Illicit by Jimmy Choo

What a beautiful perfume! It’s sweet and sophisticated. Illicit stands out for being pleasant and unique. We often associate sweetness with something undignified or teenage, like sticky sweets, and many current perfumes fall into that cloying gourmand cliché, abusing vanilla just to sell more. They often smell of vanilla with coconut, lemon, or wood, and that bores me for lack of sparkle. Illicit is different. Its sweetness stands out thanks to a honey-syrup note that doesn’t feel plastic and blends perfectly with caramel and a touch of vanilla. It balances that sweetness with mature citrus, ginger, and florals, with jasmine taking the lead alongside musk to provide cleanliness. I love wearing it on its own, but it also works well for mixing with white florals or woods to break up seriousness. It also pairs well with simple citrus fragrances, adding an ideal floral and honey touch for hot days without being suffocating. I’ve been searching for a real honey note for some time and have tried several synthetics, such as Maison Alhambra’s Candid Tonight, which is rich but has patchouli and didn’t convince me. Now that I have both, I notice that Illicit’s sparkling ginger gives it a more cheerful air compared to Candid’s serious patchouli. It attracts young girls in their twenties but suits all ages; the key is that youthful energy. I don’t understand the marketing hype regarding what it conveys. They say it lasts long, but on my dry skin, it lasts about two hours noticeably, and by five o’clock it’s faint. Definitely try it before buying. Despite the longevity, it feels wonderful, and I enjoy it every time it passes my nose. It stays in my collection, and I hope they don’t discontinue it because it makes me feel good.

It’s a sweet yet fresh fragrance; the honey and florals are very noticeable. It’s super feminine. I prefer unisex perfumes, but this one is truly delicious; I wouldn’t wear it myself, but I would love to smell it on someone else or in the street. I feel it’s an aroma someone aged twenty could wear just as easily as someone aged sixty without issue; it’s cheerful, warm, and represents spring very well.

It’s a linear fragrance, but so well-blended: ginger, orange, honey, jasmine, and vanilla. It seems to improve over time in terms of longevity and strength; when I apply it in the morning, I feel it all day until night without reapplying. It’s totally feminine, has distinction, and offers a lot for the price because it’s a different aroma. I want to keep it forever.

I bought it blind based on the notes and reviews. I expected something stronger, though it’s not ugly; the ginger note is what stands out most, along with the honey and caramel. It’s not that long-lasting on my skin, but I’ll give it a couple of months to mature. For me, perfumes should be memorable. We’ll see how it behaves. I must highlight that it is elegant and wearable.

I’m just starting to use it and have a certain opinion. I like that it’s not a cloying honey; on the contrary, the orange and ginger balance it out and make it delicious to wear. It’s an elegant and feminine fragrance; I don’t see a young girl wearing it. Ideal for autumn climates in my opinion; I must see how it behaves in other seasons. Now I feel its trail is super low and its longevity is short. It sits very close to the skin and its trail projects nothing. It’s perfect for an office. What I like is that it’s not cloying; what I dislike is that it projects nothing. Maybe I’ll let it macerate and then see if my sense of smell adapts. The notes that stand out so far are orange, ginger, honey, and jasmine. I wasn’t disgusted, but I wasn’t thrilled either.

It’s exquisite, but I didn’t buy it because it fades very quickly. What a pity.

Illicit is lovely, sweet but not cloying; I find it elegant and sensual. Every time I wear it, I feel the scent embracing me; it’s cosy. It’s my signature scent. Although I favour florals, citrus, and fruity notes, I have a soft spot for Illicit because it’s a natural, soft sweetness. They say it’s discontinued, but here it’s sold everywhere at a good price. If I have to complain, it’s the projection, which is moderate to soft, but I like it just as it is. It’s the one I have the most backups of and I truly love it, 10/10.

Delicious, sweet and citrusy, a pity it doesn’t project as I’d like. A beautiful scent.

I’d been wanting to try it for ages; seeing it so elegant and sophisticated, I thought: let’s give it a go! Luckily I grabbed a set with Jimmi Choo decants, and wow, it really does… the vanilla is super subtle; I think I’ve never heard anything like it, it’s original! On the wrist it doesn’t invade or cloy; it’s soft, milky, but veryyyyyy soft, the notes aren’t noticeable at 100%, I did pick up the orange and I like it, but I’m worried about the longevity… if it’s so soft on the wrist, I doubt it will last six hours. I give it an 8; I feel I owe it to the longevity.

It was love at first sniff. I went for a different one but ended up with this. It opens spicy, bitter and sweet all at once, with a powdery yet light touch – nothing like grandma. That amber and honey vibe lasts all day without becoming cloying, perfect for fresh days and nights. On my skin it lasts about six hours. I recommend it, but as always, try before you buy.

I tested it on my skin and was surprised it stayed on my wrist all day, marking my clothes and leaving a trail. I bought it and have no regrets. It’s sweet, you can smell the caramel and honey, but without being heavy. It’s feminine, elegant and characterful yet delicate. Ideal for autumn and winter. The longevity on skin isn’t the best, but on clothes it lasts days. For me, it’s a definite yes.

What a lovely scent! I’d almost say it’s a safe gift. Feminine, delicate and sophisticated. The opening is orange and ginger, nothing sharp. Then the flowers emerge, soft and non-invasive, with that honey that balances everything perfectly, without being cloying, like natural honey. It lasts about five hours, with a low sillage and it fixes well to clothes.

My favourite Jimmy Choo. In fact, I knew it a long time ago from the advertising with Sky Ferreira and I’m a fan, haha. I decided to try it and I loved it. It smells of honey, but not that synthetic honey found in JPG’s Scandal. Every time I wear it, I receive many compliments.

One of my favourites for everyday wear, sweet, spiced, woody, and warm… all without being cloying or intrusive. It’s versatile; I wear it to the office and enjoy it greatly.

In my opinion, it’s a sweet, fruity, slightly juicy fragrance. I perceive the honey throughout all phases, quite intense. The opening has very light citrus; I identify tangerine, not much ginger. Then, in the dry-down, perhaps I sense some flowers. What I notice most is the honey, caramel, and a bit of vanilla. In my judgement, it’s a linear fragrance. It’s rich, but it doesn’t impress me, nor does it displease. I sense a slight resemblance to JPG’s Scandal, probably due to the honey, though not as long-lasting. Illicit lasts between 5 and 6 hours, which is good, after which it’s perceived more closely. I would buy it again… I don’t think so; I would seek more innovative scents.