Fresh Lemon Sugar Eau De Parfum --- Eau de Pepe Le Pew is more apt

Skunky is the word I'd use if challenged to summarize the scent (I am being generous) of Fresh Lemon Sugar Eau De Parfum in one word. Although, harsh and overbearing come to mind.

Now who am I (in terms of perfume), and why should you put any faith in my opinion?  I'm not a "nose"; I'm simply a perfume friendly consumer who considers her fragrance to be an accessory. At present, I have in excess of 40 bottles of fragrance, and there is rare occasion when I'm not wearing fragrance. I have scoffed at women who claimed they couldn't wear perfume because it gave them a headache, and to the collective you I say, I'm sorry! I've found one such scent and Fresh Lemon Sugar is thy name.

My experience with Fresh products has been limited to two scents: Sugar Eau de Parfum and Cannabis Rose Eau de Parfum. Love Sugar, a bright sparkly lemony fragrance which is great for hot summer days and I like Cannabis Rose which is a really unique blend of woodsy-floral which I wore in the fall. Have not restocked the Cannabis Rose, but I caught a whisper of it on a coat collar and I thought of it fondly. With spring trying to take hold and summer just around the corner Fresh Lemon Sugar Eau de Parfum caught my attention with the following description of notes:

Top: Italian lemon, yuzu, mandarin
Heart: lychee flower, orange blossom, ginger flower
Base: oak moss, caramel, white santal

In particular, I was persuaded by the mention of lemon, lychee, orange blossom, and caramel and made a small investment of $25.00 for a 1 ounce bottle. While I still haven't embraced "try before you buy" I have at least learned to go small.

Simple modern little glass bottle with minimal adornment, I removed the metal cap and put the spray actuator to my nose. I smelled lychee and lemon, but I wasn't feeling very confident with my decision. Applied the fragrance and still lacked confidence. I tried to convince myself that the scent would warm or change with my body chemistry, and I hoped that perhaps my kids or husband would give me an alternate perspective and tell me how great I smelled. Instead my daughter and husband inquired "What's that smell?" With trepidation I answered their question with another: dunno, is it something bad? "No not really, but it's weird. Is it some new cleaning product or one of those freshener things?" Uggghhh, not the validation I was seeking!

Entirely linear fragrance from bottle to skin, this scent didn't change in the least. It didn't improve with wear, and unfortunately did cling to me, hour after hour after hour...

It smells like lemon zest with a hint of lychee; a glaringly bright fragrance in desperate need of something to soften the sharp notes. I can't tell you what happened to the base notes of oak moss, caramel, and white santal (oil from a tree which smells like rose), but they certainly escaped my detection. This composition is an acrid barely more than one note disappointment, reminiscent of a scent introduced to a cleaning agent to make it less offensive. Fine for furniture polish, wood cleaner etc, bug spray even, but not what I'm looking for in a perfume.  

It did indeed give me a headache and I couldn't wait to shower. I wouldn't even use this spray in the car to freshen it up after the boys came home with buffalo wings, or my son left his soccer stuff in the back and the car stinks. I simply won't use it again --- ever. It figures a scent I so dislike is highly concentrated and long lasting. I do not recommend.

To help you decide if perhaps you should try Fresh Lemon Sugar because ewww! you hate what I love, here is a comparison and some idea of what appeals to me:

Classics/ Chanel no. 5, Fracas
Modern classics/ Angel, Cashmere Mist
Trendy/ Euphoria
Celebrity/ SJP Lovely and Covet
Fun/ Curve Crush