Miroir des Envies Thierry Mugler (Mirror Mirror Collection)

Desirability: Full bottle and a back up

Source: Fragrantica

Phoarrrrr! Christine Nagel is a sorceress and Miroir des Envies is her magic potion/drug.

A real shape-shifter it is too! One moment I smell divine white flowers and the next I smell buttered caramel popcorn or warm buttered toast or...oh never mind I just smell like gourmand heaven! I kid you not. I was having the shittiest upon shittiest day imaginable and this gem came in a parcel as part of a swap with a super duper generous fragrance friend. On the way to bed I decided to try this and it put an instant smile on my face (the first of the day too so you can imagine what extraordinary powers this has)! 

Source: lovethispic.com

Source: pinterest

I can't quite make up my mind if it's caramel buttery popcorn or buttered toast with syrup/honey that I smell as both keep popping up like a short movie on repeat in my head. 

Miror des Envies has been said to resemble Thierry Mugler's Alien and its flanker Taste of Fragrance Alien, but I have to strongly disagree (personal experience and opinion only of course, kudos to those who had fabulous experiences) as Taste of Fragrance Alien (ditto The One Desire by Dolce & Gabbana) had the most nauseous, synthetic-smelling caramel note that I couldn't scrub off fast enough. Needless to say that bottle got swapped away very quickly. Whereas the caramel in Miroir des Envies smells like real caramel and thankfully has no synthetic vibe to put me off. The buttered toast bit reminds me of Jeux de Peau but the Lutens does not have the alluring white flowers that float dreamily in waves, taking turns with the gourmand facet of Miroir des Envies to lull you into an olfactory bliss.  

Jasmine is obviously present but I also detect a delicate, slightly citrusy orange blossom in the floral bouquet. It might sound like a dubious combination-white flowers and buttered/caramel popcorn/toast but 1) neither the gourmand nor the white flowers dominate the scent but are seamlessly layered upon themselves creating an utterly addictive essence and 2) this has to be one of the most unique fragrances I've smelt in a while. Like I said...Phoarrrrrr! It knocks your socks off. Sillage is moderate and longevity is good. I will be guarding my bottle closely. 

P.S: This is possibly the first time I've smelt popcorn in a perfume. The note was lost on me in the pre-reformulated Miss Dior Cherie but I'm happy to report that I'm in the camp of perfumeheads who smell popcorn in Miroir des Envies! 

Tolu Ormonde Jayne

Desirability: Full Bottle

Source: pinterest.com

Full-bodied. Smooth. Comforting. Regal.

A gorgeous medley of citrus and light florals on a warm and sweet vanilla-amber base,that casts a rich glowing caramel colour and shares DNA with Queen Shalimar. 

Smoothly blended with no rough edges to jar the senses but brimming with ingredients to the point it feels dense and inviting as compared to, let's say Amber Mystique by Estée Lauder which was a super expensive mistake on my part ( I got carried away by the deep red of the bottle only to be disappointed by the pastel contents, kudos to those who found it matched their expectations).

It's not unique nor is it particularly interesting and therefore in view of my limited perfume-designated funds I won't be hankering after a bottle (of course if gifted a bottle I certainly won't turn it down). However with its richness and superb quality, I still think it's full bottle worthy. Sillage is good and longevity is excellent, I went to bed with Tolu and woke up to this resinous beauty wafting smokily from my clothes. 

Isis Agonist

Desirability: Full bottle

Source: www.parfumaniya.com.ua

High quality gourmand oriental. 

A potent gourmand that on the superficial level smells mostly of caramel, vanilla and in proportions of 40/40/20. Digging deeper I sniff out more ingredients that make up Isis. There's a spicy herbal-ness that breaks through the thick blanket of sweetness created by the three dominant players and tosses a zingy twist into what might have been a tedious trip with yet another confection in a bottle.   

The opening might have been loud and boisterous but the drydown of Isis is another ball game altogether. What started as a super smooth candy with a spicy edge morphs into a glowing amber of warm resins and ripe fruits- I smell the fuzzy skins of peaches and the citruses from earlier still lingering. The caramel isn't as strong any more but the combination of the resins and fruits make me think of the burnt orange-brown colour of caramelized cake tops.The distant drydown is a snuggly amber tinted vanilla that although has none of the volubility of the opening, nonetheless is still easily discernible even after a full twenty-four hours.     

Isis would be repulsive for those who do not care for sweet treats but if given a chance, it evolves from its gourmand roots and proceeds to dip its toes into the warm and sensual territory belonging to oriental fragrances. This far along my discoveries, Isis is probably the best caramel dominant scent that boasts and delivers more than just caramel, unlike my unlucky experience with the multiple notes yet smelling of 100% caramel Versilia Aurum. It's all down to chemistry. 

L'Ambre des Merveilles Hermès

Amber and vanilla must make caramel because that was my first impression on wearing L'Ambre des Merveilles. I love Eau des Merveilles with its invigorating salty sweetness and find Elixir des Merveilles the perfect evening companion to the original, with it's balmy richness but L'Ambre des Merveilles seems to have ventured out of Nature and into the dessert section . 

With a delightful opening of tart citruses, burnt sugar and a creamy vanilla, it starts off smelling like a lovely orange custard with a crisp sheet of caramel on top. 

Source: commons.wikimedia.org

After polishing off the custard, feeling satiated and ready for a siesta, the gourmand notes evolve into a thick warm hazy blanket of soft, sweet wood and a smooth, light amber.  With the vanilla, citrus and amber, it reminds me a little of Guerlain's Shalimar but  L'Ambre des Merveilles is much more tame, less seductive, less passionate. Whereas I would always keep a bottle of Shalimar, I could pass on repurchasing L'Ambre des Merveilles and prefer Eau des Merveilles or Elixir des Merveilles which I find to have more character.  

L'Ambre des Merveilles seems to be the most feminine of the three because of the caramel note but I can imagine this would smell delicious on either sex. All three of the Merveilles series that I've tried have an average sillage but I wish they lasted longer than the four hours I get out of them. 

Versilia Aurum Profumi del Forte

Source: Basenotes.net

There are scents that have a couple of notes and yet smell like they hold the secrets of a Aladdin's cave. Then there are some perfumes that have a whole chorus of notes and yet only a few are resounding. Versilia Aurum falls into the latter group. 

It's caramel upon caramel, with a hint of fruit and flowers at most and I'm being generous in description. To do it justice, it does smell like authentic caramel sauce, unlike my failures with popular caramels like The Taste of Fragrance Alien by Thierry Mugler and Micallef's Mon Parfum. I wish they had put more effort into the juice than the bottle, the latter is gorgeous and the scent is just...nice. Edible but at that price-tag I expect more than just caramel from beginning to end.

Another plus point is its incredibly good lasting power and sillage. So if you are looking for a solid caramel and only caramel and don't mind paying for it, this would be one to try. I'll stick to Charbonnel et Walker's Sea Salt Caramel Truffles instead. 

Out of curiosity I googled the Top 10 Most Expensive Desserts and here they are: