* The top is sweet and tangy yet floral and earthy – peach and tomato.
* It sounds strange, but it is fresh and spare with an energizing/invigorating feel.
* The middle is pretty and soft, but not overly feminine, with the peach being joined by waterlilly.
* After about five hours it dries down to a light white musk. Sometimes, I will get a hint of coconut as well.
* The sheer skin scent keeps going more than 12 hours.
Summary: Is there such a thing as masculine pretty? Tomato Leaf reminds me of cooking an italian meal in a nice flower garden. The term gourmand refers to scents that remind you of food, but to me that normally implies sweets like chocolate, honey, and vanilla. This is definitely not that kind of gourmand. The wear of this scent is quite unique as it comes and goes. In between the middle and the base there are times I would smell my wrist and it would disappear for 10-15 minutes, but then come back. I don’t know if that’s my nose getting accustomed to the scent… The longevity of the base notes is incredible – similar to the other scents in the Haute Perfume line, easily lasting until you shower it off.
Illuminum Haute Perfumes are available from http://www.illuminumperfumelounge.com/ . They will be available at Henri Bendel in June 2012.
Disclaimer: Sample provided by Illuminum. My opinions are my own and I am not financially compensated for this review or any others. Image from www.illuminumperfumelounge.com