I spent four days going in and out of a perfume shop pondering whether or not to buy Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb. In the end I decided against it as I'd already bought two other scents, but I always regretted the decision when I got a whiff of it in a department store. With that in mind, when a bottle arrived chez Shiny months later, it was on my desk before you could say "oi, that's mine."
Despite containing almost all the perfume notes that usually sends me running (jasmine, patchouli, bergamot, musk and amber) this perfume has me completely hooked. So unlike what you'd imagine from a scent with the word 'flower' in it, this actually makes me think of sweet blackberries and my favourite violet shampoo...
I think what appeals about this is it has a grown-up sweetness to it. I always secretly like the candy-cane, sugary scents you often find in cheaper (or celebrity) fragrances, but they quickly leave you with a headache (or a marshmallow craving). This settles down very quickly as the heavier notes take hold, and you're left with something that's unlike most other perfumes on the market. Mysterious, but still pretty.
Patchouli is one of my most hated fragrances (to me it just smells like hippies in dirt) but somehow in this fragrance it works to balance out the sweetness perfectly. The violet and amber are gorgeous for winter, but this really works all year round. Definitely give it a go if you've tried sweet scents before but feel it's time to grow up! Just remember, always test fragrances on your skin instead of those silly tester strips, and give it half an hour to settle before you really make your mind up.
£47.95 at Fragrance Direct. Also at department stores and World Duty Free shops.
