Oppoponax Les Néréides

Desirability: Decant

Source: Fragrantica

Les Néréides fragrances are the archetypical "the bang for your buck" scents and Oppoponax is no different. In return for the very affordable prices listed on various online stores and Ebay, you get well-made fragrances of acceptable quality, with decent performances in the sillage and longevity departments. Totally blind buy worthy I thought and I did. No regrets.

Oppoponax stays true to its name and is a fine introduction to balmy scents.  A soft oriental that is revolves around warm and sweet resins, uncomplicated and largely linear on my skin.  The scent is both cozy and light, the ingredients a sheer version of themselves as compared to their roles in more heavy-hitting resin-based scents like Calvin Klein's Obsession, Guerlain's Shalimar or Yves Saint Laurent's Opium just to name a few. 

So if you are after a sultry, intoxicating scent, Oppoponax is not it. If you would like a lighter Oriental like a subtle golden shimmer accompanying you for the better part of a day, I would recommend to try this.  

Douceur de Vanille Les Néréides

Source: olivolga.com

If you've gotten tired of me going on about my obsession with bitter almonds of late, please accept my apologies and skip this as I'll be raving about yet another bitter almond. Douceur de Vanille is a very affordable and under the radar bitter almond/vanilla combination that deserves more attention.

I had forgotten my little bottle till today when being under attack by a circulating flu bug, I reached for it as it makes me feel like I just swapped my work clothes for an old and comfortable baggy tee sans restrictive brassiere. You know the feeling? Well that's Douceur de Vanille for me.

I will admit that on first application (mine is a dab bottle not spray) it was a bit of a shock. It's really harsh bitter almonds and star anise, quite medicinal and not douceur (sweetness) at all. Patience does pay and you are rewarded with the softest, subtly sweet nutty vanilla that upon sniffing makes me think of cute cherubs, kittens, babies and other cuddly things.

It is a soft scent on me throughout but it lasts a good few hours, I get about 6 hours of wear before I can't smell it anymore no matter how much hot air I puff on my skin. Highly recommend for bitter almond lovers, as despite the name, almond takes the lead.