Maybe it’s the time of the year or maybe it’s because I have the winter blues; in any case, I seem to be reaching out for comfort scents.  Thankfully, I had a large sample of Oriental Brulant to keep me company this past week.

WHAT I SMELL:  Oriental Bulant opens with a warm and spicy balminess.  The top note are listed as tangerine, but I got that for about one second as it turned balmy. There is a hint of soapiness (which I typically abhor), but here it’s very light and reminds me what my mother’s bathroom smelled like right after she took a bath.  After a bit, the vanilla’d almond comes more to the front.  This is not an overly sweet almond, but one that is rounded and warm.  Oriental Brulant is pretty linear and sits close to the skin.  It’s about as ethereal a fragrance that is to my liking as it’s a warmish vapor that rises so slightly above your skin.

Oriental Brulant Notes:  top note is tangerine; middle note is almond; base notes are tonka bean, styrax and vanilla.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Maybe it’s the pink color of the juice, but I think of pretty cirrus clouds backed up to a lovely pink sky.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE ORIENTAL BRULANT:  wispy, pretty, peaceful

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ORIENTAL BRULANT: Perfume Shrine, Olfactoria’s Travels, AustralianPerfumeJunkies

BOTTOM LINE:  For the time being, I am in love with this fragrance, but I think come the spring I could grow tired of its lovely balminess.  This is a vanilla for non-vanilla lovers and leans feminine.  I have to admit though that this is the perfect “bed-time” scent for me as it helps to create those pretty pink clouds in my head that the sheep can jump over.

• Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
• Scent: Oriental
• Classification: Feminine
• Expense: $260 for 75ml EdP