Burberry London
Eau de Parfum, Burberry (2006)

When it was first launched, it blew me away. I loved the original formulation. Now I have the latest batch and it is a disappointment. I could not detect the florals, just like bad sour sandalwood. How dare they reformulate to such low standards!

Like muzac in the waiting room - which doesn't hide the dentist's drill - the citrus, papery floral and syrup isn't exactly bad, but the high pitched whine that goes with it definitely is.

Old Spice for women with a note of dried-up puke in the base.

A good mix of light flowers. Very useless, clean, airy, usual. Moderate sillage and longevity.

Burberry London is decently mediocre. Rose welcomes us with a tad of hesperidic earthiness but in a while the main notes (jasmine-peony under my nose) jump on the stage quite angular, leafy, tart-medicinal, vaguely lemony and pungent (supported by dry synth patch, green honeysuckle and musk). Really nothing special (yet nothing horrific) but something finally waving presencefully in the air around the wearer (fresh, tart, cologney-rosey and vaguely acid). There is indeed a rosey-honeyed (but not in to an oriental classic sense) vaguely acid-cologney feel (slightly fat/old-school/stuffy chypre in style) which is substantially the main fearure of the scent. This scent is extremely floral (powerful on jasmine), finally gracious, slightly "british artisanal soaps-shop in style" and ideally conjuring the redolent smell of floral pistil's pollen.

It's a very cheerful scent, although not at all elegant or sophisticated. On my skin it smells like bubble gum throughout. Can be heady.