Flowerbomb Eau de Toilette by Viktor&Rolf

“That’s not real Flowerbomb. You bought a fake.”

My aunt said that to me after smelling a bottle of Flowerbomb I bought for $40 from a street vendor in New York City’s Chinatown. From the plastic-sealed box, the embossed logo, and the online access code stamped onto every Viktor&Rolf bottle, I knew my fragrance was real. In hindsight, I should have known better than to buy a fragrance from a man on a street corner. It is a mistake I will never repeat, now knowing that men like that often sell fakes or stolen fragrances, and cannot tell the difference between Eau de Parfum and Eau de Toilette.

Shortly after, my aunt bought me a 1.7 ounce bottle of Eau de Parfum and said, “This is what Flowerbomb smells like.” I was baffled by the official-looking signs and numbers contradicting my aunt’s opinion that my fragrance was a phony. With a little more inspection, I found the letters “eau de toilette” written in extremely tiny letters underneath the online access code. Immediately, I turned to my favorite perfume encyclopedia, Fragrantica.com, to see the difference. Within seconds, I knew why my aunt thought my bottle was a fake. While Eau de Toilette and Eau de Parfum share Osmanthus, Jasmine, Freesia, Rose, and Patchouli, there are strong differences in each fragrance’s construction.

A photograph resembling the box of Flowerbomb I bought on a New York City street corner.

At the time of my application, I had just come off anti-biotics—a factor that frequently plagues my reviews because I suffer from chronic ear and sinus infections. My skin was not dry because the September air was still warm. No air conditioning was used because of the gorgeous yet temperate climate of the summer’s end. Though this problem does not appear in mid-September, the “bee-balm” effect of Flowerbomb can still apply to Eau de Toilette. While I do not attract as many bees as I did with Eau de Parfum, there are still enough “visitors” to give concerns about being stung.  That said, Eau de Toilette is a safer bet for those with anaphylactic allergies than Eau de Parfum. Why is that the case?

The answer started to reveal itself on September 18^th, after my first application at 11:30 A.M. To my surprise, Eau de Toilette started out far bolder than Eau de Parfum. My nose was greeted by strong pinch of pink pepper, which gave a very assertive, stand-up-straight impression. Given five minutes, Eau the Toilette’s tangerine almost overpowered the pepper, and completely changed the fragrances impression. Tangerine and orange changed the opening impression from brazen spiciness to gourmet soap, made with the finest essential oils. I pictured walking through a shop called Bath Time, which stands in the outdoor mall of Cape May, New Jersey, trimmed with blue, rubber ducks, and dried sea stars. Within half an hour, the three notes balanced other out, and took me back to summer visits to the shore. Instead of feeling pink, sparkly, and starry-eyed as I did with Eau de Parfum, I felt like a sophisticated lady walking on a street with colorful Victorian homes.

Pink pepper–an opening note unique to Flowerbomb Eau de Toilette

Gardens for each house appeared after an hour, when the floral collection of middle notes made its appearance. The floral notes are visible, yet very subtle and delicate in their composition. Osmanthus helps transition from the citrus top notes into Eau de Toilette’s heart, and prevents the jasmine in the composition from overwhelming a wearer. Freesia also acts as a transition note, bringing a pepper-like scent into the fragrance’s heart. Unlike pink pepper, however, Freesia is far more subtle and does not compete with the other notes once. Instead, it complements the Osmanthus, and the two continue the harmonies between peppery and citrusy scents. This balance paired with Jasmine is likely what helps Eau de Toilette be less of a “bee balm” than Eau de Parfum. With the floral component of their smells, the evoked images of Cape May and Victorian buildings continue to flash inside my head. Supposedly, rose is among the middle notes, but it is undetectable today—a strange change from before, when I could smell it, even with anti-biotics. Likely, this change is a distinction between the amount of rose used in Eau de Parfum and Eau de Toilette.

Freesia is one of the shared notes between the Eau de Toilette and Eau de Parfum versions of Flowerbomb.

Where the final differences are seen is in the bottom notes, though I must mention some of these occur because I have stopped taking antibiotics. Unlike last time, where only patchouli was noticeable, the vanilla and amber are very easily detectable. The bottom notes are incredibly strong and will definitely last long beyond the expected 3-4 hours. Vanilla acts as a strong compliment to the patchouli, and creates a green yet edible scent, which I find lovely and joyful. Another note called cashmeran is incredibly hard to detect because I do not know how it will smell as me. Fragrantica.com has described it as “concrete in the rain”, “apple and pine”, and “musky woody.” There is a candy-like feel to these bottom notes, which can definitely be found in the vanilla. The amber shines brilliantly, bringing a golden, yet woodsy feel to the fragrance. Cashmeran’s presence, at this time, remains a mystery on my body. Eau de Toilette is stronger on me than Eau de Parfum, but I do not know if that is because I tried the Eau de Parfum on anti-biotics. This is a question I will have to answer in a blog post on a later date.

Vanilla and Patchouli make for a very delicious, yet green combination

What I have found in testing Eau de Toilette and Eau de Parfum back-to-back is the power of suggestion, memories, anti-biotics, and subtle changes in composition. In a way, my aunt was right about me not buying “real” Flowerbomb, if one only sees the original as “real.” Placing the osmanthus in the middle instead of on top, removing the African orange flower and orchid, and changing every bottom note except patchouli were enough to change the feeling of Flowerbomb altogether. My determination to prove the authenticity of the Flowerbomb I bought taught me how easily a fragrance can be changed. There is no one “true” Flowerbomb because Eau de Toilette and Eau de Parfum are equally beautiful. In spite of sharing several notes, the feel and composition are incredibly different, making the two fragrances incomparable. For the more daring, glamourous wearer who seeks to be feminine yet strong, I would recommend Eau de Parfum over Eau de Toilette. With someone delicate and proper, yet self-aware and knowing, my recommendation would be the inverse. At the day’s end, there is a Flowerbomb for every person—whether it should be Eau de Toilette or Eau de Parfum is entirely up to you.

