Paris*L.A.

This is a great new gourmand offering from A Lab on Fire. It opens with a spicy top that smells like a combination of Red Hots cinnamon candy and Coke. At first it seems layered over a light vanilla note, but then a deliciously rich, buttery almond accord appears and takes the vanilla along with it. I had a hard time believing the perfumer was going to pull this off successfully, but the "macaroon" in Paris*L.A. is fantastic. I actually get a little hungry smelling this. It takes you right to the heart of the dessert, and you can easily imagine all the ingredients as they're being prepared together in a bowl. Almonds, butter, sugar, and egg whites presented in small, chewy little cakes--they're all there in just the right proportions and seem composed by a skilled, graceful hand. What I really enjoy about Paris*L.A. besides the fun, unique notes that are presented, is the fact that it's smooth and wearable. There's nothing clumsy or "blob-like" about this. It doesn't become overbearing, as gourmands often do. Uncompromisingly sweet in what it presents--Coca-Cola and Macaroons--Paris*L.A. manages to avoid becoming cloying because it is never too heavy. In fact there's a fresh, fizzy quality to the entire fragrance that keeps it afloat and buoyant. I suppose this is the Coca Cola in play, and it does a wonderful job of balancing the macaroon. As far as masculine vs. feminine, this seems very much unisex to my nose and I'd have a hard time labeling it one or the other. I consider this a casual, day or nighttime fragrance. It's fun and has a playful, carefree nature. Projection is solid--it gets out there, but it's not crazy. Longevity is around 6 hours. Overall, Paris*L.A. feels like a very modern take on an unabashed gourmand, and it should find plenty of happy fans as word about it starts to spread. Hats off to the perfumer, Laurent Le Guernec, who did an excellent job with this, and to A Lab On Fire, a company that's created quite a diverse lineup by releasing unique fragrances with a stylistically modern appeal. Paris*L.A. sits right at the top of that list.

This is a gorgeous fragrance! The opening is clearly dominated by a zesty and crisp lime note. I would say that this lime note is dominant for an hour or so, until the scent of cola truly appears. To me the cola scent reminds me a bit more of cola candy than Coca Cola, but the lime not balances out the sweetness and makes it beautiful! Paris LA is a true mouthwatering gourmand. Perfect it the heat of summer! I certainly smell the ginger and can also detect a light scent of macaron, but to me this fragrance is more LA than Paris, When I spray this fragrance my mind creates an image of myself pouring cola into a glass of ice cubes as I squeeze in some drops of lime. I really love it! Thankfully I'm at home because it would be weird to smell my cleavage all the time in public. The sillage is moderate and longevity on my skin is about 4 hours. My skin eats perfume so I believe this would last much longer on others. Edit: 4 hours longevity in the heat, much longer (10+ hours) in cooler environments.

At first spritz this gives me a shock of fizzy ginger and strong cloves as well as something lemony. The ginger and cloves are the main players throughout. I agree the coriander is present as well, it further supports the fizzy zippy spicy effect. A bit of almond in the background, as well as something like half baked dough and a certain lived in feel that I cannot place. Almost like an elevator full of people. This is certainly a unique perfume, a bit harshly spicy gourmand. Try it and you will see for yourself. Regarding this being close to La Danza delle Libellule, they share this lived in intimate background feel but that's all according to me. I think it's more like 20% Mandorlo di Sicilia and 70% Kenzo Jungle L'Elephant... and 10% their own.

I have a similar feeling toward this perfume as cake n' cuddles -- this feels made for me. I love the fizzy gingery opening and on me, the thyme and coriander are very apparent along with the almondy macaron accord. The thyme in particular cuts through the sweet macaron, bringing total balance and interest in the drydown. When I wear this, my husband snuggles in really close, breathes in deeply, and says "Mmmmmmmm." Based on reviews I've read, the thyme must not be apparent on everyone, and I believe it is a key element in the composition. I'd say this is definitely a try before you buy scent.

I have the old bottle (the house was called A Lab on Fire) and absolutely love it. The drydown has a distinctly lactonic note on my skin that makes this unique and sensual, much more than the sum of its parts. I hope the new version has kept that quality. The citrus here is very subdued, this is a sweet and somewhat spicy perfume. To me it smells like Coke with ginger and a hint of cinnamon milk. I blind bought Mancera’s Tonka Cola based on my love for this, but they’re only very faintly similar in the opening. This is a far more delicate and complex scent, Mancera’s is unwearable for me.