Love Don’t Be Shy Extreme by By Kilian is an Amber Vanilla fragrance for women launched in 2021 as an Eau de Parfum. The nose behind this fragrance is master perfumer Calice Becker.
Love Don’t Be Shy Extreme is a flanker to the original Love Don’t Be Shy. It’s part of By Kilian’s Narcotics family. It’s a new fragrance that’s been proven to be a hit ever since its launch.
The keynotes of this Amber Vanilla fragrance are Neroli, Orange Blossom, Rose, and Marshmallow.
Kilian Hennessy’s inspiration: A gourmet pleasure reserved for adults, the iconic Love, don’t be shy is pushed to its EXTREME with an overdose of Bulgarian rose.
| Perfume Name | Love Don’t Be Shy Extreme |
| Brand | By Kilian |
| Year Released | 2021 |
| Concentration | Eau de Parfum |
| Scent Family | Amber Vanilla |
| Gender | women |
I was given a small decant of Love Don’t Be Shy Extreme by a friend. This is what I had to think of this flanker.
What does Love Don’t Be Shy Extreme By Kilian smell like?
It smells like powdery, rosy marshmallow fluff brightened by the white florals and citrus.
If I compare it to the original Love Don’t Be Shy it also has that sweet fluffy marshmallow topped with candied oranges smell, but it’s not as sweet as the original, and it has more floral notes. Overall, it just smells more perfumey than the original.
In terms of the name of this scent – I think it’s a little bit tongue in cheek to call this ‘extreme’ when the marshmallow is the dominant note. However, I do think this extreme version is an improvement in that the rose balances out the orange blossom in a really lovely way.
When I smell this fragrance, I can’t help but think of rose-flavored Turkish delights with the powdered sugar on top. To me, this scent is entirely excessive, hedonistic, and carefree. It’s not an overly complicated fragrance, nor does it need to be.
| Top Notes | Neroli and Bergamot |
| Middle Notes | Orange Blossom and Bulgarian Rose |
| Base Notes | Marshmallow, Vanilla, Musk and Pomegranate |
My Experience
When I try this scent, I get a burst of bergamot, and then I can also pick up a mixture of rose, neroli and quite a bit of the original Love Don’t Be Shy’s DNA. To my nose, the rose isn’t super strong – it’s not a green, fresh rose, but a powdery rose. A bit like a soft rose petal or rose water. It’s not a vintage rose, either.
The dry-down is a creamier and more powdery version of the original, and it becomes a beautiful balance between the orange blossom and the rose. At this point, the rose and the white floral notes are not as strong as the top, but they are still prominent and linger for hours.
Later on, the vanilla and musk start coming through more and round out a lovely and sweet scent. I haven’t been able to really pick up the pomegranate as a distinct note, but perhaps I’d be able to pick it up as I continue to experiment with this scent.
Sillage & Projection
The sillage is moderate, and after 4 hours becomes closer to my skin. The projection is moderate as well. I think the “Extreme” refers to the amped-up floral facets of the perfume more than anything else.
Longevity & Versatility
The longevity on my skin is moderate to high. It definitely lasts longer on me than the original. This scent is very versatile, and I can imagine myself wearing this throughout the year on any occasion.
Closing thoughts
If you liked the original Love Don’t Be Shy but found it a bit too sweet to the point that it smelled edible, I’m sure this extreme version is right up your alley. It has that lovely DNA of the original but smells a lot more perfumey without losing that distinct and loved marshmallow note.
That being said, it’s not a safe blind buy unless you’ve already fallen in love with the original, then I’d say go ahead. If you are a gourmand lover, then you have to give this fragrance a try. It’s very feminine, sweet, joyful, uplifting, sassy, flirty, and charming. I would also say it’s more well-blended and balanced than the original as well.
It does have a fair amount of powderiness, so that could be off-putting to some people. The sweetness might even be cloying or headache-inducing to some people. However, if you like this fragrance, I’d say it’s full bottle worthy and worth the investment.