By Chrissy Iley
I’m the kind of person who likes a signature scent. I like a scent that makes me feel more of myself and I like other people to know it’s me when I enter the room. For many years I was a strictly Carnal Flower girl. Recently I’ve been a little bit more experimental and was introduced in an airport to Black Opium Floral Shock.
I got a free tester and instantly became obsessed. I saw it was written about as the scent of glam rock. I’m not sure if it was referring to its older sister who appeared in the 80s. Brown Opium. Everybody was addicted to that. Every room, every party, everyone smelt of it. And I was only ready to smell something vaguely related after a 20 year break. Floral Shock is a fresher version. It’s said to possess the iced coffee vibe. The shock comes from its zesty lemon white floral character but at its heart there’s the dominant gardenia with white musk which was the main motivational force behind my beloved Carnal Flower this is different though it feels lighter, fruitier. Its notes are ever changing. What begins as something very grapefruity ends up quite woody. It very much suits my mood of the moment. I’m not sure what that is but a little bit smoky. A little bit dark. A little bit light. I’m very fond of it. So fond in fact after the initial mini tester I’ve had to acquire my own bottle.
It’s black with a little pink and the glass is rough like black diamonds have been crushed into it. It sits on the dressing table so much happier than its brown older sister ever did. It’s priced around £50 and it’s no stranger to the duty free. Despite its black bottle and rock chick appeal it’s actually very summery and very addictive.