Rose and vanilla, that is how Love smells to me. The most gorgeous combination of rose and vanilla. That’s all you need to know, basically, but would be a bit thin for a review, wouldn’t it? Swooning a bit less and thinking a bit more, I do indeed come up with a little more about Love. Let’s get to it then, shall we?
Love was created by Calice Becker and was part of the initial wave of releases when By Kilian launched in 2007. Notes include bergamot, neroli, pink pepper berries, coriander, honeysuckle, orange flower, orange water absolute, Egyptian jasmine, Bulgarian rose, iris butter, reconstituted civet oil, caramelized sugar, vanilla, cistus labdanum and white musk.
Love is sweet at the beginning, very much so. If you don’t know the way Kilian Hennessy and Calice Becker go about things, you might be shocked. But wait. Wait it out, and you’ll be rewarded with a scrumptious rose-vanilla duet that straddles the line between yummy and abstract.
Love is said to be inspired by marshmallows. Not being American, I only ate my first marshmallow at age twenty and remember being quite underwhelmed. I had such high expectations after all, fostered by all these TV series, where roasted marshmallows seemed de rigeur and twelve year olds had incredibly big hair. But over time, and with dedication I grew into liking marshmallows, soft and fluffy, sweet and sugary.
Love smells like a big cloud of sweetened orange flowers, sugared roses, a powdery iris on vanilla – all laid out on a table of white musk. It smells way better than that sounds, really.
Love is interesting, because it smells at once so girly, pink and innocent, but on the other hand there is more to it than meets the nose, at first impression. It reveals its depth only after some time, this third dimension makes Love irresistible to me. It is hard to describe, but I get the feeling that Love, despite being overtly happy, easy going and piiiiiiink, has also a more complicated side, a darker side, some tears behind the smiling sweet facade.
This endears this perfume to me and I find myself craving it, despite my prior misgivings – I mean come on, the juice is red!! and smells like it. But as I said, there is more to it than meets the nose.
For a gourmand lover this is a no-brainer. Loving marshmallows has turned out to be no hardship for me at all.
More, please.
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Oh I could not agree with you more. It is so good – I wear it in warm and cool temps. I must look like a fool because I go about my day with my wrist to my nose! So glad you love it.
Ah, the wrist to nose movement, the Perfumista’s salute, is my permanent position. Maybe we recognize each other one day int the city, because we are smelling our wrists. 😉
Love is lovely for sure.
The box alone would make me swoon 🙂
It sounds as if there’s a kind of “the show must go on” quality to Love (and “love”, for that matter). Find a smile somewhere in spite of everything. There’s definitely something intriguing about that.
What a beautiful metaphor, it is definitely true for Love.
I have a strange relationship with this one. It starts too sweet for my taste and even though I actually like that sweetness generally speaking, I don’t feel very comfortable smelling of it and waiting it out is sometimes tiring.
I agree that there is hidden depth and a seriousness to this, but you really have to take the time to get to know it. It tricks you in the beginning. 🙂
It was an acquired taste for me at first as well, but once I “got” it – hmmm…
This one sounds delicious; rose, vanilla and marshmallows, what’s not to like?!
I’m off to London today and thanks to your reviews I shall be trying the By Killian range, I hope they’re generous with their samples 😛
Tara says they have been very generous with samples, I hope you get some too! I feel like a proud mom, seeing that my reviews “bear fruit.” 🙂
Yes, they are very good about samples at the By Kilian counter in Harvey Nics, even with the ouds. Hope you find at least a couple to love, Candy Perfume Boy!
I managed to come away with samples of Love, Back to Black, Love and Tears and Sweet Redemption. I gave love a very brief try, it’s gorgeous!
Yay, score! I think you’ll like all of these. Love and Tears is among the few jasmine perfumes I love, Sweet Redemption is the perfect warm orange blossom.
Where can In order a sample ?
For instance at Luckyscent from the US, or in Europe, Essenza Nobile carries the line and offers samples to buy. Both ship internationally.
They were sending free samples to people who joined the Kilian Club on the By Kilian Facebook page, but that may be over now. Might be worth a try just in case though.
I love Italian marshmallows, they are so tasty! But sadly, the entire Kilian line is far too sweet for my skin and makes me smell like I’ve been hiding out for years in a candy factory! Ah, well, I enjoy them on paper strips, Calice Becker is extremely talented.
Hiding out in a candy factory has some appeal, I must say… 😉
I adore Calice Becker ‘s creations, did you try Sweet Redemption yet?
I tried Love ages ago and found it to be like liquid sugar, not the fluffy marshmallow I was hoping for. I have a new sample at home however and look forward to giving it another go with your review in mind. I think, like you and real marshmallows, my expectations were too high!
It is incredibly sweet at the outset, but an hour in, it is this incredible rose and vanilla combo. Let me know whether you find it different this time around.
Reading your upbeat review of this, and then the comments, I find myself thinking of that old children’s movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, where Dick Van Dyk fell in love with this woman named Truly Scrumptious.
This does indeed sound yummy…and I really like it when a perfume matches the concept it was aiming for!
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was my favorite movie as a child, great music and just lovely. I still watch it every year at Christmas. 🙂
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was one of my favorites as a kid too!! Loved the visit to Truly’s dad’s candy factory..:) (and Dick Van Dyke’s breakfast delivery system)
BK Love *is* scrumptious..The burnt sugar/marshmallow note is very yummy but because there is the whole rose thing going on- it isn’t one-tone at all. I find (sweet) gourmand scents immediately appealing, but after a while I don’t feel like actually smelling of them..I only tried this in store so don’t know whether I will continue to find this appealing. The SA said she will send me all the BK samples to try at leisure (this has *never* happened to me before. But the Saks fifth avenue SAs are very good about samples. they seem to understand that scents have to be lived with)
I’ve always loved marshmallows- There was ONE place in the city I lived in, in India, which sold this and it was stored in the freezer in the store..Once in a while, my friend and I would buy a bag and split the pink sugared marshmallows. yum!
Wow, what a lovely SA, she is a keeper! 🙂
I find Love appealing throughout its weartime, the marshmallow effect gives way to this less gourmandy rose-vanilla scent later which keeps m hooked.
Your memories of eating marshmallows in India sound delicious…
Chiming in with the love of CCBB. I adored Trult Scrumptious and desperately wanted to be like her. Well, that didn’t happen.
Truly Scrumptious was a lovely woman, I wanted my mom to be like her. 🙂 I was an adult when I finally got the meaning of her name though, since I only saw the German synchronized version until then, where such ingenious details fall under the table.
I have admittedly little experience with Hennessey and Becker’s perfumes. But from my limited vantage point I can say I really like the way they go about making a perfume. A perfect explanation of why is the sweetness in this that you talk about with a deeper character underneath. That raw (for lack of a better term) aspect is what attracts me to Straight to Heaven as an alternative to Caron Pour Un Homme. I’m enjoying your reviews of Kilian’s perfumes.
Thank you, Jim, I’m really enjoying going through my Kilian set, one lovely discovery after another…
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I’m going to go crazy!!!! …………
“Love smells like a big cloud of sweetened orange flowers, sugared roses, a powdery iris on vanilla – all laid out on a table of white musk. It smells way better than that sounds, really”
Can it sound better?………………..You’re gonna turn me crazy! 😉
The entire line is amazing. If you register for the Kilian Club on his Facebook site, you receive a sample set. A least I hope that offer is still valid. Doesn’t hurt to try!
Thanks for this valuable info, I’ll try!
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