Scentzilla!

Apothia’s If in both eau de parfum and oil formulations are gardenia oriented scents. Despite Apothia’s description of the fragrance, I find only a little citrus, and the musk at the base is so minor as to be practically invisible. The musk seems to be relagated to lightly playing in the background in order to give the floral notes body.

The eau de parfum rather prettily blends gardenia with touches of what I perceive as lily, lily of the valley, and other white florals. It wears on me as pale and nearly creamy, drying down to a scent that smells like lightly candied flowers. It’s nice, and I can appreciate it’s attraction, but I feel it is rather optimistically priced for what you get. For what amounts to basically a gardenia predominate spray, I prefer sticking with Sonia Kashuk’s much more reasonably priced Gardenia No. 1. Kashuk’s Gardenia is a greener and slightly peppery choice, but I enjoy it just as much, and purchasing it is a little easier on my budgetary conscience.

The If oil is another story. While it too is a rather uncomplicated affair, the way the oil unfolds seems to capture some ephemeral moment, like bending a tender stem to the point just before it breaks. In some ways If oil reminds me of Kai perfume oil, but without Kai’s greeness. The oil hugs close to the skin, yet floats with sweetness and light. Click to below to hear a brief clip of the opening of Lush’s Sweetness and Light.”

However, the oil verison of If’s light is not a bright direct beam. It evokes a midday glow filtered through sheer curtains.

I can see how many folks might grow attatched to the oil version of If. The fragrance is nothing ground-breaking, but it’s surprisingly pleasing to wear. I would especially recommend it to those who were thisclose to liking Kai, but wished it were more overtly petalled.

Sonia Kashuk products available at Target stores. Image by Rhonda Grudenic, titled “Alluvial Light,” from pam.org. Lush song “Sweetness and Light” is available on the album Gala, and on Ciao! The Best of Lush compilation at Djangos and Music Millennium.