Scarlet Larkspur Ineke for women

I have been meaning to review Ineke SCARLET LARKSPUR for quite some time now, having acquired a bottle back in September 2011. Each time I wear this perfume, I find myself unable to grasp exactly what it is. The first time I donned it, I was sampling the Floral Curiosities series (of which this is one member) at an Anthropologie store in Boston. I had vowed not to buy any more perfumes scent unsniffed, so I made the trek downtown to give these special limited edition creations a try.

It was a hot day outside, and I had walked a few miles, so when I got inside the store I basically doused myself with the tester bottle. The perfume was not too loud or strong, and it both felt and smelled refreshing, so that was part of the reason. But I returned to the tester bottle again a couple more times because I just couldn't figure out what this was supposed to be.

SCARLET LARKSPUR is not exactly gourmand but also not exactly fruity floral. Instead, it falls somewhere in between. I would compare this to the better members of the Salvatore Ferragamo INCANTO series, because this fragrance, too, has a brightness and conveys a sense of cheery optimism. The difference is that the components in this SSRI launch seem entirely natural to my nose. The problem with BLISS and BLOOM is that although on good days they smell great, on bad days they become vaguely annoying. No such problem with this Ineke creation, I am happy to be able to say.

The tightly blended notes are not easily disentangled, but there is an overall feeling of reddishness. This composition is fruity without really seeming fruity, as contradictory as that may sound. I really don't know how to describe the scent, but I like it, though I usually do not like fruity-floral compositions all that much. I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes bright, optimistic fruity floral fragrances, but I think that some who usually shun that category may like it as well. SCARLET LARKSPUR is an affable, pretty creation. It is at once both inoffensive and strangely appealing.

So, I'm wearing Scarlet Larkspur on the inside and outside of my arms, as well as my décolletage.

Am I crazy for preferring what I'm smelling when I stick my nose down the front of my blouse, compared to what I'm sniffing on my arms?

What I smell on my arms is a light boozy, fruity mix: pleasant enough, but nothing to write home about. On my chest: it's a soft powdery floral dry-drown. (Maybe it's a combination of fragrance plus my clothing's fabric softener that I'm experiencing.)

Lovely. Glad I tried it. Thanks for the sample. onaona!

Scarlet Larkspur - you saucy minx! When I walk up to a display of perfumes that I don't know, I generally avoid the one with the "sexy" name and bright red packaging. That usually hints at a spicy oriental fragrance that will make my wrist smell like I dunked it in red curry.

Not so with Scarlet Larkspur! Velvety, soft and decadent - this is a winter evening scent that I can actually get behind. I want to wear this one with a cashmere sweater, while eating a red velvet cupcake with one hand, and petting a sleeping kitten with the other. Can we all get behind the idea that in-your-face, stiletto stomping scents are not always the sexiest? Sometimes, it's the simple things that count.