Beauty Verdicts
Against my better judgment, I blind buy more fragrances than I should. Sometimes it works. Most of the time, it doesn’t.
On my skin, sharpness reads louder than sweetness, and anything overly piercing turns on me fast.
These aren’t bad perfumes. In fact, some of them are beautiful. They’re just high-risk if you don’t already know your preferences, and for me, they’re not blind-buy safe. On the right person, any of these could be incredible.
Liquides Imaginaires — Blanche Bête
Beautiful in theory, sour on my skin.
This one pulls very lactonic on my skin, but not in a soft, creamy way. It turns sour quickly and reads more like spoiled milk than something cozy. If you love bold milk notes and experimental scents, I can understand the appeal. For me, this is an absolute test before you buy.
Parfums de Marly — Delina (any version)
Loud, sharp, and instantly headache-inducing for me.
There’s a sharp, piercing note that runs through the entire Delina line on my skin. It’s bright, loud, and long-lasting — I’ll give it that — but it triggers headaches for me. This is the kind of scent that fills a room whether you want it to or not. If you love powerful, ultra-feminine rose scents with serious projection, you might adore it. I just wouldn’t blind buy any version.
Narcotica — Happy Dust
Beautiful scent — completely gone in minutes.
On my skin, this one barely registers. There’s very little projection, and it fades almost immediately — within minutes. I know many people experience this as a soft, cozy scent, but for me it disappears too quickly to justify a blind buy. Definitely one I’d want to test before committing, especially for the cost.
Parfums de Marly — Valaya
Instant regret for me.
This gives me a very similar experience to Delina. It comes across sharp and intense on my skin and quickly turns headache-inducing. I don’t get the airy softness others describe, which makes this feel high-risk for blind buying, especially if you’re sensitive to bright, piercing notes.
Le Labo — Santal 33
A cult favorite that makes me smell like pickles.
This one is extremely dependent on how you experience sandalwood. On me, it leans sharp and briny in a way I don’t enjoy. If you already know you love dry, woody sandalwood scents, this could be a staple. For me, it’s a clear test-before-you-buy situation.
Every one of these made sense on paper. None of them made sense on me.