Forbidden Fruits
Ava Luxe

In the beginning, this scent is truly fruit, with just a hint of spice. Perhaps these are the spicy gumdrops that I cannot find anymore? The drydown turns ambery, and the sweetness and spicy soften to reveal a hint of woods. Nicely balanced, unique, and has none of the floral scents that could wreck this delicate balance.

This starts off with a fruity blast that reminds me of the flavour of a fizzy red grape juice drink I had as a child, Shloer. It might remind Americans of grape jelly, which we don't get here in the UK, but which I've encountered on breakfast buffets at hotels in the States. Or perhaps grape bubblegum. It's nice though - sweet but not sugary. There's an undercurrant of woods an incense which is now starting to shine through, six hours after initial application. The fruitiness has softened slightly, but it's still very much in evidence. I like this very much. Another FBW? Oh so tempting!