Beaming Diamond

Beaming Diamond opens with a juicy burst of yuzu and pomegranate, the sparkling fruity-fresh signature that made Bright Crystal so easy to wear. A watery floral heart of peony, magnolia and lotus follows, soft and clean rather than heady, before a light base of mahogany-tinged acajou, amber and musk grounds it. Compared to the Versace original the dupe reads brighter and more linear: the refined transition from the dewy floral heart into the woody-musk drydown is simplified, and the composition leans on the fruit and peony for most of its character. It wears as a fresh, pretty daytime scent - the kind that suits spring and summer days, the office, and casual outings. Projection and longevity are modest, a soft cloud for the first hour or two before it settles into a skin-close floral musk, which is the expected trade at the budget price. As a smell-alike it captures the cheerful, universally-likeable freshness of Bright Crystal while losing a little of the original's polish and tenacity.