Love, don’t be shy By Kilian is a fragrance for women. Love by Kilian was launched in 2007. The nose behind this fragrance is Calice Becker.
The perfume Love, don’t be shy is part of the Kilian Narcotics family. Ever since it’s been released it’s been very popular. This might be partly due to the fact that it’s one of Rihanna’s favorite perfumes.
The keynotes of this Amber fragrance are Neroli, Orange Blossom, and Marshmallow.
A description by the brand:
First love’s innocence makes itself known with juicy honeysuckle and plush rose softly caressed by the sweetness of luscious marshmallow sugar accord, satisfying the craving pang of new love. A warm amber base lends a pulsing touch of sensuality, hinting the possibility of soon knowing another soul, inside and out.
| Perfume Name | Love, don’t be shy |
| Brand | By Kilian |
| Year Released | 2007 |
| Concentration | Eau de Parfum |
| Scent Family | Amber |
| Gender | women |
This is one of my best friend’s favorite scents, and she insisted I try it out. This is what I think of Love, don’t be shy by Killian.
What does Love, don’t be shy By Kilian smell like?
This fragrance is straight-up candy floss, but still, it’s more refined. It’s marshmallowy, vanilla, and sugary with an animalic undercurrent.
This scent definitely makes me think of Prada Candy in terms of the overall sweetness, but the orange blossom notes make me think of a scrumptious orange blossom macaroon. The texture of the scent is like the biscuit covering of a macaroon. There is some slight resistance when you nibble it, yet underneath it is fragile and soft.
This is a super feminine and playful scent. This makes me think of an elegant woman in her 20s or 30s. I can see how people also compare it to Sintra by Memo Paris, as there are definitely a lot of similarities, but Sintra has resins, cedar, petitgrain, and berry that tone down the sweetness a bit and makes it a bit more unisex than Love by Killan.
| Top Notes | Neroli, Bergamot, Pink Pepper and Coriander |
| Middle Notes | Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Honeysuckle, Rose and iris |
| Base Notes | Sugar, Vanilla, Caramel, Musk, Civet and Labdanum. |
My Experience
As soon as I smelled it the first time, I was a little bit confused. I’m not usually one for candy-like scents, but this fragrance actually blew me away as soon as I put it on. I’m in love with how floral elements like orange blossom mixes perfectly with the toasty smell of marshmallow. To my nose, it creates the perfect level of balanced sweetness in the opening.
I find Love, don’t be shy to be unmistakably “pink” and “orange” in its hue when I smell it. When the initial sugary blast subsided during the dry down, I could notice the civet a lot more. I think this strong animalic undercurrent of the scent keeps it from being overly sweet.
After about 5 hours, the scent becomes a beautiful vanilla with a strong white musk note. The longevity of this scent is incredible, and I kept picking up the vanilla and white musk for at least 12 hours on my skin. This is definitely the most gourmand fragrance I’ve ever tried.
Sillage & Projection
Love by Killian has a moderate sillage and projection. The one time I wore it out with friends, I got complimented twice. However, because it’s so sweet, it can be cloying if over-sprayed.
Longevity & Versatility
The longevity is very long-lasting, which is fantastic because you don’t want this ever to fade because it is so good. It lasted at least 12 hours on me, and I could still smell it on my clothes the next day.
To my nose, this is a super versatile scent that I’d wear throughout the year in the day and the evening. Although probably at the peak of summer, I could imagine it being a bit too intense. As I mentioned, this is definitely a fragrance you don’t want to overspray though, so if someone wants to wear it to the office, then even one spray is enough.
Closing thoughts
If you’re a gourmand lover and like very sweet fragrances, you’ll like this. Although it is very sweet, it’s not childish or juvenile but more sophisticated and posh.
It’s definitely different and not for everyone, so I wouldn’t recommend it as a blind buy. Especially as it is really expensive, I wouldn’t risk it even if I liked the notes. It’s super powerful, so a sample will last you quite some time.
Personally, I find this fragrance to be quite a bit overpriced, so unless you completely lose your heart on it, I’d shop around for something else.