Lightly Bloom 2018 by Zara

Heads-up: I suffer from chronic migraines. I was looking for something soapy and talc-like for everyday wear, for the pillow or freshly ironed clothes, lured in by words like ‘clean’, ‘flowers’, and ‘fresh’. I was let down: at first, it smells aquatic with a soft lotus touch, but within five minutes, the peony envelops everything. I’m not a fan of roses as they remind me of my grandmother, and the peony smells the same to me. With just one spray, it clings to the nose; I don’t detect the musk or anything else. I agree it’s a childish, delicate, or unoriginal scent. For just over €8, you could ask for more. To make it work, I use it with layering over something woody (like the Equivalenza Cachemire 784 if you’re from Spain), giving it a sophisticated touch and making it resemble Narciso Rodríguez’s For Her.

Lightly Bloom is a clean, fresh aquatic floral where lotus and peony are the stars. It projects well on me and lasts 8-9 hours. I tried the Summer version and it smells the same, just softer. It also comes in a pack with Nude Bouquet, another spring floral; both are similar when dry, but Lightly Bloom is more striking and projects more. Ideal for spring-summer, work or casual wear. If I had to choose, I would stick with Nude Bouquet as it is more balanced, although Lightly Bloom offers better longevity. Rating: 6.5/10 for scent, 8.5/10 for longevity, 8/10 for sillage, 9/10 for price, 7.5/10 for versatility and 7/10 for packaging (the original box is lovely: 8.5/10). I would buy it again, yes.

Floral, sweet, fresh and aquatic… Very feminine and youthful. Personally, I find it a bit ‘girly’; if you’re from Argentina, the scent reminds me of ‘Coqueterías’. It’s for everyday wear, spring and summer, nothing invasive. As a gift for a 13-year-old girl, it seems perfect, and although I use it for work, I wouldn’t buy it again (I’m 27). Pros: the price, I bought the 30ml version (along with Deep Garden) and it’s wallet-friendly, easy to reapply. Soft sillage, lasts about six hours on my skin. Pleasant fragrance, appropriate for the price.

Zara has done it again… it has cloned its own clones of Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet. Although I notice something different from Nude Bouquet and Accord Floral, the musk seems more prominent in Lightly Bloom, making it the closest to Miss Dior. If you like those three, you will surely love this one. The design is beautiful, the box is thick, high-quality, and opens by pulling a little string to the right. I recommend it: it is clean, subtle, elegant, feminine and relaxing.

Love at first sight. I was looking for it as a Christmas present and the box with botanical drawings won me over; once I realised it was from Zara, curiosity got the better of me and I tried it. It’s an aquatic floral, reminiscent of Cool Water or Bright Crystal, evoking a garden corner with lotus, iris, daffodils and peonies. Very feminine, perfect for spring-summer with patterned and boho outfits. Good longevity and a subtle trail for everyday wear.

Perfect for gifting without breaking the bank; it’s intense very feminine and elegant. The presentation is flawless with a stunning bottle and a high-quality box featuring delicate flowers. Although it smells strongly of roses at first sniff there are three other notes that make it a distinct floral scent nothing cloying. For me it has a zesty acidic touch that I absolutely love. It has good longevity on clothes and I highly recommend it.

Lotus Flower brings aquatic notes and a sweet touch of white pear, very calming. Peony dominates the heart with great tenderness, perhaps with a subtle hint of rose not listed on the website. This central phase lasts for most of the time before blending into the base: a clean musk, nothing animalistic. It lasts 5-6 hours on skin and 7-8 on clothes. It starts strong with good sillage, then becomes more intimate.

Floral and sweet, I bought it for the gym and it’s perfect. The sillage is quite poor close to the skin in the first 2–3 hours. Nothing complicated, suitable for daily use if you don’t want it to be too noticeable, but I do recommend reapplying. It’s decent for the price but nothing special.

PERFECT FOR SHOPPING: one of my favourite Zara scents for running errands or daily wear. I find it super lovely; it’s an aquatic floral. I’m really looking forward to wearing it to the gym. It’s feminine and super fresh, one of those scents everyone likes.

Lotus and peony, similar to Versace Bright Crystal for Women. Don’t confuse it with Nude Bouquet, which recalls Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet.

Very fresh, smells like soap. Ideal for everyday wear if you want to smell clean and floral. Longevity and sillage are moderate.

Smells clean but very artificial, like a room freshener. Doesn’t really convince me. Luckily, I only bought the 30ml version.