Red Temptation Winter Eau de Parfum

I just learned that there are two Red Temptation Winters brought out 1 year apart. I really wish they woudn't do that. Can't they just rename slightly when they change the perfume? Like an IPHONE? This could be Red Temptation Winter 2. I bought mine on sale recently and after discovering there were two versions, I assumed it must be the older version. But, having just gone to Zara to compare, what I have must be the current version. The box on both my sale version and the Zara version say notes of Jasmin, Leather, Amberwood, and Coffee. The post below was my original post from October, 2024. It's a new favorite. ________________________________________________________________ Oh my goodness - I love this scent! I feel Red Temptation Winter is massively underrated. I blind bought the Red Temptation discovery set from Zara which included Red Temptation, Red Temptation Winter, Red Temptation Elixir, and Red Temptation Summer. I simultaneousy ordered a 30 ml spray of Red Winter (they were both on sale). I received them this morning. It turns out that the discovery set are rollerballs (boo). I tested them all on paper and placed them in order from my preference of best to worst: Winter, Elixir, Red (original) and Summer. Red Winter stood out as most interesting. Because I dislike rollerballs and knew I was going to keep the spray, I opened the 30 ml right away. Fast forward a few hours and I have already ordered multiple backups. Red Temptation Winter is a little spicy, a little sweet, vanillic and just yummy. It also has a praline note. It's like nothing else in my collection. It's perfect for cooler weather (fall and winter where I live). I would not wear this in the heat. I love that I can smell it on me and have not gone nose blind to it as I do with many fragrances. One caveat - it has massive sillage! Good and bad. For me, really nothing I own ever projects the way I would like. I would just like to have arms length projection most of the time but most of my fragrances, despite overspraying, do not give me even that. But this one is a doozy. Today, I can be smelled from across the room. For me, that is too much, even if the scent is this delicious. So be forewarned and be careful NOT to overspray until you are sure how it behaves on your skin. Next wearing, I will start with 3 sprays only! ;-)

Okay, I’m kind of confused. Not only do I see two versions of this fragrance on Fragrantica, I bought this one on the Zara website on a discount where it was described of having notes of oranges, fruitiness, moss and amberwood. However, the box gives notes of jasmine, amberwood, leather and coffee. Considering the fact that the fragrance was discounted, you’d think that it’s for sure an old version, but no. The box says 2024. So I can imagine that this is... another, new version? No clue. But I’d imagine so, seeing as there’s nothing fruity about the version I have, to me. Literally, none of the notes are the same on the box that I received, compared to what I bought on the website. Ironically, I’m not complaining. I definitely can tell the coffee note in this new version and it’s really pleasant! I can’t compare it to anything that it’s supposedly duping, or any previous versions of this fragrance, or any of the flankers, but I enjoy what I received, but it has an undeniable ‘Zara’ feel to me.

When it comes to bang for your buck, it simply doesn't get much better than this. Compared to the original Red Temptation, this ditches the medical/rubber glove/plasticky smell that plagues my nose throughout not only the opening, but even the dry down. In my opinion it is much more nuanced and overall better blended. It is a powerful and sweet blast in the opening, and has a lovely dry down, with the woods and amber shining through. Performance is excellent, lasts about 7.5+ hours on my skin, with generous, but not overpowering sillage. I also find this scent unisex, despite being marketed as a women's fragrance. Zara really hit the nail on the head with this one, and for €20, it performs excellently, and is surprisingly nuanced. Certainly a no-brainer on scooping this one up.

Addicting and comforting. I remember smelling this everywhere in the Philippines, December 2023. I kept thinking, “This smell again! Smells like BR540, but not exactly. It’s BR540 with a darker, pleasing twist.”, which is exactly what this fragrance is. It’s a cousin to the BR540 line but doesn’t smell as common/cliche as cloud, br540, or other dupes. Sometimes it also smells like a new sneaker store, which I like.

It really is Red Temptation wrapped in aroma of spices and burned sugar in a winters market (lots and lots of saffron)! The OG DNA is still strong, especially after the first hour. after 2-4 hours the more masculine base notes start to appear, but they're quite subtle. I do get tonka and dried fruits at the very end of the day hitting through, might be my skin chemistry or just notes that are not listed.