By Kilian's previous mini-collection, Asian Tales, was so magnificently disappointing that I had absolutely no expectations from Kilian's new releases, In The Garden Of Good And Evil trio of fragrances. Of course, the pompous ad copy didn't help any (some blurbs about seduction, original sin, forbidden pleasures and secret desires). Purple prose aside, In The City Of Sin turned out to be a rather delightful fragrance.
The opening of In The City Of Sin is a burst of citrus and pink pepper. Lots and lots of pink pepper. It's also juicy and fruity in a surprisingly realistic way, beautifully anchored by spices, mostly cardamom. On the husband's skin there's a warm cumin note that I can't detect on myself, though he says that he can, though it doesn't bother him (too much). The spicy-fruity warmth in this By Kilian fragrance makes me think of good quality black tea. Perhaps an Earl Grey-based drink with sliced peaches thrown in, cardamom pods and clove buds, served with spicy and not too sweet cookies.
It's lovely, really, if not truly original. You can think of In The City Of Sin as a lightened Serge Lutens-inspired perfume, and that's not a bad thing (until you consider the hype and the price tag). While I don't find anything truly sinister or dark-sideish in this fragrance, the late dry-down does offer a hint of naughtiness. The best way I can describe it as something leathery immersed and steeped in the tea I described above. Or perhaps said tea spilled on warmed skin and left for a while... In any case, In The City Of Sin does elevate itself into a more sensual realm, and the experience is pleasant and rather well-done.
Notes: bergamot, pink pepper, cardamom, apricot, plum, rose, incense, atlas cedar and patchouli.
By Kilian- In The City Of Sin from In The Garden Of Good And Evil collection ($245, 50ml EDP) is available from Luckyscent and select department stores. A sample set was sent to me via By Kilian's Facebook fan page.
Photo by Steven Meisel for Vogue Italy.
Does anyone else think that this collection has poor staying power? So far I have tried in the city of sin and good girl gone bad and they bearly lasted 4 hours. I find this surprising since the other Kilians I've tried have lasted a long time on my skin.
ReplyDeleteFor me this one rules itself out by the choice of name and theme. Sin means cruelty and blame and pain. Everything good in the garden happened before sin.
ReplyDeleteI think the packaging on this new collection is STUNNING, so I was looking for any excuse to splurge and buy a bottle... and the write up/list of notes got me very excited for something exotic and unique and slightly sinister... So far, after recieving samples of all three I can say I was bored and sorely disappointed. I have only tried one fragrance on my actual skin, and I agree with Tara that it didn't have the intense staying power of the other By Kilian fragrances I own... and I found the frangrance I did try (Good Girl Gone Bad) to have nothing of the "gone bad" about it... it was all fruit and boring dry down... I was actually happy when it wore off quickly as it was cloying and annoying on my skin... I had such high hopes when I saw the notes; cinnamon, vanilla, honey and delicious resinous oppopnax. I smelled nothing of these in the fragrance... it was all cheap fruit and rose. Disappointing!
ReplyDeleteTara, on my skin this collection lasts long hours.
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