The Smell Test: Burberry Brit Rhythm Floral for Women
The Verdict: This fragrance has its attributes, such as cuteness and comfort — even well-crafted elegance and sultriness. But for some judges, it’s too familiar and far too timid.
“Subtle and feminine, this scent is a good choice for someone who wants her fragrance to whisper, not shout.”
“Sultry, sensuous, addictive, feminine, sophisticated oriental.”
“I like this because a man or a woman could wear this easily. It is like the vintage Jicky de Guerlain, as it revels in androgyny. But it reminds me of a Jicky that has been on a diet for too long. I would have liked the central accord to have been way more accentuated. There should have been some more contrast.”
“Warm, spicy, powerful top note. Doesn’t last.”
“Brilliantly ambiguous oriental, maps out a novel space between Habanita [Molinard] and Loulou [Cacharel]. Lovely stuff.”
“If you like the smell of your barber or of the masculine sweet Sixties, you will like this one. Not original, direct copy of known scents learnt in perfumery training, such as Brut by Fabergé made lighter, but still cute.”
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“Fresh and clean. Green and lavender type. Very light, specially adapted for now, can be put all over the body, but does not smell like a sophisticated perfume.”
“Elegant without being aloof or high-maintenance, this fragrance has several distinctive phases and a beautiful development. Intriguing and memorable.”
ABOUT THE TEST AND JUDGES: This is a blind test, panelists are given vials of unidentified scent to judge impartially. Each of them gives a score ranging from 1 (forgettable) to 10 (unforgettable) and the numbers are computed into a final grade. The judges, led by chairman Michael Edwards, also make critiques, which are unattributed to encourage candor. The most promising scents are picked for judging in an effort to find and showcase excellence. WWD buys the products at retail, like any other consumer. The esteemed judges are: Michael Edwards, author of “Fragrances of the World” and “Perfume Legends”; Paul Austin, chief executive officer of sensory storytelling agency Austin Advisory Group; Jean-Claude Delville, senior perfumer at Drom; Karen Dubin, founder and ceo of Sniffapalooza; Victoria Frolova, fragrance industry analyst and Bois de Jasmin editor; Christophe Laudamiel, master perfumer at DreamAir; Nathalie Pichard, owner of training and evaluation agency Topnotes; Chantal Roos, cocreator of Roos & Roos Co.; Luca Turin, biophysicist and perfume critic for arabia.style.com, and Kevin Verspoor, founder of PerfumeKev LLC.
