We’ve been hearing about John Galliano’s latest fragrance creation Parlez-Moi d’Amour for months, so I was itching to try this one by the time it finally arrived! The Taylor Momsen-fronted rock and romance campaign has garnered a lot of publicity, so I put the scent through its paces to see whether it really did live up to all that hype.

The Scent:
The initial impression of the scent is surprisingly soft, with sweet, juicy blueberries and just a touch of scintillating ginger. This is refined by the subtle citrus frame of bergamot, with subtle hints of the floral heart.

This settles into an richly floral and deeply feminine heart of Turkish rose and sambac jasmine. The transition from infatuation to love, fruity to floral is almost seamless. I probably don’t have to mention yet again that I love the combination of rose and patchouli, but I will anyway, because Parlez-Moi d’Amour couples these two notes particularly well. The light fruitiness of the opening lifts the rose and the patchouli, making this scent completely different to anything else I own.

The Bottle:
The bottle is incredibly romantic and very well done. It’s shaped like an envelope, and stamped and sealed like a love letter. The baby pink juice inside is a sweet and subtle allusion to girlish romance, and the golden stopper is beautifully engraved.

The Bottom Line:
Don’t be fooled into believing the the appointment of Taylor Momsen as the face of this fragrance makes it most suitable for the Gossip Girl crowd; this is a universal scent that is completely wearable by all ages. It’s not candy-sweet, but it’s not an all-out floral either – it’s a winning mix of little elements of the two, resulting in a romantic and deeply feminine scent with a hint of fruity edginess and a lot of depth. Completely gorgeous.

John Galliano Parlez-Moi d’Amour, from £29.00