A Sweet Pastry In Paris

I was lucky enough to find this one one the grey market at a rather reasonable price and snatched it up as a blind buy. With the mixed reviews here I wasn’t sure I was taking the best risk but I’ve been on the hunt for a buttery gourmand scent and just went for it. I am happy to report that not only did I not get scammed on the grey market, I also absolutely adore this scent. At the opening, A Sweet Pastry in Paris does start out as sort of sickly artificial lemon, floor cleaner citrus. However, after giving the scent a minute to sit and develop, that initial artificial lemon, saccharine sweet vibe totally dissipates and turns into a buttery, sweet gourmand scent. As far as gourmands go, this is definitely “edible”, almost a photorealistic rendition of freshly baked shortbread or croissants with a rich, buttery lemon-vanilla curd. The staying power on this is also remarkable- I could smell it well after 10 hours after first application. I’ll definitely use sparingly, as I can see this one become cloying with a heavy hand (not to mention I probably won’t ever be able to get my hands on another bottle, unless Zara does us a solid and brings this whole collection back!). A really stunning buttery citrus gourmand if you can get your hands on it! ps - I definitely recognize the comparisons to Lira by Xerjoff but neither is a dupe for the other (the Xerjoff DNA in Lira really keeps it more perfume-y where this one is more of a sweet, edible gourmand).

This is one of Zara's gems. Most of their fragrances are pleasant but have pretty poor performance and smell a bit cheap. But they always come out with a couple fragrances that are quite a bit better than their price point. I was disappointed and suprised Zara discontinued this one so quickly. A Sweet Pastry in Paris smells like a lightly sweet lemon cake. It's a linear fragrance, so you will smell like a yummy snack the whole time. The lemon is sweet and a little creamy and with just a hint of tartness and a teeny bit of the bitterness from lemon zest that keeps if from being overly sweet. I have been pleasantly suprised with the performance, it lasts 6-8 hours with moderated projection for about 4-5 hours then becomes a skin scent. It's a fragrance I can wear all year. The gourmand elements make it a bit warm and cozy in the cooler weather while the lemon keeps a light and refreshing summer gourmand. This is a very good budget alternative for Xerjoff Lira. It doesn't have the depth and complexity, but has all of the lemon cake goodness. Lira is the cake you get at a fine dining restaurant infused with complex/interesting flavours while the Zara, is the cake you get at the local family restaurant that is straightforward sweet lemony goodness.

For the price, this exceeded my expectations. It captured not simply lemon, but the lemon curd; it got the meringue - not the torched marshmallow but the whipped, sweetened raw egg whites. I caught wifts of saltiness somewhere, and then the baked pastry dough, which at times is a traditional cookie tart base, others a light airy wafer. The bright citrus opening can be harsh (teensy reminder of Pledge even), but that mellows out quickly and before you know it the lemon softens. Then you get the meringue (gone too soon alas), and the floury baked dough. In the end that too will part and you're left with a soft, creamy lemon, delicately dusted with icing sugar with a small dollop of vanilla whipped cream on the side. What a surprise this was. I picked this up despite thinking that I don't really want to smell like a lemon dessert. I am still undecided on that front to be honest. But at this price point (and I can't stress this enough), this one is too good to pass up. It's just such a fun, feel-good scent that's not asking to be taken so seriously. Amazing.

I bought this gorgeous gourmand last september, unsniffed in Oslo, and than went on the other side of the country before I opened it, and boy, if I knew what was inside that special bottle, I should have bought 2 bottles, eh no, make that 3, because it's that good, and inexpencive ;p I haven't been to Paris, or France yet, but, I was an au-pair-girl in England, and, this perfume smells exactly as the best ever lemon cheescake I've ever tasted; at a pastry in Kingston-on-Themsen south of London. -The smell inside that pastry turns your head off - the bakery is heaven, and this perfume smells as the cake I bought; the fresh lemon is there, and lots of vanilla, and cream, and with a dash of strawberry jam, there is notting better in the whole world I guess, for more than 30 years I have been trying to copy that cake - but - now I got this perfum - and / but - of cause I want to visit that pastry again sometime :D

Just received this in the mail. I was looking for an alternative for devotion and unfortunately I like devotion more! I think this is more lemon heavy and airy versus devotion. The initial blast smells like fruit loops and the dry down is light and fluffy vanilla. There is a subtle gourmand crust like note in the dry down as well. It reminds me of a few things...vanilla and dreamy glazed from pink, pink sugar creamy sunshine and it's super similar to iced lemon pound cake. If you like any of those you'll like this. Also if you like the Taraji p. Henson indulge me mist you'll probably like this as well. Edit : I've had this for a week now and I'm really starting to like it. It's already getting stronger. It still doesn't remind me of devotion...it's more linear, but there is an addictive quality to this that makes me want to reach for it often. Perfect gourmand for spring and summer!