Fashionably London by Zara

I absolutely loved it when I first tried it and wore it daily, but I put it away in the cupboard for months. Today I used it again and it sounded different: the first spray smells super masculine, like sandalwood, but once it dries on the skin, the roses come out in full force. I shook it and sprayed it again, and it became softer and more pleasant. What a pity because I adored it; I’ll try it again later.

Zara’s hidden gem.

It’s the signature of one of my closest friends at uni. It has a heavy trail; I don’t recommend it in enclosed spaces; once we went on a minibus and I couldn’t stand it; it’s very cloying. You could smell it from the back. It feels like a lady’s perfume, not for a young woman.

It smells to me exactly like Molton Brown’s Delicious Rhubarb & Rose.

The first time I smelled it I liked it. Now it gives me stomach disgust. (Not because it smells bad, it’s that sometimes smells cause rejection for whatever reason). This happens sometimes and also the opposite. It has something that invades in an excessive and overwhelming way. Huge trail and longevity even after washing. PS: the other Zara perfumes marked as similar didn’t seem similar to this one when I tried them. If anything, Rose Petal Drops more than anything because the rose is very noticeable here (and I don’t like it either). And by the way, there is no similarity between the original bottles which were very nice and these round ones which say nothing.

Fashionably London from the Zara Olfactive collection, featuring Jo Malone. Go for something elegant and timeless. Bergamot comes through, citrusy and luminous without being brash. The heart is a sophisticated, modern rose—classic yet not dated. The musk base is creamy and long-lasting. The bottle is minimalist, but at 30ml the spray mechanism is too powerful and breaks the delicacy. In short: elegant, clean, and feminine, perfect for daytime or formal events. The structure is good, though that small atomiser is a drawback.

One of the best perfumes in Zara’s history. Elegant, feminine, fresh, and musky. It lasts for hours and projects well, making it a guaranteed compliment getter. On top of that, the price is reasonable (though it rose by £8 when the packaging changed, which isn’t an improvement over the previous one). Every time I wear it, I fall in love more. I hope they never discontinue it. I also have the body cream, hair spray, and hand cream, although not all are currently available.

On me, this fragrance lasts a long time. I can only smell it for a couple of hours, but my colleagues say they can tell I’ve been around, so I moderate my sprays. It’s a strong perfume, very heady for me; I like it very much but it can be overpowering, so I use it sparingly. If I finish it, I’ll try similar ones, but the quality-to-price ratio is excellent.

The reason for this review is to say that the longevity is incredible; I’ve had it on my skin for 12 hours and it still smells (from a single spray). Although it’s listed as unisex, I think it’s more feminine, though certainly some men won’t have an issue with it. It’s a rose scent wrapped in citrus. If you like florals, especially rose, it’s a very good option for the price, quality, and duration.

I wanted a dupe to ‘save’ my Delina, but it doesn’t resemble it in any way. It’s more of a Rose Gourmand under a different name, because the dry musk that characterises it is prominent.

Am I the only one who smells petrichor (wet road) with this fragrance? Nothing surprising given a city with ‘rain’ in its name. It lasts a long time, but it hasn’t quite convinced me; there’s something in the dry-down that reminds me of something unpleasant.

This perfume is delicious. It has a metallic note that doesn’t put me off; in fact, I’m drawn to it. The sillage is beautiful. It’s feminine and cool without being extravagant.

I really like this fragrance but consider it too strong. It’s a super-powerful rose with a musky base that, in my humble opinion, lacks creaminess. The trick I’ve found is to apply body cream to my palm and then spray the perfume; that’s exactly how I like it. I don’t know if it’s crazy, but I get what I want.

I must confess this fragrance is love/hate for me. The opening is a bit overwhelming, but the dry-down and performance are excellent; it has incredible projection for a Zara scent. I haven’t tried Delina, but I have tried similar ones, and I think this interpretation might be a hit: it’s very sexy, clean, and alluring. I received many compliments. I finished a bottle in no time and am planning to restock.

I went in absolutely thrilled to try it out, but it didn’t win me over. At first, it smells like soap 🤷♀️ and clearly doesn’t suit my skin. I didn’t detect any rose at all, to the point where I wondered if I’d grabbed the wrong tester. I wouldn’t buy it.