It’s hard to deny the power of Marc Jacobs’ popular fragrance, Daisy. Since its launch in 2007, the wispy floral has become a best seller and has found many fans, thanks in part to the super-cute vinyl flowers that adorn its bottle. It has spawned a family of spin offs and most of Jacobs’ fragrances since have tried to recapture the magic of the original, resulting in a family of vinyl clad bottles and airy juices.

For 2014, Marc Jacobs is launching the latest instalment in the Daisy narrative, the languid-sounding ‘Daisy Dream‘. Created by venerable perfumers, Alberto Morillas (the gent behind the original Daisy, Amouge’s Opus VII and Salvador Dali) and Ann Gottlieb (responsible for Marc Jacobs’ Lola and Sarah Jessica Parker’s Covet), Daisy Dream is a wistful and pastel-shaded perfume that seems to be made for long summer days under blue skies.

Created to present “an airy and ethereal new chapter in the story of Marc Jacob’s free-spirited Daisy”, Daisy Dream is a fruity floral fragrance with a subtle touch of gourmand. It’s accompanying film, directed by Jacobs’ friend, Sofia Coppola, is an otherworldy affair inspired by Coppola’s cult indie film ‘The Virgin Suicides’ and presents this fragrance as something surprisingly light and ghostly.

The Notes

Top: Blackberry, Grapefruit and Pear
Heart: Jasmine, Lychee and Blue Wisteria
Base: White Woods, Musks and Coconut Water

How Does it Smell?

Daisy Dream opens with a myriad of fresh fruit – fuzzy blackberries and the sweet, pastel tones of pear come together to present a light and dewy feel that floats rather than fizzes. There’s a subtlety and a naturalness to the fruity notes that is seldom found in fragrances such as this, making for a breezy and ethereal affair that is just a touch of contrast shy from being quite delightful.

In the heart, Daisy Dream takes the airy florals of Daisy and gives them a little bit more oomph, amping up the jasmine and pairing it with something warm, creamy and nebulous. In fact, the whole thing feels as light and fluffy as a cloud, with a delicately atmospheric touch that almost feels like a mild summer air filled with the fragrant trail of blue flowers and green grass.

The base is soft and muted, much like the rest of the fragrance. It displays a generic cocktail of musks and patchouli that is unfortunately quite bland. The creaminess in the heart carries through but softens to a delicate milkiness that is not unlike an unscented sunscreen in texture. It’s a shame and one can’t help but feel that a delicately mossy chypre base could have made for something intriguing, unusual and full of contrasting nuances.

Daisy Dream is one of those fragrances that I file under ‘nice but uninteresting’. There is absolutely nothing wrong it with and it does smell very pleasant, but it doesn’t present any new ideas, nor does it feel entirely satisfying. One can walk into any department store and find ten other fragrances like it, some of which will be better executed and more beautiful (YSL’s In Love Again springs to mind). If however, you’re in the market for a no-frills (or thrills) fruity floral, then Daisy Dream is worth a sniff – just be warned that it doesn’t smell anywhere near as cute as that lovely bottle looks.

Availability

Marc Jacobs’ Daisy Dream is available in 30ml (£39), 50ml (£52) and 100ml (£70) Eau de Toilette.

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Disclaimer
Image 1 via fragrantica.com. Image 2 via thedieline.com. Notes via Escentual.