[unpaid/sample] If you like tropical inspired fragrances, you’ll instantly pick out the ylang-ylang in this floral perfume which is all about summer. I’m not sure why it’s called Rue St. Honore – unless there is a far flung rue that’s not the Paris version!
The blend of Gardenia and Ylang Ylang is topped with violet (I can’t pick it out to be honest) and finished with white musk but they all settle together so nicely the finish is heady, blooming and sun kissed. If I took a fragrance on holiday this would be top of the picks because it does take me straight to hot evenings abroad, sipping cocktails and waiting to head for dinner.
It’s sort of the moment after you’ve washed off the beach and feel all fresh again, skin still a bit warm, before you put on a dress and lipstick. I think Rue St Honore is very nicely done – evocative and powerful. It’s £49 HERE.
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At the same time, I’ve had the Ouai Melrose Place Candle on the burn – very different to Rue St Honore in that it’s less of a punchy fragrance and more of a subtle mood maker. With bergamot, lychee, cedarwood and white musk, you definitely the fruit although it’s not as pure as I’d like it to be. A fresh lychee smells delicious but it’s quite a timid fragrance that easily gets lost when mixed – there is a fruitiness but I think it’s overshadowed by the bergamot. The down-notes of cedarwood and white musk are nicely balancing though. Melrose Place is more quiet and intimate – less beach party than St Honore but does have its own personality.
There’s no escaping that the sample I was sent is wonky which might account for the fact that both Melrose and Honore candles are half price – £16 instead of £32 – and at that money I would leap at these and ignore the wonk. They’re HERE. Maybe it’s just mine…
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All products are sent to me as samples from brands and agencies unless otherwise stated. Affiliate links may be used. Posts are not affiliate driven.