Body by Burberry: The Top 20 Women's Fragrances of 2011 - A Scents of Self Production

*Current Fragrance: Liaisons Dangereuses by Kilian
*Currently Listening: Just A Closer Walk With Thee by Kermit Ruffins with The Rebirth Brass Band

First let my start by saying HAPPY FAT TUESDAY! Being of strong Cajun decent on both sides (and that my Granny was born in New Orleans, later to be raised in Arkansas), I rather enjoy this holiday! It's not about the booze, the bead, and the boobs. OK, it is about the beads & I TOTALLY plan on wearing some to work tomorrow....

For me, Mardi Gras is about being proud of my Cajun Heritage; the food, the making something out of nothing, my ancestors little part of the American immigrant story. So, lassiez les bon temps rouler! I will be celebrating Fat Tuesday by wearing my beads, as much purple green and gold as I can while still staying in work dress code, and EAGERLY awaiting the delivery of a King Cake to work courtsey of Husband Extra-Ordinarie!

For you dear reader, I'll let you and Professor Longhair Go To The Mardi Gras!

Now...perfume time!

Today will be number four out of 20. For my takes on Angel, Aromatics Elixir & Beautiful, please click on their corresponding links. Today's focus: Body by Burberry.

1) I had never sniffed Burberry Body before getting ready for this entry, but I DID used to wear Burberry for Women (I'm a sucker for blackcurrant) back when returned to school to finish my undergraduate. Burberry for Women reminds me of Percy Grainger's Lincholnshire Posy.

*Nerd alert* At the time, I was in the middle of working on a research project of commercially available recordings of "the Posy" and comparing them to Grainger's "intent" with the score. I got to present my research at a conference in Hawaii, so....here come some not really that embarrassing pictures of my past. (Which is turning into a theme in the Top 20 posts)

The view from my hotel window with me in it.

Kayaking in the Pacific Ocean. (Being a city girl, kayaking is the one outdoorsy activity I truly love.)

2) I didn't read any reviews on Body before writing my own; just did enough digging to find out that it was released on September 1st of last year.  I really didn't want anything to sway me into writing anything differently from what I'm about to, by me thinking maybe I was just in a funky mood....because Burberry...WHAT HAPPENED!?!?! Having Body on my skin was truly one of the worst fragrance experiences I've had in a very, very long time. Burberry's website lists Body's notes as fresh green absinthe, illuminating peach and delicate freesia (top), floral notes of natural rose absolute, iris and warm sandalwood (heart) and woody cashmeran, creamy vanilla, amber and musk. Let me translate this into what I smelled in Kathleen Land: cloyingly sweet peach cobbler with sandalwood crumble topping, sprinkled with freesia and a smidgen of jasmine petals. This would have been fine I suppose, but with this came an instant head ache, nausea and a burning in a few places where I applied the fragrance. I was able to keep it on my skin before I had to scrub it off....TWICE. I know they can't all be winners, but this one offended me. Look at the release date; and I bet you and I will come to the same conclusion as to why it made it to the Top 20, but more on that in the final round up post.

Burberry Body bottle (say that five times fast)

3) Nope - couldn't see myself wearing Body. I'm not really into intentional headaches, nausea and skin burning.

4) Would I buy a bottle? I have some masochistic tendencies, but that's REALLY stretching it for me....

5) Al's thoughts: "It's sweet. Like sickly sweet. People with diabetes just shouldn't put that on their skin."

6) Sorry, after knowing how I reacted to it on my skin, I just couldn't make myself make a blotter of it to see how it stands up to the blotter test. Just couldn't do it.

Oh Burberry...your purses are so cute, but Body is not! (Glad I bought a Burberry bag on impulse and not Body...)

If Burberry for Women is Lincolnshire Posy, then Burberry Body is Go Tell Aunt Rhody played on a plastic Bundy clarinet with a quarter size chip in the bell.

Oh, one last thing! There's one more day to sign up to enter a bottle of Philosophy's Pure Grace in the giveaway linked to the post in memory of my Grandma Grace by clicking here.

*Currently Listening: It's Later Than You Think by Kermit Ruffins with The Rebirth Brass Band

**Photo Credits: 1, 3 & 4) my own, 2) thescentsofself.com, 5) us.burberry.com and 6) stylefrizz.com