S-Perfume is a small, independent perfume company in New York City that currently sells 4 fragrances, all developed in collaboration with well-known noses. 100% Love was created by perfumer Sophia Grojsman, best known for Yves Saint Laurent Paris and Lancôme Trésor. S-Perfume describes 100% Love as the "pulpy erotic part of a secret red fruit, the soft and wet velvety skin of rose petals in water, and a mystical "concoction" of incense and black chocolate."
100% Love starts out mostly chocolate and incense. For just a few minutes I thought perhaps this was going to be another foody-comfort scent, but it calms quickly to a sheer, rather unusual, not particularly foody fragrance. The rose does not become evident until this has warmed on the skin, but even then, it is a very soft and subdued rose — don’t go looking for YSL Paris here — and I would guess that it is mixed with some other light florals. The fruit notes are muted and slightly tart, and the fragrance retains a lovely undertone of bitter chocolate and resinous incense over a musky base.
The overall impression is not exactly foody, not exactly floral, not exactly fruity. It is, as described, velvety-soft, and there is something very compelling about it. It is a bit mysterious, and sexy in an understated kind of way.
It is an Eau de Toilette, and the lasting power is good but not fabulous. Like many Eau de Toilettes, it makes a much better impression when sprayed (liberally) rather than dabbed on. I would love to have an Eau de Parfum version with a bit more depth and staying power.
The emphasis at S-Perfume is clearly on substance rather than packaging, and 100% Love comes in a fairly austere glass bottle with an optional atomizer attachment. Props to S-Perfume, by the way, for not only disclosing the names of the noses they work with, but for also providing background information for each nose, including a list of the other fragrances they have developed. So few companies bother.
100% Love is available at Fred Segal in Los Angeles or through the S-Perfume website. Samples are available; they are rather expensive but very generously sized ($7 for 4.5 ml). The price includes shipping within the United States.
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I'm intrigued by this one – probably the resins and musk – but I'm debating whether to get a sample because I am not enamoured by any of Sophia's other fragrance creations. Is this one very different from the others? Love the S-Perfume website and the way they describe the “noses”. Especially after reading the Chandler Burr article. Thanks for helping to expand my horizons, Robin!
K, this is a very quiet fragrance, and certainly different from anything else I have tried by SG. I love Paris and used to wear it often, but it is an assertive scent and a tiny dab is all I need. I am wearing 3 spritzes of 100% Love on my arm right now, and it would still qualify as ethereal.
Now I really cannot wait to receive my sample, R! I am so glad that you gave it such a lovely review, because I was thinking that this would be another fragrance that sounded so lovely in print, but would end up smelling “flat” on my skin. And I love SG's other creations, particularly Eternity and Paris. Sounds like S-perfumes may become the US version of Frederic Malle's fragrances, don't you think? They have also commissioned a couple of other well-known perfumers living here in the states to create their other two (or is it three?) fragrances.
Mysterious, velvety, chocolate, incense, rose, slightly fruity – sounds like my cup of tea! I'll look for this the next time I'm at Fred Segal.
R, I am so curious to know what you are going to think of it. It is SO different from Eternity & Paris.
I think the difference between S-Perfume & FM is that FM, unless I am mistaken, lets their perfumers come up with whatever they want. S-Perfume is more typical: they are collaborating with the noses to get the scents they want.
Please tell me what you think when you get your sample
I so envy you having access to Fred Segal! I wish they sold perfume online. Let me know what you think of the 100% Love if you find it.
Hello NST!
How can I order a sample of this? I couldn't find it a link for the sample online…
Thank you! =) It sounds lovely!
Is it by any chance similar to Secrete Datura? I am thinking it would have more depth.
Hi M, You can get samples at: http://store.yahoo.com/shapingroom2000/samples.html
It is much less floral than Secrete Datura to my nose, and I would say much lighter.
Thank you so much, NST! I am so intrigued now! I love Secrete Datura, and a lighter version might be nice too. =)
Ethereal indeed. Very lovely, your review prompted me to buy unsniffed and I'm glad it did.
A very lovely fragrance,
Victoria O.
Ah, I'm so glad you like it too V! It needs more fans. This is still one of my favorite finds from this year.
After many samplings, I have fallen in love in 100% Love. At first, the chocolate/incense/rose combo was too strange for me. Now I crave this unusual, ethereal mix. For the first ten minutes, it is candy sweet on me. This is my least favorite stage. Then the incense kicks in and the sweetness dissipates. I love how this scent seems to float above my skin.
You mentioned that an edp version will be available in time for Valentines Day. Do you have any more info on this?
Since this was formulated as an edt, do you think an edp would be as soft and sheer? Do you think I should wait to sample the edp before making a purchase? I do love it as it is now.
Iris, I thought I had tried the EdP…but I am easily fooled — I haven't! Now I understand that they have tweaked the notes a bit, but that is all I know, other than still expected in time for Valentine's Day. Will keep you posted!
Again, late to the post… just tried this today. Interesting, INNNNteresting… it starts out with chocolate-covered strawberries, which — although delicious — is not really something I want on my body. That's gone in about ten minutes, and then I get roses dusted with cocoa, and then it's gone in about 90 minutes. (I only sprayed once.)
My question, though, is this: I sprayed it on my scarf to demonstrate to my 13-year-old daughter the chocolate-covered berries phenomenon (she wouldn't let me spray her!) and got nothing but patchouli. Yes, ugly scary patchouli. What the heck? Did I not notice it on my skin? Is there something on my scarf that made it do that? I tried it again. Skin: chocoberryrose. Fabric (my kitchen towel): hairy fanged patchouli.
Any ideas? From anybody?
I understand they've reformulated this one since I last smelled it, so can't really comment, but perhaps patchouli is part of the “mysterious concoction”…
Thanks, R!
Like I said, I don't think I'd like my skin to smell like this, but am certainly glad I did smell it. It is intriguing, to say the least. (It may be that I am fanatically patchophobic, as well, and notice that note more than other people might, since I hate it so much.)
LOL — I used to be more patchophobic than I am now, but do wonder if this is a much different fragrance than it used to be? Sorry that I just don't know.
Update: I picked up that scarf, 36 hours after spraying it, and NOW it smells like chocolate-covered strawberries and roses, with tiny hints of spice. I maintain the opinion that I don't want this on my skin, but it's compelling all the same: Valentine's Day virtual reality fragrance. (Except it's missing the chalkiness of Conversation Hearts and the construction-paper-and-glue smell of kid-made valentines.)
Totally fascinating!