Perfume Review: Graine de Joie by Eau d'Italie

Notes:  Pomegranate, Red Fruits, Freesia, Praline, Cedarwood, Musk

What a suprise--Graine de Joie is incredibly pretty. A fruity-floral that is beautifully done. It's interesting how the tangy pomegranate seamlessly segues into a very realistic, fresh bouquet of freesia. Freesia is a note that rarely rings true to the flower, but this is about as realalistic of a freesia as I have ever smelled. 

Graine de Joie smells like the most amazing shampoo at first. Clean, fresh, bright, just a tad fruity--but not chemical. 

As soon as you see "praline" in the notes, you might expect it to go into gourmand territory. But is is never truly gourmand at any point. For the first few hours, you know the praline is there, but it's subtle. It anchors the fragrance and provides some substance, some heft, to it. Praline also prevents the notes from becoming too screechy and sour. The interplay between all of the notes is quite a beautiful balancing act.

At times, it conjures the holidays because the tangy pomegranate could pass for cranberry. Mixed with praline, it reminds me of a warm and cozy holiday party, like when you walk into a home, and the oven has been on for hours, and there is a sweet scent in the air (pies, sweet potatoes...)

Several hours into wear is when the fruit and florals fade significantly. What remains on my skin smells like fruity chocolate, as though I took a red currant truffle and rubbed it into my wrist. At that point it's almost gone from my skin and time to reapply, so if gourmands aren't "your thing," you need not worry as Graine de Joie remains firmly in the fruity-floral category, and it's truly one of the nicest in that genre.

Isn't that a gorgeous bottle?
​You can purchase a full bottle (100 ml) for $160 from Beauty Habit. 

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