¡Ombligo!

As part of this month's Allure freebies, Kenzo held a contest to give away 500 bottles of their newest fragrance, Flower by Kenzo Oriental. I was notified on October 7th that I was one of the winners, my mom also received the same notification.

Anyhow, she received her bottle on Monday but I've yet to receive mine. She called me yesterday and told me that she received another bottle so she gave it to me. So while I haven't received the bottle that is supposed to be sent to me, I still have a bottle.

Wrapped around the bottle is this scroll of paper:


Flower By Kenzo Oriental is described on Sephora as:

Inspired by a traditional Japanese ritual that cultivates the magic of incense made with rare and precious woods, and where experiencing incense is a form of art. FlowerByKenzo Oriental blends the softness of a sensual, melting floral bouquet with the strength of Asian woods, rare incense, and fragrant notes imbued with the history of Japan.

For centuries in Japan, Kyara has been at the heart of a unique ritual dedicated to the appreciation of incense: the Kôdô ceremony (translation: "listening to incense"). A ritual that expresses the art of incense; of the mingling of woods and their mysteries; where in a shared moment suspended in time, participants are invited to smell, feel, and identify the burning woods - to "listen to the incense." Born of this union, FlowerByKenzo Oriental blends the essence of FLOWERBYKENZO with Kyara, the noblest of the woods used in the Kôdô ceremony. The result: a spicier, more sensual version of the original. A floral, woody fragrance, invoking a Zen-like quality ...

Notes:Bulgarian Rose, Violet, Vanilla, Musk, Sichuan Pepper, Kyara, Chinese Incense.

Style:Mysterious. Sensual. Unique.

My take on it: I like spicy floral fragrances so I had rather high expectations for this scent. The mnotableible top note is the pepper which could come across as incredibly strong for those who aren't used to spicy scents. The floral notes are incredibly light, so light that they seemdisappearpear minutes after it's initial application. Slightly woody with pale incense notes but all in all it's a vanilla fragrance.

The staying power seems to be rather weak as I sprayed it six times an hour ago on my arm and my Burt's Bees Baby Bee lotion is coming across as being stronger than this fragrance.

This could easily be an year round fragrance if the spicy notes don't bother you too much. I could see that top note being incredibly heavy in warmer months but it dries down a lot!

It's a nice scent but not that extraordinary, I probably wouldn't re-purchase this once the bottle ran out but as this is the first time I've tested it I will come back and report how it lasts throughout the day.