Dragée by Reminiscence

To be fair, I don’t like it; it has way too much hype. I tested it three times in different seasons and bought it blind, which was a mistake. It doesn’t smell like almonds to me, but rather like the rubber on brand-new dolls—a vintage vibe that’s not very versatile. I’ll keep it on my shelf to trade or sell. Edit 20/5/24: I absolutely love it now; I wrote the above a year ago, and my sense of smell has evolved to find it exquisite and essential. It’s a delicious almond powder. Just don’t buy it blind.

I recently picked up a gem on Vinted: the case with the three 50ml perfumes from Les Notes Gourmandes. It was irresistible. This review is for Dragee. It smells like talcum powder with a dominant almond note surrounded by orange blossom. It’s subtly sweet, with a vintage touch that evokes an old vanity. It doesn’t smell realistically like wedding candy shells as theory suggests, because the sweetness blends with a lot of florals. It’s romantic and delicate. The trail is soft and lasts about 5 hours. Even though it’s discontinued and very similar, don’t go crazy trying to find it; stick with the MSK 004 by Natalie Lorson for Zara, which you can test in-store. Dragee is more discreet and natural, while the MSK is sweeter and longer-lasting. I’ll also compare it to Fragonard’s Daima. Scent: 8/10, Longevity: 5/10, Sillage: 6/10, Value: 6/10, Versatility: 7.5/10, Packaging: 7/10. Would I buy it again? Probably not.

This was a blind buy. I hesitated between Guimauve and Dragee, but I was scared Guimauve would be too strong, so I went with Dragee. I love gourmands, and encouraged by the reviews, I decided to try it. I deduce that in Spain, ‘dragee’ would be ‘peladilla’. The name is funny to me, but it smells like colorful candy shells. The opening is citrusy and floral, then it hits a bitter/weird spot that I don’t like. Fortunately, it softens and settles into a powdered almond scent, sweet and boozy. Sometimes it reminds me of amaretto, and there’s also floral notes. On my skin, it doesn’t last long, and the sillage is very weak. I’ll use it, but I think I should have taken more of a risk and tried Guimauve.

Thanks to Cnidaria for this decant of an absolute gem <3 I feel so lucky to have met the Les Notes Gourmandes triplets; none have disappointed me, and Reminiscence has stolen my heart. The trio smells like a sweet fairy tale, yet each has its own story. Dragee, like Heliotrope, carries that sweet almond note, but here it's so sweet and light it feels ethereal, as if you're having tea with fairies in a spring meadow filled with blooming orange trees. Imagine almond cookies and plum tea served on giant flowers instead of plates. Unlike its sisters, Dragee is more understated, like an elegant lady who knows she's beautiful but prefers to go unnoticed, even if she doesn't quite succeed. Its drydown is green like the gardens of Versailles but sweet like Willy Wonka's. It achieves a sublime balance: cheerful, sophisticated, and elegant without being heavy or overpowering. It's a faithful companion for all day, adaptable to any weather or time of day. Watch out: Dragee steals hearts. Once you smell it, it's hard not to fall under its spell. It's not bad intent; it's its gift and curse. Dragee is the perfect oxymoron, strong yet fragile at the same time, closing out the ideal trio. Scent: 10/10 Sillage: 10/10 Longevity: 10/10 Bottle: 10/10

I couldn’t write a review for this perfume! Dragee is the pretty, cheerful girl in the middle of an almond and orange grove. It’s a delicious, velvety gourmand… I sense innocence in its opening of mandarin and almond blossom, transporting me back to childhood without being childish. Then a fruity note emerges: a very sweet, juicy syruped plum. Finally, close to the skin, a soft musk with a subtle but creamy vanilla. I don’t really detect much cedar. I’d wear it in spring for a romantic date or a lovely picnic. It reminds me of the scent of the letter envelopes I used to collect as a kid. If you’ve ever heard of Cacharel’s Gloria, this smells very similar to it, just softer.