Juliette Has a Gun – Lili Fantasy – I’m not going to lie, this house has been highly disappointing. Most things I’ve tried have gone down like a lead balloon. Nothing memorable. Lili Fantasy joins that list. But at least they’re consistent, huh?
Lili Fantasy, Juliette Has a Gun’s (JHAG) latest, promised bubble gum, and judging by the name, I thought lilies. But, in the end, it delivers neither. As it turns out, it’s more of a weak white floral. It opens with jasmine and tuberose and ends with a limp synthetic base—nothing to write home about. The jasmine and tuberose smell watery and don’t have much presence. The base is the usual JHAG ambroxan and cetalox mix.
The note list for Lili Fantasy is a top of bubble gum, mid of tuberose and jasmine, and a base of ambroxan and amber. It lasts 3-4 hours before fading to a skin scent. Undoubtedly, an underwhelming blend.
Sunset Hour – Goldfield & Banks – Sunset hour unleashes a tooth-achingly sweet burst in its opening stages. And, it never relents. Initially, all the cloying fruit/berry notes (raspberry, cherry, strawberry) seem to be in cahoots. Although, only raspberry is listed as a note.
Interestingly, the note of quandong is used in Sunset Hour. Also known as the desert peach, it is a staple food of the indigenous population here in Australia. Perhaps, think of it as a cross between a regular peach and rhubarb. I’ve tasted it before and remember it being quite tart and sour with not so much sweetness. Though, I’ve read that sweetness varies from fruit to fruit. So this must have been a particularly sweet quandong that went into my sample of Sunset Hour.
Sunset hour needed something else to balance the sweetness. As it is, jasmine, shampoo-like cashmere musks, and the ubiquitous pink pepper don’t provide enough contrast for my taste. Rather than a cocktail at sunset, Sunset Hour is more evocative of Bubble Gum. Go figure. As a result, It reminds me of something that any insert designer name brand would produce and sell in a pink bottle. Indeed, if you like Armani My Way or any sweet Valentino scents, you may enjoy Sunset Hour. However, it’s much more expensive per ml than those fragrances. And, of course, like anything else that’s cloying, Sunset Hour lasts from sunrise to sunset on me – about 12 hours.
Have you tried these releases? Do you have a favourite from either brand?
Note: Samples purchased by me.