Ecstasy

Ecstasy opens juicy and sweet, ripe pear and peach lifted by a peppery sparkle, with a tart blackcurrant-raspberry edge that recalls the berry-forward start of Nina Ricci L'Extase. The heart turns floral and powdery, rose and jasmine wrapped in soft white flowers, keeping the sweetness rounded and pretty. The drydown is where it cosies up, caramel and vanilla melting into warm amber, musk, patchouli and a touch of benzoin for a soft, almost gourmand finish. The original is a sweet, musky floriental with good longevity but famously humble sillage; this Perfume Parlour version follows the same fruity-floral-gourmand arc but reads flatter and a little more synthetic, with the projection staying close to the skin throughout. It remains a flirtatious, comforting budget pick, best in autumn and winter for dates, evenings and cosy casual wear where its sweet, musky warmth can charm.