See By Chloé

Victoria Frolova, Bois de Jasmin

On February 19, 2013, Victoria Frolova praised a clever fruity floral: where most fragrances of the genre turn sweet and cloying, See by Chloé takes a bitter turn. She counts Michel Almairac among the best perfumers working today, capable of interesting touches in the most mundane compositions.

The opening of tart green apple and light jasmine did not surprise her, but the fragrance then turned milky, almost almond-like, as if one were biting the bitter seed of an apple. The drydown of almond milk, musk and sandalwood reminded her of Indian sandalwood soap and Sicilian almond milk granita.

Too fruity for her, she judged, it remains one of the best examples of the genre: she would rather smell it on teenagers than the sugary fragrances usually aimed at them, and found the bottle adorable.

Robin Krug, Now Smell This

On February 21, 2013, Robin Krug placed See by Chloé in the middle of the line, neither loving nor rejecting it. She described an apple-y fruit cocktail that ends as a soft floral over a pale woody musk; the vanilla stays mild, far from gourmand, and a warm, slightly spicy note appears in the far drydown.

She found it younger and more modern than Chloé, a bit like shampoo, pleasant and harmless at the office. She saw it as a 2013 version of Marc Jacobs Daisy or Gucci Flora, which she found more charming, and smelled nothing masculine in it despite the house’s claims.