Okay, so I have a lot of writing and stuff that I was going to start my posts with. However, I decided to commence by doing a new fragrance review. My goal is to hopefully get these reviews noticed in the fragrance community. So what better scent to choose than my almighty signature scent.
Aah..the signature scent. The holy grail of one's aromatic pleasures. The fountain of youth in the fragrance world. The search for the signature scent is an everlasting quest for olfactory certainty and I have been on this quest for quite some time now. The journey, at times, lasts so long that one eventually just...settles for a fragrance - that's what I did. I went from Terre D'Hermes to L'Instant de Guerlain Extreme to Musc Ravageur to Dior Homme Intense back to Terre D'Hermes...it was a vicious cycle. I would wear the fragrance for weeks calling it my Signature and before I knew it, I was bored. For the fragrance fanatic (an indirect shout out to a fragrance reviewer, Al, on youtube whose Street Scents series I love), I believe the search for a signature is redundant at best. That is what I came to grips with.
Then came the day...
After exhausting my supply of olfactory receptors a little nice smelling birdie told me that one of my favorite fragrance houses was launching a new and final fragrance to end a particular line that the founder created (hint). So one day, during a stroll down fifth avenue, I stopped by Saks (hint hint). I went over to this brand's counter in the center of the beauty department where it sat alone, empty, as if shunned by the Chanels, Bonds, and Goutals. No sales associate was present so I decided to search for the fragrance I came to sample before I snatched and pocketed a bottle and ran out of Saks faster than Thierry Mugler releases A*Men flankers (jk). Kleptomania aside, I sprayed this juice on my left forearm, right wrist, and shirt. The first words I uttered were "Holy F***n Mother." Apologies for the English. Two hours later as I caught whiffs of the gorgeous sillage of this fragrance, I uttered again "Holy F***n Five Thousand Hindu Gods." (I'm Indian by the way).
What I look for in a signature scent is an aroma that conjures the warmth of a moment I wish was everlasting. For me, such moments have the strength to carry the heaviest of burdens off my shoulder so I can walk freely again. Such moments suppress energy that lowers my spirits, leaving me with nothing but a refreshing bolus of optimism. Autumn in New York, having dinner with my beautiful girlfriend in a cozy restaurant during summer in the Upper West Side while the dimming sunlight kisses her face for me, or a brisk stroll through Madison Square Park on a walk to one of my clinics after spending two stressful years in Erie, Pennsylvania studying the foundations of medicine - the list goes on and on.
These are the types of memories I hope to return to while enjoying a scent I hope to call my own.
These are the very sentiments I return to when I experience Sweet Redemption by Kilian.
With that extra long intro finished (and I promise, future reviews will be far more succinct...yet, for this fragrance, being my signature, I am purposely being verbose) ..without further adieu...Sweet Redemption by Kilian.
The Opening/The Scent: I will try to make this as simple as I can. Imagine having a palette and a canvas in front of you. On that palette you have three things: Orange Blossom, A Medicinal quality, and Sweetness.
Now I hate scents with medicinal qualities but holy shit Sweet Redemption does it well. Take a stroke of the orange blossom and put it on the canvas. Then take a small dose of the medicinal feeling and gently brush it on top of the orange blossom. Now add sweetness equivalent to the Orange Blossom. Sniff that and you have your opening. 10/10
Scent Evolution: Every hour, go back to your canvas, and take some more Sweetness and dab it on. On your little finger, swipe some Myrrh and Incense, and gently stroke the remains on the canvas. The fragrance is fairly linear in that the Blossom and the Vanilla form the core of the fragrance but as the fragrance gets sweeter, the myrrh, incense, and opoponax act as a buffer to prevent the scent from becoming overly sweet. 10/10
Sillage: Enchanting. This is a scent trail that demands followers and it does its job rightfully so. This is not the type of sillage like Musc Ravageur which points to you with sexy undertones luring you in. No. This is the sillage that will stop you in your tracks and you'll wonder "why can't most things in life smell like this." It is purely inviting. If hell smelled like Sweet Redemption then the 40 virgins waiting for me in heaven can kiss my ass ;-). 12/10
Longevity: Forever. This shit lasts forever. I remember spraying a shirt two times from a sample. Two weeks later, as it hangs from a rack (unworn by the way), I catch whiffs of the drydown, further corroborating the magical sillage and excellent longevity. On my skin I get 12+ hours. A little blurb about my skin: It fucking sucks. If I were Godzilla, fragrance molecules would be the citizens of Tokyo. Kilian's scents are the only ones that last forever on my skin and Sweet Redemption keeps the trend going. On clothing, this shit lasts days. On skin, I can smell it the next day projecting off my arms while I work out (before showering). It is not a projection monster like Egoiste or A*Men, but it does an excellent job. 10/10
Compliment Factor: Phenomenal. I have received all sorts of compliments, all positive. Now then again people might not like it and not say anything, but I can't see why anyone wouldn't like this. After all, what most people smell is the sillage and that is far less potent than the actual smell. For the fragrance hounds, I can see why this scent would have "flaws." Yet, most people in this world are not that into fragrances and your layman only cares for one thing - does the juice smell nice when someone walks by - answer: HELL YEAH. I've received great compliments from people in all ages from 24+ and my 16 year old cousin who said "You smell so nice. What is that? CK?" (so much to learn..so much to see).
A question often encountered is "will this fragrance get me laid" aka "is this a panty dropper." I don't believe in game or pick up routines and lines and referring to a fragrance as a "pantry dropper" only adds to that gimmick. I will say this however. No, this is not a panty dropper, assuming panty dropper refers to a fragrance where men with absolutely no personalities douse themselves in to help them relieve a woman of her clothes. Will women enjoy this smell? Hell yeah. This is the type of fragrance that will only further intensify the existing charm, wit, and charisma that a confident man carries with him while adding a touch of comfort. No woman is going to get close to you if she doesn't feel comfortable. This fragrance will compliment anyone very well while adding that aura of coziness to you. 12/10
Versatility: In my opinion (and many will disagree), this is truly versatile. I see it befitting for all occasions ranging from college classes, to work, to dates, mundane use, and even clubs. Yes clubs. I am not saying it is perfect for clubs (there are better scents designed for that use in particular, enter Paco Rabanne's One Million), but it can be worn. In fact, body heat enhances the sweetness and the incense notes - thus leaving a far more intense scent trail, that is sweet enough for the club, but again buffered by the biblical ingredients to ensure tolerance. In summer, I think if you go light on the trigger, it will get the job done - in the hot weather I notice it to be very airy and free spirited. So I have worn this in numerous settings and I have received nothing but thumbs up to keep wearing this! (One person even said if I run out she'll go and buy me another bottle). 9/10
Age/Sex: College and up. Now it's marketed as unisex. Now, as far as sex...assume I have the vision of an 85 year old with glaucoma and cataracts...okay? Now I can see this being feminine. What I mean is..VERY slightly...it can be..but if a man wore this, people would enjoy it and I doubt would say "isn't this for women?" Unlike Sweet Redemption's sugar leiden counterpart, Love Don't Be Shy, this truly has masculine components, and is very unique in the masculine genre.
Overall: 10/10. A truly beautiful scent, versatile, long lasting, unique, and extremely inviting. A pleasure to wear, and now officially my signature scent ever since it's release. I wear this often and have never grown tired of it. It is a scent that demands admiration from those who are given the privilege of experiencing it and a constant euphoria for the one who bears it on his or her skin. Pure magic in a bottle. I will never, I repeat, never promote blind buys...I think trying is a must for anything. So definitely a MUST try.
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