WHAT I SMELL:  Royal Sapphire opens with an invitingly sweet combination of bergamot and mandarin that quickly begins to warm and infuse itself with the biggest, most full bodied jasmine.  It’s heady, it’s intoxicating and it’s almost bubblegum sweet.  I might be turned off by that, but the finish of the mandarin and orange blossom seems to hold back the surprising boldness of it all.  Now all I have to do is to wait and see if it begins to retreat…and after some time it begins to.  After a short while, the jasmine begins to even out and a very subtle, flattened grey amber begins to lift towards the florals from below.  As such, the sweetened boldness turns more towards the cashmere.  At this point the perfume begins to soften and become a bit fuzzy with just a hint of powder.  And ever so quietly, the perfume begins its journey to the pretty as some patchouli brings a lightly sweetened finish to the now muted jasmine and the dried and powdery woods.  Don’t get me wrong, Royal Sapphire never really quiets to a point that it becomes mild and meek, instead it remains quite bold throughout it’s life.  Royal Sapphire cannot be called a shrinking violet.

From the Thameen London website:

The bright blue sapphires of the Crown Jewels are treasured by the British Royal Family and form the inspiration for this enchanting new fragrance. With the delicate combination of bergamot, mandarin and amber, Royal Sapphire fragrance recreates the desired depth and dazzling brilliance of the crown jewels. This fragrance is Thameen’s Jewel in the Crown.

Top Notes: Bergamot, mandarin
Heart Notes: Orange blossom, jasmine
Base Notes: Grey amber, patchouli, moss, amber, dry wood

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Royal Sapphire is less like sapphire jewelry and more like a cozy and comfortable sapphire colored throw.