This Smiley perfume was very popular in the eighties, although it’s still on the market, and it’s famous to be officially advertised as an “aromatic antidepressant” for men and women, as it contains Phenethylamine, a substance of chocolate, which is supposed to take part in the process of falling in love, and theobromine, also with psychoactive affects.

In the opening notes however, the fragrance feels fruity, with notes of orange and bergamot, although not excessively citric, with also a beginning of notes of caramel. The sweetness is mild at this stage, but it doesn’t blend with the citrus side, so that the two are perceived as separate aromatic blocks. In the middle phase, the citrus disappear and caramel dominates,  feeling similar to the one in CH by Carolina Herrera or Fendi perfume for women Palazzo (but without the florals). Although the declared notes are chocolate and curacao, what really dominates here is caramel, although curacao seems to be give a liqueur not of vanilla. In the final stage, there are notes of patchouli, myrrh and musk, covered by caramel, but making it feel more resinous and with less vanilla.

In spite of all the chemical hype behind this perfume, my impression is that there are other better and cheaper fragrances on the market that with better ability of lifting the spirit, like Happy by Clinique for example, or Alien perfume by Thierry Mugler with its soapy and clean jasmine. The fragrance is officially unisex, but in my opinion this is particularly true in the first phase with the neutral citrus notes, whereas the sweetness of the middle and third phase is more feminine. It is more inclined towards the winter, and it’s especially suitable for a work environment, perhaps too oriented towards a personal use to be worn in social occasions in general, or romantic dates in particular.