Kiki Voile d'Extrait

I have come a long way concerning my affinity toward lavender as a perfume material and note. My original aversion had sprung from my affliction with classical men’s fougeres and barbershop scents. Luckily, I later discovered how beautiful lavender smells in nature, and then stumbled upon the “sweet/oriental lavender” DNA, with Jicky by Guerlain possibly paving the way - Musc Ravageur (big lavender for me), Eau Noire, Music for a While, Zeybek, MEM, and naturally, Vero’s own spin on the genre, Kiki. If you are familiar with the Oriental lavender perfumes mentioned, Kiki stands closer to perfumes like Music for a While, Jicky, and MEM. It has that vintage elegance and refinement of the Guerlain, the natural quality and diversity of colors found in Bogue, and the playful character of the Malle. However, it feels more modern than Jicky, while it bears no fangs or feels over intrusive like MEM, and it avoids the obnoxious sweetness of Benaim’s creation. It is surprisingly straightforward for a Vero perfume. It displays a big, hazy, effervescent, powdery lavender bouquet (a grizzled purple hue), only carefully augmented at the edges by the juiciness of the fruits and the medicinal, sweet, resinous, and smoky facets of the resins (mostly myrrh). I pick up the patchouli faintly and only in the late dry-down, and for me, that is the gist of the fragrance. It is not linear, as it starts with a juicy, zesty punch and slowly transitions to a temple-like, resinous incense experience. There is that classical French perfumery DNA that runs through it, that familiar “powdery-velvety” quality that so many people today label as dated and grandma-like, yet pulled out of that well by the resins and the fruity accords. It’s a buzzing and fun perfume; there’s nothing stuffy about it. Regarding its modern resurrected version under Campomarzio, similar to Onda, I find Kiki to have changed the most. It lost some of its grace and refinement and seems to have been adapted to a more modern palate. The lavender is no longer at the center of attention but fights hard with the passionfruit and the myrrh to keep its head above water. It is more fruity, and the myrrh is very prominent from the get-go (and quite medicinal). The modern version is still beautiful; I might even prefer it slightly over the original, as it exhibits more colors and the passionfruit shines better. It sits closer to Frederic Malle’s Music for a While, without the ethyl maltol screechy sweetness, better-quality materials, and poise. IG:@memory.of.scents

I had been wanting to do a kiki review for some time but I wanted to experience it more in time to understand it better, since, in general, Vero's fragrances are complex and old-fashioned. Kiki is a very French fragrance, blunt, with personality. A citrus-fruity start gives way to a floral body of a very rich "Provence" lavender, as it evolves it begins to be sweetened as if you began to eat a lavender candy, it is not cloying, rather a vaporous aroma of the mixture remains in the skin with a musk residue that lasts and lasts ..... Awesome !!! Kiki seems simple, but the nuances and quality surpass what we are accustomed to smell regularly out there. The old school this time triumphs with an aroma that has convinced me. Rating: 9.2

Glorious top notes of lavender and caramel that makes my mouth water. There's also a lovely tart freshness in there (probably the passionfruit), but already five minutes into application it settles into a subdued, powdery floral. There's a slight dusty feel in the mid notes, but it quickly settles, and you are left with the lavender and caramel again - only a lot more subdued. It's a very cozy and comforting scent. Definitely a feel good fragrance, perfect for snuggling on the couch with your loved one(s). Low sillage, but good lasting power.

love this one a really masterpiece of the last years .a psychedelic lavender

The bitter herbal lavender here is matched with caramel, unusual and stunning actually. I used to find lavender hard to like and a tad boring due to it's long association with sleep aids and colognes. However Serge Lutens' Forreau Noir which turns sweet creamy tonka and almonds with lavender into a sumptuous gourmand beauty, taught me to be more open-minded and less jaded. Kiki Vd'E is another fine example of how to be creative with lavender and make it a subliminal example too! The musk is more apparent in the Vd'E than the EDP and the passion fruit played down but still noticeable. I get an earthy patchouli in the drydown of the Vd'E but not in the EDP.

The ability to break perfume down into notes and ingredients is highly valued among perfume fans. It is understood to indicate a discerning nose and is often used to distinguish the cognoscenti from the overwashed masses. Unfortunately, it is unduly valued and can impede enjoyment and a better understanding of perfume for the wearer. This misconception is one of the side-effects of the secrecy of the perfume industry. What perfume wearers know about the inner workings of perfume composition and production amounts to few odd bits of information and the mythology that a little knowledge tends to foster. One tidbit is that an important, if elementary, skill in composing perfume is identifying and deconstructing scents. We mistakenly assume that the skills needed to make perfume are the same ones needed to appreciate and understand it. A knowledge of frequency, pigments and aromachemicals does not equate to a better or more meaningful experience in appreciating painting, music or perfumery. Perfumery can be read, but calls for critical thinking and self-reflection. The vocabulary of aroma is helpful, but not necessary. kiki Reading Kiki tells you about the perfume and by extension the perfumer. Kiki reinforces what I suspected on wearing Kern's Rozy and Onda: Kern is a classicist but not necessarily a traditionalist. All three perfumes demonstrate a measured use of the vocabulary and techniques of quintessential western perfumery. Kiki is an essay on lavender and makes allusions to 19th century icons such as Houbigant Fougère Royale and Guerlain Jicky without being either derivative or strictly traditional. Kern says she used a lavender with a high percentage of coumarin, so the shape of a fougère is implied. The inedible soapiness of a fougère is nowhere to be found, though. Instead, a tease of caramel connotes candy-sweetness with a dry powderiness balancing the confection so that Kiki never lands in the gourmand camp. In fact, Kiki is reminiscent of early "oriental" perfumes. Where Shalimar contrasts a tart, rich bergamot with vanilla, Kiki matches bergamot and musky caramel, a compositional juxtaposition that again leans toward the classical. The best of early 20th century perfumery was daring and pushed the expectation of what perfumery could accomplish. In this one sense, Kern can be considered traditional. More broadly, though, she uses classical methods to experiment and to explore rather than to follow. Kiki takes the expected, lavender, and gives us something novel and gorgeous. Unearthing originality while using known forms and techniques is rare and for the less deliberate artist might never happen. Kern's combination of classicism and unconventionality pays dividends. Her perfumes are unorthodox and exquisite. Her perfumes may not appeal to all, but polarization is a consequence of deliberation and vision in art and I doubt that Kern is looking for her work to be considered broad entertainment. Call it bias or call it alignment of artist and audience, but I both admire and adore Kiki. I'm smitten. from scenthurdle.com

