First of all, I have a confession to make: I like Dakota Johnson. I also liked her father in Miami Vice when I was about five years old and remained glued to the screen even though I understood very little of what was actually going on in the show. But I am digressing. Dakota has probably received some bad rap for being in Fifty Shades of Grey but I think she pulled it off rather nicely. She just has that sophisticated charm. Now, coming to the hero of the day, the new fragrance release by Gucci: this one has some sophisticated charm too. Gucci has done a darn marvellous job with the commercial, having those girls splashing around in a pond under the pouring summer rain, to the hauntingly beautiful soundtrack by Portishead. Everything in this clip works. It is tastefully retro and simply gorgeous.
So what about the perfume? I think for once it perfectly matches the campaign. What comes out of the bottle is what you expect, an explosion of white flowers with an added touch of freshness. The main notes being jasmine, orris, tuberose and rangoon creeper aka South Indian honeysuckle, the scent, according to gucci.com, will transport you into an imaginary garden. A tropical one, that is. It feels like I am walking in a lush garden somewhere in South East Asia, with the air pregnant with the fume of night-blooming jasmine and honeysuckle.
The initial spray brings on lots and lots of green of jasmine, then something creamy and slightly sweet starts peeping out. I am getting somewhat Alien-y vibes in the first 20-30 minutes. Gradually the creamy, milky sweetness of tuberose and honeysuckle take over. The fragrance is actually more powerful on paper where the sweetness really takes over and scents the whole room for days. On my skin the sillage is moderate, it sits quite close which is a good thing actually because white flowers sometimes induce headaches.
Gucci Bloom is a modern scent for a wide demographic of women. I can see anyone between the ages of 20-50 wearing this, in almost any setting. It is not a seductive scent so perhaps for your hot date nights you are better off selecting something different; yet it is heady enough for a night out, yet modest and clean enough for work. Obviously, it will depend on your skin chemistry. I am sure some people will amp this up and make it unsuitable for closed confines, do test it out beforehand.
Getting a sample of this was actually a lucky accident. I went to Sephora to get a sample of the new La Vie Est Belle L’Eclat to do a comparative review with the old edp (here is a spoiler for you: this is what you should expect to read next up!). Then a sales clerk approached me with a blotter soaked in Gucci Bloom and I was like, hey, I like this one too so maybe I can get a sample for my review? So here I am, swapping Lancome for Gucci. L’Eclat can wait. She will be just fine. Meanwhile go check out Gucci Bloom, it is a decent scent with great longevity and a potential of becoming a classic.
Do I want this in my collection? I must say that at the moment the answer is no as I am not a big fan of white florals and, however pleasing, this one lacks a certain oomph that would make me buy a fragrance. I would not give it away if I received it as present but there are more interesting fragrances out there to splurge on.
Disclaimer
Images 1 and 2 gucci.com. Image 3 Aromatown. Notes from Fragrantica and gucci.com.