Kiki – Fun loving free spirit.

Vero Profumo is the brainchild of Swiss Aromatologist turned Professional Perfumer, Vero Kern. The line currently consists of three creations; Kiki, Onda and Rubj, all of which are available as Extraits or Eau de Parfums, with each concentration being a different composition.

Vero Kern describes her line of perfumes as “unconventional combinations of pure, high quality materials” [1] and after lengthy sampling sessions I have found each one to have their very own distinct character. I see them as three different personalities, each of them being unconventional and beautiful in their own way. This week I will explore the personalities of all three Extraits, starting with my happy, fun-loving girl, Kiki.

I am on a lavender kick at the moment so when my Vero Profumo samples arrived I was inevitably drawn to Kiki. To me, Kiki is the most joyful of lavender perfumes, there is a distinct sense of frivolity and a touch of naughtiness to it. Kiki is a flirt at heart, she likes to fall in love with all of the boys but never gives herself away, she is a free, fun-loving spirit that is irresistible in each and every way.

“My homage to the beautiful city of Paris, where I studied perfumery. An almost burlesque side of the Madame Lavande de France. Frivolous, powdery notes of caramel and musk weave in and out all around Madame, while exotic fruits join in, fluttering their eyelashes. Pure and wild at the same time, like a visit to the Bibliothèque nationale followed by dinner and a show at the Crazy Horse cabaret.”  Vero Kern [2]

The Notes

Lavender, Caramel, Musks and Fruit [2]

How Does it Smell?

Kiki opens with the entirely familiar smell of herbal lavender, but it’s not a ‘being smothered by Grandma’ kind of lavender, it is sweet, caramelised and tempered by a pinch of sparkling citrus and a dash of red and purple fruit. The herbal nature of the lavender recedes relatively quickly and whilst it never really disappears, the sweeter nature of the flower is more prominent.

What Vero Kern has done with Kiki is to cleverly pair the lavender with caramel, a note which brings out the burned sugar aspect of the flower. The lavender becomes a sweet, swirling syrup of floral sweetness (try saying that without twisting your tongue) that is neither floral nor gourmand, it lies somewhere in between, an equilibrium of the two facets. I would describe the effect as ‘candied lavender’, but it’s in no way sickly or cloying, in fact it’s strikingly beautiful.

Kiki’s heart is full of fuzzy soft benzion, she is a big softie after all. This fuzziness along with the caramel and lavender makes me think of a very light and fluffy lavender flavoured candy-floss. The blend of benzoin and caramel here reminds me slightly of Prada Candy, but it is much lighter than the Prada and the texture is much more refined.

The base is warmer and drier than Kiki’s opening, it feels like there are some darker materials such as patchouli, woods and vetiver, which are used to add some dryness to the sweet and floral notes. It’s not all darkness though, there are some pretty high grade musks that add a soft, airy quality to contrast all of that weight. The dry down is incredibly smooth and I love that there are still little flashes of lavender right up to the very end. Kiki, as you would expect for an Extrait, wears relatively close to the skin and her lasting power is excellent.

Kiki is my kind of gal, I can see us being very good friends and I could imagine flying round the streets of Paris with her, soaking up the sights, hitting up the museums and flirting with as many French boys as we had time for. We would visit all of the perfumeries, gardens and palaces that Paris has to offer. We’d eat in the best of restaurants and see the best shows, and we’d look (and smell) utterly fabulous whilst doing so.

Availability

Kiki is available in 7.5ml and 15ml Extrait. Prices range from approximately £120-£200.

Disclaimer

This review is based on a sample of Kiki Extrait purchased myself

[1] & [2] veroprofumo.com
[3] luckyscent.com

Image 1 stealherstyle.net
Image 2 luckyscent.com