kern herself. She obviously is a very skilful aromatologist, because she didn’t kill a one single molecule of the actual lavender, by adding caramel and exotic fruit to it. Lavender remains lavender, as a main actress in this beautiful phantasmagoria of notes. Kiki has very nice, dreamy soul within and I appreciate fragrances that do possess one. In perfumes like that you actually able to establish a connection between the scented molecule and the cells of your body, like one chemist from Guerlain house once put forward the idea of a certain parallelism between scented vibrations and those emitted by homeopathic granules and since remedy must be individualised to be effective, the perfume should obey the same conditions and be “individual”. What I wanted to say is that there are lots of lavender types in the world of fragrances, but Kiki is the one that closest to that “individually yours” lavender somehow. Certain awakening to me and stimulus to the intellect. Love.

Vero Kiki (2010) - passionfruit lavender - #verokern created a fougere, chypre and gourmand all rolled into one. Starts with Passion fruit mixed Lavender - herbal, pine-like in a juicy almost guava-bubblegum accord. This main top note stays there for quite sometime and as it softens hints of minty Geranium meshed in with sticky cumin-caramel comes in the foreground. Thankfully, it doesn’t become too sweet and the accord is masterfully airy. Cumin was delivered in careful doses. As it dries down, the earthy chypre structure comes out. A creative masterpiece.

If I am going to go fresh or fresh spicy it has to be like this kinda odd. I love the description of Irish Spring in there and I get that but I like it. It is like a blast of fresh air. Just got this after I finished up a sample, so I can't wait to get to know it better. I love this gal's perfumes. Not the usual mass market, not that there is anything wrong with that, frags.

Wow, Vero Kern was a genius. Who on earth mixes lavender, caramel and passionfruit? And who on earth can make it work? No one any more i assume, but Vero could. I own Kiki in all three versions but this is my favorite, it has a lovely lightness to it. God, the passionfruit is gorgeous. One of my all time favourites. So happy I found a bottle, since it’s not made anymore.