Rolling in Love by By Kilian is an Amber Floral fragrance for women and men launched in 2019. The nose behind this fragrance is Pascal Gaurin.
This scent is part of By Kilian’s Narcotics Collection, and it was a hit when it was first launched. Today it’s still a pretty popular fragrance.
A note by the brand:
Rolling in Love is a musc de peau, capturing the sensation of feeling so high on love that it seems to almost “get under the skin”. Working with perfumer Pascal Gaurin, Kilian Hennessy took an entirely new direction. Rolling in Love is more direct and less faceted than his previous fragrances—almost “monochromatic” in its focused representation of a single emotion. Rolling in Love is a “white” scent, layering different textures along the scent’s trail with notes of ambrette seeds, almond milk, iris, and musk.
| Perfume Name | Rolling in Love |
| Brand | By Kilian |
| Year Released | 2019 |
| Concentration | Eau de Parfum |
| Scent Family | Amber Floral |
| Gender | unisex |
I finally managed to track down a stockist where I could purchase a sample of Rolling in Love.
What does Rolling in Love by By Kilian smell like?
Rolling in Love has a very realistic milk note. Like fresh sweet, steaming milk and almonds with sandalwood in the dry down that rounds it out. Throughout wearing the scent, I also pick up a creamy musk and powdery note.
This fragrance smells fresh, sexy, and oh-so glamorous. It’s milky, warm, soft, and cozy – yet bright and beautiful at the same time. It’s an absolutely stunning scent. It makes me think of a gorgeous woman with long brown hair and a skin-tight red glitzy dress playing one of those classical pianos in a dimly-lit upscale bar.
I love how all of the scent elements work together. The almond and the tuberose are a fantastic pairing in this fragrance. To my nose, it’s quite similar to Jo Malone’s Poppy Intense, especially the dry down, but with a more “mature” feeling to it.
| Top Notes | Almond Milk and Ambrette (Musk Mallow) |
| Middle Notes | iris and Freesia |
| Base Notes | Tuberose, Vanilla, Tonka Bean and Musk |
My Experience
The opening of this fragrance is soft, slightly sweet, milky and almondy. The almond note isn’t the overly sweet kind you tend to get in almond scents, but it’s much more sophisticated with a touch of creaminess. It makes me think of a very luxurious lotion.
After a while, this strong almond note transitions into something warmer and floral but a very sweet floral. The iris really shines at this stage, and I also pick up a nice cherry accord. The dry-down notes also turn a bit more powdery, revealing the stronger musk accord.
While I like the almond opening, I think I actually prefer the dry down of this scent. In the end, the scent is marked by beautiful vanilla, tuberose, and Tonka Bean notes that are super creamy and inviting. Although on my skin, the fragrance settles into a skin scent far sooner than I prefer.
Sillage & Projection
The sillage and projection of this fragrance are intimate, and it sits close to the skin. I wouldn’t recommend this to someone that wants their fragrances to have more of a presence and a bit of sillage.
Longevity & Versatility
This is a very versatile fragrance that can be worn the entire year, either in the day or the evening. It definitely has the potential to be a great signature scent if you can afford the hefty price tag. I think there are scents better suited to the summer, but this could still work in the warmer months.
Unfortunately, the longevity is quite poor on my skin. I guess it just doesn’t work with my skin’s chemistry. I’ve heard other people rave about the longevity, so it’s best to first try it out first.
Closing thoughts
Rolling In Love is a pretty unique fragrance. It’s definitely a breath of fresh air among other new releases, as it has no patchouli, citrus notes, aldéhydes, oud, etc. It’s definitely a must-try for any iris lover who wants a less dense iris.
I won’t call this blind buy safe, especially at this price. Perfume can change so much based on your skin’s chemistry, so first, get a sample. On my skin, the performance was pretty weak, but again that could be different for someone else. Although this is a unisex scent, it definitely leans a bit more female.