I still have and found a couple of samples of KIKI. each time my response is the same. I kind of shiver at first sniff. as with Jicky in 1974. these are uneasy, disturbing perfumes. yet in all those years (of KIKI) (Samples are from 2010) now and then I tried and slowly the Green, Icy queen thawed somewhat. it is the shock of Lavender. as with Jicky. Vero advised co-Zûricher (Schweisser) Andy Tauer how he could enliven, vivify, his Lavender. so he reminesced in an interview. well, perhaps as Aroma Therapiste she was able to quadruple the force of Lavender. I remember the Fields of Lavender in the Provence as well as in the Toscane. the wind, the rhitmic waving of those stern stems with [the 'Ears' - just looked it up] of those Himmlischen Lavendel Blauen Blûmer. but to make it a Shock Accord in a perfume, that is downright (evil - no) confrontational. outerconventional. the Fruits (which I am not supposed to smell, xcept by Vero) Passionfruit, Citron and Bergamot (for me best to smell in Earl Grey Tea) give a sour Intro to ... Lavender and Geranium. so I guess this is almost a Fougère, that would bring me also [askew]. the Geranium lend a slight rosiness. then the Heavenly Drydown: Caramel, Musk and Patchouli. it is almost a Transdimentional Wave to Nowhere. the perfume has calmed and proves its utter exquise Refinement. Raffinement, un parfum Classique çe Quel'que Vero ait Jugée Intemporelle, Personelle et sans aucun Barrièrre pour un Soir Parfumée comme des Lavandes....

I always wanted to safeguard Kiki as my signature scent, but it was discontinued and then revived following the death of Vero Kern. And finally became available on luckyscent again this year. I want to encourage to support the Vero Profumo revival because every scent is a masterpiece and they should never go out of commission again. Kiki smells like the aristocats. Like fluffy kitties running around 1920s Paris. It smells like the French New Wave. Like Anna Karina and Brigitte Bardot both emancipated and objectified in the lens of the camera. It smells like white silk lingerie hand washed in Provençal soap and dried in the sun and rumpled sheets. It begins with a calming and invigorating lavender citrus, almost an aromatherapy effect, before giving way to a lavender caramel, powdery gourmand rather than edible. The musk and ambergris at the bottom are incredibly snuggly and warm, like pressing your face into a purring kittens fur, but cleaned up with the remaining touch of lavender. I cannot stop huffing my wrists when I wear this, and it lasts all day, becoming warmer and sexier, but never overbearing. The lavender citrus accord is androgynously bright and fresh, and I can see a man pulling this off with aplomb. Cheerful, charismatic, sparkling, warm, delicious.

After reading all the positive reviews I've decided to try this, especially since I like lavender, my favorite lavender fragrance being BPAL's Lilith Victoria. There aren't any similarities between the two perfumes. Kiki is honeyed lavender and sweet tropical fruit notes. I can't smell any base notes to anchor it or give it any depth. It would have been nice if it had something like citrus or musk to cut through the sweetness. I understand that it's supposed to conjure an air of French sophistication, which it does for about 10 minutes until it becomes generic fruity sweetness. The fact that it ends up smelling like rotten pineapple makes it unwearable for me, despite the nice opening.

This is definitely interesting and I’m not sure how to categorize it. It’s definitely not a “perfume” smell. More bath product - but more skillfully composed than any bath product I’ve ever smelled. It’s like they took lavender essential oil and added just enough touches of other notes to make it not smell like pure lavender - but not far off either. And somehow feminine despite not having any distinctly feminine notes. This is harder to describe than I thought it would be 😆 If you’re looking for something with more lavender than anything else on the market, this is worth sampling. Would probably be very fun and versatile for layering too.

The simplest of the Veros, but the most charming: bright, clean, slightly caramelized lavender with a faint, metallic fruitiness and a warm, musky drydown. Comforting, serene, and fuzzy-textured. It's worth noting that, while with most of VdE's/parfums, I've found it more a matter of application preference than actual structure, the balance in the parfum is much better than the VdE comparing them side to side. The composition is essentially the same, but in the VdE the lavender is somewhat more aggressive in the first fifteen minutes, losing a pinch of the parfum's charm in the process. A small difference, but worth noting.

First it hits with lavender and musc with some lime as a men's cologne or some Russian leather family fragrance. Then the lavender settles down and goes quite dry with no sense of caramel just lavandar backed up with harsh musc. Edit (16th Sept 2016) the passion fruit is there mixed up with lavender with a tiny bit of musk, sweet caramel, and bit of red roses as i feel the harshness of black pepper effect from the roses. It's completely different after 8 months of experience.

Purchased due to the fact that the notes composition are intriguing and for the potential value being that the nose behind this fragrance has passed away recently (Vero Kern). R.I.P.

If there's anyone looking to sell samples I'd be glad to pay and arm and a leg for it.