Tokyo Babe

Tokyo Babe borrows its idea from Japanese cherry blossom season, though the composition itself is a fairly standard modern fruity floral rather than anything specifically sakura. It opens on bergamot, pink pepper and pear, which is a reliable trio for making the first spray read fresh and slightly fizzy without much citrus bite. Pink pepper does the lifting; pear supplies the juice. The heart is where the floral promise arrives, with peony, lily and rose stacked together in a way that reads more like a general bouquet than three distinguishable flowers, and lychee and caramel folded in underneath to keep the sweetness climbing. That caramel is the thing that separates this from the dozens of pink fruity florals it sits beside, pulling the middle towards a light gourmand rather than a clean one. The base is cashmere woods, cedarwood and vanilla, a soft musky-woody landing that keeps the sweetness from collapsing into sugar and gives the fragrance a slightly powdery finish on skin. Longevity is respectable for the price, projection is moderate after the first half hour, and the overall wear is comfortable rather than memorable. This is the eau de parfum, a separate and stronger product from the Tokyo Babe body mist sold in the same line. Best in spring, and best on someone who wants sweet without heavy.