If you have ever wondered if people make blind purchases based on a blogger’s review; look no further, because this is one of those cases.  Recently Freddie from Smellythoughts posted a review based on a sample of Zelda.  His description was so compelling that it made me quickly run to place my order.  Trust me, that was a bold move because as much as I love my dear Freddie’s reviews, we don’t always see eye to eye in our fragrance loves.  So what do I think of my blind buy?

WHAT I SMELL:  Zelda, named after the legendary Zelda Fitzgerald, goes on green.  The galbanum and bergamot make this feel like spring has sprung.  Just hidden under that green surface is a bit of warmth though which quickly moves Zelda from spring to summer.  After a bit, the florals start to arrive, bringing with them an elegant refrain of honeyed depth.  I’ll admit that as a man I love a good floral fragrance as long as it’s not too sweet, but like in this case, is beefy and rich and substantial.  After around 15 minutes or so, the magnolia really starts to appear.  It’s thick and rich and at first it almost smells like coconut suntan oil (something that I was noticing and which was validated by my partner).  This made me a bit worried, but the coconut suntan oil subsided after a while and the creaminess of the magnolia was met with a smoky aura which is incredibly intoxicating.  Zelda takes a long time to transform, but continuing on, the magnolia which still remains centered, is met with a wash of vetiver.  At this point, Zelda is better smelled from afar.  What I mean is that is smells more harmonic when you’re not sniffing your arm directly.  This doesn’t surprise me though, as I lived in Atlanta, Georgia for years and the magnolia blossoms smell wonderfully at a distance, but when you go up to a flower, it doesn’t have that same sweetened creamy smell that permeates the air.  Zelda requires that distance as well.  As Zelda continues its drydown there is a slight bitter bite which again, from a distance adds to the layers of the fragrance.  In the end, Zelda becomes more woody, but the spiced magnolia is ever-present.  Zelda also seems to transform with the environment.  As such, it’s not going to smell the same in the hot sun as is does inside in the air conditioning.

Zelda notes from the En Voyage website:

TOP NOTES: Spiced Italian Bergamot, Spices, and Iranian Galbanum

HEART NOTES: Creamy Magnolia Blossom and Garden Florals

BASE NOTES: Smoky Amber, Vintage Musks, Vanilla, Balsams, Sandalwood and Vetiver, Cedarwood, and Mousse de Chêne

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  A hot summer night in Montgomery, Alabama (Zelda Fitzgerald’s hometown).

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE ZELDA:  creamy, dense, waxy

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ZELDA:  Smellythoughts, CaFleureBon

BOTTOM LINE:  This was a lovely blind buy.  I find that Zelda is pretty feminine so it won’t be something that I wear to work.   Instead, Zelda will reside in my collection as  a comfort scent that I will wear at home and in the evenings.  Thanks to Freddie to introducing me to this fragrance and to En Voyage perfumes which I had not heard of before.  I received some other En Voyage Perfume fragrance samples along with my new purchase.  If they are as good as Zelda is, I think I’ll be placing some more orders!

• Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
• Scent: Oriental
• Nose:  Shelley Waddington
• Classification: Feminine
• Expense:  $55 for 17ml at the En Voyage website