Flowerbomb Eau de Toilette takes me to one of my favorite places, Cape May, New Jersey. Where will it take you?

Flowerbomb Eau de Parfum by Viktor&Rolf

I begin my reviews with Flowerbomb because it was the perfume that made me fall in love with patchouli. Before my aunt let me try a spray of hers on Christmas 2011, I never knew what patchouli was, or where it came from. Thanks to Flowerbomb and the spell it cast on me as 2011 closed, I now know that patchouli is an herb from the mint family with a long standing history. With a story that began along the Silk Road, extending to the Middle East and Europe, patchouli has been a critical part of scents for thousands of years. Today, it is the note that got me hooked on Flowerbomb and curious about perfume construction. It is only fitting that my first review be of Flowerbomb—a scent that has become a favorite in my collection.

Where my review is skewed for today is far beyond my personal preference. At this time, I am on anti-biotics, which also kill the skin’s natural flora and sometimes reduce the staying power of a fragrance. The weather is becoming less humid and cooler as summer draws to a close. These changes in my body and environment have decreased Flowerbomb’s staying power on my body. Though anti-biotic changes may not occur in all women, changes in weather affect all perfumes. Arguably, this weather has made Flowerbomb a far more subtle scent. On the hottest of summer days, Flowerbomb can attract many an insect, especially bees. It is not a perfume I would advise for women who have anaphylactic reactions to bee stings.  Fall, however, reduces the “bee balm” effect of Flowerbomb, and makes it a far more interesting perfume. How, exactly?

Ostamthus–one of Flowerbomb’s opening notes.

 

Let’s start at 11:15 A.M. on September 8^th, right after my first application. I had just taken the day’s anti-biotic, and the weather was cool and dry. Within the first hour, I noticed that Flowerbomb gave off a sparking, powdery first impression. Top notes of bergamont, tea, and osmanthus came together for a combination that was zesty, yet subtly sweet. The citrus nature of bergamont was complimented very well by the osmanthus, which has a scent reminiscent of stone fruit blossoms. Both scents were connected strongly by the sharp tea note, which kept one from overpowering the other. After five minutes, the tea was especially strong and made me a little bit hungry. Each note twinkled inside my nose, and made me think of shimmering light pink fabrics and skies. It was an excellent start for this fragrance, and one that held well against colder weather and a lack of flora.

Within an hour, the fruity scents had transitioned beautifully into a blooming bouquet. Citrusy scents were maintained by the orange African blossom, and were well-balanced by the tenderness of jasmine and rose. Both notes are incredibly popular, and can easily make for a cliché perfume. Who wants a scent that smells like every other hand lotion, house spray, or floral splash available? Not this perfume lover, and Flowerbomb deviates from a cliché feel with the inclusion of orchids and freesia. The orchids crept up on me, but made a very gentle appearance beneath the other scents. Freesia provided a very strong kick that stood out above the other flowers. This note, indeed, gives Flowerbomb its title and the grenade-shaped bottle in which it is packaged.  In spite of the explosiveness, however, Flowerbomb’s subtlety is equally enjoyable and feels like a slowly rising mushroom cloud. Nothing about this perfume is simple, and that’s what makes it such an enjoyable scent.

Orchid, part of Flowerbomb’s dynamic heart.

 

By 3:15, all the flowers had faded and only musk and patchouli remained. Under circumstances where I have been healthy, active, and in warmer weather, these two notes are ones that stayed with me for over 24 hours. The morning after my first spray, I can smell both of them on my wrist, evoking memories of the day before. In this past review, however, neither note had long to stay. Though they were still quite powerful, they seemed to be no match for the anti-biotics wreaking havoc on my body. Any trace of the musk vanished from my wrist at 6:30. The patchouli was far more durable, and stayed throughout the night. One note, however, does not make a perfume, so I would have to say Flowerbomb faded by 6:30. Of Flowbomb’s two base notes, patchouli was, unquestionably, the longest lasting and the most impactful. I felt very green and earthy every time I smelled my wrist, and it’s a scent I have come to think of as comforting.

7 hours is not a bad length for a perfume in the slightest. For a good deal of women, that seems to be the norm for a perfume’s durability. In the case of Flowerbomb and me, it was slightly off, but it is not something I can complain about in the slightest. The fact that Flowerbomb continued to last on me, in spite of my changing chemistry and the cooling weather, is a testament to its strength as a perfume. In this review, I find my fondness for this scent increasing with each word. The complexity, durability, and of course, its inclusion of patchouli makes it ones of my favorites, and a go-to scent when I want to feel glamorous, powerful, or beautiful. Overall, it is a fragrance that I would highly recommend, and would happily share if given the chance.

Keep in mind, that my body chemistry may not be the same as someone else’s. How is Flowerbomb going to be on you? The answer to that question lies in trying it on your own body. Fragrances will change to suit the chemistry of each woman. How it changes with my chemistry will not be the same as with yours.  I have shown how Flowerbomb develops on me and why I feel it is a great perfume, in hopes of sharing my enthusiasm with you. Hopefully, you will try Flowerbomb and experience the same passion I do.

Fall into Flowerbomb’s explosion of scent.