Oscar de la Renta
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Bergamot brightness strikes first, immediately sharpened by galbanum's green, almost metallic edge, before hyacinth introduces a powdery-green florality that feels almost herbal. The initial effect is crisp, vaguely aqueous—nothing here broadcasts intimacy.
Orange blossom emerges with delicate, waxy sweetness whilst jasmine sambac adds a whisper of sophistication without veering toward indolic territory; the rose integrates quietly, lending classical prettiness rather than drama. The composition settles into a balanced, almost contemplative floral where every element occupies its own space.
Cedar and sandalwood create a cool, slightly austere woody bed, the musk barely a murmur beneath, leaving skin scent rather than projection. What remains is minimalist and intimate—a polished wooden surface rather than an embrace.
Live in Love announces itself as a fragrance caught between whispered romance and deliberate restraint. The galbanum-hyacinth pairing in the opening establishes a green, slightly astringent spine—think crushed stems and morning dew—which immediately distinguishes this from saccharine floral territory. What unfolds is a composition where orange blossom doesn't arrive as creamy indulgence but rather as a luminous, almost tart counterpoint to a jasmine sambac that's been kept on a tight leash, prevented from becoming heady or animalic.
The rose that threads through the heart is restrained, classical even—it reads as supporting cast rather than protagonist, which grants the composition an unusual sophistication for a 2012 release. Benaïm's hand here favours clarity over density; there's breathing room between the florals, almost a transparency that allows you to distinguish individual components rather than experience them as a homogenised blur.
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4.0/5 (477)