Gourmand fragrances have come a long way since MUGLER’s Angel in 1992, which was arguably the very first of its kind.  Back then it was a novel thing to have a chocolate accord in a perfume and now, well now, if it’s edible and you can name it, it’s more than likely found its way into a perfume.  As a person with both a sweet and savoury tooth, I fully applaud the idea that perfumers have now become talented olfactory chefs, ready to turn any aspect of gastronomy into novel, beautiful and endlessly enjoyable accords for our noses to devour.

But what have gourmand scents got to do with the latest scent from Givenchy? Well, I shall tell you why!  For Live Irrésistible Délicieuse, Givenchy has taken the fresh, spicy rose tones of Live Irrésistible and ‘caked them up’ with the rather delicious addition of a veritable feast of gourmand notes.  So what’s on the menu?  For starter it’s a sweet madeleine cake, topped with a glacier cherry, of course, then we’ll have a rose cocktail followed by a compote of vanilla, caramel and bitter almond.  Are you hungry yet?  I know I am!

The Notes

Madeleine, Cherry, Rose, Orange Blossom, Vanilla, Caramel, Orris Root and Bitter Almond

How Does it Smell?

The original Live Irrésistible is a fragrance of contrasts where the juiciness of pineapple was opposed by spicy rose and warm amber.  It’s a fragrance that pairs tart, juicy fruit with warmth and spice to make something multi-tonal and multi-faceted.  Délicieuse is a completely different animal together, one that sheds away much that made the original, keeping its central rose accord and shoving in a whole heap of delicious treats to enjoy.

Délicieuse opens up with a sparkling cherry accord.  Remember cherryade?  That’s exactly what you get here – a cool glass of fizzy cherry juice that bubbles brightly.  Straight away the fragrance warms up, revealing a soft and sticky sweetness that is distinctly cake-like, hinting at gorgeous madeleines from a delightful Parisian patisserie.  The opening is really free-spirited, speaking of a character that is care-free and enjoys life to the full – the type of person not to shy away from or worry about a calorie or two.  My kind of person, TBH.

The heart is a contrasting blend of floral waters, with rose, jasmine and orange blossom coming together in a delicious cocktail.  There’s a really interesting mix of nuances here, with the rose bringing sweetness but also a clove-like carnation spice, which is blended seamlessly into the honey of the orange blossom and the jam-like quality of the jasmine.  It feels as if this floral cocktail is the glue that holds everything together, leading the transition from the cherry cake opening of the top notes to the warmth of the base.

Speaking of bases, Délicieuse has a rather lovely one to finish off.  Where the preceding accords are all about sticky cake and flower waters, the base is an ode to earth and softness.  A touch of iris gives a grainy, earthy feel whilst vanilla and caramel provide a river of velvet sweetness to enjoy.  There’s also a strong hint of almond – a marzipan link to the cherry madeleine of the opening that feels like a nice action replay at the very end.  All-in-all, Live Irrésistible Délicieuse makes for a flirtatious and fun fragrance from start to finish.

Live Irrésistible Délicieuse is irrésistible and delicious, which is no surprise given the name.  It manages to be fun without being silly or over exuberant and it makes a pretty good gourmand for those who don’t like them overpowering or sickly, due to its measured transparency.  Compared to the chypre-like couture quality of the original, Délicieuse feels like something entirely different, but despite the differences, this take on Live Irrésistible is a worthy addition to the franchise that explores another facet of the Givenchy woman – a facet that is ever so fun and ever so fancy.

We’ve teamed up with Givenchy Beauty to offer four lucky people the chance to win the new Givenchy Live Irresistible Eau de Parfum Délicieuse 50ml! All you have to do is head over to our Facebook and Twitter pages to enter!

The competition will end on Wednesday 22nd March, and the winner will be announced on Thursday 23rd March. The competition is open to UK entrants only – good luck!

No purchase necessary. A purchase will not improve your chances of winning. Open to UK residents only. Contest begins 15th March 2017 and ends 22nd March 2017. Four winners will be selected in a random drawing on or about 23rd March 2016. Two prize winners will be drawn from both Facebook and Twitter. If the winners don’t respond within 7 days, the competition will be redrawn. Prizes must be accepted as awarded; not redeemable in cash or credit.